Heaven and Hell.

Heaven, Paradise, Shangri-La, Valhalla, Hell, Hades, Sheol are just to name a few of the places we may venture to after we die.  So who has the good oil on the afterlife?  

From my experience I have found that most Christians are confused about heaven and hell, certainly from what the Bible talks about.  

HEAVEN.

There is some debate whether heaven is a place out there or whether it will be on the new earth.  I read a book recently of a man who had a horrific car accident.  Before he was rescued he reports that he went to heaven before being sent back to live the rest of his life.  Interestingly, he sees streets paved with gold, just like the Bible says and of all things they happen to be singing the popular old hymn "The Old Rugged Cross".  Of all the songs and languages, he just makes it in time for this one, one that he knows.  And of all things they are singing it in English.  Even though English has become the world language it does have some serious problems.  But believe it or not English seems to be the chosen language of heaven.  Yes I am being very cynical and sarcastic, but it does seem all a bit stereo typical.

HELL.

This is where most of the confusion lies.  For a start the question must be asked, does hell exist.  The Bible says that Jesus went to Hades (word from Greek mythology adopted by New Testament Christians).  The Jews called this Sheol (meaning place of the dead).  Hades was supposed to be divided by a great gulf, one side not nice and the other side (Paradise) a better place, but still not a Sunday picnic.  The story substantiating this place is one that speaks of a rich man who died and went to the not so nice side of Hades.  In his body removed state he feels thirsty and asks a poor man who has died to dip his finger in some water and touch his lips. 

Some other parts of the Bible refer to the Lake of Fire, a place apparently made for Satan and his rebel angels (now called demons).  Then there's the bottomless pit.  The story goes that at the end of time, that the lake of fire and Hades will all be the one place and any in the good side of Hades (Paradise) will be in heaven.  Now the word for hell is Gehenna.  This was an actual place outside the walls of Jerusalem.  Historically this was a rubbish dump where there was a constant burning mass of garbage.  It is this place that provided an analogy of the torturous place where God would exile the non believers to.  Jesus was probably buried in the valley where Gehenna was providing even more ideas for the New Testament idea that he went into hell and returned.  Biblically speaking, and as far as I can work out, no place exists.  If anything it is a place that may be created in the future.

To add to the complicated formula, many Christians believe in annihilation.  In other words, they believe that the non-believers will just fizzle out and be no more.  Some believe that a loving God could not possibly allow wickedness to exist and as such will just obliterate all such evil.

There are other Christians who believe that everyone will live in heaven, because God will forgive them all.  This brand of Christianity is called Universalism because they believe that everyone universally will be saved.  At least this version is a bit consistent with the love and forgiveness theme.

But remember adulterers, fornicators, murderers, thieves, liars and homosexuals will not be in heaven.  Well that buggers it up for all of you who thought you were in, doesn't it?  Who hasn't thought about sex with another person before you were married, and who hasn't thought about sex with someone other than your wife.  Well you might say, as long as you ask for forgiveness.  Well I wouldn't have a spare minute in the day if I asked for forgiveness for the long list of don'ts that is supplied to me from the religious.  That's unless you don't think about sex.  I had a friend who told me that he was concerned about the content of his wet dreams.  After he prayed to God he no longer dreamt about ladies in his wet dreams.  Oh please!  Don't you realise that the liar is a part of those exclusions.  Or he could plead insanity I suppose!

Whadayareckon?

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