G said (September 19, 2021):

Hi Henry. Thanks for the "Philosophy with a Personal Touch." That certainly was deep honesty, yet more matter-of-fact than raw. But that's you. For me, I'd add that I, especially after passing 70, have crying spells of sadness and fear concerning my own mortality. It's the proverbial, "Why does it have to end this way?" I tell my husband I don't want to be a chicken but want to be brave and dignified. Hope I have the stuff. Arthur once begged Merlin, "Please Merlin, don't let me die bewildered." I myself would plead, "Please God, don't let me die confused."

Well, I've relied on Christ to pull me through whatever so far, so I guess I'll rest in that same reliance. Dying, I don't like it, Henry. I don't like it one bit. Being separated from my husband is like the ocean being separated from the shore. I can't imagine it. So my soul has no choice left but to worry or trust. On good days I trust.

Damn, is there anything more humbling than knowing none has a choice in the matter? And maybe that's the point: to be made humble. Well, humility is not necessarily weakness and as my mom used to say with aches that won't go away, "Learn to live with it."

Frikkin' learning, that's another thing that never goes away. No rest for the extant. One thing I know for sure... I'm alive today; I'll just have to find something to make it a good day.

Rudy said (September 19, 2021):

Hebrews chapter 2 Jesus conquers death fir us. King James Version

14 Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took part of the same; that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil;

David C said (April 25, 2021):

I never believed in the Holy Bible previously, but many righteous researchers have convinced me biblical truths are real, especially the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Until a few years ago I dismissed the Bible as absurd, and nonsensical, but now I believe it's our owners manual for life on earth. Clearly we are near the end of time, and unlike you, Henry, I don't believe humanity has a chance of defeating satan, who has total control of the world, including most people's minds. Therefore, things are going to continue getting worse, as we near the climax of the end times. I believe there is only one way to be saved, and hope other readers here who aren't believers already research it further, because there is extensive archeological proof of biblical stories. The "Amazing Discoveries" channel removed my lingering doubts, and it might help others understand the meanings of biblical books.

James C said (April 24, 2021):

After he had seen and done everything that is humanly possible, the wisest man who ever lived came to this conclusion, and I thoroughly agree with him: "Therefore I praised the dead who were already dead, more than the living who are still alive. Yet, better than both is he who has never existed. Who has never seen the evil work that is done under the sun" (Ecclesiastes 4:2-3). As David Bowie once said: "It's the terror of knowing what this world is about." This world is a prison inhabited and ruled by diabolical bastards. And we are at their mercy, but they have none.

Jorg said (April 24, 2021):

I had a near death experience when I escaped a horrible accident with my motorcycle by sheer "luck". Very thankful for that experience because it freed me of any fear of death after. Yes, we all carry an immortal divine spark that is fleshed out again and again until we have learned enough and don't need more lessons as physical beings. I'm your age BTW, 71 and never felt better.

Gabriel said (December 31, 2019):

Very likely what caused your chest pain was the EKG. If I remember correctly you had the pain afterwards and not before that; if that is the case I bet that exam did it. It's just to much radiation, too shocking for our hearts. It should be used only as last resort if you really have a big problem, otherwise it should be avoided at all cost. In the future, push for an MRI if you have a problem; the magnetic resonance is a lot safer.

Richard said (December 31, 2019):

really enjoyed your “Do Not Fear Death” recent post.

You mentioned a profound truth I had not thought of before….

“If we realized that we're going to die anyway, perhaps we wouldn't cling to life. We might show more courage. The man who dispatched Hitler would have achieved immortality.”

Had Claus Von Stauffenberg simply pulled out a luger and shot Hitler instead of trying to rely on a briefcase bomb – he would have succeeded in his assassination attempt. Of course he would have been caught as Hitler’s killer – but the result was the same – he was hung by piano wire for his efforts and Hitler lived on. Had he been bolder – he would have succeeded. Either way – his life was forfeit. Something to think about.

KB said (December 30, 2019):

AS a young man, growing old and dying didn’t enter my mind, I thought everything would continue on forever.

