Other What do you think heaven is like? (Serious answers only)

[Elf_Ruler]

Overall I think heaven is going to be a place of peace and beauty. What it will contain is quite hard to say, but I don't necessarily think it will be filled with things that we find important here on Earth but something far greater. I don't think there's words to describe what heaven will have or even what it won't. I just think it's like nothing we could ever think of imagining.

 

[kibou]

speaking as an ex-christian who was raised fundamentalist, my perception of heaven was that it was eternal, a separate and abstract place from earth. it'd be the same heaven god lives in now, basically, although something something being re-worked for when we all arrive after the whole revelations deal.

we'd also all have to go through judgement where everyone whos ever lived are all gathered and one by one god lists all of our sins for everyone to hear- which scared me as a kid since in the christianity i was raised in, we were taught that having the wrong thoughts or emotions can even be sinful. plus imagine how fucking embarassing thatd be!

every one would have the bodies theyd have in the prime time of their life (so about from around 20-30)

there'd be no animals since we were taught animals dont have souls. rip all my pets );

there'd be nothing sinful, so depending on how conservative you are that'd probably mean most videogames, fiction, etc wouldnt exist! theyre not inherently sinful but by the standards i was raised on, most games we play and shows we watch have some sinful elements and therefore wouldnt exist

something about a feast or w/ever, no marriages would exist.

the whole concept of eternity really really freaked me out as a kid actually, so id pray that id be incarnated into the worlds of my favorite fictional stories like Naruto or Warriors (yeah the cat book series lmao,) or just regular reincarnation. my brain couldnt handle eternity.

however im not religious anymore, so any idea of heaven i have now would probably be based on the dopamine or whatever your brain releases upon death and any hallucinations? when i was younger i had this fear that i was actually in the process of dying, but in the few seconds i had left my brain was replying my life's memories, so i was experiencing my life over again. maybe itd even replay a few times before i actually died, but id never be aware... until i eventually did die.

if i could, id believe in reincarnation and past lives- because thats the idea of an afterlife that appeals to me the most. but i dont think we have a soul that can reincarnate and i cant genuinely believe in anything even if i want to.

 

[Zombocalypse]

speaking as an ex-christian who was raised fundamentalist, my perception of heaven was that it was eternal, a separate and abstract place from earth. it'd be the same heaven god lives in now, basically, although something something being re-worked for when we all arrive after the whole revelations deal.

we'd also all have to go through judgement where everyone whos ever lived are all gathered and one by one god lists all of our sins for everyone to hear- which scared me as a kid since in the christianity i was raised in, we were taught that having the wrong thoughts or emotions can even be sinful. plus imagine how fucking embarassing thatd be!

every one would have the bodies theyd have in the prime time of their life (so about from around 20-30)

there'd be no animals since we were taught animals dont have souls. rip all my pets );

there'd be nothing sinful, so depending on how conservative you are that'd probably mean most videogames, fiction, etc wouldnt exist! theyre not inherently sinful but by the standards i was raised on, most games we play and shows we watch have some sinful elements and therefore wouldnt exist

something about a feast or w/ever, no marriages would exist.

the whole concept of eternity really really freaked me out as a kid actually, so id pray that id be incarnated into the worlds of my favorite fictional stories like Naruto or Warriors (yeah the cat book series lmao,) or just regular reincarnation. my brain couldnt handle eternity.

however im not religious anymore, so any idea of heaven i have now would probably be based on the dopamine or whatever your brain releases upon death and any hallucinations? when i was younger i had this fear that i was actually in the process of dying, but in the few seconds i had left my brain was replying my life's memories, so i was experiencing my life over again. maybe itd even replay a few times before i actually died, but id never be aware... until i eventually did die.

if i could, id believe in reincarnation and past lives- because thats the idea of an afterlife that appeals to me the most. but i dont think we have a soul that can reincarnate and i cant genuinely believe in anything even if i want to.

Why not be a Buddhist or a Hindu? Those religions believe in reincarnation.

 

[Imperator_tenebrae]

Christianity has elements of reincarnation, but of a different caliber.

Buddhism and Hindu focus on enlightenment on a mortal level so you'll transition to -eventually- a spiritual Nirvana. I know that's not exactly accurate but that is the gist of what I understand about to the two religions. Not that they're right or wrong, it is their belief and how they practice their faiths. Some way Christianity believes if everyone was Christ-like there is salvation from spiritual damnation but in a way there is reincarnation in Christianity as well.

 

[Zombocalypse]

Christianity has elements of reincarnation, but of a different caliber.

