'19 Kids & Counting' Finale: One Duggar Moving Away
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Boy Says He Has Been to Heaven, Where Everyone Has Wings
Filed under: In The News, Religion & Spirituality
Todd and Sonja Burpo may have believed an angel was looking over their 4-year-old son, who survived a life-threatening burst appendix.
Colton Burpo, now 11, says it's true.
"A few angels, they came, picked me up and I was looking right at Jesus," Colton, from the small town of Imperial, Neb., tells "Today."
After 17 days in the hospital, the boy started to talk about things he could not have known about, "Today" reports, including a miscarriage suffered by his mother, prayers his father made during Colton's surgery and meeting "Pop," his great-grandfather.
"I was just sitting by the Holy Spirit, and then this guy comes up to me and says, 'are you Todd's son?' I said yes. He says, 'Well, I'm his grandfather," Colton tells "Today." "... Pop, he was very big, huge wings, he had curly hair, big smile and he was really nice."
The experience led Todd Burpo, a pastor, to write the New York Times best-selling nonfiction book "Heaven is for Real."
"He could tell me where I was while he was in surgery," Todd Burpo tells "Today." "The surgeons couldn't tell me that. The nurses couldn't. My wife couldn't tell me where I was praying but he could tell me."
Sonja Burpo says her son told her angels sang to him.
"There's a lot of colors, there are a lot of people and a lot of animals," Colton says, describing Heaven.
He also says everyone in Heaven has wings -- his were a bit smaller than other's, and that no one there is old.
"I like that part," Todd Burpo says.
Todd Burpo says Colton's story has inspired so many people because of "hope, healing -- they know what they have to look forward to," he tells "Today."
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ReaderComments (Page 6 of 24)
4-06-2011 @ 5:39PM
Lisa said...My Mom passed on last August. Two nights in a row before she died, I had a dream of two large angels standing outside her door - like they were guarding it. I love and miss my Mom very much and I'm so looking forward to seeing her, my baby I lost 30 years ago, my baby brother and my grandparents in heaven some day. Furthermore, I don't believe you must be associated with one religion or another to go to heaven. I believe I will also see my Cherokee Indian ancestors in the after life.
3-21-2011 @ 3:08PM
shane lavalley said...Ask yourself what is more likely- the kid is making this up, or he was actually picked up by angels? Extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence. Claims of angels by a 4 year old in Nebraska is not extraordinary. If a 4 year old Iraqi child who had been raised in the Islamic faith had made these claims, it would be a newsworthy story. And still BS.
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3-21-2011 @ 3:19PM
Jeff said...If I believe in god does that mean that all the astrophysicists are wrong about how the earth was created ??
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3-21-2011 @ 9:59PM
Gana said...Seriously, you believe in the big bang and everything out of nothing, but find it hard to believe in God????
3-21-2011 @ 3:20PM
gebo44 said...I would tend to believe Heaven is real for a very sound reason. A mother of my best friend growing up was rushed to the hospital and pronounced dead at 1:31:25 PM. One hour later she was alive lying in the morgue and almost freightened the pathologists to death as he was getting ready to do the autopsy. She told her children while I was present about her experience and how beautiful Heaven was and that she saw her mother and father. She said that Jesus had given her one year to get her husband ready for her demise as they had 6 children. One year later at the exact time of her previous death she passed away at a baseball game.
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3-21-2011 @ 4:51PM
RUTHATDUMB said...Riggghhhhttttt! Quit making shit up!
3-21-2011 @ 3:20PM
Tyggie said...If those of us that believe are wrong, we'll just be disappointed. But if those of you who don't believe are wrong......
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3-21-2011 @ 3:30PM
Bug said...Isn't it amazing how absolutely sure religious people are that everyone who doesn't follow their beliefs is wrong. Even more amazing are the Christians that say the simple act of not believing is a hell worthy trespass. If you really believe that, you have completely missed the point. Not to mention if you believe all this stuff you believe that judgment is reserved for god alone and therefore you have nothing to say about non-believers. The writings and the belief structure contradict each other, obviously something is wrong here. Also, a four-year-old is very impressionable and will believe everything they're told, if he's told he'll see angels, then he will see angels.
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3-21-2011 @ 3:24PM
Sharon said...I like how he claims "No one there is old." and the father said "I like that" So.....old people all go to hell?
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3-21-2011 @ 7:15PM
L.G. said...No. Old people have the same choice as us. The boy just means that, when/if we get to Heaven, we will never age. Ever. The old will become new and young again, and they will always be that way. We will never have to worry about anything. All our burdens will be left behind. Thank Jesus for our savior. God bless!