During middle age and after my parents died, I just assumed I’d somehow be different.

Now I’m 76 and healthy, with a wonderful wife and step family, however realities are starting to present themselves. My younger brother is the only link left to my childhood and the thought of him passing would leave me feeling disconnected from that era.

It is also dawning on me that all the ‘things’ I worked hard to acquire over my lifetime (motorcycles, tractors, chain saws and numerous tools) seem less important every year. I need to start getting rid of that shit.

Personal relationships and how I treat others are becoming more important to me every day. Maybe that is what I should have focused on all my life.

JG said (December 30, 2019):

I read a book by the early Christian Historian Eusebius called 'The History of the Church' a few years ago. I still remember the chapters on the Christian Martyrs. They had no fear of death because they knew they were giving their lives for the love of God. Their holiness is beyond the average person's comprehension today. The did not live for "self".

I also read that the early church theologian Origen told his father when he visited him in prison, who was waiting to put to death as a Christian Martyr, tell him not to change his stance for the welfare of his family. Origen was only 10 years old when he requested that.

I could tell of more but I think the message here has been given.

Only the saints like these die with the confidence of inheriting eternal life because they believe the promises and live by them.

The rest of us can only hope and pray for forgiveness because we all fall short of the mark.
I fear God and death because I am a sinner who can only receive an inheritance in the Kingdom of God by the grace (unmerited favor) of God through his only begotten Son, Jesus Christ.

CV said (December 30, 2019):

referring to a previous comment about Catholicism

Only Truth!
Some things ring so freakin’ true that you just marvel at them, and it becomes easy to accept the rest on faith.
So much so that you may actually WELCOME the rules! No coercion!
Where is the coercion??
If you are born into it, you are free to leave!

Example: once you understand lying is harmful (experience) then you make the leap that stealing is probably bad, too.
You skip the trial and error part.
If abortion is obviously murder, you think so must be euthanasia.
If sodomy as unnatural sex is perverse (no progeny, anal complications, fecal contamination), then by extension so is birth control (unnatural, no progeny, health problems with The Pill and vasectomies).*

*NOTE: Civilization was built on testosterone that was channeled in that direction in order to enable one’s progeny to thrive. Civilization is now falling apart now, because the testosterone is being wasted on wanton sex, producing zero progeny to be nurtured (a sort of death wish).

Bernie M said (December 29, 2019):

Henry, I have read your article Seeing Death in a Positive Light.

In it you make the statement "Ultimately, the best preparation for death is the knowledge that we fulfilled God's purpose for us. "

True Henry, but you must understand God's purpose, and it is for each and everyone of us to save our souls and be with God for eternity after we die.

You acknowledge the existence of God, and if God is God, would he tolerate people worshipping the Devil and other demons who are pure evil, so aptly shown in your articles about the effect of satanic influence on man.

There is only one true God, Henry, and only one way to honour and glorify, and that is via Traditional Catholicism, His Holy Mother the Blessed Virgin Mary, the Rosary and Her Immaculate Heart.

As you approach the end of your life Henry, please investigate this, As a start, say 3 Hail Mary's/day, and see what happens. If you approach it sceptically with not enough faith, nothing will happen, but if you are genuine Henry, and are really seeking the truth, obstructed in no way by your prejudices, you might be surprised by the insights that you get from this simple action!

All the best Henry, and I continue to pray for all of us! God created us all to be in Heaven with Him for eternity, and we only get one chance to prove who's side we are on, and we must make that choice wisely, as there is no re-run.

Thank you for you work,

--

Thanks Bernie

"There is only one true God, Henry, and only one way to honour and glorify, and that is via Traditional Catholicism, His Holy Mother the Blessed Virgin Mary, the Rosary and Her Immaculate Heart."

I judge a belief by its adherents. This attitude just alienates people from traditional Catholicism.
Lead by example not coercion.

henry

Tony B said (December 29, 2019):

I don't know about Canada but in the U.S. you are way ahead to set up a trust instead of making a will. A trust bypasses the greedy lawyers.

