# What's so great about the Christian heaven? **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [January 24, 2012, 10:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-so-great-about-the-christian-heaven/610544 "2012-01-24T22:03:32Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Namkcalb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/c89c15/32.png) [@Namkcalb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Namkcalb)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2012, 10:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-so-great-about-the-christian-heaven/610544/1 "2012-01-24T22:03:32Z")
as above. /\ ---
**Author:** ![Jragon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e19b73/32.png) [@Jragon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jragon)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2012, 10:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-so-great-about-the-christian-heaven/610544/2 "2012-01-24T22:07:30Z")
Heavily depends what sect we’re talking about. Modern popular view where you will want for nothing and more or less everyone not named Hitler gets in? Well, everything is perfect for you! If you want a challenge, you get a challenge, if you want to eat chocolate and not get fat, you get that too! It’s not hard to see why it’s great. However, there are other forms of heaven not so great, like the one where you’re only happy because you’re “filled with the glory of God” or somesuch nonsense, where you sit there and be happy because god is there… which sounds rather horrifying. Or the “you can have anything you want, oh, except your kid, because your kid didn’t repent and is an atheist.” It seems good, but on reflection it kind of sucks that your kid will be in hell while you get to be “happy.” So, define which heaven you want to discuss, I guess. ---
**Author:** ![Namkcalb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/c89c15/32.png) [@Namkcalb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Namkcalb)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2012, 10:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-so-great-about-the-christian-heaven/610544/3 "2012-01-24T22:50:23Z")
> [@Jragon](#): > > Heavily depends what sect we’re talking about. Modern popular view where you will want for nothing and more or less everyone not named Hitler gets in? Well, everything is perfect for you! If you want a challenge, you get a challenge, if you want to eat chocolate and not get fat, you get that too! It’s not hard to see why it’s great. > > So, define which heaven you want to discuss, I guess. I was refering to the scriptually supported one ---
**Author:** ![fifty-six](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/5daacb/32.png) [@fifty-six](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fifty-six)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2012, 10:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-so-great-about-the-christian-heaven/610544/4 "2012-01-24T22:53:45Z")
You don’t have to rely on faith anymore. God is there and exists. Lots of gold. ---
**Author:** ![kanicbird](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/5f8ce5/32.png) [@kanicbird](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kanicbird)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2012, 11:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-so-great-about-the-christian-heaven/610544/5 "2012-01-24T23:05:24Z")
There is the question if we will go to the heavens or the new earth or some to one and some to the other. Though it is suppose to be the ideal environment and we get the love we have been denied here. ---
**Author:** ![Namkcalb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/c89c15/32.png) [@Namkcalb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Namkcalb)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2012, 11:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-so-great-about-the-christian-heaven/610544/6 "2012-01-24T23:11:28Z")
> [@fifty-six](#): > > You don’t have to rely on faith anymore. God is there and exists. Lots of gold. [troll] I asked about the Christian heaven, not the Jewis…[/troll]😛 ---
**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2012, 12:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-so-great-about-the-christian-heaven/610544/7 "2012-01-25T00:14:29Z")
You get to look down on the folks in hell and gloat. ---
**Author:** ![Der\_Trihs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/der_trihs/32/233_2.png) [@Der\_Trihs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Der_Trihs)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2012, 12:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-so-great-about-the-christian-heaven/610544/8 "2012-01-25T00:19:10Z")
> [@Jragon](#): > > However, there are other forms of heaven not so great, like the one where you’re only happy because you’re “filled with the glory of God” or somesuch nonsense, where you sit there and be happy because god is there… which sounds rather horrifying. As a long-time Niven fan, I’ve always thought of that as “[Wirehead](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wirehead_%28science_fiction%29#Known_Space_stories) Heaven”. Everyone just sits around, grinning and drooling… ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2012, 12:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-so-great-about-the-christian-heaven/610544/9 "2012-01-25T00:37:28Z")
> [@Namkcalb](#): > > as above. /\ So below. / ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2012, 12:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-so-great-about-the-christian-heaven/610544/10 "2012-01-25T00:38:39Z")
> [@Namkcalb](#): > > I was refering to the scriptually supported one Ain’t Scripture kinda vague on the subject? ---
**Author:** ![sisu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/df705f/32.png) [@sisu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sisu)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2012, 12:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-so-great-about-the-christian-heaven/610544/11 "2012-01-25T00:49:08Z")
> [@BrainGlutton](#): > > Ain’t Scripture kinda vague on the subject? yep but what is does say is that heaven is being in God’s love for eternity. There ya go.. ---
