Christians, are the following things found in heaven?

Question

1) Free will
2) Emotion
3) Love
4) Sex
5) Racial differences
6) Political differences

So far i'm hearing a lot of "nos" and "no ideas" about free will in heaven. What's the point of giving us free will on earth then if we are just going to end up "robots" (as you all like to say) in heaven?

Answer 1

You want to know why Jesus spoke in parables? Because heaven is not something our limited human brains could grasp, let alone explain? People who have near death experience may be able to describe the journey, but none that I have heard or read could really describe Heaven. Those insignificant items you listed are all far beneath Heaven. As one noted Christian teacher said, if you can describe it, you don't have it, meaning Heaven. That way when you get there, you don't have to act surprised, you will be.

Answer 2

1) I think we make our choice here. We may have free will in Heaven but we will always choose what is right because there will be no evil and we will be made perfect, so it is irrelevant.
2) We will have positive emotions. (no tears, no sorrow.)
3) God IS Love, so yes, it will be abundant.
4) No sex. No need for it and we will not even know the difference (just like Adam and Eve before the fall.)
5) No. We will all be as ONE.
6) Same as #5.

Answer 3

If there were free will or free thought in heaven, Lucifer could have stayed. If they had sex, there would be a trick to it, since they have no sex organs. They were created, and not for reproduction. No baby angels in heaven right now. Not until the day of judgement. Can you imagine Michael the archangel with emotion, and he's the angel of war? They are of the same race. Angel. There are no political differences they all know and agree whom there leader is. If they didn't, they would be caste down with Lucifer. Plenty of Love though.
For God that is.

Answer 4

Your soul is what goes up to heaven... not your body. Therefore, there are really no visible differences in the appearances of each soul. (probably) Rather, what you accomplished in this world is how good your heaven is going to be. For example, lets say you lived a life of immorality, hate, violence, and the like. Your soul is pretty meak and dark. Your after-life will be pretty bad. However, if you help mankind, be nice to people, you know, all that nice hippy stuff and the good things your teacher told you to do, then you'll have a pretty sweet heaven.

Answer 5

My answers are coming from an Orthodox Christian perspective so I'm gonna assume certain things like Trinitarian dogma, etc. A Mormon or Jehovah's witness will answer differently.

1) Yes, but that may not be exactly how you picture it now. The ability to choose in and of itself is not a positive good, but it is not evil either. People often make the mistake of assuming that "free will" means the ability to choose between good (things that lead one closer to God) and evil (things that alienate one from God). Taken at face value, free will doesn't necessarilly imply that. Free will is just the ability to choose, even between two positive goods. Because heaven, by definition, is the direct experience of the presence of God- actually being "a partaker of the divine nature" (2 Peter 1:4)- then any free will we would have would be a choice between an infinite number of good things. This is how the angels have free will. Besides, our nature would be transfigured to such an extent that even the thought of choosing evil would be repugnant to us.

2) Yes, but emotion doesn't have to mean uncontrolled emotion. God is love... but His love is not exactly like human love. We can't fully understand it now, but those things that make us human (like emotions) don't get eliminated just because we've gone to heaven.

3) Of course. Love is what will get us there and love is what we will practical live and breath. God Himself is love. According to Christian dogma (as spelled out at the first and second Ecumenical Councils and as understood in Scripture), God is the Holy Trinity. One Divine Essence (Gr. "ousia") eternal existing in Three Divine Persons (Gr. "hypostasis"). God Himself has eternally existed and will eternally exist as a community of 3 persons... so the basic unit of divinity and even of existence itself is a community or relationship, in this case the relationship between the 3 Divine persons. Love is everything. Its what holds the universe together.

4) Let's break it down. Sexual intercourse in humans- the union of male and female gametes to produce new life- has two purposes which are intrinsic to the nature of the act. There is the reproductive aspect and the unitive aspect (broadly speaking). Sex makes new life (duh) and it serves as a kind of "glue" or "bond" which serves as a physical means to show love and unite a couple. The first purpose is not necessary in heaven. The second is what we will be experiencing all the time with each other just in another way. So I guess the real question would be, why would you *need* sex in heaven?

