Source: https://www.bertha-dudde.org/en/proclamation/2149

2149 Ignorance and its effects.... wrong way of life....

November 12, 1941: Book 31

The way on earth is decisive for life in the beyond, but only rarely is it accorded serious significance, rather a life in the beyond is considered doubtful, but earthly life is given a different purpose.... the transformation and increase of that which is accessible to man in creation. Man regards himself and his activity as necessary for creation, but not creation as a means to an end, which only came into being because of him. And consequently his thoughts and endeavours are in no way profitable for his soul if he is not a deep believer and life after death has become a certainty for him. His way of life will correspond to his faith, yet the unbeliever does not use his life on earth to reshape himself but to reshape that which surrounds him, i.e. he moulds his earthly life into a comfortable and enjoyable existence, he moulds his appearance, his living conditions and only seeks increased joy of life. And for this purpose he creates and moulds things which again serve to increase his well-being for himself or his fellow human beings. But they pay no attention to the spirit in man and therefore leave him in a shackled state. Consequently, they neither recognize the meaning and purpose of creation nor that of their earthly life. They are unaware of their task, of the course of all beings through creation, of the soul's development and of the consequences of a failed earthly life. They do not know about the state in the beyond, about the suffering on the one hand and the happiness on the other, which is the result of a wrong or right earthly life. And this ignorance is the greatest obstacle on the path upwards, for ignorance is darkness of spirit, and darkness prevents them from finding the right path. And that is why it is so necessary that these people are offered enlightenment, that they are instructed about the purpose and goal of earthly life, that the life in the beyond is presented to them vividly and that their thoughts and intentions are turned and directed towards life after death. It is necessary that people receive information about this so that they turn away from their purely worldly endeavours and steer their earthly life in other directions, that they remember their soul and decide to start working on their soul. For the time on earth is short, but the time they have to spend in darkness in the beyond is infinitely long if they have not accepted the light on earth which is offered to them time and again through God's love....

Amen

Translated by Doris Boekers