Why do we assume heaven is "up there" and hell is "down there"?

Answer 1

There's a few reasons. First, "heaven" is used in a few different ways in the Bible. It sometimes refers to the sky, sometimes to the whole cosmos, and sometimes to the spiritual realm. Any way you look at it, heaven is away from earth, and the only way to get away from the earth is to go "up there."

The reason we think of "hell" is down there is because Greek word usually translated as "hell" in the new testament is "hades," which can refer simply to the grave, or it can refer to the abode of the dead, such as we see in the Odyssee. In both cases, hades is below the surface of the earth, so we think of it as "down there."

Answer 2

I think that origianally it is because we automatically assumed that since the sky is unknown and God is unknown, that they would go together. And that Satan is in the Earth, and in the world, where all our worldly sins are.

Answer 3

Because the apple tree is giving their fruits within the tree branches and takes hold of itself in its roots.

Answer 4

Up is sun light and fluffy clouds, twinkling stars, Down is molten lava and darkness. Pretty easy to see why.

Answer 5

PUNCH keeps answering in the same words I would use.

Genius. Pure Genius

Answer 6

Greek mithology perhaphs. I don't know, we just tend to make a connection betwen up-good, down-bad

Answer 7

Because God is above us and Satan is below us- meaning God is better and the devil is worse.

Answer 8

idk... probably because it says in that big useless book

"and he fell [something something] and he [something something]"

sorry, I know that's not much help ^^