| Jan 22, 2006 @ 12:20 PM |
Your idea of heaven
|
|
Snappygoddess
Posts: 3,814
|
Heaven on earth would be to see PerhapsLove post ONE line postings  errrmmmm sorry love.. couldnt resist  LOL
|
|
  |
|
| Jan 22, 2006 @ 1:07 PM |
Your idea of heaven |
|
sirdidymus
Posts: 1,087
|
i think heaven is a temporary state, just as we alternate between life and death back to life and back to death (as i believe in reincarnation) - so goes our visit to heaven, and back to earth, and back again to heaven, etc.
i believe that each of those interludes in heaven, is reflective of the current state of mind and spirituality at the time of our passing.
i'm not really sure what aspects go into how long our stay in heaven may last - or if that's even quantifiable in human terms. but it would seem at some point, whether by freedom of choice or spiritual compulsion - we come back to another earthly existence.
i do believe that at some point, for each of us,the cycle of birth and rebirth will cease - at the time that spiritually - we are ready to merge back with the eternal creator.
|
| |
|
| Jan 22, 2006 @ 2:24 PM |
Your idea of heaven
|
|
Classy_Blonde
Posts: 6,034
|
 Do you think people are allowed to smoke in Heaven?
At least these are 'virtual' cigarettes.
|
|
| |
|
| Jan 22, 2006 @ 3:53 PM |
Your idea of heaven |
|
ServantOfChrist2
Posts: 4,164
|
Sponge, originally you said that you could do without hanging out on clouds and listening to harp music.
I agree with you there. That does sound almost unbearable. (Especially after you "grin + bear it" for a while.)
But don't let that image stick in your head.
In the Bible, we're told that whatever it is, heaven's going to be an incredibly nice place.
And I don't where in the Scriptures the notion of a pre-heaven place came from, (I think it's a Catholic-thing...I don't really know); but we ALL are guaranteed to going to 1-of-2 places when we die.
It's a Biblical certainty.
So whatever heaven's going to be like, it's a pretty good bet that it'll be a heap better than "the other place".
So....God bless you. :-)
|
| |
|
| Jan 22, 2006 @ 4:24 PM |
Your idea of heaven
|
|
sciurusniger
Posts: 2,959
|
Heaven and hell is merely a human concept, a device if you will, used to explain what to us appears inexplicable.
Existence in human form here on this spinning little green planet is merely one of an infinite-plus-one-more number of possibilities our souls may choose to experience as singular manifestations of the One (which is most often referred to as "god"). One of the stories goes that after the Earth was created, we, as angels, came here to play in human form. But as even angels have Free Will, eventually ego, a purely mundane entity which refuses to believe it is finite, began to manifest improperly and so began what is commonly referred to as karma, with the seemingly endless cycles of birth and death and the returning over and over again. But the point of the returning, most simply stated, is really the return to our true Selves, to our angel form, so to speak.
Even though humans are so-long removed from that original angel existence here, there still remains remnants and the faintest of echoes of memories of when the Earth was truly a paradise and indistiguishable from its creator. Those memories, albeit now merely the tiniest flicker of a stirring that haunts the collective consciousness, are our memories of heaven.
|
|
| |
|
| Jan 22, 2006 @ 4:38 PM |
Your idea of heaven |
|
Angel54214
Posts: 14,056
|
In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.
Gen 1:1
Thus the heavens and the earth were completed in all their vast array.
Gen 2.1
God made the earth by his power;
he founded the world by his wisdom
and stretched out the heavens by his
understanding...Jer. 10:12
|
| |
|
| Jan 22, 2006 @ 5:52 PM |
Your idea of heaven
|
|
Snappygoddess
Posts: 3,814
|
a few pleasant messages were exchanged
Proving there is indeed "Heaven on Earth" 
|
|
| |
|
| Jan 22, 2006 @ 6:35 PM |
Your idea of heaven |
|
kattsmeow
Posts: 21,272
|
I know that at this moment, my mother is sitting or dancing. In a healthy body again. Free of pain, and worry.
Yes, this is my idea of heaven.
