As a lifelong atheist, my answer is: "All roads lead to the grave." There is nothing beyond that destination. Am I willing to roll the dice that I am right? Yes, I am.
Does this give me license to act however I want? No. There are ways humans can act (mercy, love, kindness) that I aspire to. And ways humans can act (hatred, greed, violence) that I want to avoid.
And, paradoxically, all of this comes from being raised in the Southern Baptist church. As a child, up thru college age, I attended (forced) church between 3 to 5 times a week, plus 2 or more weeks a year of 7 day revival meetings.
And during this time I came to 2 conclusions. There was too much in the Bible that was, to me, obviously false (coming back from the dead, virgin birth, walking on water) for me to take the preacher's hellfire and brimstone seriously. It just seemed to be stories meant to frighten children so they would tell their children the same stories and the faith would live on.
But there was such beauty in the writings of the Bible that I couldn't reject it whole cloth. Such great stories of mercy (The Good Samaritan, The Woman Taken in Adultery) made me realize the need to give mercy to others and hope for that mercy from others.
Paul writes in Corinthians: " And now these three remain: faith, hope, and love; but the greatest of these is love. I disagree. It's mercy.
@rajk999 saidAww, listen, I really am sorry you were offended at that.
Pretty soon yo its me will come whining with some nonsense like ..
??? You're very hard to understand Rajk. Are you young? I don't mean this as an insult. I think we assume you're our age but I think you're much younger and we should make allowances perhaps.
Being young is a good thing, it means there's a endless space before you for growth and learning.
When I was younger I held to a few Bible verses and repeated them, I thought in terms of black and white and literal taking of the Bible.
Seriously didn't mean to insult you, please accept my apologies.
@rajk999 saidWhen you imagine Heaven, or Hell: what do you imagine it looks or feels like?
Jesus referred to hell several times where evil people are tormented. However there is no indication that this torment is forever and ever. Jesus never spoke of a place called heaven where people go to. Quite the opposite, Jesus said that no man has ascended to heaven. I personally will stay with what Jesus said, without adding or embellishing it.
I cannot remember se ...[text shortened]... s also taken on a tour apparently somewhere in the heavens and he wrote a lot about that experience.
What images do you put in your mind to wonder what it is?
@montymoose saidBut what is that grave?
As a lifelong atheist, my answer is: "All roads lead to the grave." There is nothing beyond that destination.
The body disintegrates, what happens to the mind and spirit?
@they said😍 lovely idea.
Hoping that if there is a heaven some of us will be able slide in from some technicality that was not translated correctly from the Hebrew, Greek etc. Maybe there are some sweet not-so-strict entry rules we don't know about yet or someone forgot to write down.
Would you want to be in Heaven- what do you imagine it is?
@ghost-of-a-duke saidI'd love to know what you think though- are there seven for you?
I think the seven heavens is from Islam.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seven_Heavens
Christianity
La materia della Divina commedia di Dante Alighieri, Plate VI: "The Ordering of Paradise" by Michelangelo Caetani (1804–1882)
An explicit reference to the Third Heaven appears in the Christian New Testament canon. A Pauline epistle, penned in Macedonia around 55CE, describes this mystical experience:
I know a person in Christ who fourteen years ago was caught up to the third heaven—whether in the body or out of the body I do not know; God knows. And I know that such a person—whether in the body or out of the body I do not know; God knows—was caught up into Paradise and heard things that are not to be told, that no mortal is permitted to repeat.
— (2 Corinthians 12.2–4 NRSV)
I was wondering if people though, those who think that 'good works' are relevant to Heaven, that maybe they think those who do better works get into a better Heaven.
@yo-its-me saidI dont accept fake apologies. If and when you do change your ways I will know and I will see it. If that happens then apology accepted, otherwise right now your apology stinks.
Aww, listen, I really am sorry you were offended at that.
Being young is a good thing, it means there's a endless space before you for growth and learning.
When I was younger I held to a few Bible verses and repeated them, I thought in terms of black and white and literal taking of the Bible.
Seriously didn't mean to insult you, please accept my apologies.