Buddhism and Hindu focus on enlightenment on a mortal level so you'll transition to -eventually- a spiritual Nirvana. I know that's not exactly accurate but that is the gist of what I understand about to the two religions. Not that they're right or wrong, it is their belief and how they practice their faiths. Some way Christianity believes if everyone was Christ-like there is salvation from spiritual damnation but in a way there is reincarnation in Christianity as well.

I'm confused...

Why do you think there's reincarnation in Christianity? Is that belief of yours biblical?

 

[Imperator_tenebrae]

Spiritual reincarnation, not physical reincarnation.

The body is a shell, a mere vessel. When we die the body is lost but not by those who occupy these bodies. We are souls because we have spirits because it is our connection to the creator-God and yet we are not spirits. You have to separate what is material and immaterial in order to understand what I come from when I say there is spiritual reincarnation and physical reincarnation. When I say there is reincarnation in Christianity it is my own interpretation of the Bible. The enigmatic nature of scripture is you can take the same Bible in a room of 100 people and get 100 different interpretations albeit with some similarities among believes or non-believers.

--In the Gospel According to John Jesus said to Nicodemus: "I tell you the truth, no one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again" (John 3,3). Out of its context, this verse seems to suggest that reincarnation is the only possibility for attaining spiritual perfection and admission into the "kingdom of God." Nicodemus’ following question indicates that he understood by these words a kind of physical rebirth in this life, and not classic reincarnation: "How can a man be born when he is old? Surely he cannot enter a second time into his mother's womb to be born!" (v. 4). Jesus rejected the idea of physical rebirth and explained man’s need for spiritual rebirth, during this life, in order to be admitted into God’s kingdom in the afterlife.--

(source) http://www.comparativereligion.com/reincarnation3.html

That site offers my best explanation on the subject matter.

However to my beliefs, God's kingdom is a phase of spiritual evolution- which is why I say life after life- most Christians I have spoken to have said when we reach the Kingdom of Heaven the saved will go do God's work. God works by touching souls with his influence but his influence comes in many forms which is why I believe heaven is a transition into the next phase or life that is to come. His will be done through means that the orthodox does not understand and nor will they for they are material and fallible as men are. Many people have trouble understanding me when I express my beliefs and I have even more trouble explaining it. This is why I take it on a purely spiritual matter without having to grind through the dogmatic material auspex of organized religion.

 

[Captain_Sheriarty]

I believe in resurection but believe that you spend some time in heaven and heaven is personal. You can do whatever you want. You want to be a pokemon trainer well there you go. If you want to sleep all day, eat loads and play video games there you go.

 

[kibou]

Why not be a Buddhist or a Hindu? Those religions believe in reincarnation.

well, there's a difference between genuinely believing in something and wishing it was true. i can't force myself to believe in anything with a spiritual or supernatural component, even though if i could it would probably make me feel better about some things.

 

[Zombocalypse]

Spiritual reincarnation, not physical reincarnation.

The body is a shell, a mere vessel. When we die the body is lost but not by those who occupy these bodies. We are souls because we have spirits because it is our connection to the creator-God and yet we are not spirits. You have to separate what is material and immaterial in order to understand what I come from when I say there is spiritual reincarnation and physical reincarnation. When I say there is reincarnation in Christianity it is my own interpretation of the Bible. The enigmatic nature of scripture is you can take the same Bible in a room of 100 people and get 100 different interpretations albeit with some similarities among believes or non-believers.

--In the Gospel According to John Jesus said to Nicodemus: "I tell you the truth, no one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again" (John 3,3). Out of its context, this verse seems to suggest that reincarnation is the only possibility for attaining spiritual perfection and admission into the "kingdom of God." Nicodemus’ following question indicates that he understood by these words a kind of physical rebirth in this life, and not classic reincarnation: "How can a man be born when he is old? Surely he cannot enter a second time into his mother's womb to be born!" (v. 4). Jesus rejected the idea of physical rebirth and explained man’s need for spiritual rebirth, during this life, in order to be admitted into God’s kingdom in the afterlife.--

(source) http://www.comparativereligion.com/reincarnation3.html

That site offers my best explanation on the subject matter.

However to my beliefs, God's kingdom is a phase of spiritual evolution- which is why I say life after life- most Christians I have spoken to have said when we reach the Kingdom of Heaven the saved will go do God's work. God works by touching souls with his influence but his influence comes in many forms which is why I believe heaven is a transition into the next phase or life that is to come. His will be done through means that the orthodox does not understand and nor will they for they are material and fallible as men are. Many people have trouble understanding me when I express my beliefs and I have even more trouble explaining it. This is why I take it on a purely spiritual matter without having to grind through the dogmatic material auspex of organized religion.

