Do we truly rest when we die? Or some would experience a more relaxed and better/healthier existence?

Should a substitute be: "Be at peace?"

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When You Get.. Give.... When you learn... teach (Maya Angelou)

Be the change you wish to see in the world.
Let us work with others to change our communities.

Rest in peace is religious - symbolizing you will rise again, because rest means you're no longer active and i'm guessing you won't be inactive forever or will you ?

But if you are going to rise again, why say rest in peace?

the rest of what you are saying is conflicting.

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When You Get.. Give.... When you learn... teach (Maya Angelou)

Be the change you wish to see in the world.
Let us work with others to change our communities.

I guess we say Rest in Peace because no matter who we were in life it must have been filled with problems/turmoils at some point.....saying RIP is a way for that us to re affirm the "reality" that the problems of life can no longer affect them(the dead) and its a place for them (the dead) to be at peace.....

on the flip side we may say RIP just for ourselves (the grieving) ....what I mean is when someone dies that is close to us we may say RIP to convince ourselves that that person will be resting comfortably where ever they may go....


i nah kno ....jus guessin here ......interesting thing to think about though ...

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One step at a time

Thanks for sharing your thoughts as well. You and what OM said makes sense but I have decided the stop saying it for now at least.
My new phrase is "Be at peace"

__________________

When You Get.. Give.... When you learn... teach (Maya Angelou)

Be the change you wish to see in the world.
Let us work with others to change our communities.

I hear you but you have yet to explain what prompted the change... did something happen or were you just thinking about it?

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One step at a time

Well here is the thing... my personality is one who does not conform to sayings just because it has been said for years. Including things people do. Many times I wonder why people say things and I think of the meaning.

I have bannished certain phrases from my vocabulary because it makes no sense or another reason.

My grandmother passed away the end of last year and I remember the pastor at the grave site mentioning that it is just her body it is not her. She has gone to meet her maker. It made me think about that flesh that decomposes and all that is left is bones. So in essense my thinking is my granny is not resting if the spirit or soul lives on and she went to meet her maker.

Then recently somebody died and in one of those threads I kept seeing people saying RIP (most times people abbreviate things and phrases. Same way they say bless you instead of saying God bless after someone sneezes.)

Then I started thinking of all my lessons growing up when I was told people either went to hell or heaven. I was told their soul or spirit is going to a particular destination, so I said how are they resting? How do they know what the dead doing after they pass away? Are they resting? Or they resting sometimes and also living joyously singing and dancing or some other fate.

__________________

When You Get.. Give.... When you learn... teach (Maya Angelou)

Be the change you wish to see in the world.
Let us work with others to change our communities.

oh ok... makes sense....

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One step at a time

Cool... now if someone could explain why Rest in Peace is a better phrase I will then mentally digest and determine if it says if it is better than Be At Peace to me.

__________________

When You Get.. Give.... When you learn... teach (Maya Angelou)

Be the change you wish to see in the world.
Let us work with others to change our communities.

From what I have read in the bible. The spirit goes to sleep after the body dies. An example of this is The prophet samuel. When the King Saul summoned his spirit after he passed away. Sameuel said something to the effect of why did u awaken me.
So if we look at it from that aspect i guess the spirit can be troubled after the body passes away so rest in peace is not a false term. But im wid u on repeating sayings dat dont make no sense. jus like u said Bless u when somebody sneezes.

Hmmm interesting... don't recall about what you said about prophet Samuel above... kinda maybe I do. Can you tell me which Chapter and verse?

Thanks for your insights. I want to delve in what you said further. Let me know about the Chapter and verse please so I can read up more on it.

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When You Get.. Give.... When you learn... teach (Maya Angelou)

Be the change you wish to see in the world.
Let us work with others to change our communities.

1st samuel the 28th chap
Saul uses what we call a witch doctor to summon the prophet Samuel spirit. Its heavy man a really good read

Yeah the word "peace" doesnt make sense..but it will make sense to someone who believes the soul continues to live although the body dies.

thanks ...will be sure to read that ....

yea that can be another way to look at it.... and in some ways i do agree.

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One step at a time

What is death like? It is like falling asleep. It's in the Bible, I Thessalonians 4:13, NIV. "Brothers, we do not want you to be ignorant about those who fall asleep, or to grieve like the rest of men, who have no hope." and in John 11:11-14, NIV. "After He had said this, He went on to tell them, 'Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep; but I am going there to wake him up.' His disciples replied, 'Lord, if he sleeps, he will get better.' Jesus had been speaking of his death, but His disciples thought He meant natural sleep. So then He told them plainly, 'Lazarus is dead'."

Where does Daniel say the dead are sleeping? It's in the Bible, Daniel 12:2, NIV. "Multitudes who sleep in the dust of the earth will awake."

Death is a kind of sleep so as we sleep we rest in Christ