I thought this an interesting summary of some of the main beliefs in Christianity. I realize non-fundamentalists may not agree on all points - such as the magical tree being literal.

Christianity: The belief that Jesus was the son of God, sacrificed for our sins. And was sent to save the world whosoever believes in him shall not perish but have ever lasting life.

everlasting life? is that something we want?

Would depend on the person i guess. Do you want to live for ever with your loved ones? or would you rather just be a memory or would you rather make more memories with your loved ones in heaven.

Take a sec to think about that

Heaven there is no sickness, there is no death, there is no troubles, there is nothing bad in heaven. Only joy and happiness. You make the choice my friend, it's in your hands.

so what do you do there? just be bored forever?

Anything you possibly could imagine. We don't go to heaven persay. Earth will be made like heaven. So i would only assume that all the things we enjoy on earth will be there. So you can do everything and anything you want to do.

Revelations 21:1-3

1And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea.

2And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.

3And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God.

Where do you get this idea?

According to Matthew Jesus paints a different picture of heaven.


Matt.5:19 Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments, and shall teach men so, he shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven: but whosoever shall do and teach them, the same shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.

Evidently, according to Jesus (if you can trust Matthew to speak for him), there will be a social hierarchy in heaven, not much different from what we currently experience on Earth. Some people will be considered to be "great" in heaven, and some people will be considered "least".

There's no guarantee of egalitarianism in heaven according to Jesus. Therefore it cannot be all "joy and happiness" for everyone, some people are going to be looked down upon. And that can't be a joyful and happy experience for them.



What makes you think you'll be able to do everything and anything you want in heaven?

If the Bible represents the rules and regulations of God, then shouldn't you expect those same rules and regulations to be in place in heaven? Why would you expect God to be different in heaven than he is depicted to be in the Bible? He might have expectations of you that you're not really happy about. According to the Bible you're supposed to serve HIS WILL, not just do whatever pleases you.

Besides, you had argued yourself not long ago that a dog-eat-dog world is "perfect". You see nothing wrong with a hierarchy of animals eating other animals.

Well, you might be happy and joyful living in a world like that, but maybe other people won't be. I think I'd be happy with that to be quite honest about.

So maybe everyone is as easy to please as you are?

If heaven is just going to be a continuation of life on Earth save for the possibility of dying, I think I'd rather die and just get it over with now. If you chose to live forever, you might later wish you could die and discover that you're no longer permitted that option because it doesn't "please" you Master.

Being someone's eternal pet is not my idea of joy and happiness.

But to each their own.

As I always say, even if the mythology were true I'd decline the offer for this so-called 'free gift' of eternal life, because as far as I can see it's not 'free' at all. There are many strings attached to it, and quite frankly it's far too expensive. So I would pass on the offer even if I believed the mythology to be true.

Death is a prettier option as far as I can see. Once you're dead you'll never even know that you had ever lived. It'll all be over. You can't beat that!

When you think about it, the belief is pretty darn archaic, and does anyone in the modern age truly believe in it? I mean truly?

I don't believe anyone truly does.

Even the Bible has Jesus casting "evil spirits" out of people who were possessed by them.


Matt.8:16 When the even was come, they brought unto him many that were possessed with devils: and he cast out the spirits with his word, and healed all that were sick:

Matt.10:1 And when he had called unto him his twelve disciples, he gave them power against unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal all manner of sickness and all manner of disease.

Matt.12:28 But if I cast out devils by the Spirit of God, then the kingdom of God is come unto you.


How many modern day Christians truly believe that people become possessed by 'evil spirits'?

This also seems to fly in the very face of the whole sin and salvation thing. I mean, if people can be "possessed" by evil spirits, then they wouldn't be responsible for their actions since they have been "possessed" by some demons who are making them do things beyond their free will to chose.

It flies in the very face of the idea that men can be 'evil' in their own right by choice.

This mythology clearly comes from a time when people still viewed various diseases and mental illness as being "possessed by evil spirits".

What truly amazes me is the simple fact that anyone still takes these ancient myths seriously.

Very VERY well put....I LOVE GOD soooo much and I look up to him. I've had two back surgeries and now nerve damage in my legs....I can still walk.....he DOES provide. CowboyGH....I LOVE your outlook.....

Will we be allowed to masturbate? I find joy in that too! Of course I need to die early because if I live to be 90 that thing won't work anymore in "heaven"...Viagra available the Godgreens? Egads man!

That is a physical pleasure and of course not because masturbating is lust. You may not be lusting after a specific person, but you're lusting for sex. So therefor no masturbating wouldn't be in heaven.

How about free parking? I lust for free parking!

Now what kind of question is that? You really think we'll be driving cars and all that? We'll have no need for cars my friend, this mortal body and everything will decay after we pass away on this earth. We won't have an exact physical form. We'll be with God with our trueselves, our spirits.

But we like our cars! This place isn't sounding too good so far...what else do you get? Will there be TGI Fridays? Is not tipping forgivable?

The other religion that you wage war with gives 72 virgins...so far they win out with that one but I bet date night is expensive.

And that is all focused around the physical enjoyments of this world. Why put that much passion into this world? The true joys in life is love, it's a very rare thing to see. And i mean true love, not just an idol i love you. Enjoying great loving times with one another, those are the true enjoyment.

And again you're thinking with your mortal body/mind. What would we have TGI fridays for when we won't need to eat? God's word is all we need to survive. God's word will satisfy all our ever need and or desire.

Well alrightly then, so we're basically floating around as souls...so why do you promise that we can see our loved one? How can you see a soul?

Alice? Is that you?

Because what kind of heaven would it be if you couldn't see your loved ones? What kind of love is that? You would be depressed that you have lost the loved ones you once had. And i doupt we'll be just floating around like the common hallucination of what people call ghosts on earth. Not all to sure on exactly what we will be, got to thinkin about it and we might still be in our physical bodies, bible states the dead in christ shall rise first. Not sure if this means their soul will rise first, or their bodies, and so on and so on. Never really put much thought or research into that, it's not all that important of knowing right now. I put my attention and research towards how we are to live our lives to be able to earn this gift of heaven.

Sigh. I have friends who do. Actually, most of my current acquaintances do.

Well, I haven't seen proof positive that they will be female virgins, so I never converted. For all I know, there would be 72 homely young "martyrs" waiting for me. Add me into the mix and we have 72 virgins for everybody! (all 73 of us "righteous" ones)

Interesting analogy of the story line of Christianity.

Of course, none of it is true.

Christianity was created by man to control man in mass.

What little truth made it into the bible was the quirk of the story teller adding some reality to the fantasy.


As for the perception of heaven portrayed here on this thread, it sounds to me like man created heaven because he has a desire to hold onto all the he feels he possesses, one example, his family, forever. Instead of the healthy and freeing approach of releasing those we love to be free as they should be even in life.

There are just some really mentally unhealthy concepts to most religions. They promote unhealthy mentality.