**Author:** ![JRDelirious](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jrdelirious/32/9531_2.png) [@JRDelirious](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JRDelirious)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2012, 12:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-so-great-about-the-christian-heaven/610544/12 "2012-01-25T00:59:32Z")
> [@BrainGlutton](#): > > Ain’t Scripture kinda vague on the subject? I tend to agree. From the NT we get basically that there’s Eternal Life, and end to suffering and the saints will be very, very happy in the sunshine of God’s love, but no really nailed down details(\*); Revelation’s depiction of The New Heavens and New Earth and the New Jerusalem seem to refer at least in part to how the physical world will be cleaned up when the end comes, not about the “heaven” stage, and precious little is said of what will happen therein for your average rank-n-file believer or if like the JW’s claim, that’s just the VIP section. (\*I suppose the idea is to convey that it’s so awesomely excellent, dude, that words can’t describe it) At least those who fall short of the bar are explicitly advised they’ll be tossed into an eternal firepit :p. ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2012, 1:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-so-great-about-the-christian-heaven/610544/13 "2012-01-25T01:00:29Z")
> [@sisu](#): > > yep but what is does say is that heaven is being in God’s love for eternity. There ya go.. [Walter] Give me 72 slutty broads who know what the hell they’re doing! [/Walter] ---
**Author:** ![Guinastasia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guinastasia/32/5751_2.png) [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2012, 1:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-so-great-about-the-christian-heaven/610544/14 "2012-01-25T01:18:17Z")
I think Jesus said something about “many mansions”. If so, I want one with a great big swimming pool and two hot tubs – one indoors, one out. ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2012, 2:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-so-great-about-the-christian-heaven/610544/15 "2012-01-25T02:21:00Z")
Well, I suppose if there is an afterlife, it might be so different from this state of being as to be completely unimaginable to us, as life outside the womb to a fetus. It might be that none of our concepts of whether it is a “good” or “bad” or “happy” or “unhappy” afterlife even apply – all these might be meaningless in the afterlife. ---
**Author:** ![GIGObuster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gigobuster/32/421_2.png) [@GIGObuster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GIGObuster)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2012, 2:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-so-great-about-the-christian-heaven/610544/16 "2012-01-25T02:38:25Z")
> [@BrainGlutton](#): > > Well, I suppose if there is an afterlife, it might be so different from this state of being as to be completely unimaginable to us, as life outside the womb to a fetus. It might be that none of our concepts of whether it is a “good” or “bad” or “happy” or “unhappy” afterlife even apply – all these might be meaningless in the afterlife. [del]undead[/del] Indeed, for starters, one has to take into account that “There is no empathy in heaven”. [http://www.johnniemoore.com/blog/archives/002487.php](http://www.johnniemoore.com/blog/archives/002487.php) > [@](#): > > Empathy is grounded in the acknowledgement of death and the celebration of life and rooting for each other to flourish and be. It’s based on our frailties and imperfections. ---
**Author:** ![CurtC](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ce73a5/32.png) [@CurtC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CurtC)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2012, 2:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-so-great-about-the-christian-heaven/610544/17 "2012-01-25T02:42:37Z")
According to prominent Christian theologians that I’ve heard, the suffering here on Earth is an unavoidable consequence of God having given us Free Will. They also say heaven has no suffering, therefore there’s no Free Will in heaven. ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2012, 2:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-so-great-about-the-christian-heaven/610544/18 "2012-01-25T02:53:19Z")
Mark Twain’s _Letters From the Earth_ goes into the matter in some detail. ---
**Author:** ![Noel\_Prosequi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/b19c9b/32.png) [@Noel\_Prosequi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Noel_Prosequi)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2012, 3:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-so-great-about-the-christian-heaven/610544/19 "2012-01-25T03:57:34Z")
In the Peter Cook/Dudley Moore version of Bedazzled, Cook (the devil) illustrates the point nicely in explaining why he left heaven in the course of a theological conversation in which the devil is trying to convert Moore. Cook sits himself on top of a large pillar style post box, and invites Moore to pretend that Cook is God and that Moore is an angel, like Cook used to be. Dudley dances about for a few minutes singing and praising, praising and singing, then stops, puffed, and says, “But that’s so boring!” “Exactly”. ---
**Author:** ![Sitnam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Sitnam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sitnam)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2012, 4:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-so-great-about-the-christian-heaven/610544/20 "2012-01-25T04:31:02Z")
…for eternity! No matter how great it is, it is for eternity! How would you not get bored? [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-so-great-about-the-christian-heaven/610544.md?page=2)