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brian madden
Member Elite
since 2000-05-06
Posts 4374
ireland

0 posted 2000-07-13 04:54 PM


This may seem like a rather personal question to some people, this is another religious question of sorts but in a slightly different lighter tone. I am just wondering what does everyone think Heaven looks like.
Death is inevitable and most people who like to think that our purpose will be revealed and we will live in eternal happiness (speaking from a catholic view point).  I looking for descriptions of you think Heaven looks like. Is it a meadow,clouds and angels, a place or state of mind. I want to keep the tone mainly light and fun.  I would perfer if this did not turn into a debate seeking to solve the great purpose of man's existence.

All I want to know is what do people think Heaven looks like, that includes describing God any details you want, is there a grand piano with Elvis and Mozart playing the hits.

THanks in advance for your responses. I will put forward my own view when I get the chance.  


"I've been too honest with myself I should have lied like everybody else" faster-Manic street preachers.

© Copyright 2000 brian madden - All Rights Reserved
Tim Gouldthorp
Member
since 2000-01-03
Posts 170

1 posted 2000-07-14 03:08 AM


Brian

What a question!  One may as well ask the color of the number seven, or whether a right angled triangle is happy or sad!

Heaven is probably very much like a church group for the elderly, lots of singing, lots of cups of tea.  Probably rather dull...
As for the ineluctability of death, I'll side with Yossarian in Catch 22:  I'll live forever or die in the attempt!
-Tim

Ron
Administrator
Member Rara Avis
since 1999-05-19
Posts 8669
Michigan, US
2 posted 2000-07-14 03:53 AM


This is an easy one. According to the Bible, we'll have a thousand years of life right here on Earth, but without all the human created problems. For me, that means Announcements & Links would always contain good news, and none of our Members would ever get sick again or have to deal with family problems or grief. The Alley would become an Archive forum, no longer needed, because we'd finally realize that everyone is always right and disagreements would disappear. There would no longer be divisions between Teens and Adults, between Moderators and Members, and we'd all just write beautiful poetry all day. Best of all, there would no longer be such a things as editing or rewriting - every poem would be perfect.

The bad side? There are a few Members here who would be sorely missed.  

serenity blaze
Member Empyrean
since 2000-02-02
Posts 27738

3 posted 2000-07-14 10:07 AM


A big LOL to Ron...

and brian--

What makes life hell on earth is knowing that it could be heaven, and that I am personally responsible for the creation of both...

and today, I try only to "beat the heat" here in New Orleans...hotter than hell...but here at my pc?  air-conditioned heaven...with a cup of coffee too...smiles to ya'll---not too deep--but there I am.

brian madden
Member Elite
since 2000-05-06
Posts 4374
ireland
4 posted 2000-07-14 05:49 PM



I remember seeing the Late Late Show with Gay Byrne one time (a chat show) anyway there was a guest on talking about religion and he put forward the idea that Heaven is all around us and that when we die we go to this other place that exists parallel to earth that it is all around us. I found the idea interesting and very plausible.

Anyway my point is that I believe that we are a mass of energy held in a shell (basically angels without wings) and the universe in a pool of energy. So everything flows in this river of energy. When we die we are released into this giant river and that is heaven. We become part of the universe there we are free of pain and suffering. I believe that we loss all our details (the colour of our skin, all details) and are surrounded by a feeling of complete bliss. I find my beliefs backed up in the Taoist teachings, which talks about the flow of things and harmony. I don't believe that there is a hell. Maybe people who have sinned are forced to repentant their sins in some way.



"I've been too honest with myself I should have lied like everybody else" faster-Manic street preachers.

serenity blaze
Member Empyrean
since 2000-02-02
Posts 27738

5 posted 2000-07-14 09:29 PM


Okay--lemme try this again.  I've been pondering this and what came to mind was a story I read--somewhere--(lousy memory) of a man who had died and gone to the "pearly gates"--quite unlike his expectations.  Instead of a "glory" kingdom, instead, he came upon a simple door, whereupon he was granted simple access, being told this:  "You have come into favor with the creator.  Within this door, you will find two doors.  Most are granted only a choice of one, but you, because you are chosen, may open both, and then decide wherein you will enter."  So he entered, and as promised there were the two doors.  He opened the first, and inside he saw, a mass of people, sitting at a great banquet table...before a feast unlike that he had never seen before.  And yet all were crying in agony.  He noticed then that their arms were malformed, being too long, too stiff, and unable to reach their mouths with the fork of their feast. They were emaciated and starving, and he turned away...
  So then he opened the second door.  Inside he saw the same great banquet, same guests feasting, upon the same food, with the same malformed arms.  But instead of the moaning and suffering and squalor, he saw them happily feeding each other...and he knew that this was heaven, and entered.

(by the way, I would love to credit the original author of this story, but I know not whom...if anyone knows...please, I'd love to know myself.)  

[This message has been edited by serenity (edited 07-14-2000).]

WhtDove
Member Rara Avis
since 1999-07-22
Posts 9245
Illinois
6 posted 2000-07-14 10:31 PM


Heaven? This is my kind of question!!!  YEAH!

ROFL Ron! That's a good one!

From hearing people and reading what I've seen in the bible, this is what I believe Heaven looks like.  I believe that as of now, it 10 fold more beautiful that what we imagine Earth as beautiful. Say Earth is like a negative (film) compared to what Heaven is.

I'm sure it has angels, but all who have passed on are that. It has a gulf, which divides the overcomers from the ones who haven't overcome. (Luke 16, Lazarus and the rich man)

Ron said it also! When Jesus returns, we shall have that 1,000 yrs right here on Earth. Heaven is where God is, and He is returning here. That will be 1,000 yrs of teaching. The Earth shall be restored back to the original formation.

