I received a comment from Cassie which read :
Hell exists alright. Depressed people, those suffering poverty, injustices, illness, loneliness – anything that makes them wish to be in a better place are all going through hell, albeit on earth. Hell as a concept, is more a mental state rather than physical place.
That got me thinking. What then is Heaven.
Heaven may refer to the physical heavens, the sky or the seemingly endless expanse of the universe beyond. This is the traditional literal meaning of the term in English, however since at least AD 1000, it is typically also used to refer to a plane of existence (sometimes held to exist in our own universe) in various religions and spiritual philosophies, often described as the holiest possible place, accessible by people according to various standards of divinity, goodness, piety, faith etc.
Atheists however reject the existence of heaven. I remember my feelings as a young man holding a pic of my mum while the final rites were being read. It was a very hot day and the pit was freshly dug. It reminded me that our existence on Earth is so precarious. I knew it was the final farewell. I wanted to jump in the pit and be buried together with her remembering her sacrifices for us and feeling guilty I had not done enough while she was still alive.
Some body scolded me for crying and being a mummy’s boy. Even then I knew it was no shame. I was half that uncle’s age but I was proud to be grieving for my mum. It was a noble act of recognition for what she had been. Her funeral was a celebration of her life. I knew I could never bridge the gap between Earth and ‘Heaven’ like a Lazarus. It was final.
Back then, I did not believe in the existence of Heaven and Hell. Even today when I am more receptive to the gospel, people are shocked when I say I don’t take the existence of Heaven and Hell literally. The more conservative folks would gasp in horror when i say that . I prefer to speak the truth rather than conform for conformity’s sake.
Forgive this Sibu Ah Pek for having his own foolish opinions. I still look upon the notion of Heaven useful as an “opiate of the masses”—to help people cope with their lives’ misery by promising a reward after death.
It is rather more noble to help people purely out of concern for their suffering than it is to help them because we think the Creator of the Universe wants us to do it, or will reward us for doing it, or will punish us for not doing it.
George Orwell used Sugarcandy Mountain in his novel Animal Farm to be a literary expression of this view. The animals were told that after their miserable lives were over they would go to a place in which “it was Sunday seven days a week, clover was in season all the year round, and lump sugar and linseed cake grew on the hedges”
What is your opinion on Heaven?
We have a Chinese saying: Whether it is heaven or hell, it depends on one’s split second of decision. But it is not always easy to make a rightful decision.
interesting. very interesting
What Jam has quoted really makes sense. I was told that the worst scenario was when many deceased did not even know that they had passed away! Later, the shock was too hard to swallow and they could not let go.
It is very easy to fly to heaven or hell, the choice is simply ours to make. It is tougher to book a good Air Asia “Zero Fare” tickets.
To the Christians, if you believe in Jesus Christ and accept him as your saviour, your sins will be cleansed and you will go to heaven. To the Buddhists, heaven is for those who have gain enough merit to escape the cycle of life and death, in other words, no longer reincarnated and has reached Buddhahood. To me, heaven is a place or a plane of existence where every soul goes to after they experience life on earth. I believe everyone goes to heaven, and you have the choice to get out of heaven to recreate new experiences.