What will heaven be like?

[Trailblazer]

You cannot prove anything whatsoever. You are living in your own imginery world. I have proof here and now.

It does not matter if I have proof. If heaven exists it exists. That is basic logic.

Proof does not MAKE anything exist. Proof is just what some people want in order to believe something exists.
You will have your proof as soon as you die and realize YOU are not dead.

"Where is my body? Surely I am not dead!' In my own case, I knew nothing more than I have already related, at the time. When I found that my two pals could carry my body without my help, I dropped behind. I just followed, in a curiously humble way. Humble? Yes, because I seemed so useless. We met a stretcher party. My body was hoisted on to the stretcher. I wondered when I should get back into it again.” Private Dowding, p. 15-16

“You see, I was so little 'dead' that I imagined I was still physically alive. Think of it a moment before we pass on. I had been struck by a shell splinter. There was no pain. The life was knocked out of my body; again, I say, there was no pain. Then I found that the whole of myself--all, that is, that thinks and sees and feels and knows--was still alive and conscious! I had begun a new chapter of life. I will tell you what I felt like. It was as if I had been running hard until, hot and breathless, I had thrown my overcoat away. The coat was my body, and if I had not thrown it away I should have suffocated. I cannot describe the experience in a better way; there is nothing else to describe.” Private Dowding, p. 16

 

[The Sum of Awe]

Not for everyone.... for some people Hell is on earth....
Does anyone care?

That's because they choose to stay in Hell.

 

[Trailblazer]

That's because they choose to stay in Hell.

I can hardly believe you said that.
People do not 'choose' to stay in Hell.
It's a good thing you are not a counselor.

 

[The Sum of Awe]

I can hardly believe you said that.
People do not 'choose' to stay in Hell.
It's a good thing you are not a counselor.

It’s up to the individual to find whatever solace they can, regardless of their situation. Rather than waiting for a heaven we don’t know exists after we die, we need to make our lives on earth as close to heaven as possible.

 

[Trailblazer]

It’s up to the individual to find whatever solace they can, regardless of their situation.

I agree, but people have varying capacities in order to be able to do that.

Rather than waiting for a heaven we don’t know exists after we die, we need to make our lives on earth as close to heaven as possible.

Did you think I was suggesting they give up and just wait for heaven to be happy? I was not suggesting that.
But some people will never experience this life as heaven owing to circumstances that are beyond their control.

We don't 'need to' make our lives on earth as close to heaven as possible. Some people don't want to live for this world and all it has to offer, so they don't try to create heaven on earth. That is a choice.

John 12:24-26 Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except a corn of wheat fall into the ground and die, it abideth alone: but if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit. He that loveth his life shall lose it; and he that hateth his life in this world shall keep it unto life eternal. If any man serve me, let him follow me; and where I am, there shall also my servant be: if any man serve me, him will my Father honour.

 

[Altfish]

David Byrne & Jerry Harrison answered this...

Everyone is trying to get to the bar
The name of the bar, the bar is called Heaven
The band in Heaven, they play my favorite song
They play it once again, they play it all night long
Heaven (Heaven) is a place
A place where nothing
Nothing ever happens
Heaven (Heaven)
Heaven is a place
A place where nothing
Nothing ever happens
There is a party, everyone is there
Everyone will leave at exactly the same time
It's hard to imagine that nothing at all
Could be so exciting, could be so much fun
Yeah, Heaven
Heaven is a place
A place where nothing
Nothing ever happens
Yeah, Heaven
Heaven is a place
A place where nothing
Nothing ever happens
When this kiss is over, it will start again
It will not be any different, it will be exactly the same
It's hard to imagine that nothing at all
Could be so exciting, could be this much fun
Heaven (Heaven) is a place
A place where nothing
Nothing ever happens
Heaven
Heaven is a place
A place where nothing
Nothing ever happens

 

[Jimmy]

I thought to post this thread because yesterday in my GriefShare group the topic was heaven and we watched a video about heaven. The group is comprised of Christians and I am the only Baha’i, although nobody in the group knows that.

