Now, I want to make it clear right up front that I am in no way trying to impose any type of religion or denomination on anyone, but if for whatever reason your “number came up” on this very day, where do you think you would go “Heaven” or “Hell”.
This is something that I have thought about now for quite some time. Its hard enough to see myself “as I am”, instead of seeing only waht I want to see, but its even harder to see myself through the eyes of others. People will say nice things only to avoid confrontations or to be polite, but very few people will be honest enough to tell poeple how they really feel. If I died today, I honestly have no idea of where I’d go. I want to go to heaven “obviously” but If I left this earth today, I really have no idea of where I would end up next.
After taking a very good look at yourself and the lifestyle you have, If you left this world this very day, wher do you think you’d go. Moderators If this topic is too intense and you choose to delete it, I will understand
If I were to die today, my first stop would probably be the morgue. Then after that some funeral home and then into the ground.
I am fairly certain that hell has been reserved for murders, child molesters and child abusers. I am none of the aforementioned.
When you die, you get a choice: Eternal Reward ( as long as you are not a murderer, pedophile, pervert , ever appeared on an Episode of Cops or Noisy Neighbor From Hell.) or Another Chance to Learn What It Is All About.
Hell’s for those who totally reject God’s love. I don’t think I’ve quite done that. I’m also not aware of any mortal sins. I’m not good enough for Heaven yet, so Purgatory it is. I have no idea where I’d be buried. I hope I don’t die- we can’t afford to have me buried or cremated or anything.
If I were to have my ticket punched today I think I would go to a place that the various world’s religions have tried (but failed) to describe as Heaven. I do not think it will be Pearly Gates or 72 Virgins or Throne of God in the clouds with angels. If it exists, it will be something beyond what we can imagine.
Now, that is not to say that I firmly believe this to be the case. Quite honestly, I struggle with most religious beliefs. Call me a Doubting Thomas I guess. I do hope there is something but I find it difficult to accept that if there is some All Knowing God that Christianity, or Judaism, or Islam, or any other religion has an exclusive agreement with Upper Management. I want to believe that such a being, who in theory created us, would be slightly more nuanced in His/Her acceptance of the human condition and would welcome us all* in.
I do not believe the same type of God that I refer too would send someone* to a Hell.
The entire issue really doesn’t worry me too much, I am beyond my fundamentalist upbringings and horrible fear of Hell. My fear is of dying is leaving this earth (whether heaven, hell, or nothing awaits me) with its beauty (and ugliness) and wonders, leaving my friends, and most importantly leaving my wife and family. Damn it, I just love to live and I am always amazed at the type of Christian who “looks forward to being with Jesus”. Yea, yea, I’m sure that’ll be all good living on the corner of Streets of Gold and Eternal Bliss but I am rather attached to the wonders of this life NOW.
Except Hitler, cause ya’ know… there has to be SOME form of evil that is punishable.
According to the Catholic Church - straight to Hell, no passing go, no collecting €200. Because I deliberately didn’t go to Mass on a Holy Day of Obligation (which isn’t even a HDoO any more)
Hopefully to the morgue, then shipped home to London for a funeral. But knowing this place (Luanda, Angola) they would probably lose my corpse, or dump it on the quiet and claim it was shipped somewhere else by mistake…bastards.
Not a believer in Heaven or Hell, undecided about the big guy.
Well sign me up for the First United Church of Shirley Ujest!
I’m going to Heaven, eventually. It just makes sense that if we haven’t learned the big lesson (helping other people) then we have to go back until we get it right. And God knows I can’t stand sitting still for very long, so unless there’s a special section for CODs, I think he may send me back as a Labrador retriever to work off some of this excess energy. Or not. Doesn’t really matter, I just know it’s going to be better than here.
Out like a light. Unbelievable, even for an unbeliever, but true, I’m afraid.
Actually the concept of eternal damnation for ordinary people who have doubts and flaws, even serious flaws, or who belong to the wrong church is one of the things that drove me away from belief. Who needs a God who creates humans and then tortures them for being too…human.
This is what I was trying to get at when I said that I believe that if there is a Supreme Being up there that He/She/It would have a more nuanced understanding of the human condition than we give Him/Her/It credit for in our concepts of religion and/or God.
Although I agree with the original premise, it does not necessarily drive me away from belief in general. I just reject the self-proclaimed God’s Followers views of what may/may not be the truth. I hold no insight into “what REALLY is going on”, I just think that whatever it is, it has got to be bigger and more complex than what anyone here can imagine.
I suppose in the end, we’ll all find out one way or another “the truth”. I find myself maintaining the hope that God/Allah/Pink Unicorn is a slightly less judgemental and vindictive being than we have defined through religion. If He/She/It is as petty and nasty as we’ve defined then to quote Conan the Barbarian’s closing of his petition to Krom “To Hell with you!”.
MeanJoe
