In what way do you remain fundamentally YOU in heaven?

Question

This is specifically aimed at Theists who believe in heaven and hell.

Mr.200Monkeys asked about people in heaven missing loved ones who had gone to hell. ( http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20071004125627AAqNBeM ) The general Christian response was that there will be "no more sadness" and that people in heaven forget about their absent loved ones and do not remember their lives with them.

Of course, people in heaven are also said to be perfected, and no longer plagued with sins.

My question, which I have had for a very long time now, is how this idea of a self which has lost its prior memories and also no longer has those "quirks" of personality which are more or less a conglomeration of small bad habits and imperfections .... in what ways is this "new self" still "the same person" as the original believer?

Obviously, bodily continuity can't be the underlying sameness, as it might be with alzheimers or other such memory/personality loss. . . .

This is meant to be a philosophical discussion of the nature of the self more than a challenge to the Christian faith, btw. I think there may be ways to resolve this question so that "heaven isn't like that" is the best answer.... but if you do want to say that souls is heaven do remember their past loved ones and maintain past quirks, how do you reconcile that with become perfect and perfectly at peace while others are suffering?

Answer 1

Jesus told the story of Lazarus the beggar and the rich man.
Whether in heaven or hell, Lazarus and "rich", remembered who they were and remembered the choices which they had made. Since God had condemned 'Rich' to hell, he begged Abraham to send Lazarus to help him. Abraham indicated only that the gulf was impassible, he expressed no regret. 'Rich' then said 'send an angel to tell my brothers to mend their ways'. Abraham demurred, 'They have the law and the prophets. If they will not heed them, they will not heed an angel.'

Were I in heaven and aware of friends and relations in hell, I would feel pity for them that they had not accepted the LORD when it was possible for them. Believing that the LORD is perfectly just, I would not be tormented by it.

Any LORD who could speak the universe into existence, "LET THERE BE LIGHT!", can do things we can't comprehend. We are not really able to comprehend heaven: no more tears, no more sinning, no more marriage, perfect joy. But the idea that we won't still be ourselves is Biblically incorrect. We just can't imagine how we can be ourselves and yet sinless, immortal and perfectly joyful. I, for one, however, am looking forward to it. A me without selfishness, oversensitivity, laziness, gluttony, lustfulness will mean more room for my natural curiosity to play and it will be easy to seek out all those whom I have wronged in this life and apologize to them.

Answer 2

You're not the same person at all when you enter Heaven.

For one thing, a person's uncleanliness (whatever it involves for the particular person) has to be eliminated before entrance into Heaven is allowed.

Heaven is not a place where we are "cleaned up" -- that has to happen BEFORE we go in. Revelations is very clear on that.

Recall in the Gospels, when Jesus was asked which of a woman's seven deceased husbands (all brothers) would be her husband in Heaven, He basically answered that none of this applies in Heaven. She wouldn't be married to any of them. Things are very different up there, He basically said.

He wasn't just speaking about marital status. He was speaking about the very essence of our existence. It will be utterly changed.

How exactly will it be changed? We don't know. One day we'll all find out.

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Answer 3

I would explain the "looking down upon others" as a parent would look down upon a child. Even though the child hurts himself or gets punished, the parent knows this is for the better of the child to encourage personal growth. As for the angel and forgetting part, I feel you leave the sins and problems behind since you leave the body and mortal sins behind on earth.

Answer 4

I do not think we will forget about our loved ones. God remembers all. We will still be the same people essentially, but will have perfected bodies.

Answer 5

Your Christian Character Remains!