You say a lot of things and I understand very little. But here's my own belief on this subject. It's a weak belief because I hadn't drilled it to my mind yet if it's the truth or not. But it's what I believe at the moment...

The popular belief in Christianity today and for over a millennia ago is that there are two parts of a person. The flesh and the soul.

In this popular belief, when we die, our soul leaves the body into its eternal destination of either Heaven or Hell. The soul is therefore more important than the body as the body is just a shell of our true being, which is our soul.

In recent times, some Christian theologists have speculated that Origen, the man who instilled Platonic beliefs unto Christianity and who popularized the idea of a separate soul, relied too much on his background of Platonic philosophy in his conclusions about life after death. According to these recent theologists, the truth is that we don't have a soul, but in fact, we ourselves are a soul. There is no separation of the soul and the body. The following is a quote from the Bible, Genesis 2:7.

And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul.

Notice the last phrase. Became a living soul. He was not given a soul. Rather, he BECAME a soul. The word soul as used in this passage actually meant being. Living being. The above quote was taken from the King James Bible. I now present to you the one from the New International Version. Same passage, different words used.

Then the LORD God formed a man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being.

With that said, what exactly happens after we die? Do we get to go to Heaven or Hell? No.

When we die, we sleep. Our bodies lay dormant until the day when Jesus resurrects the dead to live in a renewed body on a renewed Earth, worthy of being called a paradise.

That's what I believe at the moment. But like I said, it's a weak belief, because I haven't done much research on it yet. I may change my mind and start believing about souls and spirits, but right now, I believe that we sleep when we die.

 

[minajesty]

I don't know if this is answering the question. But I kkkinnnnddaaaaa think it does. But im just gonna go for it and share what I believe. I grew up in a family full of christians and catholics. but we never really stuck to only those beliefs. they believed in reincarnation, spirits, god, virgin mary, and all the rest but i think its mostly because other families have told us this. so my family believes in a whole lot of things.

but as for me, im atheist. I don't believe in stuff like that. I believe in what I see. People, cars, trees, water, fire and all the rest. but i don't believe in all the spiritual stuff like god and all the rest.

back into topic. when we die, i personally think...thats it. you no longer exist. you had your funeral. your in a coffin and your buried. but thats it. do you understand? I believe that absolutely nothing exist. your basically dead. you no longer have your memories. no thoughts. no nothing. just pitch black darkness.

its an uncommon belief but thats what i personally believe as of right now. this belief might change when im older but since there is really no proof of heaven really existing, i think its normal for me to believe this.

 

[Zombocalypse]

I don't know if this is answering the question. But I kkkinnnnddaaaaa think it does. But im just gonna go for it and share what I believe. I grew up in a family full of christians and catholics. but we never really stuck to only those beliefs. they believed in reincarnation, spirits, god, virgin mary, and all the rest but i think its mostly because other families have told us this. so my family believes in a whole lot of things.

but as for me, im atheist. I don't believe in stuff like that. I believe in what I see. People, cars, trees, water, fire and all the rest. but i don't believe in all the spiritual stuff like god and all the rest.

back into topic. when we die, i personally think...thats it. you no longer exist. you had your funeral. your in a coffin and your buried. but thats it. do you understand? I believe that absolutely nothing exist. your basically dead. you no longer have your memories. no thoughts. no nothing. just pitch black darkness.

its an uncommon belief but thats what i personally believe as of right now. this belief might change when im older but since there is really no proof of heaven really existing, i think its normal for me to believe this.

I used to be an atheist and believed the same thing that you believed in.

Things changed when I realized that my mind cannot comprehend a lack of existence.

It's hard for me to explain, but basically, I find it impossible to NOT exist, if you know what I mean...



I also want to add two things...

Number One: Blaise Pascal was a famed mathematician in the 17th century. He concluded that it is a much safer bet to believe in God than to not believe in him.

Number Two: Below is a quote from the theologian John W. Schoenheit.

"The two choices that God sets before mankind is Life or Death. It is NOT life in a good place or life in a bad place."

This means that there is no such thing as eternal damnation, but THERE IS such a thing as DEATH. To believe in Christ is to have life. To reject Him is to die forever.

I'd rather exist than not exist, especially if said existence promises a glorious kind of existence.