Only Biblically has God been described, with eyes of fire, and hair as white as snow. Other than that I don't know. How do you describe perfection and purity? Except the fact we were made in His image..(actually Adam was), then we took on the likeness of our parents, and so on.

Revelations describes it well! Gates of Pearls, streets of gold, (which just symbolizes purity). I think I will stop here.
1 more thing. We will all understand, we will all live peaceably. No more tears, no more pain! And for that day I can't wait!!

[This message has been edited by WhtDove (edited 07-14-2000).]

jbouder
Member Elite
since 1999-09-18
Posts 2534
Whole Sort Of Genl Mish Mash
7 posted 2000-07-14 11:51 PM


Ron:

You kill me ... I love your descriptions but I'm afraid my amillennialist tendencies burst my bubble.  

Brian:

Good question.  I'm afraid I really don't have much of an answer.  I think it is difficult to describe because, in Heaven, I think there will be a considerable shift in priorities ... what is valuable and meaningful to you now will not necessarily be valuable and meaningful to you then.  Perhaps that is why The Revelation to John describes the New Jerusalem as being paved with streets of gold, etc. ... a very precious metal suddenly made so commonplace that you walk on it?  Definitely a shift in priorty.

Good post, Brian.

Jim

Brad
Member Ascendant
since 1999-08-20
Posts 5705
Jejudo, South Korea
8 posted 2000-07-20 09:31 PM


I have to admit I wasn't very interested in this thread. I thought it had already been decided:

Heaven: In God's presence. One with God.

Hell: Outside of God's presence. Separate from God.

Nevertheless, this story stayed with me:

Okay--lemme try this again.  I've been pondering this and what came to mind was a story I read--somewhere--(lousy memory) of a man who had died and gone to the "pearly gates"--quite unlike his expectations.  Instead of a "glory" kingdom, instead, he came upon a simple door, whereupon he was granted simple access, being told this:  "You have come into favor with the creator.  Within this door, you will find two doors.  Most are granted only a choice of one, but you, because you are chosen, may open both, and then decide wherein you will enter."  So he entered, and as promised there were the two doors.  He opened the first, and inside he saw, a mass of people, sitting at a great banquet table...before a feast unlike that he had never seen before.  And yet all were crying in agony.  He noticed then that their arms were malformed, being too long, too stiff, and unable to reach their mouths with the fork of their feast. They were emaciated and starving, and he turned away...
  So then he opened the second door.  Inside he saw the same great banquet, same guests feasting, upon the same food, with the same malformed arms.  But instead of the moaning and suffering and squalor, he saw them happily feeding each other...and he knew that this was heaven, and entered.

--Why didn't he choose the first door and help and teach the others? I think this would make a better story.

Brad



brownfox
New Member
since 2000-07-18
Posts 3
CA
9 posted 2000-07-20 09:46 PM


call me old fashioned, but I think of heaven as a place above, with lots of fluffy white clouds.  Everyone's happy and there's no suffering.  
Elizabeth
Deputy Moderator 1 TourDeputy Moderator 1 Tour
Moderator
Member Ascendant
since 1999-06-07
Posts 6871
Minnesota
10 posted 2000-07-20 09:48 PM


I think the reason that the guy chose the second door instead of the first door was because he knew the first door was Hell. Why would anyone want to go there? The only reason he was even allowed to see it was to see what his eternity would have been like if he was out of favor with the Lord!

Well, um, it was a thought anyway.

Elizabeth


I'm grabbing my hat and coat
I'm leaving the cat a note
Quick call me a ferry boat-getting out of town!



Marina
Member Elite
since 2000-02-10
Posts 2245
Pickering, Ontario
11 posted 2000-07-20 10:40 PM


Heaven looks like whatever you wish it to be.  It is a mistical land built for each indidual soul to choose how they will spent there eternity.

Marina

Heidi
New Member
since 2000-07-20
Posts 2

12 posted 2000-07-21 12:19 PM


About the story with the two doors, the way i heard it, the man was shown the two sceens but he didn't have to choose between them.  He was on some mystical journey and just got a preview of heaven and hell.  Not to argue with you, but it clarifies the moral of the story- that in order to be prosperous, all that is necessary is cooperation.

I hope that heaven is much as it is portrayed in the movie "What Dreams May Come."  I just like the idea that people get to choose however they wanted to live in heaven.  I especially like the idea that we can go back to earth as many times as we like and live new lives.  The bad aspects of the movie heaven are that if you loved somebody in life, you couldn't be with them unless they wanted to be with you. I suppose that's good for the other person - no stalkers in heaven - but what if i really want to see my dead dog, for example, and i find out she really hated me in life and i couldn't be with her?  I also didn't like that God was distant and impersonal in the movie.  When i die, i hope to meet Him, and be with Him.

serenity blaze
Member Empyrean
since 2000-02-02
Posts 27738

13 posted 2000-07-21 03:10 AM


Brad, it is a better story your way...and the point is, that we should write it the better way...which goes back to my original point of personal responsibility.  We always have a choice...even if there is only one door...we can enter, or not.
Trevor
Senior Member
since 1999-08-12
Posts 700
Canada
14 posted 2000-07-21 10:15 AM


Gotta say I like your re-vamped version of that story Brad.

My question is why does heaven have to LOOK like anything? Maybe heaven doesn't have a look? Maybe its like the force and all around us all the time.   Maybe heaven is just a feeling? Not to sound rude but I do hope that if it is just a feeling then it feels a lot like either an orgasm, Christmas morning when I was a child or a nice nap in a hammock on a beach.

Trevor

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