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I was thinking about this yesterday, I forget how, exactly.

 

But I was thinking about hell and demons and such, and that got me thinking about the afterlife. What comes after we die? Do you think people who have near death experiences really "go into the light" and see loved ones that tell them it's not their time?

 

Is there a heaven? A hell? Is there evil that comes from hell or are demons made up to scare people?

 

Personally, I think heaven varies by person - we create our own heaven, or maybe it varies by religion or lack thereof. Like, if I die, maybe I'll see St. Peter at the pearly gates. But if my boyfriend (who is an athiest) dies, maybe he just goes back into the ground and his soul doesn't pass on. Or maybe we don't have souls O.O who knows?

 

Just some food for thought :3

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But I was thinking about hell and demons and such, and that got me thinking about the afterlife. What comes after we die? Do you think people who have near death experiences really "go into the light" and see loved ones that tell them it's not their time?

 

Is there a heaven? A hell? Is there evil that comes from hell or are demons made up to scare people?

I believe there is. I can't prove it. I don't think Hell is a place with fire and demons, the way people have always pictures it. I believe Hell is an emptyness. A gray place of constant misery and melancholy and eternal sadness. Which scares me more than fire and demons tbh. Now about Heaven. I believe it's a place of eternal happiness. I can't really get to describe it.

 

What i also dont know is how we humans are going to get judged. What will determine if we go to Hell/Heaven -if there is Hell/Heaven-. According to my religion, when you die it's not just it. Your soul has to be tested yet again. For 40 days? I think. I was reading a metaphor that you have to climb this ladder with 40 steps. And during this whole climbing "Temtation" will get to tease you, and every step will be harder than the previous. But Jesus will be there giving you courage. This whole image is just an idea that you still get to be tested even after you die.

 

Personally, I think heaven varies by person - we create our own heaven, or maybe it varies by religion or lack thereof. Like, if I die, maybe I'll see St. Peter at the pearly gates. But if my boyfriend (who is an athiest) dies, maybe he just goes back into the ground and his soul doesn't pass on. Or maybe we don't have souls O.O who knows?

 

Well i can't talk about afterlife for sure, whether we go to Heaven or the ground or nowhere. I have the theory i believe in based on what my religion has taught me, or what i feel better thinking about. I can't talk with logic when it comes to afterlife. But i wouldn't like to think that it all ends here and nothing happens. I wouldn't like to think that a murderer or a rapist will never punished and will have the same ending with a guy who has devoted his entire life on doing good things. It would be unfair. I believe there has to be some sort of justice. And i also like to take comfort in the idea that one day you'll get to see the ones you love again.

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I believe there is. I can't prove it. I don't think Hell is a place with fire and demons, the way people have always pictures it. I believe Hell is an emptyness. A gray place of constant misery and melancholy and eternal sadness. Which scares me more than fire and demons tbh. Now about Heaven. I believe it's a place of eternal happiness. I can't really get to describe it.

Agree with that.

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Great topic! I figured I would share the jewish approach because it is so DRASTICALLY different.

 

In Judaism we believe that your soul is important not your body. We believe our bodies are on loan from G-D and that they are simply vessels which hold our souls. Our souls our are essence. And because our bodies are only on loan we must respect and honor them. We don't believe in a physical G-D so therefore in matters of afterlife, nothing is physical. Meaning, there is no physical heaven or hell. Most believe in angels, but ,any don't. We believe angels are part of G-D and that they are only messengers from him. They are only physical when on earth. When we die our souls either join back together with G-D. Meaning, our souls are actually part of G-D and upon our death will reunite with our maker. This is our version of heaven, called the world to come. If we are bad, our soul literally dies. We refer to it as being cut off. We do believe in some sort of reincarnation, so if your soak dies.. That's it. Otherwise your soul joins back up with G-D until a later time when you are needed again on earth. since we don't believe in a physical G-D nothing about afterlife is physical. We don't have. A concept of hell or demons. I am sorry if this is confusing lol, just ask me and any questions.

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I always Read books about how people been brought up from the Spirit of there Sould and god takes them to hell to show them what i tis like

 

 

Theirs no fire.. no devil it is a worse place then that.. What I been told is they take peoples souls put them in a pit of fire. Some People are held behind bars like you would be if you were in Jail.

My Friend Said he didn't believe in hell but I Know I believe there is a Heaven so if there is a heaven isnt' there a hell???

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I don't believe Hell is a place where there are demons, who burn your soul, etc.

 

I think Hell is just a state of nothingness, no light, no sound, no hope.

 

 

Whereas Heaven is a place where your soul lives on, you feel at peace, and no one can harm you.

 

 

Reincarnation is an interesting subject, I don't know if it's mentioned in the Bible at all ?