Where she finally knows all the answers that we just wonder about.
|
| |
|
| Jan 22, 2006 @ 6:59 PM |
Your idea of heaven
|
|
waiting41
Posts: 1,926
|
I think the same thing about my sister Katt.
Say hi to that wonderful husband of yours. 
And my future son-in-law.
|
|
| |
|
| Jan 22, 2006 @ 8:24 PM |
Your idea of heaven |
|
spongebob777
Posts: 7,904
|
Bout now I'm just hoping for it to be a place without pain. Becoming "all Aware" would be nice too.
|
| |
|
| Jan 22, 2006 @ 8:53 PM |
Your idea of heaven
|
|
ServantOfChrist2
Posts: 4,164
|
Sci, quite seriously, I feel kinda sorry for you.
You probably don't want my pity; but there it is.
If you don't believe in a heaven, you can't possibly "go" there.
I confess to not remembering if you wrote somewhere else what your beliefs are regarding "an after-life" or whatever...But regarding your chances of "sneaking into Heaven", from a Christian perspective, your chances of receiving eternal life do not look real good right now.
(And I guarantee you're going to miss a real good time---without a curfew.)
|
|
| |
|
| Jan 22, 2006 @ 9:08 PM |
Your idea of heaven |
|
waiting41
Posts: 1,926
|
Servant, I can identify with what you are saying.
I always find myself feeling so sorry for Atheists.....
Although I know they don't want my pity.
And I also feel the same about people that don't believe in some form of heaven.........
whatever they choose to say about Christians
or the ridiculous reasons they give for why Christians "believe"
It's just sad that some people don't seem to have much to look forward to after the physical. I hope that made sense.
God has so much love to offer.
|
| |
|
| Jan 22, 2006 @ 10:04 PM |
Your idea of heaven
|
|
danae74
Posts: 601
|
I personally don't think it's terribly important whether there is an afterlife or not, and what it might look like when and if we get there. This life is full enough of both heavens and hells; living for some far-off speculation is nice sometimes, but can be very distracting from the real issue at hand (life right now, and making it better.) Isn't that what Jesus said? Isn't that pretty much what all religions say, heavenly harps and celestial virgins aside?
|
|
| |
|
| Jan 22, 2006 @ 10:18 PM |
Your idea of heaven |
|
sirdidymus
Posts: 1,087
|
Sci, quite seriously, I feel kinda sorry for you
i don't believe Sci was trying to say there is not a heaven, i think what she was saying is that the afterlife is so much more vast than the somewhat typical, perhaps limited view, of our standard sphere of interpretation and that a large degree of heaven/hell is what we make of it right here on earth.
I think anytime someone believes in some religious/spiritual concept with conviction - they are somewhat convinced in the validity their personal outlook - which is only natural. So whenver we see someone with conflicting beliefs - we tend to feel sympathy (along with, admit it now - a pang of judgemental indignance) because we view their path as a "wrong" one.
there are so many different views/beliefs in this world - even within any given religion - they are split into many denominations, how can one one group/person claim to have "the one answer"?
whatever logic we have in our brain, it's a logic that was planted by God, no? the very essence of our consciousness is in essence, God? in that respect, why would any God create a creature just to forsake the creature - for the creature to never be able to enter heaven? Far from me to disagree with anyone's personal opinions - short of saying i cannot understand the logic in that?
Myself, it's more logical to imagine a God that embraces all creation, that provides an eternal resting spot for all of creation, that encourages creation to use the free will and thought that was planted in it by the creator.
By any other logic, no matter what anyone's specific individual belief may be - that would leave the larger portion of society doomed to an afterlife of eternal damnation - with the logic that God allows to flow through my brain, i cannot make any sense of that line of reasoning.
Peace,
Andy
|
| |
|
| Jan 22, 2006 @ 10:34 PM |
Your idea of heaven
|
|
sirdidymus
Posts: 1,087
|
thank you.
even though i do not consider myself a "Christian" (by what a Christian person would define as "Christian") - my following of eastern philosophy allows me to consider myself a follower of any faith.