As a Baha’i, I believe in heaven, but my beliefs are not exactly the same as Christian beliefs. Firstly, I don’t believe that belief in Jesus is the only way to get to heaven, so only Christians will be in heaven. Secondly, I do not believe that heaven is a geographical location where people go, I believe it is a state of the soul that is near to God, and that after we die, we all go to a spiritual world where everyone will be at various levels of spiritual development.

But this thread is about what heaven will be like, not what we have to do to get there. The Christians in the group said that what heaven will be like is all in the Bible and we have to read the Bible to know what heaven will be like, so what verses specifically describe what heaven will be like?

In the group they said in heaven they will be reunited with their loved one and they will see Jesus. They also said there will be no more sorrow, only joy, since we won’t have to endure all the things we have to endure in this world, like sickness, death, working for a living, and the stresses of everyday life such as car and home repairs.

Christians believe that when they get to heaven, they will see Jesus and converse with Jesus. They also believe they will be reunited with their loved ones, but what do Christians believe they will we be doing for the rest of the time? It seems like that could get boring eventually if that is all they do, as eternity is a very long time. I don’t have a belief about everything we will be doing in heaven, but one thing Baha’is believe we will be doing is continuing to serve God, just as we were doing in this world. The only difference is that there will be no time as we know it in this world, and we won’t have a physical body and all the hassles of everyday life I noted above.

And what kind of body do Christians believe they will have in heaven? The Bible says we will have a spiritual body in heaven, not a physical body (1 Cor 15:40, 44), and that is what Baha’is also believe. Yet in spite of what the Bible actually says, Christians believe they will have a glorified physical body, whatever that is. I see no basis for such a belief since the Bible says nothing about such a body.

Many religious traditions believe in a heaven or paradise where we will be in the afterlife presumably for eternity, so I would like to know what conceptions they hold. If there are scriptures that support those conceptions, I’d like to see those.

Heaven is here. I don’t believe in other “utopian realms”

 

[The Sum of Awe]

I agree, but people have varying capacities in order to be able to do that.

Absolutely. Some people can buy houses, some can't. Some people have great families and friends, some don't. Some people are not physically crippled, some are. -- Anyone can find happiness though.

Did you think I was suggesting they give up and just wait for heaven to be happy? I was not suggesting that.
But some people will never experience this life as heaven owing to circumstances that are beyond their control.

It depends on what you think of as heaven. Living your best life, whatever shape that may mean, is as close to heaven as you can get in my book. If you have impossible-to-reach expectations of your own personal heavenly life, you will only find yourself disappointed. If you can accept life without those expectations and find happiness in other things, you can reach heaven.

We don't 'need to' make our lives on earth as close to heaven as possible. Some people don't want to live for this world and all it has to offer, so they don't try to create heaven on earth. That is a choice.

A choice to live in misery, hence why I said "choosing to stay in Hell".

John 12:24-26 Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except a corn of wheat fall into the ground and die, it abideth alone: but if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit. He that loveth his life shall lose it; and he that hateth his life in this world shall keep it unto life eternal. If any man serve me, let him follow me; and where I am, there shall also my servant be: if any man serve me, him will my Father honour.

I'm not sure how to interpret that. "He that loveth his life shall lose it" - sure, life is impermanent. That doesn't mean you shouldn't love it. In fact, its impermanence gives it all the more value. "and he that hateth his life in this world shall keep it unto life eternal" - sounds very nihilistic and I see no use in applying that philosophy to my life. Why would I choose to hate my life in hopes for something that isn't guaranteed to happen afterwards?

 

[Trailblazer]

Heaven is here. I don’t believe in other “utopian realms”

Heaven is not here. I believe in other realms.

 

[Jimmy]

Heaven is not here. I believe in other realms.

Heaven is what u make it

 

[Trailblazer]

Absolutely. Some people can buy houses, some can't. Some people have great families and friends, some don't. Some people are not physically crippled, some are. -- Anyone can find happiness though.

I'm sorry, but I don't believe that because the evidence shows that some people cannot find happiness.