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I remember reading a book called The Bean Trees, by Barbara Kingsolver, and the main characters were eating lunch and Turtle, the toddler, can't get to eat some of her food because the spoon is too big for her. Another character helps her out by taking the spoon and explains that because they helped each other, that's what it is like in heaven and hell is where there is a delicious feast but the spoons are far too long for people to eat and so they starve - because they do not help each other.

 

I thought that that was a great way to look at it.

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My turn.

 

From my (Baptist/Evangelical) Christian point of view.

Hell is a place without God. God created everything, God is the one who created happiness, gladness, joy and all other emotion. God is good, perfect, justice, peace, control, restraint and everything else good. So a place without God is just the worst thing possible, eternity without God is something I cant begin to imagine. I dont know what it will look like through someones eyes, but the feeling would just be horrendous.

Heaven is the opposite of Hell, eternity with God. The greatest thing ever, the bible says that we will spend eternity worshiping God, and I cant think of anything that would be better, the FULL power of God, in Church and this world we can only experience such a minimal amount of Gods goodness and its the best feeling in the world, so what Heaven will be is going to be unexplainable and AWESOME!!

 

@ Karen: What you said about us creating our own Heaven, I kind of think that. But I see it more as we worship God, but in a way in which we get the most pleasure out of. For example, some people might sing songs, some might pray etc. And Hell is Godless, so it will be pain in the worst possible way for that person. I dont however, It sounds narrow minded but, think that an Atheist will just go into the ground and not pass on. There is a Heaven and a Hell and no in betweens.

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My turn.

 

From my (Baptist/Evangelical) Christian point of view.

Hell is a place without God. God created everything, God is the one who created happiness, gladness, joy and all other emotion. God is good, perfect, justice, peace, control, restraint and everything else good. So a place without God is just the worst thing possible, eternity without God is something I cant begin to imagine. I dont know what it will look like through someones eyes, but the feeling would just be horrendous.

Heaven is the opposite of Hell, eternity with God. The greatest thing ever, the bible says that we will spend eternity worshiping God, and I cant think of anything that would be better, the FULL power of God, in Church and this world we can only experience such a minimal amount of Gods goodness and its the best feeling in the world, so what Heaven will be is going to be unexplainable and AWESOME!!

 

@ Karen: What you said about us creating our own Heaven, I kind of think that. But I see it more as we worship God, but in a way in which we get the most pleasure out of. For example, some people might sing songs, some might pray etc. And Hell is Godless, so it will be pain in the worst possible way for that person. I dont however, It sounds narrow minded but, think that an Atheist will just go into the ground and not pass on. There is a Heaven and a Hell and no in betweens.

 

It's really cool to see how the concept of heaven and hell changes from each religion, even the different Christian denominations. I think it's good that most people are identifying God as more of an idea rather than a person or a solid thing, because I don't think that's what He was meant for. I mean, there's just no way. And outside of the Catholic point of view, I'm not sure if other Christian religions believe that Jesus is the Father, Son, and the Holy Spirit - I think that's what separates Catholicism from other religions.

 

In a silly kind of way hell kind of reminds me of the Dementors from POA - just someplace and where there is no good emotion and all we have are our negative, destructive emotions. And Joe, I like your idea of heaven and hell, but I think that like everything, there are shades of grey. I really believe that nothing is ever black and white.

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Heaven is the opposite of Hell, eternity with God.

Ah eternity. That's another subject that's been bothering me for ages. I love the idea of living an eternity in peace and happiness next to our Lord. But i just can't grasp the idea of "eternity". Maybe that's why i'm a bit scared? Because my mind can't conceive it. I don't really know.

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Ah eternity. That's another subject that's been bothering me for ages. I love the idea of living an eternity in peace and happiness next to our Lord. But i just can't grasp the idea of "eternity". Maybe that's why i'm a bit scared? Because my mind can't conceive it. I don't really know.

 

I don't think any of us can comprehend it! How do you wrap your dead around nothing? I certainly can't. Like when I think about the infinity of the universe, for example, my head almost explodes. I just can't do it.

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Like when I think about the infinity of the universe, for example, my head almost explodes. I just can't do it.

lol The universe isn't infinite, Karen. Thinking about the eternity is not that hard, imagine yourself someone walking through a way, and walking and walking, and he/she never stop and will never, plus the way will never finish. Look how helpful I am? (sarcasm) xD

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lol The universe isn't infinite, Karen. Thinking about the eternity is not that hard, imagine yourself someone walking through a way, and walking and walking, and he/she never stop and will never, plus the way will never finish. Look how helpful I am? (sarcasm) xD

 

Well yeah the universe has an end, maybe I shouldn't have used "infinite". But it is definitely HUGE, and it's always expanding more. It's hard for me to think that we are so amazingly small in the grand scheme of things - when we go to space it is literally ages and ages of NOTHING. :lostit:

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I don't think any of us can comprehend it! How do you wrap your dead around nothing? I certainly can't. Like when I think about the infinity of the universe, for example, my head almost explodes. I just can't do it.