Marcos said (January 9, 2016):

A Christian perspective on the article "I Looked Death in the Eye", if I may:

- There is nothing good about death. Death involves corruption of the body, sadness and separation. Life is good, our problem is that we live life in fallen world corrupted by sin. Our hope remains in the promise that God will conquer death forever eventually.

- Our body of an ape is wonderfully made, and just as real as our souls. Again, the problem is that it functions in a fallen world. In fact, not many people realize that Christianity teaches that we will have bodies in Heaven, albeit immortal and incorruptible ones.

- Our bodies shelter a soul, not a divine spark. Things can be made by God and not be divine. A soul can be bad, if corrupted by sin.

- Gnosticism concepts, as presented in the article, are dangerous because they teach that we are little gods and that the material world is inherently bad. This creates a false hope that eventually, when the material jail cage is gone, we all are going to be OK without repentance and faith. It will only take some time.

The hope of the Christian is different: the soul forgiven by faith in Jesus will eventually inhabit a new perfect body to enjoy the presence of a Holy God forever.

Dan said (January 8, 2016):

Glad to hear of your recent recovery, Henry! Seriously though, I'm glad you had a heart checkup. Between November and December two people I knew dropped dead with heart attacks. Neither of them or their doctors hadn't known they had advanced heart trouble because it requires expensive tests to find out.

I know several men over 60 who have had stints installed, but every one of them didn't know they had a blocked artery before they ended up in the emergency room. So once again, it's worth having a EKG.
If you really want to be absolutely certain, it's worth having a Cardiac Characterization exam, and an Echogram.

Due to the sudden deaths of two acquaintances in as many months last year I also developed a case of hypochondria. Not for myself, but for friends. On the evidence it's better to checkup. When heart disease discovered in advance, doctors can solve the problem before it happens.

Kevin D said (January 7, 2016):

My comment is: The German General who carried out the assassination plot you mention, was not really cowardly. There is a book titled "Holding the Stirrup" by one of the few remaining family members of the assassination plotters who were Old Rite German aristocracy, Baroness Elisabeth von Guttenberg.

Bottom line of the book: the plot was well planned, well executed, the bomb placed in an attache case next to Hitler, an unexpected call occurred, the plotter left the room unexpectedly, Hitler moved his seat away from the case for some unexplained reason (prompting of demons?), bomb went off, Hitler was only wounded. Almost the entire family wound up on meat hooks.

Interesting book. Glimpses of the Old Rite Catholic Germany the Illuminati/mason cabal were determined to eliminate.

Angela said (January 7, 2016):

Real Catholics always pray for the grace of a happy death!

http://www.ibreviary.com/m/preghiere.php?tipo=Preghiera&id=428

Colm said (January 7, 2016):

A remarkably poignant and reflective piece. You're bang on about the eerie feeling watching dead stars on TV from one's youth conjures up. Last Summer I watched a repeat episode of the not very good Seventies British sit-com Are You Being Served?. Every actor and actress who featured was dead at the time I watched it, apart from the guy who played Mr Rumbold. He died a few weeks ago. A few days after Christmas two pop stars from my youth, Lemmy from Motorhead, and the drummer of the Ska band, the Specials, died - on the same day. Such folk represented youthful rebellion (however spurious and manufactured) for teenagers in the late 1970s. Hearing that they'd both died in early old age brought to mind Auden's remark about death resembling the distant sound of thunder at a picnic.

Chestsy said (March 6, 2015):

In grade school, the nuns used to say to me: "Wake up and die right!"

Funny how to me that sums it up. The reason I'm still alive is b/c God is giving me another chance. Life is a beautiful thing but can be very hard. We do the best we can with His help.
Perhaps the Germans didn't kill Hitler b/c they believed God is the Master of Life and Death. After all, we are taught to decry suicide bombers, but we should more pity them. Their actions are actions of those without any hope.
Do the ends justify the means (Scruples question?)?

