The Essence of Religions

The Essence of Religions was written to discourage the misuse of religions. This book provides the tools we need to reconsider many of the dogmas of the five major world religions that have proven detrimental to both human coexistence and our planet's survival. Furthermore, it seeks to replace these misguided belief sets with a more unifying and uplifting outlook that will benefit mankind as a whole. The author urges our alignment with "The Light" of unconditional love that can be found in the teachings of Christianity, Judaism, Islam, Hinduism, and Buddhism--and The Light of compassionate love in visions recounted to us by those who have undergone near-death experiences (NDEs). The author of The Essence of Religions, Christophor Coppes, examines the NDE phenomenon as if it were a religious experience, placing it in context by comparing it to the five major world religions. Coppes gives a compelling argument that many characteristics of these religions' view of the afterlife are analogous to the life-changing sensations and visions reported by those who have undergone an NDE. But he concludes that although the essence of these beliefs of the major religions can be found in NDEs, not all of the positive elements of an NDE experience can necessarily be found in the religions. The Essence of Religions examines the major world religions with an eye to their positive aspects as well as their contradictions and fixations. Coppes delves into both the commonality of the religions, their fundamental differences, and how they relate to NDEs. The Essence of Religions is a vital tool for those curious about the NDEs and how they can inform us about our own spiritual beliefs to help us lead happier and fuller lives.

The Essence of Religions was written to discourage the misuse of religions. This book provides the tools we need to reconsider many of the dogmas of the five major world religions that have proven detrimental to both human coexistence and our planet's survival. Furthermore, it seeks to replace these misguided belief sets with a more unifying and uplifting outlook that will benefit mankind as a whole. The author urges our alignment with "The Light" of unconditional love that can be found in the teachings of Christianity, Judaism, Islam, Hinduism, and Buddhism--and The Light of compassionate love in visions recounted to us by those who have undergone near-death experiences (NDEs). The author of The Essence of Religions, Christophor Coppes, examines the NDE phenomenon as if it were a religious experience, placing it in context by comparing it to the five major world religions. Coppes gives a compelling argument that many characteristics of these religions' view of the afterlife are analogous to the life-changing sensations and visions reported by those who have undergone an NDE. But he concludes that although the essence of these beliefs of the major religions can be found in NDEs, not all of the positive elements of an NDE experience can necessarily be found in the religions. The Essence of Religions examines the major world religions with an eye to their positive aspects as well as their contradictions and fixations. Coppes delves into both the commonality of the religions, their fundamental differences, and how they relate to NDEs. The Essence of Religions is a vital tool for those curious about the NDEs and how they can inform us about our own spiritual beliefs to help us lead happier and fuller lives.

Christophor Coppes enjoys a career in the international financial sector and currently works at the Dutch Central Bank in Amsterdam monitoring developments in the international financial markets. He holds a Ph.D. in economics from the University of Groningen and has published many scientific articles on finance while maintaining a strong interest in humanitarian issues. Mr. Coppes’s first book was published in 1995 and is based on the true story of how friends and family lovingly looked after a terminally ill AIDSs patient and helped him through the final stages of his life. His second book, was written as result of his disgust and horror over the ethnical cleansing that took place under the eyes of Dutch soldiers in Srebrenica during the war in Bosnia Herzegovina, in 1995. It was the biggest single massacre in Europe after the Second World War. The story, that really happened, is told from the perspective of one of the victims, a Muslim girl who was a translator for the Dutch United Nation soldiers and one of the Dutch Blue Helmets. His most recent book, Messages from The Light, is about the messages that people had during their Near-Death Experiences. In 2008 he became president of the International Association for Near-Death Studies (IANDS) in the Netherlands. Christophor also demonstrates his social engagement through his work as board member of the Society for Worldwide Dentistry. He participated in dental projects for underprivileged school children in Kenya, Cambodia, and Nepal. He lives in Amsterdam, the Netherlands.