 

[minajesty]

shockingly, i understood what you just said. but adding on to what i said about my family, we never really were into the religion thing. mostly because they believed in a little bit of everything from every religion known (hopefully thats not confusing. little bit of everything is what im trying to say).

thats why i don't believe in stated things. take heaven for instance. ive read the bible. i know the whole adam and eve thing. most of my family has had dreams of taking a dead person to said place but...well i don't know. I just...its just really hard for me to comprehend the fact that there could be a place like that. where everything is nothing but peace and paradise.

I would have to see it all with my own eyes. but for now, i just stick to the fact that there is no life after death. I just think that we cease to exist after death. thats it. no more life afterwards. because isn't that the whole purpose of death anyways? your time on earth is done for so you die. it doesn't really make sense to me to die only to live again in a different area. whats the purpose? is it basically a way of being rewarded for the good you have done on earth? I don't know.

 

[RiversEdge]

....heaven. I think in simple turns will be a place where I can be happy and where everyone can be happy eternally.

I have a terrible habit of overthinking and it ruins things for me. So applying that simplistic thought...I think heaven will be a place I never have to worry about anything again. That would be nice.

 

[Zombocalypse]

shockingly, i understood what you just said. but adding on to what i said about my family, we never really were into the religion thing. mostly because they believed in a little bit of everything from every religion known (hopefully thats not confusing. little bit of everything is what im trying to say).

thats why i don't believe in stated things. take heaven for instance. ive read the bible. i know the whole adam and eve thing. most of my family has had dreams of taking a dead person to said place but...well i don't know. I just...its just really hard for me to comprehend the fact that there could be a place like that. where everything is nothing but peace and paradise.

I would have to see it all with my own eyes. but for now, i just stick to the fact that there is no life after death. I just think that we cease to exist after death. thats it. no more life afterwards. because isn't that the whole purpose of death anyways? your time on earth is done for so you die. it doesn't really make sense to me to die only to live again in a different area. whats the purpose? is it basically a way of being rewarded for the good you have done on earth? I don't know.

Without the promise of a glorious afterlife, there would be no point in living a life of virtue and civility.

What's the point of living if I'm just gonna rot in the ground? It would mean that anything and everything that I do in this life literally does not matter, because when I'm dead, I'm dead.

But deep inside each and every one of us is the divine spark that somehow manages to nudge us towards what is good and righteous.

This is why most people despise Adolf Hitler.

 

[Imperator_tenebrae]

Without the promise of a glorious afterlife, there would be no point in living a life of virtue and civility.

What's the point of living if I'm just gonna rot in the ground? It would mean that anything and everything that I do in this life literally does not matter, because when I'm dead, I'm dead.

Without an afterlife the spirit will starve and stagnate. This life and the many others before and after is for our own nourishment and spiritual evolution.

 

[Zombocalypse]

Without an afterlife the spirit will starve and stagnate. This life and the many others before and after is for our own nourishment and spiritual evolution.

This sounds appealing. It'll be like in the video games Dark Souls and Demon's Souls. You get stronger the more souls you consume...

 

[minajesty]

uh...well im just gonna take my leave now. thanks for the small discussion! didn't really think my post would get any reply to it.

 

[Figuratively]

I used to be an atheist and believed the same thing that you believed in.

Things changed when I realized that my mind cannot comprehend a lack of existence.

It's hard for me to explain, but basically, I find it impossible to NOT exist, if you know what I mean...



I also want to add two things...

Number One: Blaise Pascal was a famed mathematician in the 17th century. He concluded that it is a much safer bet to believe in God than to not believe in him.

Number Two: Below is a quote from the theologian John W. Schoenheit.

"The two choices that God sets before mankind is Life or Death. It is NOT life in a good place or life in a bad place."

This means that there is no such thing as eternal damnation, but THERE IS such a thing as DEATH. To believe in Christ is to have life. To reject Him is to die forever.

I'd rather exist than not exist, especially if said existence promises a glorious kind of existence.

I was just gonna lurk, but I have to bring up something about "Pascal's Wager." The amount of religions that exist or had existed is a large number. A quick google search shows 4,200 religions. So, out of 4,200 you have only chosen to believe in one. That is basically a 1 in 4,200 chance you are right. Pascal's wager is one of the worst arguments out there.

I want to add more in response to your whole "cannot comprehend a lack of existence" but I only really wanted to point out Pascal's wager being complete tripe.

