# Regarding "heaven is for real" **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [November 29, 2011, 6:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/regarding-heaven-is-for-real/604472 "2011-11-29T18:27:12Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Inner\_Stickler](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/inner_stickler/32/318_2.png) [@Inner\_Stickler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Inner_Stickler)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2011, 3:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/regarding-heaven-is-for-real/604472/41 "2011-11-30T03:53:33Z")
> [@Valteron](#): > > Last night I dreamed I was somehow half-human and half-bicycle, and that I could somehow move over a beautiful countryside, and then I was a flying bicycle and then I turned into a bird, and I looked down on a sunlit world made up of happy, green people who were half plant and half human. _jealous_ Last night I dreamt I fell asleep shaving and got shaving cream all over my bedsheets. Why are my dreams always so mundane? I swear, I’m going to have a NDE and my book will be all about how heaven is a shower but the shampoo never gets in your eyes! ---
**Author:** ![Esox\_Lucius](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/848f3c/32.png) [@Esox\_Lucius](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Esox_Lucius)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2011, 4:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/regarding-heaven-is-for-real/604472/42 "2011-11-30T04:02:50Z")
> [@Valteron](#): > > Last night I dreamed I was somehow half-human and half-bicycle, and that I could somehow move over a beautiful countryside, and then I was a flying bicycle and then I turned into a bird, and I looked down on a sunlit world made up of happy, green people who were half plant and half human. That wasn’t a dream. That was a _message from God!_ Quick, write a book.😃 ---
**Author:** ![bldysabba](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ecccb3/32.png) [@bldysabba](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bldysabba)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2011, 4:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/regarding-heaven-is-for-real/604472/43 "2011-11-30T04:04:23Z")
> [@Eve](#): > > Thank goodness someone has saved me the trouble, and written a parody, _Hell is for Real_: [Amazon.com](http://www.amazon.com/Hell-Real-Little-Incredible-Journey/dp/0615487181) What surprised me is that Amazon’s analytics software has it listed as ‘People who buy this also bought Heaven is for real’. I wouldn’t have thought they’re aimed at the same market. Especially given how clearly it’s marked as a parody. ---
**Author:** ![kanicbird](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/5f8ce5/32.png) [@kanicbird](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kanicbird)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2011, 12:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/regarding-heaven-is-for-real/604472/44 "2011-11-30T12:50:17Z")
> [@stpauler](#): > > 1. The boy in question didn’t have a near death experience. He didn’t die under the operating table even for a second. From what I know about Christianity, one doesn’t go to heaven when they’re not dead. Paul reported a man taken up into the heavens that lived to report it. I believe Ezekiel did also and John (Revelation) was viewing things from the heavens. So a NDE is apparently not required. ---
**Author:** ![jinty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/dbc845/32.png) [@jinty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jinty)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2011, 1:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/regarding-heaven-is-for-real/604472/45 "2011-11-30T13:24:54Z")
> [@bldysabba](#): > > What surprised me is that Amazon’s analytics software has it listed as ‘People who buy this also bought Heaven is for real’. I wouldn’t have thought they’re aimed at the same market. Especially given how clearly it’s marked as a parody. Maybe they misread parody as parable. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2011, 2:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/regarding-heaven-is-for-real/604472/46 "2011-11-30T14:45:20Z")
> [@Inner\_Stickler](#): > > _jealous_ > Last night I dreamt I fell asleep shaving and got shaving cream all over my bedsheets. Why are my dreams always so mundane? I swear, I’m going to have a NDE and my book will be all about how heaven is a shower but the shampoo never gets in your eyes! There once was a man of Peru Who dreamed he was eating his shoe He woke up that night In a terrible fright And found it was perfectly true! ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2011, 2:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/regarding-heaven-is-for-real/604472/47 "2011-11-30T14:46:24Z")
> [@jinty](#): > > Maybe they misread parody as parable. 😃 They’re both Greek words . . . ---
