about afterlife

[syo]

for those who believe in heaven and hell. do souls who are in heaven or hell have free will? or do they reap what they sow in this life?

 

[Epic Beard Man]

for those who believe in heaven and hell. do souls who are in heaven or hell have free will? or do they reap what they sow in this life?

Interesting question...

I believe our souls attain some sense of will, but whether free or not is to be determined. I think our consciousness will be overwhelmed by pleasure or pain to the point to where our sense of freedom will be obscure.

 

[Enoch07]

for those who believe in heaven and hell. do souls who are in heaven or hell have free will? or do they reap what they sow in this life?

In heaven? Yes

In hell? No. Because hell does not exist. Neither does the souls that are "in" it.

 

[syo]

In heaven? Yes

In hell? No. Because hell does not exist. Neither does the souls that are "in" it.

heaven exists but no hell?

 

[Enoch07]

heaven exists but no hell?

Correct

Hell as most people think of it. A place of fire and demons eternally tormenting souls is not in the bible. This idea comes from works of fiction, mostly Dante's Divine Comedy where he describes his visions of the various different levels of hell.

When God judges a soul, if they are too full of sin that soul is completely annihilated. That soul will not only cease to exist, it never existed to begin with. Or at least that is my understanding.

 

[BSM1]

Correct

Hell as most people think of it. A place of fire and demons eternally tormenting souls is not in the bible. This idea comes from works of fiction, mostly Dante's Divine Comedy where he describes his visions of the various different levels of hell.

When God judges a soul, if they are too full of sin that soul is completely annihilated. That soul will not only cease to exist, it never existed to begin with. Or at least that is my understanding.

So what's your understanding of Heaven?

After re-reading your post if a soul never existed in the first place, how could that be punishment? Would the non-existing soul have any knowledge of transgressions? If this is the case, wouldn't the worst of us not suffer at all?

 

[Enoch07]

After re-reading your post if a soul never existed in the first place, how could that be punishment? Would the non-existing soul have any knowledge of transgressions? If this is the case, wouldn't the worst of us not suffer at all?

It is not punishment.

It is mercy.

There is no consciousness to have a knowledge of transgressions. Simply poof then erased retroactively. Everyone that ever knew you will have you erased from their memory, because you never existed.

 

[BSM1]

It is not punishment.

It is mercy.

There is no consciousness to have a knowledge of transgressions. Simply poof then erased retroactively. Everyone that ever knew you will have you erased from their memory, because you never existed.

Mercy? You are so evil that your soul has to be erased from existence and you get mercy? But if your just a garden variety transgressor you get punishment? Not trying to be argumentative, but wouldn't you be better off spiritually being a Hitler as opposed to simply being weak?

 

[columbus]

There is only one thing I know about the afterlife.
That is, nobody knows anything about the afterlife.

I personally have some beliefs on the subject. The difference between me and religionists is that I know that I don't know. My beliefs are just a matter of preference, with no evidence behind them. So I don't try and push them on others.
Tom

PS ~Actually my beliefs do have some evidence, but it's really weak. Still, it's stronger than the evidence religionists give me for theirs. ~

 

[Enoch07]

Mercy? You are so evil that your soul has to be erased from existence and you get mercy? But if your just a garden variety transgressor you get punishment? Not trying to be argumentative, but wouldn't you be better off spiritually being a Hitler as opposed to simply being weak?

Hitler is the same as Ghandi (assuming Ghandi did not repent his sins) there is no intermediary punishment. You either join God in heaven or you poof. Nothing in between.

 

[George-ananda]

for those who believe in heaven and hell. do souls who are in heaven or hell have free will? or do they reap what they sow in this life?

I do not see heaven or hell as eternal states. We continue to grow beyond this material life until we realize the Oneness of it all; and there is then no separation between us and God. It is One cosmic consciousness at play.

 

[syo]

Hitler is the same as Ghandi (assuming Ghandi did not repent his sins) there is no intermediary punishment. You either join God in heaven or you poof. Nothing in between.

maybe rebirth of the wicked till they finally see goodness?

 

[BSM1]

Hitler is the same as Ghandi (assuming Ghandi did not repent his sins) there is no intermediary punishment. You either join God in heaven or you poof. Nothing in between.

Not sure I'm understanding your point(s).

 

[Enoch07]

maybe rebirth of the wicked till they finally see goodness?

That thought scares me more than annihilation, eternal torment, or devils!

 

[sun rise]

I do not see heaven or hell as eternal states. We continue to grow beyond this material life until we realize the Oneness of it all; and there is then no separation between us and God. It is One cosmic consciousness at play.

Heaven and hell are thus subjective feelings of eternal pleasure and pain as we absorb the lessons of the bodily life just concluded and prepare for the next birth. Heaven is experienced when good (loving, helpful, compassionate) deeds predominate. Hell is when selfish deeds predominate. These states end when the lessons ("astral review") have been absorbed.

 

[Enoch07]

Not sure I'm understanding your point(s).

Its perhaps too simple.

After you die you are judged by God.

You either succeed and join Him in Heaven for eternity.

Or your soul is annihilated.

Thats it. It really is that simple.

 

[BSM1]

Its perhaps too simple.

After you die you are judged by God.

You either succeed and join Him in Heaven for eternity.

Or your soul is annihilated.

Thats it. It really is that simple.

But how evil do you have to be before you soul is annihilated (and, yes, explain it to me like you're talking to a six year-old).

 

[Maponos]

Heroic souls go to Elysium, or its equivalent to different cultures. Neutral or unremarkable souls go to Hades/Fields of Asphodel/Yomi, a ghostly realm where most of the dead goes to. The truly wicked dead are sentenced to the darkest depths of Tartarus.

In the first two realms, it could be assumed that there is some amount of free will.