 

[Zombocalypse]

I was just gonna lurk, but I have to bring up something about "Pascal's Wager." The amount of religions that exist or had existed is a large number. A quick google search shows 4,200 religions. So, out of 4,200 you have only chosen to believe in one. That is basically a 1 in 4,200 chance you are right. Pascal's wager is one of the worst arguments out there.

I want to add more in response to your whole "cannot comprehend a lack of existence" but I only really wanted to point out Pascal's wager being complete tripe.

As a Christian, it is my firm belief that anything that smacks of spirituality or supernatural or religious that has nothing to do with Jesus Christ and our Heavenly Father is of the devil and should be avoided.

I'm curious to know though, who else aside from Jesus Christ claimed absolute authority over Heaven and Earth? He said, "I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me."

Some religions offer leeway, giving you freedom to believe in other bullshit on top of their own bullshit. I refuse to take part in such HERESY ( Hall Kervean Axel The Englishman ).

In Christianity, you can be confident that you are on the right path, because The One True God is with you. Other gods are just demons in disguise.

But if people don't wanna hear the truth, who am I to care? Jesus gave us the FREE gift of salvation to be taken FREELY, and if people are dumb enough not to take it, then so be it. The unwise ones will be weeded out of existence, which I guess is better for the future.

 

[Hall Kervean]

Some religions offer leeway, giving you freedom to believe in other bullshit on top of their own bullshit. I refuse to take part in such HERESY ( Hall Kervean Axel The Englishman ).

I'll be the judge of when it's wise to call something heretical comedically.

 

[sathanas]

I don't believe in a heaven, so my concept of what happens after you die is basically what The Candy Emo said.

As a Christian, it is my firm belief that anything that smacks of spirituality or supernatural or religious that has nothing to do with Jesus Christ and our Heavenly Father is of the devil and should be avoided.

I'm curious to know though, who else aside from Jesus Christ claimed absolute authority over Heaven and Earth? He said, "I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me."

Some religions offer leeway, giving you freedom to believe in other bullshit on top of their own bullshit. I refuse to take part in such HERESY ( Hall Kervean Axel The Englishman ).

In Christianity, you can be confident that you are on the right path, because The One True God is with you. Other gods are just demons in disguise.

But if people don't wanna hear the truth, who am I to care? Jesus gave us the FREE gift of salvation to be taken FREELY, and if people are dumb enough not to take it, then so be it. The unwise ones will be weeded out of existence, which I guess is better for the future.

See, but you believe that religions other than your own are satanic because the bible told you so. From the point of someone who doesn't believe in the bible or in Christianity, what Figuratively says is true. Even if we assume that a religion is true, we have no reason to believe that the bible and your god are more likely to be real than any other religion, so it's still a one in thousands chance of picking the right one.

Most people who aren't Christian but follow another religion are just as confident in their decision as you are in yours. There are other religions that are exclusive and claim to be the only true one as well, so Christianity isn't unique in that regard- remember there's been thousands of religions over time. And you're right, some religions do give you leeway. Either way, none of these things make any religion more likely to be correct.

It's not that we don't want to hear the truth- honestly I think there's a good number of atheists who would like definitive proof one way or another and I'm one of them- it's that pascal's wager just isn't convincing in the way you and many other Christians think it is. And that isn't a bad thing, either.

 

[Axel The Englishman]

Heretics, assemble!

 

[Zombocalypse]

Heretics, assemble!

I shall destroy all of you!

 

[Axel The Englishman]

If only I believed in your divine power.

HUE HUE HUE

 

[Hall Kervean]

I don't believe in a heaven, so my concept of what happens after you die is basically what The Candy Emo said.



See, but you believe that religions other than your own are satanic because the bible told you so. From the point of someone who doesn't believe in the bible or in Christianity, what Figuratively says is true. Even if we assume that a religion is true, we have no reason to believe that the bible and your god are more likely to be real than any other religion, so it's still a one in thousands chance of picking the right one.

Most people who aren't Christian but follow another religion are just as confident in their decision as you are in yours. There are other religions that are exclusive and claim to be the only true one as well, so Christianity isn't unique in that regard- remember there's been thousands of religions over time. And you're right, some religions do give you leeway. Either way, none of these things make any religion more likely to be correct.

It's not that we don't want to hear the truth- honestly I think there's a good number of atheists who would like definitive proof one way or another and I'm one of them- it's that pascal's wager just isn't convincing in the way you and many other Christians think it is. And that isn't a bad thing, either.

I'd like to ask you something:
What other religion gives you a definite way into their heaven? And their god has been shown to be a loving and just god?