‘Heaven visitor’ admits his account was malarkey
A reader tipped me off to the following:
‘Boy Who Came Back From Heaven’ going back to publisher
Washington Post –
Tyndale House, a major Christian publisher, has announced that it will stop selling “The Boy Who Came Back From Heaven,” by Alex Malarkey and his father, Kevin Malarkey.
The best-selling book, first published in 2010, describes what Alex experienced while he lay in a coma after a car accident when he was 6 years old. The coma lasted two months, and his injuries left him paralyzed, but the subsequent spiritual memoir — with its assuring description of “Miracles, Angels, and Life beyond This World” — became part of a popular genre of “heavenly tourism,” which has been controversial among orthodox Christians.
Earlier this week, Alex recanted his testimony about the afterlife. In an open letter to Christian bookstores posted on the Pulpit and Pen Web site, Alex states flatly: “I did not die. I did not go to Heaven.”
Referring to the injuries that continue to make it difficult for him to express himself, Alex writes, “Please forgive the brevity, but because of my limitations I have to keep this short…. I said I went to heaven because I thought it would get me attention. When I made the claims that I did, I had never read the Bible. People have profited from lies, and continue to. They should read the Bible, which is enough. The Bible is the only source of truth. Anything written by man cannot be infallible.”
This evening, Todd Starowitz, public relations director of Tyndale House, told The Washington Post: “Tyndale has decided to take the book and related ancillary products out of print.”…
So Alex Malarkey’s ‘best selling’ ‘true story’ is admitted to be false. Notice the definition of the word malarkey:
ma·lar·keyməˈlärkē/
noun
informalnoun: malarkeymeaningless talk; nonsense.
Sadly, Alex Malarkey lived up to his name for years. Hopefully, he will further repent. Admitting his lie was a good step.
I would also add that a similar story to Malarkey’s, Heaven is for Real, which is about Colton Burpo allegedly going to heaven, is also false (see Heaven is for real, but the movie’ s premise is not), but Colton Burpo has not publicly admitted it (maybe Colton Burpo did have a dream or something, but he did not go to heaven).
Though Protestants and others have been misled by Malarkey and Burpo, they should not have as they should have paid closer attention to what the Bible shows.
Notice what Jesus taught:
12 If I have told you earthly things and you do not believe, how will you believe if I tell you heavenly things? 13 No one has ascended to heaven but He who came down from heaven, that is, the Son of Man who is in heaven. (John 3:12-13)
Notice what the Apostle Peter taught:
29 “Men and brethren, let me speak freely to you of the patriarch David, that he is both dead and buried, and his tomb is with us to this day. 30 Therefore, being a prophet, and knowing that God had sworn with an oath to him that of the fruit of his body, according to the flesh, He would raise up the Christ to sit on his throne, 31 he, foreseeing this, spoke concerning the resurrection of the Christ, that His soul was not left in Hades, nor did His flesh see corruption. 32 This Jesus God has raised up, of which we are all witnesses. 33 Therefore being exalted to the right hand of God, and having received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, He poured out this which you now see and hear.
34 “For David did not ascend into the heavens, but he says himself:
‘The Lord said to my Lord,
‘Sit at My right hand,
35 Till I make Your enemies Your footstool.” (Acts 2:29-35)
Humans do not go to heaven upon death. They await the resurrection.
Notice also what the Old Testament teaches:
5 For the living know that they will die;
But the dead know nothing, (Ecclesiastes 9:5)14 If a man dies, shall he live again?
All the days of my hard service I will wait,
Till my change comes. (Job 14:14)
Early Christians absolutely did not believe that when they died they immediately went to heaven (see Did Early Christians Teach Going to Heaven?). Early Christians taught that they were in the grave awaiting the resurrection.
As far as ‘near death experiences’ go (and Colton Burpo may have had one of those), they were covered in a sermon titled Questions and Continuing Church of God Answers that is available to watch online.
Some items of related interest may include:
Did Early Christians Teach They Were Going to Heaven? What do the Bible and scholars teach? What about ‘near-death experiences’? Here is a link to a related sermon: Heaven and Christianity.
What Is the Place that Jesus Is Preparing? Dr. Herman Hoeh wrote this and answered whether the saints go to heaven upon death.
What Did Early Christians Understand About the Resurrection? Is there more than one future resurrection? Did early Christians teach a physical resurrection? Did early Christians teach three resurrections?
Did Early Christians Believe that Humans Possessed Immortality? What does John 3:16, and other writings, tell us? Did a doctrine kept adopted from paganism? Here is a YouTube video titled Are humans immortal?
The Gospel of the Kingdom of God was the Emphasis of Jesus and the Early Church Did you know that? Do you even know what the gospel of the kingdom is all about? You can also see a YouTube video sermon The Gospel of the Kingdom.
The History of Early Christianity Are you aware that what most people believe is not what truly happened to the true Christian church? Do you know where the early church was based? Do you know what were the doctrines of the early church? Is your faith really based upon the truth or compromise?
COGwriter Position on Other Churches and Religions What is the fate of those who do not know Christ? What about those who profess Christ outside the Church of God?
Where is the True Christian Church Today? This free online pdf booklet answers that question and includes 18 proofs, clues, and signs to identify the true vs. false Christian church. Plus 7 proofs, clues, and signs to help identify Laodicean churches. A related sermon is also available: Where is the True Christian Church? Here is a link to the booklet in the Spanish language: ¿Dónde está la verdadera Iglesia cristiana de hoy?
Continuing History of the Church of God This pdf booklet is a historical overview of the true Church of God and some of its main opponents from c. 31 A.D. to 2014. Two related sermon links would include Continuing History of the Church of God: c. 31 to c. 300 A.D. and Continuing History of the Church of God: 4th-16th Centuries. In Spanish: Marque aquí para ver el pdf folleto: Continuación de la Historia de la Iglesia de Dios.
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