I don't get the whole heaven thing

[Kuciwalker]

Ok, if you do good things you are supposed to go to heaven, right? This doesn't make much sense to me, because it means god is either arbitrary or trying to bribe us:

If simply doing good things, not having good intentions, is what you have to do, then heaven is essentially a bribe from God. You would do good things not because you are a good person and stuff, but to get into heaven. This seems to make the whole concept rather shallow. In the other case, if you have to actually have good intentions, not simply be trying to get into heaven, then it's kind of pointless. The fact that good people would get into heaven wouldn't change anyone's behavior, because a person who wasn't inherently a "good person" would gain nothing by being altruistic, and a person who was altruistic would be that way anyways. It's essentially arbitrary on God's part, then - OK, everyone who is naturally a certain way, you go to heaven, the rest of you can burn forever.

[BeBMan]

I think it is just a trick of God to get you

[My Wife Hates CIV]

"Ok, if you do good things you are supposed to go to heaven, right? "

you die - you rot.

get off this god thing man. you're wasting your time.

[Shi Huangdi]

Heaven is not a bribe from God. Don't think of Heaven is a pearly gate on the could with fat babies playing harps. Similarly, don't think of Hell as a burning cave where little men in red tights poke you with forks.

Heaven is a spiritual state in which our soul persists in the afterlife, in which we are united with God and fully in his presence, and are blissful because we are united with the source of all goodness and happiness.

Hell is a place that we go to should we chose to reject God through evil actions and cut our ties with all that is good. It is a place of eternal lonliness and isolation from God and each other, and out isolation from the source of all that is good grants us misery.

Purgatory is a place we go if we have not totally broken with God through unrepented evil actions, yet still have the stain of lesser sin remaining our soul. There one must atone for their remaining sin until it is purged away and they are pure, so that they may enter Heaven.

[Kuciwalker]

Originally posted by My Wife Hates CIV
"Ok, if you do good things you are supposed to go to heaven, right? "

you die - you rot.

get off this god thing man. you're wasting your time.

I'm an atheist, I'm just posing an interesting question. It's fun

[Kuciwalker]

Originally posted by Shi Huangdi
Heaven is not a bribe from God. Don't think of Heaven is a pearly gate on the could with fat babies playing harps. Similarly, don't think of Hell as a burning cave where little men in red tights poke you with forks.

Heaven is a spiritual state in which our soul persists in the afterlife, in which we are united with God and fully in his presence, and are blissful because we are united with the source of all goodness and happiness.

Hell is a place that we go to should we chose to reject God through evil actions and cut our ties with all that is good. It is a place of eternal lonliness and isolation from God and each other, and out isolation from the source of all that is good grants us misery.

Purgatory is a place we go if we have not totally broken with God through unrepented evil actions, yet still have the stain of lesser sin remaining our soul. There one must atone for their remaining sin until it is purged away and they are pure, so that they may enter Heaven.

What's your point? Heaven is desirable, obviously, and hell is not (and may be undesirable). It doesn't matter the specific form.

[Sava]

I don't like protestantism's version of how to get into heaven... for them, you can be adolf hitler, but then right before you die, repent and accept jesus and you automatically get in...

personally, the whole idea is silly... and if heaven is a place where you get chicks and enjoy earthly pleasures like food and friends, then I'm not too excited about heaven. I hope to learn the secrets of the universe, the secrets and purposes of existence... and hope to acquire some sort of infinite wisdom.

the fact is, not one person who has ever lived knows what happens when we die... that's why ALL religions are WRONG. Their OPINIONS about what happens are based upon the IMAGINATION of the authors of religious scripture. I pity religionists (hehe had to use this term) because they are incapable of thinking for themselves... instead they rely on the OPINIONS of others... or worse, they are conditioned to believe in bull**** by their parents.

[Kuciwalker]

Sava, part of the argument is a presumption that there is a God, and heaven, and stuff. Don't turn this into another "religion is wrong" thread. Those have their place, but this isn't one of them.

[Sava]

Originally posted by skywalker
Sava, part of the argument is a presumption that there is a God, and heaven, and stuff. Don't turn this into another "religion is wrong" thread. Those have their place, but this isn't one of them.

I specifically talked about ONE DENOMINATION'S version about heaven... so stfu

[Arrian]

I don't like protestantism's version of how to get into heaven... for them, you can be adolf hitler, but then right before you die, repent and accept jesus and you automatically get in...

That sounds like Catholicism to me, actually. All you gotta do is confess.

-Arrian

[Shogun Gunner]

You go, Greenspan!

[Sava]

Originally posted by Arrian


That sounds like Catholicism to me, actually. All you gotta do is confess.

-Arrian

somewhat... but catholicism does stress living a good life... the whole born-again people only seem to care about your FAITH... buncha hypocrits they are

[Shogun Gunner]

And if you don't get "last rights" in Catholicism, you don't go to heaven -- is that right?

Poor Catholics that die on a solitary expedition or something. I mean, it's not their fault there isn't a priest chasing them everywhere they go!

[Sava]

btw, the whole notion of "god gave us free-will" is silly if the whole heaven concept is true...

sure, god gave us free will, BUT YOU WILL GO TO HELL IF YOU DON'T LOVE HIM AND DO WHAT HE SAYS!

[FrostyBoy]

You have to take repenting more seriously.

You can't say to God "I repent" and get into Heaven. God will know if your heart has repented or not.

And it's not DOING good things, its BEING good - much MUCH harder to do - infact, your heart and mind have to soften and mature greatly in order to become a very good person and thus God would see you as a person who is ready to enter Heaven.