Why would we want to go to heaven? (hell, eternal)

[scientific_american]

Yes. Why, because it would be fun, there are lots of things to do. And if I do get board, I'll take a nap.

That's just it though. I believe that it wouldn't be fun after 1 billion years, and that you wouldn't have any "desire" to do any of the many things that you could do. Therefore, you would be napping quite a lot.

Also, the reason I believe that most people find things to be fun is directly related to our limitations. Games like Wheel of Fortune and Jeopardy are fun for some people because not everyone is capable of knowing everything, and are pleased with themselves when they get answers correctly.

If you had infinite time to learn and do everything, you would become capable of everything. How much fun would Jeopardy be if you and all of your friends knew the answers to every single question, and never got one wrong. I contend it would be boring, as would everything else.

[Katzpur]

Originally Posted by scientific_american

For example, one description for a Biblical heaven has been that we get new bodies that do not have sex organs, and that we may eat for pleasure, but do not need to. Other implications from this description were that we no longer had "needs" and we could do just about whatever we wanted. If this were the case, we would have no drive/motivation to do anything. If you look at the extremely wealthy that are able to do just about anything they want, they are bored. Children with a plethora of toys will commonly say they are bored. So, given an eternity to do everything, I can only assume that I would get bored eventually, and forever after I would lay about, not wanting to do anything.

That's a Biblical Heaven? Uh... and which translation would that be?

[Somkid]

I'm really attached to Thailand do you think it would be ok if I stayed here instead? Although the alternative is I could get sent to Bangkok its hotter than hell all year round.

[ChristineES]

The biggest problem of all of these is that absolutely no one knows what the Kingdom of God is like at all. People who have died don't come back to tell about it, the fact alone tells us that it couldn't be as boring as you think. (please, I am just kidding).

[Azakel]

Originally Posted by scientific_american

That's just it though. I believe that it wouldn't be fun after 1 billion years, and that you wouldn't have any "desire" to do any of the many things that you could do. Therefore, you would be napping quite a lot.

Also, the reason I believe that most people find things to be fun is directly related to our limitations. Games like Wheel of Fortune and Jeopardy are fun for some people because not everyone is capable of knowing everything, and are pleased with themselves when they get answers correctly.

If you had infinite time to learn and do everything, you would become capable of everything. How much fun would Jeopardy be if you and all of your friends knew the answers to every single question, and never got one wrong. I contend it would be boring, as would everything else.

Where I believe I will go when I die(will get call it heaven for this thread) there will all was be change and new thing to do, and people and thing to met. But naps will be good to.

[I Panicked! At the Disco]

To suggest that we need to be able to have sex, eat, etc. in order to have a filling existance seems awfully shallow to me. Do you need sex and food to be happy? (Ok, I get that we have to have food to survive...but do you need good food to be happy?)

The Bible tells us that in Heaven we will live with our Christian family forevermore. God will swallow up death forever, and wipe away the tears from all faces. It also says that the former things remembered (think secular things that give us earthly pleasure such as sex and desirable cuisine) will no longer be remembered. We get to spend an eternity worshipping a most wonderful God. That is beyond good enough for me. Those who have entered won't be able to help but be happy there. Our minds won't be dwelling on the earthly things that will pass away.

[Somkid]

Originally Posted by I Panicked! At the Disco

To suggest that we need to be able to have sex, eat, etc. in order to have a filling existance seems awfully shallow to me. Do you need sex and food to be happy? (Ok, I get that we have to have food to survive...but do you need good food to be happy?)

The Bible tells us that in Heaven we will live with our Christian family forevermore.

Well, I can live with out sex I was a monk for 10 years and it is not on my list of top 50 things I think about, my wife has to remind me it is "important" in a relationship, (whatever).

As far as being with my Christian family well, that is one of the reasons I became a Buddhist monk, after returning home the the USA its one of the reasons I moved to the other side of the planet where they are not. Mind you I love my family very much I just can't take them seriously for more than 5 minutes.

[Draka]

Originally Posted by scientific_american

Whatever your conception of heaven is, would you want to exist there forever?

So, does anyone really want to exist for eternity, regardless of how much fun it may seem? If yes, why?

I wouldn't be in Summerland forever. Just whatever time I wanted or needed to take between incarnations. Being able to be reborn and experience all the challenges and adventures and lessons that life brings is the way I would broaden the knowledge of my spirit. That knowledge is attributed to the Source. Which my soul will eventually merge with when it has accumulated its full share of knowledge. When I have learned all there is for me to learn...I will no longer exist as a seperate being. I will become fully part of something much larger entirely. Singular awareness wouldn't exist. Therefore there would never be a chance for me to get "bored".

[mball1297]

I would want to go to what I believe heaven would be, if there was one. I don't believe in it myself, but if there was such a thing, then, in my opinion, it wouldn't be like a better version of Earth. It would be completely different, a place where we wouldn't be confined by the laws of this universe. We would be perfectly happy no matter what we did.

I think the traditional concept of Heaven is the way it is because early people's knowledge and imagination was primitive. For the most part, they couldn't concieve of anything but life as it is on Earth. So, to them Heaven must be just like Earth, just better. Over the millenia, for many people the idea has changed into a different state of being alltogether.

[harleydavidson]

to all: One thing bothers me about the concept of heaven. We are not all going to get there!.So how wld you be happy if you knew your children's mom and dad and other loved ones were suffering in hell,and wld never have the joy and peace of paradise. This cld be a problem.....harley davidson