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Why are theists so obsessed with Heaven?

Ok, I grew up in an evangelical Christian home and was told that the ultimate goal in life was to be good enough to go to Heaven. Honestly, I never understood what the shit was ever in Heaven besides your basic: God, Jesus, Angels, and an ass load of family members (if they actually made it) who I probably never met.

I am wondering how this is bliss? What do religious people think they are going to do in Heaven? Do they just like the idea, because they are scared of the other made up place with fire instead of clouds?

The Mormons think they are going to have a planet of their own, and will be God, with thousands of virgins for celestial sex to populate their planet. Definitely some nut jobs, but at least they are specific.

What have you been told about Heaven? Why do so many people want to go to this place? I would be interested to know, as I have no clue.

Tags: afterlife, death, god, heaven, hell, jesus, john, lds, mormons, sex, More…smith

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Permalink Reply by Goz on May 5, 2009 at 6:15pm

Well,I was told by one person I'd have perfect vision in heaven..That's about it..Seems heven would be frightfully boring ,after all,there is no internet,no books...Someone said they had wars in heaven..Does not sound very interesting to me. And if I'm just supposed to sit about and praise/worship a god,well that's worse! .And i always thought hell was a garbage dump mentioned in the bible.

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Permalink Reply by St Jimmy on May 7, 2009 at 1:04am

Very interesting information Alex and great questions. WTF is up with the singing monsters? Maybe most people never make it to the end of the book to read that shit... I know I never did. Now I need to break out the old doorstop and take a look for myself.

It is odd that believes think they have a soul that leaves their body, flies up to some gates, hopefully they get the green light to go in, then they get a body again so they can sing with singing flying animals? The more you think about the descriptions, you would think it would be more..... unlike Earth.

I recall reading something that said it is easier for people in large, to believe in something more far fetched (like the bibles description of Heaven) as opposed to something somewhat more natural/feasible (like reincarnation, not saying this is at all rational but it is at least on Earth).

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Permalink Reply by It's just Matt on May 6, 2009 at 7:27am

Very detailed post Alex. I had the missfortune of attending Xtians schools until I was 16. I went to 7 different schools and not a one of them ever described anything about heaven. They just used the same old rhetoric. It's glorious and magnificent. The streets are paved with gold and jewels like none have ever seen. The riches that await you in heaven are far more wondrous than anything you may have on earth.
rrrrrrrrrrrrright, and where does this book tell of all this bullshit? Oh,that's right, the lord with reveal it to me if I only accept and ask him...buuuuulllshit

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Permalink Reply by St Jimmy on May 7, 2009 at 1:13am

So I wonder where the gold, jewels, riches talk came from? Does the Bible actually say that anywhere? I am thinking that by promising what would be considered the good things on earth in Heaven, it is much easier to make people accept the sub-par cards of life they were dealt.

Additionally, I would like to second your statement of bull shit.

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Permalink Reply by Angie Jackson on May 6, 2009 at 7:57am

Because it's not Hell, and in theist homes your given the false dichotomy of those two options.

Heaven in my childhood myths involved having a new body that never got sick or tired, a big palace you could decorate (I love interior design so this appealed to me greatly), all my childhood pets. It was basically a big church picnic in the sky with big green fields, fun and games, good food, and lots of people I loved. Which is fun for about three hours, but then you want to go home and have a nap. Eternity is overkill.

Oh, and my grandma decided that in heaven you could talk to all your favorite writers/musicians who weren't roasting downstairs, and that new books and music and art were constantly being created. Much less static than the usual view presented, I'll give her that.

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Permalink Reply by Goz on May 6, 2009 at 12:47pm

OK, gotta ask what is a jasper and a sardine stone?
Well,,from what you have written,I'm not impressed...I'd sure want to stay away from the singing animals..
I also wonder why this god needs to be worshed and praised to and prayed to 24/7
Methinks that's more like what the creeps who wrote the book in the first place wanted for themselves...To me,the bible seems like a book of wish fulfillment written by megalomaniac men.

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Permalink Reply by St Jimmy on May 7, 2009 at 1:31am

Hi Angie. Your grandma's interpretation of life after death does seem a least a little more entertaining than just visiting with family, friends and pets for eternity.

That is funny that you mention pets, since I was told when I was very young that our pets went to heaven. Then as I got older my Jesus-freak parents told me that no animals actually don't go to heaven because they have not souls. What is up with Jesus folks preaching honesty then lying to kids all the time? It was first my pets then Santa, then I had to figure out the god one for myself!

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Permalink Reply by FreeThinker on May 6, 2009 at 6:47pm

I was raised in the Baptist faith. I wanted to go to Heaven, but I never really thought about why, other than the fear of death.

I've always kind of looked at the concept of Heaven as being similar to being high on drugs, except the high never ends. The way Christians describe it with the clouds, angels, harps and such, it seems boring.

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Permalink Reply by St Jimmy on May 7, 2009 at 1:37am

Isn't it kind of odd that so many people dedicate their lives to a religious creed, give away large portions of money through tithing, brainwash children, are willing to die or kill for it in some cases, but don't ever really understand where they are going? I guess Islam and Mormons have the incentive of virgins, which may be motivator to sex crazed males, but why do women of these faiths follow it? Last time I checked Mormon women don't get a sausage fest planet, do they? Maybe it would be called Kolknob instead of Kolob.

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Permalink Reply by It's just Matt on May 7, 2009 at 7:49pm

As a follow up reply, most believers will say or use the excuse, "Better safe than sorry."

Sooo you'd rather waste time praying to something, somewhere, so you may not be eternally damned for something you never did? Great way to look at life...

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Permalink Reply by Dionysus on May 7, 2009 at 9:20pm

Because they're dissatisfied with their empty, pointless lives! LOL! Isn't that what they accuse atheists of? Ironically, it is they who prepare for "the next one" since this one is seen as nothing but preparation for the afterlife. As far as anyone knows, the "afterlife" is little more than the absense of life with the opportunity to live in the memories of those whose lives you influenced, but that's not the kind of life they are shooting for in heaven. They think they're going to play glass harps, eat grapes, tickle cherubs and kiss their god's ass forever and ever.

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Permalink Reply by dusk on May 9, 2009 at 1:46am

people want to go to it because they are unsatisfied with the life that they lead now and are fearful they will never be happy. being able to go to a heaven would mean that this person's special and we all want to be special. most of all it would mean that they were really loved by this god character and there are few things in life worse than finding out the one you love, trust and believe in doesn't return the emotion. without the fear mongering aimed at basic insecurities we all feel at some point the idea of heaven wouldn't appeal to anyone. i don't think that heaven was meant to appeal to people it's just the better alternative to hell.
i was told about the traditional catholic heaven - angels, gold, the trinity and mother mary, saints, etc.. doesn't sound like a party i would want to attend.