You ask for personal beliefs? Sure.
I’m an atheist wth a strong belief in heaven.
Heaven is here. Heaven is now.
I have never known genuine hunger or thirst. I have never had to face serious violence, war, hardship or pain (excepting a couple of visits to the dentist some years back). I have always had adequate food, clothing and shelter, although at times in my life I have been relatively poor.
I was raised by people who cared about me and who at the very least gave me some good values and set a good example. They shielded and protected me from some things, for my own good, but otherwise gave me a good start and all of the tools I needed to make my own way in life. Whatever I chose to do, they said ‘Go fot it!’.
I had access to a moderately good education. I was taught to read and write and develop other basic skills, and I was given the opportunity to learn about the people and the world around me, with (more or less) freedom of thought and freedom of access to information. My education wasn’t perfect, some of my teachers shouldn’t have been allowed anywhere near a developing mind. But I know I was luckier than many.
Even if this were all I have, this would be heaven. But I have so much more.
I happened to be born into what is by most standards a peaceful, law-abiding country where human rights are still considered important and where, if I do anything wrong, there will be a due process of law and my rights will be respected. Since I am a white European male, six feet tall and basically ‘normal’ and healthy with all my faculties intact, I suffer less prejudice than just about any other social or ethnic group I can think of. (I’m shamed by some of the prejudice that others within my own group have dished out to other groups, both in the past and in the present.)
I have always managed to find employment, though it hasn’t always been fun or fair. I’ve never had any serious cause for complaint beyond the boredom of the work, time wasted in meetings and the raw experience of commuting. A lot of people would love to have those problems for a day.
These days I work for myself from home, and how I spend my time is pretty much up to me. No clock, no boss, no pressure, no stress. Getting to this position was very hard. Being here is easy.
Everything I want, I can afford, and that includes being able to afford to help other people less fortunate than myself. I have many good friends, most of whom are very talented in one way or another, and they share their talents and brilliance with me often. There is plenty of love and laughter in my life, from good people and good sources.
Modern technology, from my car to my computer, from my washing machine to my cell phone, makes life much easier and better than it would have been even 50 or 100 years ago. This wonderful invention called the internet gives me access to information, entertainment, people and help on a scale that no previous generation could have known or dreamed of.
When I go to my local supermarket, there are literally thousands of different products on offer, catering for every taste and preference. Each has had to be individually prepared, processed, packaged, sourced, delivered and stacked on the shelves. There are people who work hard behind the scenes to make sure that all of this food complies to certain standards and that it’s all safe for me to eat or drink. I can only begin to comprehend all the work, activity and social organisation that is needed for all of this to happen, and yet most of the time we take it for granted. Looking over the supermarket shelves, it’s astonishing and disgusting that there are still so many people who face starvation, every day.
I can fly to other places inexpensively, and can organise a whole trip in one evening with just a credit card and the internet (although some airline websites do their best to make this difficult!). I marvel at all of the social infrastructure and technology that has to be in place to make this possible. Powered flight is a miracle in itself. It took us thousands of years to learn how to fly. Yet we went from the Wright Brothers at Kittyhawk to Neil Armstrong walking on the Sea of Tranquility in less than 66 years! We are an amazing species.
I have been around the world more than once, visited incredible places, seen many wonders and beautiful scenes, and witnessed Nature at her most impressives and, at times, frightening. I have seen Mars at sunrise over the crest of Ayer’s Rock. I have seen the Kilauea Caldera, the Grand Canyon and Batu Caves. I have seen what this world looks like from the very top of the Petronas Twin Towers, and from Stone Henge at dawn. More than this, I have met a great number of amazing and impressive people, from all cultures and walks of life, who have offered me their warmth, help, friendshp and kindness.
I slept in a warm, safe, comfortable bed last night. There are millions who can’t say the same. I woke up this morning. I could take a shower, choose what to have for breakfast, listen to some music, check my mails, get on with some work (eventually).
My partner is great… she knows I’m a million miles from perfect, but she loves me anyway, and some times we think the whole world was created just for our personal enjoyment and amusement. Sometimes we laugh so much at things that happen that we can’t even breathe, let alone speak. She’s funny, intelligent, talented and beautiful. It’s not a bad combination.
Every now and again, I’m in a position to help others, to give some money or to help with some know-how or experience, or spread a little cheer. There are a small number of people dotted around the world who say I changed their life for the better. Nice to know. There are many more who changed my life for the better, and who therefore have my lasting gratitude. Some helped me to free my mind from the sticky myths and nonsenses that stifled my earlier years, and to open my eyes to the real miracles that surround us every day.
Heaven? Sure it exists. I’m in it. Every day.
Aren’t you?