5) In terms of the superiority of one over the other? Well, that isn't even supposed to exist now. "There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus." (St. Paul's epistle to the Galatians 3:28)

6) Where would political differences be applicable? There is no vote, no parties, and only One King. Heaven is a perfect existence in full communion and in peace with each other, with all the saints who have gone before us, and with God. The stupid stuff we worry about here on earth like what kind of car we are driving or what party gets into office is not even something that will cross our minds in heaven.

Having said all that, we have an idea of what its going to be like, but the current ability of our minds and the limitations of our flesh only alow us to get a glimpse. It is one thing to describe it... its something totally different to experience it. At least that is what we believe.

Answer 6

heaven is heaven. people on earth dont become angels when they go to heaven. and i dont see G_d changing His mind about things. He gave us free will, and wont take that away. (look at lucifer... he had free will in heaven.) just because its heaven doesnt mean there wont be responsibilities. Emotion, yes. Love, undoubtedly so. Sex... yes. While there is no need for procreation in heaven, i still think that this is a fundimental human trait. though society has made it taboo. racial differences, yes possibly. i dont see us as changing. if G_d made you just how you are supposed to be on earth, why would everything change up there? political differences, yes i suppose that would go with free will.
i just think that G_d wants us to be happy. Heaven, what ever it may be, will be wonderful. He wouldnt reward us with it if it wasnt. Let it be whatever you want it to be. I think it will be a little bit different for everyone. G_d's powers know no bounds.

Answer 7

Free Will--God will change everyone in heaven so they will always desire to do his will. If he didn't do that we'd all be killing each other like we do here.

Emotion--We'll have one emotion. Endless joy.

Love--In heaven everyone will have the capacity to love perfectly.

Sex--I don't know but if sex isn't there we'll have some other way to have intimacy.

Racial differences--No. All those who make it to heaven will have resurrection bodies which will not have color.

Political differences--No. In heaven God will be a benevolent dictator.

Answer 8

Heaven does not exist.

The Bible is just a man-made play script, with several actors God, Devil, Jesus, Satan, Adam, Eve etc, and of course some intriguing imaginary places like Heaven, Hell, Purgatory and Limbo.

I certainly don’t believe in the Bible and I doubt any reasonably intelligent person would either. However, if you view the Bible as a man-made play script, with several actors God, Devil, Jesus, Satan, Adam, Eve, Noah, and so on, then you can certainly start to see a clever interwoven plot, that the audience is unaware of. It’s really just a drama thriller with clever twists.

You see, if you seriously think about it in an unbiased manner, then clearly the actor God in the Bible could really be the Devil, and the audience (religious believers) are being sucked into being the bad guys, who then use religion to get everyone fighting each other.

On the other hand, the more intelligent audience (Atheists) spot the plot and try their best to teach believers that this is just nonsense, stop getting sucked in. Some people have over time decided that the play is real. That's very sad.

Answer 9

When you consider the verses that speak of Heaven:

"He will wipe away every tear from your eye."

(and)

"We will be like Him. (And) we will know all things."

It gives you an idea of how those temporary, human issues (especially the final two on your list) will be NON-issues. Sex? Jesus said there would be "no giving of marriage". Since the primary purpose of marriage is to have children and learn how to raise a family, and take care of the young ... those issues will also be NON-issues, or deeper and different.

Our finite minds cannot even perceive the beauty and multi-dimensional splendor of the Eternal. But we are slowly being trained and prepared for it as we listen to Him, and walk in His ways.

Answer 10

1) Free will. Free Will will always exist.
2) Emotion. We will still be humans so yes.
3) Love. God so LOVED the world.... (Yes)
4) Sex. Only if your married.
5) Racial differences. There will only be one race colors will not exist.
6) Political differences. There will only be one political party and that will be Theocracy.