So, for me, regardless of the religion (i.e. to me, the "individual path") someone chooses to follow - i feel a kindred warmth in my heart for the unmistakeable bond i might share with someone for our equal passion for God!!!
Peace,
Andy
|
|
| |
|
| Jan 22, 2006 @ 10:56 PM |
Your idea of heaven |
|
sciurusniger
Posts: 2,959
|
But regarding your chances of "sneaking into Heaven", from a Christian perspective, your chances of receiving eternal life do not look real good right now.
(And I guarantee you're going to miss a real good time---without a curfew.)
I didn't think this thread was created in order to criticize another's beliefs, but instead was created to share one another's thoughts?
The ideology of "heaven" is merely a reflection of the ego's fear of physical death for it knows that when the body dies, it dies, too. Unable to grasp the full import of the meaning of One, which is nothing more and nothing less than "eternal life", its fearfulness begets an arrogence that creates a devisive perception of the "after-human life", so as to allay what it perceives as the nothingness that follows physical death. Such arrogence preempts the "creator's" wishes by assuming only those who share the ego's beliefs can hope to join it in some imaginary paradise.
But the soul is eternal. There is no coming, therefore there is no going. All that has ever been and all that will ever be - is. We can choose to see heaven in the here and now as easily as we can choose to see hell. We can choose to see the Oneness that inspired everything we can grasp with our five senses and beyond, or we can choose to divide the mundane into camps of believers and non-believers and create a world of haves and have-nots. We can choose that which is limitless, or we can choose to restrict our Selves with fears of scarcity.
More people have been killed in the name of "god" than by all natural disasters combined. That is hell and it is unfathomable to me that any real "father" would support such hateful actions. Therefore, I do pray, but it is often most unfortunately, "Lord, save me from your followers".
It was the Buddha who said, "We live in fear, therefore we do not live". If you are content living in a box and having someone else tell you how to think and how to behave in order to get along in this world, so be it. Doesn't bother me a bit and admittedly all religions have the potential to help smooth the way of human relations. But please don't presume that because of some ancient political machinations that resulted in what is known today as "Christianity" anyone else should believe the same way. As Jesus said, "Judge not, lest ye be judged".
|
| |
|
| Jan 22, 2006 @ 11:09 PM |
Your idea of heaven
|
|
PerhapsLove
Posts: 643
|
Hoping to get to Heaven without working toward that end is akin to hoping to win the lottery without buying a ticket.
No matter "where" it is or who is running the show, I want a chance to get there.
And, guess what?
If there ain't no Heaven and there ain't no Hell, at least I've lived a little better life BELIEVING that there is.
So, that written maybe when I get to Heaven, the Dodgers and the Yankees and the Giants will be playing each other in ONE game - just like they did in 1944.
This time, I hope the Yankees win.
( !944: Dodgers 5, Yankees 1, Giants 0 )
|
|
| |
|
| Jan 22, 2006 @ 11:24 PM |
Your idea of heaven |
|
PerhapsLove
Posts: 643
|
If there is no baseball in Heaven, just imagine the All-Star Game you will be missing.
There will ALWAYS be baseball and football too.
One thing for sure, there won't be ice hockey in Hell.
|
| |
|
| Jan 23, 2006 @ 8:15 AM |
Your idea of heaven
|
|
ServantOfChrist2
Posts: 4,164
|
Danae, you don't think it's terribly important if there's an "afterlife" or not?
Seriously?
You've been given the opportunity to remain "alive" in an absolutely "perfect" place; with absolutely no concerns; forever...and you don't think it's "important"???
Has your life has been so entirely miserable that you're not able to envision yourself being "alive" in an environment seemingly tailored to meet your ever-lasting happiness?
Just asking? (Definitely not "judging". *grin*)
|
|
| |
|
| Jan 23, 2006 @ 11:45 AM |
Your idea of heaven |
|
waiting41
Posts: 1,926
|
"to remain alive in an absolutely perfect place; with absolutely no concerns; forever.........."
The gift of eternal life.
I'm choosing to hang on to that. Thanks Servant.
|
| |
|
|
|
|