**Author:** ![cmyk](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cmyk/32/3353_2.png) [@cmyk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cmyk)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2011, 6:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/regarding-heaven-is-for-real/604472/48 "2011-11-30T18:27:51Z")
> [@kanicbird](#): > > Paul reported a man taken up into the heavens that lived to report it. I believe Ezekiel did also and John (Revelation) was viewing things from the heavens. > > So a NDE is apparently not required. But a book deal certainly clinches it. ---
**Author:** ![Budget\_Player\_Cadet](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/budget_player_cadet/32/205_2.png) [@Budget\_Player\_Cadet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Budget_Player_Cadet)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2011, 6:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/regarding-heaven-is-for-real/604472/49 "2011-11-30T18:33:04Z")
> [@kanicbird](#): > > Paul reported a man taken up into the heavens that lived to report it. I believe Ezekiel did also and John (Revelation) was viewing things from the heavens. Speaking from experience, I can say that Kanicbird is 100% correct on this. The lord pulled me up to heaven yesterday during a routine round of Super Smash Bros Brawl online, and since then I have completely changed my tune in regards to religion in general! ---
**Author:** ![puddleglum](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puddleglum/32/137_2.png) [@puddleglum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puddleglum)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2011, 7:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/regarding-heaven-is-for-real/604472/50 "2011-11-30T19:11:57Z")
> [@OpalCat](#): > > My dad just gave me this book. It’s sitting on my end table right now. I haven’t started reading it and I’m kind of scared to. He gave it to me because he thought it would “reassure me” about the miscarriage I had many years ago, that recently became much more upsetting to me as I realized that was the last child I’d ever have (my husband has had a vasectomy and we aren’t having more kids. Plus I’m nearly 40.) Anyway, my dad–who is ultra, ultra, ultra right wing religious-into-nutjob-territory Christian, wants me to read this book. I’m going to try. But I’m kind of scared. I read the book. There is a section in it about how the boy who is in heaven during his operation ecounters a girl who says she is his sister and bears a striking resemblance to his mother. The girl says her name is what her parents were planning to name the girl who was miscarried. The author claimed to never have discussed the miscarriage with the children. As someone who has dealt with 4 miscarriages, I found this part of the book very sweet. YMMV The book is short and an easy read. I was prepared to not like it and only read it because a family member gave it to me, but I enjoyed it. ---
**Author:** ![foolsguinea](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/foolsguinea/32/14751_2.png) [@foolsguinea](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/foolsguinea)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2011, 7:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/regarding-heaven-is-for-real/604472/51 "2011-11-30T19:21:46Z")
> [@Grumman](#): > > Christianity’s take on them is rather crap, but the hot women with wings and swords are cool. Serra cultist! Hmm, there may be a market here. **The Far Country Is For Real** **The Astral Plane Is For Real** –that’s probably already been written, though. **Planeswalking Is For Real** **Phyrexia Is For Real** **Shiv Is For Real** OK, let’s do one for each color in Magic. **Tolaria Is For Real** **Serra Is For Real** **Titania Is For Real** and of course **Urza Is For Real**. Or should I base it on WoW? ---
**Author:** ![Apollyon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/apollyon/32/4238_2.png) [@Apollyon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Apollyon)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2011, 11:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/regarding-heaven-is-for-real/604472/52 "2011-12-01T23:27:19Z")
> [@Budget\_Player\_Cadet](#): > > The lord pulled me up to heaven yesterday during a routine round of Super Smash Bros Brawl online, and since then I have completely changed my tune in regards to religion in general! Yes, I can see how that would be an awesome experience… I had no idea that it was even possible to play Super Smash Bros Brawl online. (What?! It’s an excellent game…) 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![cmyk](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cmyk/32/3353_2.png) [@cmyk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cmyk)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2011, 7:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/regarding-heaven-is-for-real/604472/53 "2011-12-02T19:21:47Z")
