If heaven is a paradise, shouldn't we be trying to get there asap?

Question

This question applies to anyone with knowledge of a religion that has a heaven in its belief. I'll use Catholicism as an example. Since heaven is a paradise, shouldn't I wanna end my life on Earth as quickly as possible through some sort of "legitimate" means?

Perhaps enlisting in the military out of high school, serve in Iraq with distinction and honor, confess my sins, and die in combat? Thats not suicide...and I would have a clean slate...

From a religious perspective, heaven seems like the most ideal place to be, since life on Earth is so imperfect, and for many, downright miserable.

**Some serious answers please! I didn't intend the morbid Iraq example to have a poltical connotation. It was the only occupation I could think of where the mortality rate would be high for someone young.

I'm not trying to be critical of any faith, folks! I do have my reservations about religion, but that wasn't the intent of my question. This question was intended for those that do have strong beliefs.

The reason why I used Catholicism as an exmaple is due to the fact that there are so many specific tenets and things that are factors in getting into heaven. I used Iraq as an example because to many of us, including myself, believe that volunteering to serve your nation is a selfless and honorable thing to do.

Thanks so much for your input and keeping this discussion civil, folks! With the nature of the question, I was afraid it might turn into a politicized left/right athiest/theist debate. Thanks!

The reason I didn't post this in the religion section is the fact that my question would undoubtedly be mocked, it would spark heavily opinionated religious debate, and my question would go unanswered.

Answer 1

your leap of faith is quite commendable if not overly naive

being a martyr for any religion gives a person the courage to face death with a lightened spirit...

but, what if your assumptions are false?
heaven, hell, god, religion, soul, .....all just so many words???
if there is a god, heaven, afterlife....since god is infinite...he/she/it can wait a few more decades for you...time/age/life span are human constraints...god will wait...
and if you really believe ....faith can be a powerful thing...then...consider all the good that you could have done for others on earth with a long, long life dedicated to doing good and helping others.
Living takes courage....martyrdom-like suicide- is the ultimate selfish act...

Answer 2

Great question,
And, being an atheist, one that I often ponder. I have had the misfortune of attending funerals for relatives and friends, and each time, as the preacher talks about how wonderful heaven is, it is hard to understand how this is congruent with the ashen complexions, tear streaked faces, and the deeply wounded eyes of the mourners. Why is it that, with the “comfort of faith” to lean on, their pain looks every bit as intense as the pain I am feeling.

I, of course, have never asked a believer about this during the occasion, but I have asked the question at other times. The answer I invariably get, is that they are happy that their loved one is awaiting them in a safe place where they are experiencing eternal bliss, but they are sad because they know they are going to miss them while they are still down here on earth,

To tell you the truth, I don't know what to make of this answer. The temporal suffering of missing someone, especially when you know they are safe and experiencing the greatest possible bliss (whatever that means) while they await you in eternity (whatever that means) doesn't seem to fully explain the intensity of their pain. Perhaps, deep down they know it isn't true, or at least have some suppressed doubts as to the matter: doubts they find so scary that they can not even bring themselves to acknowledge them. Or ,perhaps, there is some other part of religiosity that I do not understand because I am an atheist (I once had a Christian tell me that the only reason I didn't understand is that my fax machine to God was broken in my soul). Perhaps she was correct, and I won't ever understand the answer until the great fax repairman in the sky comes down and fixes me. Anyway, even though I haven't been able to answer the question, I am very glad you asked it, and, like you, I will be eagerly awaiting some better answers.

Thanks,
CR

Answer 3

Hi

I think most religions state somewhere along the line 'that the kingdom of heaven is within you'. In other words you are already there! Deciding to 'leave' the earth will not solve anything for you - you'll still have the same issue 'on the other side' as it were.

Why not try reading about people who have realised this state here on Earth and others who will give you the information you need like Mike Dooley (www.tut.com), Neale Walsch, Dr Wayne Dyer (listen to him on http://www.hayhouseradio.com/episode_details.php?show_id=16&episode_id=1486), Deepak Chopra etc..... I highly highly recommend you read 'At Home with God - a Life that Never Ends' by Neale Donald Walsch (not a religious book).

Even try visiting his website where you can ask your question direct to someone who has experienced this.

You don't need to buy a train ticket to your home town if you already live there.......Your desire to be at one with god/spirit/source etc is a calling from your soul/higher self to explore and seek right where you are.