Ken Adachi said (March 6, 2015):

Many years ago, Don Amiche starred in a movie called "Things Change" which illustrated an axiom of life: New and unexpected events occur all the time in this world which can completely turn dire plans upside down on its head and we wind up with a much better situation than we thought would unfold. Some people describe such unexpected turns of fortune as miracles, as there is a divine element always at work, but the most determinant factor is how things pan out is our thoughts and attitudes. That's because reality is a by product of our collective THOUGHTS. Change your thoughts, and you change your individual and our collective reality, including how long you live. We often see videos from Japanese TV that show people in their late 90s carrying on their life as if they were 45 years old. They don't have time to get old and feeble. They're too busy doing their work, either at home or at the office, and enjoying the thrill of participation in life. The common denominator? They're having FUN.

Steve said (March 6, 2015):

The only people who will meet God with their heads held high will be the Satanists. Anyone who is a child of God will meet him with great fear and trembling...If you think that you have done anything here on Earth that will impress God then you don't know God.

CW said (March 6, 2015):

No way..the Illuminati intend to live forever..through AI. They intend to upload their minds to Robotic life..clones of themselves to rule the world forever.. google RAy Kurzweil or United Therapeutics Martina Rothblatt the
leader and Transgender,transhuman.. future of the Elite...

WB said (March 5, 2015):

First Comment from WB:

You NAILED IT with your article on death today. You did not miss a single salient point. I have come to all the same conclusions you so artfully expressed myself.

Even so, I still continue to doubt my courage in death. Your illustration of the failure to rid the world of Hitler was spot on. I feel an obligation to God and my forefathers to stand up and die for the freedoms God has given us in this once great Nation. To resist all tyranny.

But I know that it will be only with His help that I will muster the courage to die well and meet my maker with my head held high. May the God of all grace and mercy give courage to all who feel the same obligation that I feel.

God bless you Henry. I look forward to meeting you in the hereafter.

Magda said (March 5, 2015):

We are ultimately supposed to be expending our energy on living for a higher purpose. Our purpose is weighty and eternal. Moreover, our actions, sayings and stances will have ramifications beyond this present realm.

"For indeed, it is not eyes that are blinded, but blinded are the hearts which are within the breasts." - Quran (22:46)

Bob A said (March 5, 2015):

Just turned 64 myself, and I can appreciate your article. I love your comparison to a fine restaurant. I'll use it.

While I was being feted by my kids I couldn't help calling to mind a beautiful surah of the Qur'an, appropriately called Time (#103).

Translations are never adequate but here goes.

"I swear by time,
Most surely man is in loss
Except those who have faith and do good works,
Who enjoin the truth on each other
And who enjoin patience on each other"

That's it short and sweet. Let's keep looking for the Truth.

Rick said (March 5, 2015):

I liked the newest article Seeing Death in a Positive Light. Death is just a continuation of life. Life is eternal. Death is just a transformation into a better form of it. The point of this life is to secure an place in eternity with God. Like The real-estate people always say Location Location Location.

Dave M said (March 5, 2015):

Having an operational existence in this "reality" driven by technology and physics, my "character" has come to the conclusion (through both physical and thought experiment) that this construct all around us, is not reality. It is no more real or with absolute form than smoke in the wind, and free will, another mere illusion since actors generally follow scripts. As far as I am concerned, this is a virtual reality, whether it is actually solid and our bodies are complex data acquisition and control systems or if all this we see, touch, smell, etc. is based on neural manipulation, is anyone's guess. But it isn't real. I believe we are someplace else and whether we are tethered by some unknown technology to these meat puppets/avatars we inhabit for a short time, or we are chemical/electronically manipulated, I am not sure. I myself, tend to go with tethered to our "minds" (souls if you like) someplace else.

I look at this virtual reality like a ride and there are lots of them, they can be short or long, dramatic or boring, enlightening or terrifying. They can all be different in their own ways or the same. You get on the ride (you're born), you travel the twists and turns (you live) and when the ride is over, you get off (die). Some people are scared to death getting on and riding a roller coaster, but they know that when the ride is over, even though they may have experienced transient fear or thrills or panic, it's still back to good 'ole, what we deem reality. So can getting off the ride really be that bad?

