After the recent admission that Alex Malarkey lied about experiencing a trip to heaven in a book he co-authored to get attention, another young boy who claims to have visited Jesus, Colton Burpo, is defending his story.
Malarkey’s book, “The Boy Who Came Back from Heaven,” which he co-wrote with his father, Kevin, was nothing more than an invented story, according to the now-teenage boy. He said he wrote it over 4 years after his near death experience with the persuasion of others, but now comes to realize he was wrong.
However, Burpo says that he still remembers his visit to heaven when he was 4-years-old during an operation to have his appendix removed and issued a statement encouraging his supporters on his website. He added that he knows there’s been a lot of controversy over the past few days about stories of Heaven, but he wanted to reiterate that his version of the beyond was true.
The author of the book “Heaven is for Real” —which achieved a number one position on the New York Times bestsellers list and has since been made into a movie by Joe Roth and Bishop T.D. Jakes that made over $100 million at the Box Office last year— claimed that he saw angels and even Mary before the throne of God. He adds that he will continue to share his experience that were outlined in his movie because it has given hope to so many people.
Burpo continues that he was not coerced in any way to tell his story. In fact, he says he starting sharing what he remembered of his adventure with his friends and people in his town long before the idea for a book took place. He adds that he hopes people continue to turn to Jesus after reading his story, because “He really, really loves you.”
However, feeling guilty that publishers and others are still making money from his lies, Malarkey wrote in an open letter to booksellers that they should stop selling this “Heaven tourism.” He also believes that if people actually read the Bible, instead of taking the word of people, they will see that other stories such as Burpo’s cannot be true.
Malarkey, who was left quadriplegic after the accident, wrote an open letter to Lifeway and other Christian book sellers of “Heaven Tourism,” saying “I did not die. I did not go to Heaven.”
“When I made the claims that I did, I had never read the Bible. People have profited from lies, and continue to,” he added.