So if you say to those people that they can find happiness that is as much as saying that it is their fault that they are not happy. That is judgmental.
Unless you have walked in their moccasins you cannot understand what another person has gone through or is going through now.

It depends on what you think of as heaven. Living your best life, whatever shape that may mean, is as close to heaven as you can get in my book. If you have impossible-to-reach expectations of your own personal heavenly life, you will only find yourself disappointed. If you can accept life without those expectations and find happiness in other things, you can reach heaven.

The difference between me and you is that I don't call anything in this life heaven, because it is not heaven, it is earth.
Earthly life cannot be heaven because it is earth.

This is not about impossible-to-reach expectations and then being disappointed. All people do not find happiness in this life, and even if they do, if it is material happiness it is fleeting becaue it is destined to end. If they find spiritual happiness that is different because that does not end.

A choice to live in misery, hence why I said "choosing to stay in Hell".

That is not a choice and it is cruel and insensitive to say such a thing, as well as ignorant. People do not choose to be unhappy, that is so short-sighted. A friend of mine lost his wife of 46 years last summer and he also has other struggles in his life, none of which he has any control over. None of this was chosen. To tell a person who is suffering that they can 'choose' to be happy is ludicrous because feelings just are. They can do certain things to try to ameliorate their suffering but that doesn't always work.

I'm not sure how to interpret that. "He that loveth his life shall lose it" - sure, life is impermanent. That doesn't mean you shouldn't love it. In fact, its impermanence gives it all the more value. "and he that hateth his life in this world shall keep it unto life eternal" - sounds very nihilistic and I see no use in applying that philosophy to my life. Why would I choose to hate my life in hopes for something that isn't guaranteed to happen afterwards?

The way I interpret those verses is that if we love this life so much that we live only for the things of this world then we lose eternal life, which is nearness to God, because all we think about are the things of this world (eat, drink, and be merry) and we lose sight of God.

That does not literally mean we should hate this life and not enjoy what there is in this life to enjoy, it only means that we should not be so attached to life in this world that we lose sight of God.

I am not telling you that you should hate your life. Unless you believe in God and an afterlife there is no reason why you would choose to live as these verses say.

 

[Trailblazer]

Heaven is what u make it

But not everyone can make it.

 

[Jimmy]

But not everyone can make it.

But we all should try no?

 

[Trailblazer]

But we all should try no?

Why should we if we don't want to?
Do you think that everyone is the same?

 

[Jimmy]

Why should we if we don't want to?
Do you think that everyone is the same?

I think it’s sad when people give up, become hopeless and are negative. You’re entitled tour opinion.

 

[Trailblazer]

I think it’s sad when people give up, become hopeless and are negative. You’re entitled tour opinion.

Do you really think life is that simple? Just because people are unhappy that does not mean they have given up.
It does not mean they have become hopeless and are negative.

 

[Jimmy]

Do you really think life is that simple? Just because people are unhappy that does not mean they have given up.
It does not mean they have become hopeless and are negative.

I think it’s sad when people are unhappy. You’re entitled to your belief

 

[Jimmy]

Do you really think life is that simple? Just because people are unhappy that does not mean they have given up.
It does not mean they have become hopeless and are negative.

Who said anything about unhappy anyway

 

[Orbit]

My mom obsesses over stuff like this. She goes by the OT description of heaven having streets paved with precious stones etc.

 

[Sgt. Pepper]

I can hardly believe you said that.
People do not 'choose' to stay in Hell.
It's a good thing you are not a counselor.

I certainly did not choose to stay in the living hell I was in while I grew up in an abusive home. I was trapped, and no one helped me. I could have run away, and I did once when I was 14 years old, but I was eventually found hours later and brought back to my living hell prison. I was never punished for running away because the police were involved, and my parents didn't want the police to get suspicious and call CPS if they saw any bruises on me. My parents made up some cockamamie story about how we had argued the night before and I ran away because I was upset about it. I think what also saved my neck is that I went along with their story, pretended to be sorry, apologized, and pretended as if my parents were the best parents in the world and I was their stubborn and rebellious daughter. I had suicidal thoughts when I was a teenager, but I didn't have the nerve to go through with ending my life.