What do you believe heaven and hell is like? (read details for further clarification)?

Question

Recently answered a question about masochism in relation to hell, and was wondering... what do you believe they're like?

Typically, hell is depicted as fiery, painful, evil.
Heaven, as pure, pleasurable, innocent.

But... isn't heaven a reward and hell a punishment?

So therefore, if people in heaven find sex pleasurable, would they be denied it due to the pure nature of heaven?
or if people in hell were masochists, would they be denied pain (which some believe is a part of hell) because it gives them pleasure?

I'd love to hear your opinions; I'll elaborate on my own opinions in a detail at a later time.

Thank you, ahead of time, for responding to this touchy subject, as some believe religion & politics are the two subjects that should not be discussed to avoid conflict.

Some responses I mentally predicted, but am personally dreading. For example, I agree with the fact that the notion of heaven, hell, and religion IS a creation of the government to keep society righteous, however, there may be a grain of truth to that as well. I don't know for sure, so i'm not confirming or denying anything, but... even though religion is there to keep people in line, it MAY be real. We never know.

I'm most afraid of what happens after death. Many are afraid of death itself, but what is there to be afraid of? It's painful, frightening, but I think what's more frightful is the fact that perhaps there may be NOTHING after death.

Perhaps, like one responder, we just become wormmeat.

Spiritually, we may be reincarnated, sent to heaven or hell, OR... again, another dreadful possibility-- or souls may just disappear. cease to exist. I'm most afraid of that.

So far, all or most responders have very valid arguments. I'll leave this issue for voters later.

Quinn's quote:
" Heaven is a place of no tears. Hell is the lake of fire. "

that. is. SO POETIC.

I don't know if I agree, but it seems to fit with the stereotypical depictions of heaven and hell. thank you for your input. I wrote, in my last detail, that i may leave this up to vote. I'm not so sure now. Because some answers are so... limited in scope. I'm looking for more an answer that is descriptive and has a sound argument, not just a stark statement.

theories appreciated!

so in short: may have this for voting, may just choose a best answer. check back soon (or have this watch-listed) to see/vote.

thanks for your replies so far!
some are very, very insightful. sagely, even.

Answer 1

You have posed a very interesting question. I have thought of that myself and have come up with a conclusions of my own. Heaven and Hell are really made up places by the Christians so that control of the masses will be easier to control. It has never been said or even proven fact that hell is a fiery pit or misery, and heaven is a peaceful existence. But these story's have been told though out the ages. The "church" teaqches this to help keep people in line with the rules of Life and Society.

I think Hell is what you make of your life here on this plane of existence and Heaven is really another form of life after death. So the worse it will get, is all ready here for you and me. Heaven is the state of mind you will be in once you die. Your body is removed from your soul and your soul exists on an other plane.

But there are other thoughts, that if you are bad in this time in your body, your mind is then set for bad, in the next existence ... and you will continue to exist in a hellish place of torment. If you are good and your mind is set for peace and contentment then your mind is set for a more heavenly place.

Heaven and Hell, it is all up to you in this time frame.

Answer 2

Heaven and Hell are not rewards or punishment. Hell is a punishment or prison for Satan and his minion. However, if you are a sinner you cannot see the Kingdom of Heaven because a just God cannot look upon sin. Heaven is living in God's kingdom. So, in childish sunday school terms, :) Heaven is God's home and Hell is Satan's confinement. Both are described in minor details in the Bible. Heaven is a place of no tears. Hell is the lake of fire.

Answer 3

Heaven and hell are basically words created by religious people that depicts two places,
Heaven, as pure, pleasurable, innocent.
Hell, as fiery, painful,evil.
These words are essentially used to control how people live, whether successfully or the antithesis of that. Its not exactly a "real" place where people are sent after their death. Numerous people use the terms in situations like....
"You're going to go to HELL if you kill someone"
"If you want to go to HEAVEN, help other people by volunteering"
etc.
So its just a technique used to make people more successful in life, there's really no deep meaning to the two words. Its just that more religious people take it seriously and starts to believe in the two places.

Answer 4

I don't think our pleasures are the same in either place. I know that the Bible says that when we are in heaven we are as the angels, neither married nor given in marriage, no need for sex, God made it pleasurable on earth so the earth would be populated. no need for population in heaven. there will be no births there.
as for hell, I think any thing that would have caused pleasure on earth, it taken away. the pain described seems to be a sense of being absent from God. a sense of deep mourning... and gnashing of teeth, being ripped apart from the inside out. if you are into pain, I believe this pain will be unlike any known. with the pain is also a fear, anything that scares the heck out of you will be never ending.

Answer 5

Heaven and hell do not exist. They are simply foolish ideals for the sheep to believe in. People need concepts of absolute good and evil as motivation to be righteous. The truth is, there is no afterlife but reincarnation. After all, there is no good without evil... and an eternity in heaven would ultimately cease to be "good". It would just exist.

Answer 6

Yes, I do believe there is a heaven and there is hell.
Suppose you have not had time to read the book that instructs you on both places and their benefits/non-benefits.

Sorry someone took down the 10 commandments. It might have come in handy too. Not to joke about such a serious worthy subject.

Answer 7

Go ask a man living on the street with no money, shelter or food if life isn't hell and he'll likely tell you it is. Then, go ask another man living comfortably in the suburbs somewhere with a loving wife and two great kids if he's blessed ( heaven ) and he will likely tell you he is. Enough said!

Answer 8

Hell is just cubical after cubical after cubical. You have to sit there all day every day listening to people on the other side of the walls clip their nails and talk endlessly about their goddamn kids and their f___ing SUV and you get stupid emails from stupid people telling you useless information like that someone you never heard of has just been transfered to a department you didnt even know existed.

Answer 9

Hell is the absence of God. So, perhaps it is a cold, barren place. I don't know. I believe that hell is reserved for very, very few. CS Lewis writes eloquently on the topic, and has me convinced... Hell is for people who, for whatever reason, are so twisted and devoid of goodness that they cannot bear to be in God's presence. It's the final act of a loving God, when you think of it in that light.

Answer 10

Objection! Assumes facts not in evidence. However, I can speculate. I think Heaven is having the most beautful women in creation ready and willing to do anything I asked. (Hmmm . . ., if they're stuck with me for etermity, are they in Hell?) My vision of Hell is witnessing good people being brainwashed by Purists.