The Boy Who Went To Heaven

Colton Burpo is now 11 years old. At the age of 4 he went to heaven after an apparent misdiagnosis of a burst appendix as the stomach flu. His story is now documented in a book Heaven Is For Real. The book was written by his father, Todd, a pastor, with professional assistance, and is a bestseller heading toward two million copies sold. Judging from a couple of cringeworthy interviews of him and his father, it's an unlikely tale, to put it charitably. God is a really big person and can hold the whole earth in his hands. That sounds sort of familiar... Jesus has a rough but kind face, with sea blue eyes. He saw his great grandfather, who died long before he was born. He had really big wings. He asked Colton if he was Todd's son. Would a great-grandfather angel have to ask that? His sister who died as a fetus and never met him knew him. She apparently grew some while in heaven. She came to him and gave him hugs. There are no old people in heaven but lots of animals. The streets are gold. The gates to heaven are gold, too. With pearls. So heaven seems to be pretty much what you'd expect if you're an unsophisticated small boy who happens to be the son of an evangelical pastor and grew up hearing of streets of gold, pearly gates, etc. I heard much about those myself when I was growing up.

I was struck by the wide-eyed credulity of the interviewers (the Today show and Fox news). Not a hint of skepticism, not a shred of evidence was asked for or offered other than the parents word that the boy knew things he couldn't have known unless he was floating off to heaven to sit in the lap of Jesus. I know I shouldn't even dignify this stuff with commentary. Enough said.