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A review by tjdeuel
Heaven Is for Real: A Little Boy's Astounding Story of His Trip to Heaven and Back by Todd Burpo
1.0
I think the reader of this book is going to get exactly what they expect from it. A believer might find their faith confirmed, while one who does not believe will likely read it with a skeptical eye. I fall into the latter case.
I found the entire text frustrating. Every piece of "proof" offered was immediately followed by "How could Colton have known that?" The author immediately concludes that every statement from his son is evidence of heaven, while other plausible explanations are not even considered.
Whether he knows it or not, a pastor's son will have a LOT of background in Christianity, not just limited to what he has been told directly by his parents or what he has read in children's books. A child who is being raised in a Christian community will be exposed to Christian concepts through music, artwork, lessons in Sunday School classes, conversations with peers, and experiences with the church members. For a boy with his background to describe specific heaven-like scenes is evidence of his immersion in Christianity, not his trip to heaven.
As far as the boy's knowledge of his "sister" (the miscarriage of undetermined sex) and "Pop," again, when the author turns to proof of heaven for his only explanation, I can't help but consider the many ways he could have gotten information about these pieces of family history. The author can't see the likelihood that the boy overheard conversations between his parents, one end of phone conversations, or details shared by other people, yet that's all I can see. I have a hard time believing that the boy never saw a photo of young Pop when at Grandma's house or at other family members' homes.
I also struggled with how long it took for these details from his trip to heaven to emerge. Three years later, and we're still finding out about what Colton saw in heaven? Experts say that witnesses to a crime scene begin forgetting details or adding details in a matter of minutes after witnessing an event. To suggest that a little boy will have an accurate description of something that happened years ago is absurd. I think the boy's memories of his trip to heaven were created over time, as he added to his understanding of heaven through his experiences learning about Christianity.
Finally, I took personal offense at the line from page 148: "But I also think, Blessed? We watched our son almost die." The key word here being "almost." If you can't see how fortunate you are to not have had your child die, you clearly do not understand the word "blessed."
I believe the author and his family believe the story they are sharing. And if this story strengthens a person's belief in heaven, that's great. But for me, it leaves me frustrated. I have a personal, selfish reason to hope that there is a heaven, but this book continues to leave me feeling that in order to believe in heaven, one must turn her back on reason and logic.
I found the entire text frustrating. Every piece of "proof" offered was immediately followed by "How could Colton have known that?" The author immediately concludes that every statement from his son is evidence of heaven, while other plausible explanations are not even considered.
Whether he knows it or not, a pastor's son will have a LOT of background in Christianity, not just limited to what he has been told directly by his parents or what he has read in children's books. A child who is being raised in a Christian community will be exposed to Christian concepts through music, artwork, lessons in Sunday School classes, conversations with peers, and experiences with the church members. For a boy with his background to describe specific heaven-like scenes is evidence of his immersion in Christianity, not his trip to heaven.
As far as the boy's knowledge of his "sister" (the miscarriage of undetermined sex) and "Pop," again, when the author turns to proof of heaven for his only explanation, I can't help but consider the many ways he could have gotten information about these pieces of family history. The author can't see the likelihood that the boy overheard conversations between his parents, one end of phone conversations, or details shared by other people, yet that's all I can see. I have a hard time believing that the boy never saw a photo of young Pop when at Grandma's house or at other family members' homes.
I also struggled with how long it took for these details from his trip to heaven to emerge. Three years later, and we're still finding out about what Colton saw in heaven? Experts say that witnesses to a crime scene begin forgetting details or adding details in a matter of minutes after witnessing an event. To suggest that a little boy will have an accurate description of something that happened years ago is absurd. I think the boy's memories of his trip to heaven were created over time, as he added to his understanding of heaven through his experiences learning about Christianity.
Finally, I took personal offense at the line from page 148: "But I also think, Blessed? We watched our son almost die." The key word here being "almost." If you can't see how fortunate you are to not have had your child die, you clearly do not understand the word "blessed."
I believe the author and his family believe the story they are sharing. And if this story strengthens a person's belief in heaven, that's great. But for me, it leaves me frustrated. I have a personal, selfish reason to hope that there is a heaven, but this book continues to leave me feeling that in order to believe in heaven, one must turn her back on reason and logic.