Monday, November 15, 1999
Morality messenger blends old with new
26 years after nearly dying, author spreads message of God's acceptance
BY :BY JULIE IRWIN
The Cincinnati Enquirer
In 1973, during a hysterectomy, Betty Eadie had a near-death experience in which she remembers meeting Jesus, talking with him and viewing several universes.
Since then, she has published books, Embraced by the Light and The Awakening Heart, that together have sold more than 7 million copies. She travels the country with a message that ranges from old-fashioned morals to New Age spirituality.
Mrs. Eadie has just released The Ripple Effect, Our Harvest (Onjinjinkta Publishing; $22), and she comes to the Tristate Thursday to sign copies of her new book. She spoke with the Enquirer about her life-changing experience 26 years ago and the message she brings today.
QUESTION: What did you learn from your near-death experience? What was the central lesson?
ANSWER: I look to my experience because my experience isn't an occupation, it isn't about being an author. It's about my life, it's about continuing my journey here. I think of it more as my lifestyle. It has all been toward sharing the message I was given on the other side, the spiritual world, by Jesus, that we are to love one another and not be judgmental but allow people their differences, whether that's by race or religion. We have to come to an understanding that God's love is given to all. It's unconditional.
Q: Has your message changed in the 26 years and the three books that you've written?
A: Embraced is the only book I thought I'd do, but as readers wrote to me I felt a responsibility to answer their questions, so I wrote Awakening. And it becomes self-perpetuating; people wrote even more questions, so I wrote The Ripple Effect so I could perhaps raise readers' level of understanding of God to an even higher level.
Q: What are the most common questions you receive from readers?
A: Things like, “What about abortion? I aborted when I was 15 years old. What does God think about that?” or “What about suicide?” or “What if I was abused or raped by my father?” We're supposed to think of God as our father, and some people have a really hard time doing that based on their past experiences.
These are the situations or dilemmas people find themselves in, and I feel I can help them by sharing stories from the lives of others. Sometimes we find the greatest healing in knowing we are not alone, others share our pain. It's not just the ripple effect of my work, it's the ripple effect of others, how their lives touch the lives of others.
Q: You also get many questions about other world religions and whether one needs to be a Christian to be saved. How do you answer them?
A: Jesus definitely was a spokesperson for God, in my opinion, and he was sent to open the gateway to heaven. And when he lived, the religion was so distorted that people had forgotten that God is the gateway to love. There are many prophets sent to this world, and they all open up the gateway to God. I think many people who don't believe in Jesus are going to get back to God as long as they love. It doesn't exclude any other religion that believes in God.
Q: So do you believe Jesus was a prophet or do you believe he was divine?
A: I believe most prophets — not all, because some were abusive — but most prophets were divinely inspired.
Q: So are you a prophet?
A: Not a prophet in the sense of the prophets of old. I think I'm a messenger, one of many, because obviously I'm delivering a message and it's a great message . . . I want people to feel my spirit so they know I not only believe what I teach, but I want them to know I experienced what I teach.
IF YOU GO
• What: Best-selling author Betty Eadie signs copies of her new book, The Ripple Effect, Our Harvest.
• When: 7:30-8:30 p.m. Thursday.
• Where: Media Play, Western Hills Plaza, 6174 Glenway Ave., Westwood. 481-4775.
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