What is the incentive for being good once you're in heaven?

Question

For those of you who need an afterlife/religion to be "moral"; what will make you keep your morals once the afterlife is reached?


If you don't need one; why do you assume that people need religion to be moral on earth?

sorryfoot - if Atheists consider this world to be "utter paradise" since we feel it is the only life we get.......why would we need religion to be moral?

To the last answerer - I understand what sorryfoot is trying to repeat......my point is that whether you are a Christian or an atheist, at SOME point you reach what you consider to be a final life.

Christians have stated that people need some sort of belief in an afterlife to be good in this one.... my question is, if that is true, what is the incentive for being good in the afterlife?

Some of the eastern religions, with various tiered afterlives are the only ones which have tried to answer this.

Answer 1

Hello Professor Donkey,
When I used to be in the xian fold, I asked about heaven, and if there would be sex there. The answers I got were all very shittie, and I had plans to make trouble when I got there, assumeing I would. Now as an atheist, I have no "heaven plans" and will happily take my place with all my regular buds next to the beer volcano. :) LOL

Answer 2

Because in Heaven you will want for nothing.

That doesn't mean all the sex and hot pockets you can stand. Heaven is a state of existence, not a split level with an inground pool floating on a cloud.

Notice how all the believers try to answer honestly and politely while the rest poke fun and call names? Yup, let the Christain bashing begin.

Answer 3

Well there is a fundamental difference between this life and the afterlife. In this life there is temptation, while in the afterlife there isn't. It is merely an aquisition of the "closeness" to god that one has accomplished in this world raised to the highest level possible for the soul.

Deep concepts that can't be expected to be explained here.

Answer 4

I suspect your idea of "moral" is different from mine. For me it's not being boring: it's taking the challenge to love people and myself the best I can.

And Christians aren't "good" or moral so that they can get into heaven. They try to love because that is what heaven is all about and it starts here and now, not after you die.

Fundamentalists, though, as far as I can see, act good and moral just because they're afraid of hell. But I don't consider them real Christians anyway.

Answer 5

Ironically, the elevator in heaven only has a down button. Sort of like Eden, where the gate leads to the outer world...

I think the best way to exercise your morals, is to get off the concrete, and away from as many people as you can. Get back to the land...

stardust...golden...

Answer 6

First of all if you are not born again down here you won't make heaven anyway, But to answer your question, In heaven there is no satan, & therefore you have no desire to sin, & when satan was an angel in heaven, He was One of God's top angels until iniquity was found in him & God cast him out of heaven.

Answer 7

People misbehave out of dissatisfaction. If you are fulfilled, the behavior changes.

Answer 8

Being in the presence of God. He's with us on Earth too.

God Bless.

Answer 9

Good people don't need an incentive for being good.

Answer 10

I think you missed SorryFoots answer completely. I agree with what she was trying to say. When you (or anybody) is in a place that is totally perfect there is no need to concern youself with what is or isn't moral because everything is perfect. There's no war, poverty, bigotry, child abuse, hunger etc...............................................