A LOT OF MALARKEY

How ironic is the surname of the principle players behind this story?

Alex Malarkey was paralyzed at the age of 6 as a result of a vehicle accident. He spent two months in a coma. He is now a teenager, sixteen years of age. He is listed as co-author together with his father, Kevin Malarkey, of the book entitled 'The Boy Who Came Back from Heaven', published by Tyndale in 2010. This was followed by a movie version in 2014 called 'Heaven is for Real.' Alex and his siblings live with their mother Beth Malarkey. Beth and Kevin are divorced. She claims that Alex has not been receiving profits from the book. Tyndale has pulled the plug on the book because earlier this week, Alex wrote an open letter in which he recanted his testimony about his trip to heaven and back. It was posted on the Pulpit and Pen Web site.  Alex states flatly: “I did not die. I did not go to Heaven.”

This book theme is not new but there have been several recently published 'heavenly tourism' books, because the public is eager to know about heaven without reading the information presented in the Bible.

Heaven Is For Real, by Todd Burpo 

The Boy Who Came Back From Heaven, by Kevin Malarkey 

90 Minutes in Heaven: A True Story of Death and Life, by Don Piper 

And of course there is at least one day trip to hell.

23 Minutes In Hell: One Man's Story About What He Saw, Heard, and Felt in that Place of Torment, by Bill Wiese.

Beth Malarkey has a blog called Life's a Journey in which she has told readers about her opposition to the book and to the movie, beginning as early as 2012. Book stores and publisher would not pay attention to her. One of her heartfelt articles was this one, The Boy Who Came Back from heaven ... Not Quite.  She writes, "She also notes that Alex “has not received monies from the book nor have a majority of his needs been funded by it.” Frustrated, she concludes,  “Alex’s name and identity are being used against his wishes…. How can this be going on?

It should also be noted that Alex' care has been funded by friends and family, rather than the proceeds of a book deal. Someone should follow the money.

In Alex's recent letter, he has written the following.

I did not die. I did not go to Heaven.

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.

It is only through repentance of your sins and a belief in Jesus as the Son of God, who died for your sins (even though he committed none of his own) so that you can be forgiven may you learn of Heaven outside of what is written in the Bible…not by reading a work of man. I want the whole world to know that the Bible is sufficient. Those who market these materials must be called to repent and hold the Bible as enough.

In Christ,

Alex Malarkey.”