Georgiansilver, I have indeed been present at several deaths, and can't say that I have interpreted what I have seen as you have. How can you 'see' the life go out of someone before breathing stops? I would say I have seen someone lose consciousness before they stopped breathing, or before they were 'allowed' to stop breathing by the removal of intervening medical control, but I have also seen someone lose consciousness while still quite alive and destined to recover, and to me it looked exactly the same (except, of course, the breathing continued).

My own mum is a sincere believer, and I would never try to convince her - or you - otherwise, but I remain entirely unconvinced. And yes, Jesus of the Bible expresses many fine sentiments, and also makes many confusing statements. The entire Bible is full of contradiction and confusion, IMO, as would be expected of any ancient collection of mixed history, patriotism, and mythology. But, outside of venues such as this, where there is a direct invitation to express one's contentions, I rarely even express my own views on the subject, as I have no desire to offend or upset my family or friends.