You can't stay on the same ride forever, other minds are waiting, but certainly during civilization for the last 7000 years, there were probably 10 billion rides to try. I like the concept of Andy Weir's "The Egg" making us all the same mind, simply observing life through every character that ever "existed" in this virtual reality. Possibly a virtual reality which acts as a nurturing/learning environment for the we, the "unborn." Maybe life is simply entertainment, escapism for a technologically advanced humans, maybe some form of advanced learning system. Or maybe "life" is a prison, a mind locked into materialism and the gatekeepers of this reality, the screws, are what we so "lovingly" call the illuminati.

One event that might be interesting, is that if this "reality" is constructed and supported both by interference pattern and consciousness, should a majority of the "characters" somehow realize that they are characters at the same "time," consciousness en-masse could look back on itself and by simple observation and examination/analysis most probably would collapse the wave-function that is this "reality."

Just some thoughts from another actor in this construct we deem real ;-)

mary said (March 5, 2015):

Great article today Henry! Yes...it's not a party here on Earth...I turned 50 last year myself and immediately became enlightened after asking God for help and enlightenment as to why our world is the way it is. I found your wonderful website too....thank you and God bless you for what you do....let's keep up the good fight!

Adam said (March 5, 2015):

I love your website and your effort to spread God's sweet Truth.

As you say brother man, death is only the beginning to the next journey for the souls of the good and godly have a free pass to go where ever they please after leaving the physical form. But not yet.

I hope you stay with us for a long time. We are about to witness the fall of the dark ones who have been ruling this planet for a long time now.

The brothers are waking up around the world and soon, the false kings and prophets will be running for cover and beginning for mercy and forgiveness.

Keep up the good work.

I am 47 but I eat well and exercise...feel and function like 17.

Hope to have you around till at least 2050 ;)

Blessed be the eternal Brotherhood of Truth, the real Guardians of this beautiful Galaxy.

Much Love,
Your humble brother in God, Adam.

Larry said (March 5, 2015):

Greetings, Henry!

Alex Jones claims the Illuminati intend to meld man and machine so that they can live indefinitely while we schlubs continue to live and die as we serve them. He thinks the Illuminati take this "Ye are gods." business seriously.

Of course, Alex always had a flair for the melodramatic. We've been subjected to his rants here in Austin for almost twenty years.

Meanwhile, at 65, you've still got a few good years left. I turned 70 last month and just got my first Social Security check. I decided to gamble that I would live long enough to make it the most economically viable thing to do.

So far, so good.

J said (March 5, 2015):

http://quoteinvestigator.com/2011/12/07/barbarism-decadence/
The Washington Post of July 16, 1932 included the following English translation of a passage that appeared originally in the French newspaper La Liberté. The French paper was unhappy with statements made by the American President Herbert Hoover: 6

"Does this government, which obeys gangsters, which capitulates helplessly before thieves and assassins of babies in the cradle, dare to assume such a height of moral authority that it thinks it can dictate to Europe and France?

Americans are the only race which passed directly from barbarism to decadence without knowing civilization."

--

Thanks

But I hope my intent got through

henry

JG said (March 5, 2015):

I'm personally experiencing critical health problems at age 61. I've learned so much these last 5 weeks since my health has been restricted.

I've learned that God has been in control more than I ever thought and that only the grace of Jesus Christ can cleanse you from your past sins.
I've also learned who shows love and charity, and also, the ones who no longer want to know you once you're ill as if you have been cursed.

In the end all we have is the fate of God that can only be reconciled through Jesus Christ.

JJ said (March 5, 2015):

Yes, the Illuminati shits kick off in the end. "It" never dies, unfortunately, but they do, individually, and good riddance to each and every one of them. God will deal with them in the end, and the truth is, He deals with them now, but nothing like what awaits them after their second death. And they KNOW this.

The members of my Illuminati family are starting to age, and it's gratifying to watch them furtively try to pack every bit of temporal worldly pleasure and activity into each little moment they have left, pushing themselves to the limit without rest, knowing this world is all they have, and the deal they made specifies that they only get what they want in this one. It will be over soon.

It's fun to watch. God is good!