 

Imagining the size of our expanding universe gives you headaches? How about imagining what's actually BEYOND the expanding, forward-moving edge? What is it that our universe expands INTO?

:blink:

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Imagining the size of our expanding universe gives you headaches? How about imagining what's actually BEYOND the expanding, forward-moving edge? What is it that our universe expands INTO?

:blink:

 

I know!! It's my personal belief that heaven is found beyond the universe. I don't know why, I've just always thought that. A bit childish maybe, but it gives me comfort :)

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  • 3 months later...

My turn.

 

From my (Baptist/Evangelical) Christian point of view.

Hell is a place without God. God created everything, God is the one who created happiness, gladness, joy and all other emotion. God is good, perfect, justice, peace, control, restraint and everything else good. So a place without God is just the worst thing possible, eternity without God is something I cant begin to imagine. I dont know what it will look like through someones eyes, but the feeling would just be horrendous.

Heaven is the opposite of Hell, eternity with God. The greatest thing ever, the bible says that we will spend eternity worshiping God, and I cant think of anything that would be better, the FULL power of God, in Church and this world we can only experience such a minimal amount of Gods goodness and its the best feeling in the world, so what Heaven will be is going to be unexplainable and AWESOME!!

 

@ Karen: What you said about us creating our own Heaven, I kind of think that. But I see it more as we worship God, but in a way in which we get the most pleasure out of. For example, some people might sing songs, some might pray etc. And Hell is Godless, so it will be pain in the worst possible way for that person. I dont however, It sounds narrow minded but, think that an Atheist will just go into the ground and not pass on. There is a Heaven and a Hell and no in betweens.

I agree with everything you've said here, Joe.

 

From a Christian point of view, when people ask why God sends those who do not accept him to Hell, it makes sense. You've rejected God, and since I believe that Heaven is an eternal life with Him, why would you want to go to Heaven when you've already denied Him on earth? Like what Joe said, I think Heaven is a place where God is present everywhere.

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I have a great quote that'd I'd like to share with you guys here. Well, it's actually more of a passage from one of my favorite books: The Bean Trees. It's about a young woman who leaves Kentucky to go out west and picks up a native american baby on the way as one of her relatives didn't want her on the reservation because she was being abused. So, the scene is (just so y'all don't get confuzzled): Lou Ann (Taylor [the protagonist]'s roommate/friend), Estevan and Esperanza, a young couple from Guatemala, Turtle (the baby) and Edna Mae and Mrs. Parsons (two neighbors).

 

The scene: a big dinner. The narrator: Taylor

 

Turtle, wielding a chopstick in each hand, had managed to pick up a chunk of pineapple. Little by little she moved it upward toward her wide-open mouth, but the sticks were longer than her arms. The pineapple hung in the air over her head then fell behind her to into the floor. We laughed and cheered her on, but Turtle was so startled she cried. I picked her up and held her on my lap.

 

"Tortolita, let me tell you a story," Estevan said. "This is a South American, wild Indian story about heaven and hell." Mrs. Parsons made a prudish face, and Estevan went on. "If you go to visit hell, you will see a room like this kitchen. There is a pot of delicious stew on the table, with the most delicate aroma you can imagine. All around it, people it, like us. Only they are dying of starvation. They are jibbering and jabbering," he looked extra hard at Mrs. Parsons, "but they cannot get a bite of this wonderful stew God has made for them. Now, why is that?"

"Because they're choking? For all eternity?" Lou Ann asked. Hell, for Lou Ann, would naturally be a place filled with sharp objects and small round foods.

"No," he said. "Good guess, but no. They are starving because they only have spoons with very long handles. As long as that." He pointed to the mop, which I had forgotten to put away. "With these terrible, ridiculous spoons, the people in hell can reach into the pot but they cannot put the food in their mouths. Oh, how hungry they are! Oh, how they swear and curse each other!" he said, looking at Virgie. He was enjoying this.

"Now," he went on, "you can go and visit heaven. What? You see a room just like the first one, the same table, the same pot of stew, the same spoons as long as a sponge mop. But these people are all happy and fat."

"Real fat, or do you mean just well-fed?" Lou Ann asked.

"Just well-fed," he said. "Perfectly, magnificently well-fed, and very happy. Why do you think?"

He pinched up a chunk of pineapple in his chopsticks, neat as you please, and reached all the way across the table to offer it to Turtle. She took it like a newborn bird.

 

And there you have it, this is where I take my view of heaven and hell. It's an amazing story, I think :)

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I believe when your in Heaven, you don't need any material thing because your in the presence of God.

But I think hell pretty much you constantley being disappointed in yourself because you aren't good enough to be in Heaven. (This is all from a Christian point of view)

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