Because they choose to, that's why.
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Why must the "afterlife" adhere to dualism?40% Voted for by ennoia, Joyce DeGuia.
Heaven and Hell are actually the 'yin and yang', so to speak, of a bigger idea > the afterlife.
Quite simply there are two beliefs:
1) When our material dies, our conscience/soul dies.
2) When our material dies, our conscience/soul enters a different realm - be it heaven, hell, the underworld, ‘the other side of the river.' etc etc
The idea that the afterlife comprises of both heaven and hell is a fairly Judo-Christian-Islamic idea. If you look at Buddhism, for example, there are no two ways to 'leave the earth' after death. There is just the one realm of the Enlightened.
'Heaven' is a fairly complex concept, and there are huge cultural/religious variations.
(the word 'heofon' is an old english one that supposedly identifies with things of the sky. Others have suggested etymological links with 'heaving upwards'. Wikipediea claims a link with the idea of a place that is ‘covered’)
What unifies all the concepts, is that none of them specify being wholly ‘good’ places – that is, the modern concept of heaven to ignorant Westerners like you and me. If, then, heaven isn’t a place of extreme good and bliss, who’s to suggest there needs to be an opposite realm of evil and suffering?
Heaven in some Gnostic mysticisms is not dualistic. There is no negative counterpart, no place to roast on a spit, similar to many philosophical-mysticisms. You either achieve 'gnosis' - the knowledge of the divine, or you cannot rejoin the 'Source', the infinite. It's analogous to Buddhism.
However - this poses moral problems - if there's no threat of hell, how are we to behave ourselves in our earthly existences? This has been a problem for many religious thinkers. Although it does lead us to question how directly this thing called 'morality' is linked to this thing called 'god'.
How about if heaven is the realm of knowledge? How about if heaven is realm of absolute consciousness? How about if heaven is total enlightenment?...
The point is, you don't have to presuppose a dualistic good-bad afterlife to have an afterlife that works at all.
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Heaven IS HellVoted for by david13.
What if you go to Heaven but so does an homosexual who wants your ass when you get there? Heaven is a place where all your wishes come true. Hope you bring lubricant when you get there.
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December 10, 2005
Johnathon Livingston Seagull
Interesting. Have you read the book Johnathon Livingston Seagull it is very good. It is about a gull that is different than the other. He doesn't squak and hunt for fish. He flys. He trys to gain more knowledge of how to fly better. He pushes himself untill one day he learns a new trick andf moves on to another level. He thought he was in heaven. but he wasn't. There wer eother gulls who also wanted knowledge. one said to him "We choose our next world through what we learn in this one." The oldest gull said to Johnathon when he asked if there was a heaven "There is no such place. Heaven is not a place, and it is not a time. Heaven is being perfect." Its an amazing book with its own theory about death. You should read it i think you could enjoy it.December 10, 2005
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Jonathan Livingston Seagull!
Thankyou so much - you've just made my day! I haven't read Jonathan Livingston Seagull for a few years now, but you've reminded me its high time i did! I grew up on Richard Bach literature, actually - my dad's an ex-pilot but has been an enthusiastic teacher and educator all his life - so Bach's powerful metaphors of planes and flying, and his inspiring messages about learning and knowledge are very fitting. JLS exemplifies beautifully what I'm trying to say, I'm glad you spotted that. I love: "*The trick, according to Chiang, was for Jonathan to stop seeing himself as trapped inside a limited body that had a forty-two inch wingspan and performance that could be plotted on a chart. The trick was to know that his true nature lived, as perfect as an unwritten number, everywhere at once across space and time.*" Have you read anything else by Richard Bach?December 10, 2005
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January 3, 2006
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question
I have a few questions for you: What do you see heaven as? What do you see hell as? This is just simply to get your opinion. I'd love to hear it. Please email me your responce. My email - lilxcmunchkin@yahoo.comPlease register or login to comment! It's totally free