National Geographic’s documentary
The Story of God begins with noted Hollywood actor Morgan Freeman asking the age-old question, “What happens when we die?” But can the answer be found by traveling the world and sampling a variety of religions?
Interestingly, Freeman himself has played the role of "God" in film more than once. He’s not the first, of course. A variety of performers have taken up the mantle—including Groucho Marx, Alanis Morrisette, and George Burns. But in National Geographic’s new miniseries, Freeman turns the tables and asks, “Who is God?” In the first of six episodes, which aired April 3, 2016, he first tackles the question, “What happens when we die?”
To get answers, Freeman travels the world and looks at different religious views on life after death. He crawls into an Egyptian pyramid to study hieroglyphs that explain how to care for the newly dead. He follows a garland-draped body through the Indian city of Varanasi to the funeral pyres located on the banks of Ganges. He even discusses with a scientist the idea of downloading the human brain and recreating a “digitalized” resurrection.
While he was still young, Freeman suffered the loss of his grandmother and brother. “
Everybody grieves,” he explains, “but some people have a certainty that helps them cope with grief. They're certain they will see their loved ones again in heaven. For some of us, it’s not quite that simple.”
One reason Freeman might be challenged by the question of death probably comes from his view of God.
In a 2012 interview, Freeman was asked if he considered himself atheist or agnostic. He replied, “It’s a hard question because as I said at the start, I think we invented God. So if I believe in God, and I do, it’s because I think I’m God.”
Is there really a god—or is the idea of a higher power simply a human invention? And will we find the truth about life after death by searching all the world’s religions—perhaps finding truth by consensus?
Many former atheists have said they found the fingerprints of a Designer in the natural world. While we certainly can discover more about the Creator by looking at the things around us, our clearest understanding of God comes through the Bible, which accurately presents the nature of God through Jesus Christ. If we truly want to know God and what happens after we die, we will study the book He has given us to learn of Him.
The Bible plainly reveals that “the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 6:23). Many Christian are confused about what happens after death, largely as a result of misconceptions of the Bible that run rampant in our culture. The truth is that "The Story of God" doesn't have answers—but the Bible does!
God alone is immortal and will someday give eternal life to those who choose to follow Him. Until that day, when a person dies, they rest unconsciously in the grave until the resurrection. It’s a truth you can count on with certainty. Learn more by watching
this enlightening presentation from Pastor Doug Batchelor.
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