3-21-2011 @ 3:25PM
Patricia said...I believe in G-d, & Jesus as a Prophet who was rejected & murdered by the people, & part of the Bible. I don't believe in the Roman writings or Paul who was Saul. I know that we are supposed to keep the Commandments of G-d, ...not see how many we can shatter! And, that was Jesus' point & what he taught. The entire christian doctrine is based on a fairytale that tries to justify all the sins of the Romans who murdered Jesus & his disciples & followers, "the murderers of the Prophets & Saints" are spoken of in Revelation (also a book of the Bible that I believe) it is the Whore of Revelation.
The story about the boy who claims he went to Heaven, even though at no time in the story does it claim the boy was dead, & he did not wake up telling everyone in the hospital these amazing things during the 17 days, SEVENTEEN DAYS?! in the hospital, ....but instead he supposedly started talking about it AFTER he went home?! Please, get real!! That's just an insult to our intelligence. The Holy Spirit does not have a lap to sit in. And, by the way, Jesus said in the Bible that making jokes about the Holy Spirit is the only thing that anyone will NOT be forgiven for. People do not turn into angels or sprout wings. The boy said everyone was young, yet his greatgrandpop had white hair?! We know that during the surgery, the boy was definitely not dead, so how would he know where his father was & if he was in Heaven looking around how would he see his father. Let me guess, his father was a pastor so he was either in the chapel or in the waiting room,...& praying, ...hmmm why don't I feel psychic?! Why didn't he talk about it in the hospital? Did the 4 year old fear the evil hospital staff if he spoke of Heaven & angels to them?! Lots of colors & animals. No there aren't, but there are some animals, sometimes, every living thing has a soul, so it is not impossible, but animals are not mixed in with the people, & there are not many colors, white is the predominant color in Heaven. Maybe you should refer to the Book of Enoch on that one for verification. Revelation tells us what & where the Holy Spirit is. And, I hate to be so callus, but, if Colton had an angel looking over his shoulder, or even a decent intelligent pair of parents, he would not have had his appendix BURST AT THE TENDER AGE OF 4 YEARS OLD, & LEFT TO SUFFER FOR 5 DAYS BEFOREE HE WAS TAKEN TO THE HOSPITAL, & A 17 DAY LONG STAY IN THE HOSPITAL IS UNHEARD OF NOW A DAYS!!!! He must have been severely sick, or the hospital wanted to pad their bill to milk the HMO Ins Co.
Also, his father being a Pastor should want to protect his child from being called a,... or the,... False Prophet, which is what his father the Pastor is now, & what the boy will be if he actually grows up continuing to tell these fairytales that his parents have made up. You can find that described in Revelations & Jesus warned us about them more than anything else.
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3-22-2011 @ 3:25AM
jay said...If you claim to believe in God then why is it that you can't even type "GOD"? If you believe in God the Creator...why would you not believe in Christ his only begotten son? Also, Romans wasn't written by Romans or to justify their actions ...I found that kind of humorous. Lastly...Please explain what "the whore of revelation" is.
3-21-2011 @ 3:27PM
Laurie said...I would rather believe in God and be wrong, than not believe in God and be wrong!
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3-21-2011 @ 4:59PM
George said...Laurie,
Why would you fear that? Don't you believe that he is an everloving and forgiving God? That's what the B.S. believers say. So there's nothing to be worried about, right?
3-21-2011 @ 3:27PM
Donna said...Jesus Christ is love... why wouldn't anyone not want to embrace love? He was nailed, beaten & mutilated, spit on, and cursed at, to hang on a cross, taking on the sins of this world... because of His love for us.. by HIS choice, so we didn't have to carry the weight of our sin. Why would anyone turn away from that kind of love?
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3-21-2011 @ 3:27PM
vic said...That kid is homely.
I bet his parents coached him into this BS story to boast attendance at his dads church. Snake oil anyone ?????
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3-21-2011 @ 3:30PM
George said...Yeah, right. Everyone has wings and there are animals there. I thought the church teaches us that animals don't have a soul and therefore, do not go to heaven.
Just answer me this one question... Where TF is jesus when a 1 yr old child dies of cancer, or is drowned in the backyard pool? Don't tell me it's part of a "plan". Jeez, you people sre D-U-M-B DUMB!
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3-21-2011 @ 3:30PM
dlb said...Anything said after being under the care of an anesthesiologist I take with a grain of salt.
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3-22-2011 @ 8:21AM
GB said...Balloon boy anyone?. When I first read this story without yet knowing Dad was a pastor, I even felt the kid had been coaxed with a bill of goods. My mother did say my grandma almost died and it was very peaceful there, then she came back to life. There are several books written about this.
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3-21-2011 @ 3:37PM
Wendy said...I've heard from two of my friends who passed so the afterlife is as real as the world you're in right now. For anyone who has lost someone or lost a pet, they're on the other side and you'll see them again.
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