Do you believe in a literal heaven?

I believe that part of us all will exist. Actually, from a christian standpoint I would have to say much more than part.

I believe in a literal heaven although I'm not sure what it is? I don't know where we go when we die but I believe it's peaceful. I wonder what Jesus meant when He said to the criminal on the cross beside Him, "This day you shall be with me in Paradise"?

Well, again from a christian standpoint (sorry if we're altering the thread) it is because of christs sacrifice that we can live again and be free from sin. So perhaps there was a place where all of the dead were waiting to here the good news. Surely christ would have gone to visit them, and encourage them. It couldn't have been heaven though, since the final judgement hasn't occured, and he was a thief who obviously had some repenting to do before then.

truth
Even if there were a heaven, there are no souls to go there.

IMO, heaven (or hell) is what you make of your life right here on earth.

I believe that death is the end. It's like you before you were born. You simply don't exist.

This question is probably the biggest of them all. I am not a christian, and it is my impression that the Bible is widely misinterpeted. Jesus teached, in essence, the same lessons as Buddha did before him. I find more comfort in the idea of reincarnation. That we're all part of the great wheel turning, and that we will live life after life until we have suffered every wrong that we have ever done to others, until we can free ourselves from the wheel and join the essence, wich is bliss....

I must have been a child killer in a previous life.

I don't know if there is a Heaven or not.


I certainly do not see any unambiguous evidence that there is -- but by the same token I do not see any unambiguous evidence that it should be considered impossible.


Best anyone can do on this is to guess based on almost nothing -- which, in effect is what you asked in your initial question.

I sometimes feel the existence of heaven (and sometimes hell), but I do not know whereabouts it is. I think it is, probably, outside of the time axis (and hence linear order of life and death) of human knowledge.

truth
Cyracuz, I personally prefer the perspective of the meditative branches of Buddhism, which do not, like Hinduism and much of Buddhism, give emphasis to reincarnation. One of the features I do not like about the notion of reincarnation, particularly as you described it, is that it is a large JUSTICE MACHINE. I cannot see the validity of reducing the unimaginably vast and ultimately (cognitively) unknowlable Cosmos to our cultural principles of justice, guilt, and redemption.

Sounds like a good point. But if indeed there is an intelligence guiding the system it could have a sense of justice. Personally, I'm more comfortablt with a God who is merciful.

The long sleep...
Wilso - you said it the way I think it.



...You only exist in the physical things you leave behind and in the minds of those who knew you.

JLNobody: The Buddhists believe in reincarnation but not in the transmigration of a soul. They don't believe in a soul, so that would be tough.

They also stress that the goal is to end the cycle of reincarnation, which makes one think that they're not talking materially, but metaphorically. Buddhists are interested in life as we know it and how to improve it, not in an afterlife or next life. I guess that's why the Indians lost interest in Buddhism.

I'm not sure about Heaven. (How can anybody me sure?)

I know that I do believe that our earthly existence is not the totality of our existence.

What I am more confident of is the belief that we are all a part of God which he has used as his artistic medium to create something which is as independent of him as can be possible for God (There is no paradox for God). As such, the aim of our existence is to return to the godhead. To reunite with The Creator.

The rationalist in me doubts that the reunification will take place on a field of clouds with heavenly angels playing clarions and singing songs. But then again, why wouldn't God indulge "us" and himself?

It's all good.

And as Baba Ram Das said, long before Bobby McFerrin sang it, "Don't worry, be happy."

Heaven is on earth. The trick is finding it.

No problem here. I agree.



Interesting. I am not willing to make any guesses like that.




You were doing so nicely -- and then this!

What do you mean that you are "confident" of a "belief?"

A belief is a guess about the unknown. How can you be confident of a guess?

And can you give us some idea of why you are not only guessing there is a God -- but are also guessing what the god is like?



Got no problem with that either.

Frank

I didn't come to this new forum to re-enage in the debate which you find endlessly interesting - How do we know anything?

I believe in certain things, If they make really solid sense to me then I am confident in the belief.

Even if you insist on calling a belief a "guess," have you never been more confident about one guess than another?

May I make a suggestion Frank? Somewhere in the header or footer of these postings (I'm still too much of a newbie to be certain) post the statement: "I don't think anything is knowable. If you do I disagree with you." It will save cyber space.

bm