If people still believed in Norse Mythology, I’m sure there’d be NYT Bestsellers on **Asgard is Real,** explaining through a child’s eyes the scope and breadth of Yggdrasil and how, even to this day, you could see a branch, way high up, which had a boo-boo that never healed. Certainly, that must be where Odin hung himself for nine days of agony to receive the gifts of the runes! The child had never been taught this, so how could he know!? Asgard _is_ real!\* \*there’s more where this came from, so any publishers out there looking to make some big-time dough, call my agent… ---
**Author:** ![OpalCat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/8edcca/32.png) [@OpalCat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OpalCat)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2011, 8:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/regarding-heaven-is-for-real/604472/54 "2011-12-02T20:41:08Z")
> [@puddleglum](#): > > I read the book. There is a section in it about how the boy who is in heaven during his operation ecounters a girl who says she is his sister and bears a striking resemblance to his mother. The girl says her name is what her parents were planning to name the girl who was miscarried. The author claimed to never have discussed the miscarriage with the children. As someone who has dealt with 4 miscarriages, I found this part of the book very sweet. YMMV > The book is short and an easy read. I was prepared to not like it and only read it because a family member gave it to me, but I enjoyed it. If I have a negative attitude toward Christianity (I’m working on it–really–but it’s there because of the way I was raised) will I be able to get through the book without, say, vomiting? (I really don’t mean that offensively, it’s just the only way I can think of to word it.) ---
**Author:** ![PandaBear77](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/edb3f5/32.png) [@PandaBear77](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PandaBear77)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2011, 12:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/regarding-heaven-is-for-real/604472/55 "2011-12-03T00:28:36Z")
> [@OpalCat](#): > > If I have a negative attitude toward Christianity (I’m working on it–really–but it’s there because of the way I was raised) will I be able to get through the book without, say, vomiting? (I really don’t mean that offensively, it’s just the only way I can think of to word it.) In all honesty, no. ---
**Author:** ![dropzone](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dropzone/32/7515_2.png) [@dropzone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dropzone)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2011, 2:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/regarding-heaven-is-for-real/604472/56 "2011-12-03T02:04:29Z")
> [@John\_Mace](#): > > The kid claims that the Holy Spirit is blue. The Holy Spirit is Krishna? ---
**Author:** ![cmyk](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cmyk/32/3353_2.png) [@cmyk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cmyk)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2011, 3:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/regarding-heaven-is-for-real/604472/57 "2011-12-03T03:58:52Z")
> [@dropzone](#): > > The Holy Spirit is Krishna? Or Inky. ---
**Author:** ![Naxos](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/50afbb/32.png) [@Naxos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Naxos)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2011, 4:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/regarding-heaven-is-for-real/604472/58 "2011-12-03T04:01:00Z")
> [@GeddyClaypoolBurton](#): > > What do you all think of that “Heaven is for Real” book … It’s wrong. ---
**Author:** ![Budget\_Player\_Cadet](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/budget_player_cadet/32/205_2.png) [@Budget\_Player\_Cadet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Budget_Player_Cadet)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2011, 12:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/regarding-heaven-is-for-real/604472/59 "2011-12-03T12:29:17Z")
> [@Apollyon](#): > > Yes, I can see how that would be an awesome experience… I had no idea that it was even possible to play Super Smash Bros Brawl online. > > (What?! It’s an excellent game…) 🙂 Dammit, I was really, _really_ hoping that Kanicbird would take the bait, but whatevs. ^^ Yeah, it’s awesome, but the wifi just happens to be crap. ---
**Author:** ![x-ray\_vision](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/x-ray_vision/32/351_2.png) [@x-ray\_vision](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/x-ray_vision)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2015, 3:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/regarding-heaven-is-for-real/604472/60 "2015-01-16T15:34:14Z")
Shocking!: [Boy Says He Didn’t Go To Heaven; Publisher Says It Will Pull Book](http://www.npr.org/blogs/thetwo-way/2015/01/15/377589757/boy-says-he-didn-t-go-to-heaven-publisher-says-it-will-pull-book) [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/regarding-heaven-is-for-real/604472.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/regarding-heaven-is-for-real/604472.md?page=4)