There is no separation from this thing you percieve 'as you' and 'heaven'. Keep looking and asking the big questions - don't give up now just as the light is breaking......I can get the sense of how you feel as I have experienced it myself - THINGS ARE JUST ABOUT TO CHANGE BIG TIME!

www.tut.com is a big big forum where you can share your thoughts with others of a like mind who are more than happy to help you and be with you on your journey! Just imagine if this was the greatest time of your life and that the pain you are feeling now is the very KEY that will open the door you are knocking on.

All this has nothing to do with religion it is about who you REALLY ARE!

Let me know how it goes.....

Answer 4

Hmm, heaven... well it's the kinda question that really can never have an exact answer nobody can say that there's one and only correct answer. For example, I'm a muslim, and we believe that life is a mere test, go'ds testing our ability to do good, to turn away from temptation and stay on the good side. God-who's the wisest and all mighty- he knows that every human is sorta entitled to do something bad or the other, but we arent to cause permanat damad and the worst thing is to leave your belief in god and head for the darkness. I suppose I 'm going to a diffrent subject. But simply, in simple logic, and think about this, why would God bring us to this life and then expect us to get out of it asap. I mean think about it, it's quite simple. You're supposed to do your best to get to heaven, not think about the time of getting there onnly the way...I'm not gonna make this longer, I'll just say one last thing: Life is too good to waste away, and god hsnt put a price to it and he expects us to live it to the last moment, in a good way. That was in the name of Islam.

Answer 5

Life has meaning because of death. We need to process our life with death as a reward, but only after we have done our best to live life. In our culture, for the most part, it is wrong to needlessly shorten your life. But just because we can shorten our life, why do we value it? There are many facets to processing a life. We are able to process life in many, many ways.

Let me try and describe the life and death problem another way. Life is for the living, so is death and so is heaven. The struggle is what is most important. It is generally unwise and unnecessary to shorten life to receive the reward of heaven. Instant gratification is not a good thing.

Answer 6

I am a catholic and I believe Heaven is a paradise the ultimate paradise really and I feel if you end your life on purpose you will not reach the pearly gates I joined the Military a month after high school because I wanted to do something for my country to show my gratitude for all my country has given to me please if you do join do it for the right reasons not to try to die

Answer 7

I know allot of us ask the same thing. In this paradise God made a place for you, and he would not take you off of this earth until your palace is finished. You cant just say today I'm going to heaven!!

God has put you on this earth for a reason, he will not take you until that reason is for filled. I know we all wonder what our reasons are, but if we take our lives and try to find your reason you will never get it.

If you want to fight for your country then you go and do it, if it is your reason you will never know! But I would say forget this that you are asking and go on living in this world and make the best of it. Live and love, help people and do what you do to the best you can.

If you belong to him and your soul is his, he would come and get you!! So you should wait for your turn, and forget about this and live. Go on live and help!!! You will get there, just live by what his says and you will get there, but not now!!

Lots of love, angel**** See you there someday ;)

Answer 8

Good question but a bit weird and sarcastic in the sense that you are challenging people who believe in heaven through religion to kill themself in order to reach heaven expeditiously.

You know that nobody would do that no matter how strong their believe in religion is and therefore you feel that all who believe in religion are hypocrite.

Answer 9

I think that going to paradise is mainly a reward for your whole life, if you did good you deserve it, and if not you don't, so if you think dying for a good cause will take you there, so be it, or else live your life and strive for your ambition and finally you will get there, only if you knew how to tame your soul, and keep the good work... :)

Answer 10

i totally agree with you. it seems like believers in paradise, if they truly believe, would be happy, not sad, when loved ones die.

furthermore, it seems like the moral thing to do is to help others get to paradise. it seems like a believer in paradise should, if they are selfless and care about the well-being of others, kill young children and babies. i know that sounds outrageous, but if a baby is killed and automatically goes to paradise, that seems like the best thing you could possiblly do for them. then there would be no risk of them doing something which would cause them to not go to paradise. of course, the killer wouldn't go to paradise, but it seems like that would be the truest sacrifice one could make. it seems like not killing them would be a very selfish act (especially when you can resonably predict they will not make it to paradise on their own.)

i have heard stories for, example, that when the catholic spaniards were conquering the new world they would baptize native babies then kill them, ensuring their souls would make it to heaven. since there is a very high chance that those babies would not be true christians (and so would not go to paradise), the spanish seemed to make the ultimate sacrifice. they gave up their ticket to paradise to ensure that thousands of native babies got there. if a person believes that these babies did make it to paradise, its hard to argue that the spanish were not acting in the best interests of the babies by killing them.