do they exist?
if so what is the main determination about where you go
do really good athesists go to hell, and what about other religions?
and wouldnt heaven and hell have to be enormous to fit in all the people that have died since we first turned into people from apes
2007-11-30 07:48:11 · 18 answers · asked by Anonymous in Arts & Humanities ➔ Philosophy
I recommend Dante's "Divine Comedy" for a consistent, well-written view of a vision of Hell, Heaven, and the part of Heaven called Purgatory. If you prefer Hell with a large grain of thought, try G. Bernard Shaw's "Man and Superman," which contains the separately performed act entitled "Don Juan in Hell." Charles Williams wrote a novel entitled "Descent into Hell," which provides another view. There are bits in the Bible, many of them allegories, about Heaven and Hell, but they do not provide a cohesive description.
You can get as many more opinions as you choose by visiting churches of different denominations. Agnostics will tell you that they don't know, which is consistent with their position, and atheists will insist that neither exists. If traditional views of Heaven and Hell don't suit you, there are always the eastern religions to investigate. As I understand it, the Islamic view of Heaven and Hell is the Christian view "on steroids" in intensity, but with the expected differences.
So I don't know. The critical point is that others don't know, either.
2007-11-30 08:07:42 · answer #1 · answered by anobium625 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋
I personally don't really believe in heaven and hell. I'm a reincarnation person. But, supposing it really does exist (you can't trust anyone who claims they know for sure), I think the only thing that you have to do is be a good person. Of course, everyone has their own definition of what's good. It's all really complicated.
If god exists, I would think it would be extremely unfair of him/her/it to send someone to hell for not accepting Jesus as their lord, or whatever. There are people who aren't exposed to Christianity, and so how could they know? Also, everyone claims that their religion is the right one (I don't trust those people who say that either). The most you can do is just meditate and just...fight evil.
Like Gandhi. Who didn't have to use violence.
If heaven exists, and Gandhi isn't there, then...I'm sorry, but I'm going to hell if that whole accept Jesus thing is true, because I just can't do that. If I'm going to hell for what I believe in, that's fine. I've got a lot of pride, and suffering for the rest of eternity won't make me feel any worse of a person, because what I believe is right will never change.
Edit: I'd like to correct the person who posted before me. I'm, for the most part atheist, but I LOVE bothering with religion, and I question everything. I guess that makes me an agnostic. But my best friend is a complete atheist, yet she also likes thinking and discussing religion. And think about it. Buddhists can be atheists. They don't have a god, do they? Atheist and non-religious/spiritual are two different things.
2007-11-30 08:06:01 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 0⤋
I suppose that christians have the idea that an infinite number of immaterial spirits will fit in heaven or hell, in that way the accommodation problem is solved.
Other problems not so easily. If atheists go to hell even after living an exemplary life, we must conclude that you are not rewarded for good deeds, but rather for being 'a christian', even a bad christian. This is surely a mistake.
Heaven and hell was a fable for scaring alms money out of people. Some of them even got some of it back!
2007-11-30 08:39:11 · answer #3 · answered by Le Petit Nicolas 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
There IS a real hell. It's called marriage! Just kiddin. Heaven & hell is what you make of it. What you make of your life. I think there is a quote from Shakespeare like that. I don't believe there is a hellish afterlife. I don't know what happens but I'm not going to be threatened into being good because of what happens when I'm dead. I want to be good for it's own sake. Never let anyone intimidate you into conforming to their beliefs. A great philosopher (Aristotle?) said he didn't fear death because how could he fear something he didn't know about? If you think about it, you can only be afraid of what you THINK the afterlife is like. You can't be afraid of what it actually is because no one knows and no one will EVER be able to tell you for sure, so why be afraid? Hell is living in fear. Hell is not taking control of your life. Hell is not living by what you know is right. I'm living a blessed and wonderful life right now. Enjoy the moment. Seize the day. Life is too short to worry about the future. Live for now.
2007-11-30 08:01:27 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Yes, and you can read about them. Two suggestions might be, Wanderer in the Spirit Lands by Francezzo, and Life in the World Unseen by Anthony Borgia (both can be found in their entirety online by an easy search). Also, Heaven and Hell by Emanual Swedenborg.
Yes it is immense. No, one does not have to believe in it (the afterlife) to go there, any more than one have to believe in Chicago to go there. The statement "I do not believe in Chicago" does not in any way effect the reality of Chicago.
What determines where you go is an interesting question. According to Swedenborg like is attracted to like, so you are attracted to people like yourself. Thus what kind of person you are determines where you go, ie, would it be Heaven or Hell to be around other people just like yourself?
Good luck!
2007-11-30 08:44:20 · answer #5 · answered by yerfavoritefiddler 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
This is my personal opinion on the matter... so I don't have any evidence to support it.
When you die, that 7 minutes before your brain dies, is going to feel like eternity (I think Einstein's theory of relativity states that time is not constant).
Personally, I feel that you will know if you were a good person or a bad person in life. That seven minutes, will feel like heaven or hell, depending on how you percieve your own deeds and your own life.
So, to me... it does not matter if heaven or hell are literal places... I want to live life so I can be at peace when I die and rejoice in the life I led. With that being said, heaven or hell will depend on your way of life... just like so many religions teach.
2007-11-30 08:02:58 · answer #6 · answered by Sage Daily 2 · 4⤊ 0⤋
unless they are infinite
but most likely the don't exist, there are the constructs of our mind heaven is super ego hell id. places that are directly access able to us
and we're in the ego a place of eternal conflict between the to parts of our mind. and we create the story of heaven and hell as a defensive mechanism for our egos so we all don't go insane.
2007-11-30 08:43:31 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
What do you think of ? (I suggested IF Heaven and Hell exists. of path i comprehend the two exists) No you do no longer no longer comprehend those places exist, somebody informed you that they did and devoid of to any extent further examine, you believed them.
2016-09-30 08:25:11 · answer #8 · answered by ? 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
i hope not, if so it makes this life worthless....you need opposites to relate good and evil. heaven needs hell and vice versa, you cant just be in one forever, if you were in pain your whole life you could ge to the point of not feeling it anymore. so you need the contrast to really feel it.
i dont believe they exist, but ive been known to be wrong
(noone can tell you they know the correct answer)
2007-11-30 07:57:59 · answer #9 · answered by ian k 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Heaven and hell Do exist! Everyone WILL go to hell unless they accept Jesus Christ as their Savior and truly believe in their hearts that Jesus died on the cross and rose the third day to save us all from our sins. We did not come from apes, that is just ridiculous! If you believe we came from apes then why are there still apes and why aren't they turning in to humans, think about it!
2007-11-30 07:58:30 · answer #10 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 3⤋