Heaven and Hell

[AtPeace]

I agree that the standard interpretation of life after death sounds horribly boring and unappealing.

I tend towards the idea that, upon the functional end of my physical body (including my brain), whatever is "me" is absorbed into "wholeness," "love," "life," whatever that is that I can't find a word for.

[KLP]

I heard it was like a half dozen virgins.

[GMan]

I heard it was like a half dozen virgins.

And that is why we love ya'.

[illuminator]

I used to think heaven would be one long, boring coc service, and hell would be one long wiener roast and you're the wiener. Then I read What Dreams May Come and it -- more than anything else -- changed my views.

[margin overa]

I second Opie's suggestion. This isn't just a COC misunderstanding; it's a misunderstanding that the COC interpreted from the denominations from which it descended. The Bible really does not include the concept of "die and go to heaven." It does have a lot to say about New Creation. As Wright discusses in the book, that has profound implications for what we do here on earth that affects other people and the earth itself. It also has implications for our understanding of "hell" but unfortunately Wright doesn't flesh that part out very fully in his book. Revelation 21 is a great image of the idea of God "dwelling with man." When I started to think in these terms it really made sense of a lot of the New Testament, especially Jesus' "on earth as it is in heaven" prayer and the whole idea of new creation, which actually is a recurring theme throughout the Bible.

Lev

I need to finish reading that N.T. Wright book. I agree that the notions of heaven and hell, souls journeying to inhabit bodies, souls leaving bodies at death, etc., regardless of denomination, are largely proof-texted hooey or incorporations of Greek body & soul philosophy. As I understand Wright's book thus far, his thesis re: the "new creation" certainly makes more sense than the standard fundamentalist doctrine. Such a thesis incorporates OT and Jewish thinking on the role of the creation and its purpose in God's plan for the creation, which the fundamentalist approaches don't do in a sensible way. There's a fair amount of talk in the OT & NT about the creation and God's plans for it, but the concepts of hell are built on a very shaky doctrinal foundation.

[B.H.]

The Muslim view of Heaven/Paradise is much better. You will get to be with Allah but will enjoy it for other reasons as well. And Allah wants you to enjoy yourself.

[katisha]

I was raised in an agnostic household, and the rare stories I heard about heaven was that it was a beautiful place where we will be happy, healthy and peaceful.

Then I was "added" to the CofC and heaven became a place of boring worship.

My idea of heaven now is like the story I once saw on the old Twilight Zone television series. An old man died, along with his hunting dog, and thought he was going down the road to heaven. He came to a gate but the man at the gate would not let the dog in. So the man and the dog headed further down the road until he came to another gate. There the dog was welcome. It turned out the first gate was the gate to hell.

So, any place that will let in the dogs, cats and other furry friends we have, that is heaven to me.

Speaking of heaven and hell, has anyone seen "What Dreams May Come"?

[KLP]

I heard it was like a half dozen virgins.

And that is why we love ya'.

np, I knew you would appreciate diversity.

[AtPeace]

Katisha, I just LOVED that story! Thanks for sharing that!

[zeek]

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