NationStates Jolt Archive

After watching the movie of the same name I have to wonder what are your visions of heaven and hell? Is there a single widespread vision or ideal? Or is it possible for there to be room for individuality?
Just wondering, afterall if our existence is based on our realization of it than what realms lie beyond our faulty comprehension?

Dude you are getting way too deep with this. Snap... out... of... it. :roll:

I think we'll all find out when we get there (one way or another).

I think we'll all find out when we get there (one way or another).

I think we'll all find out when we get there (one way or another).

yeah im with you on this one

After watching the movie of the same name I have to wonder what are your visions of heaven and hell? Is there a single widespread vision or ideal? Or is it possible for there to be room for individuality?
Just wondering, afterall if our existence is based on our realization of it than what realms lie beyond our faulty comprehension?Mine image of heaven is like something out of an Arabian Nights fable. An indoor garden, tiled floors, crystal clear fountains, silk and satin pillows and a large number of harem girls.

I take no responsibility for the depravity of my fantasies

Dude, personally I dont believe in heaven and hell, but my ideas of what things would be like are all completely personal. No two people's visions of heavon would be the same because it is a place of complete bliss and happiness correct? If that is true than everyones would be different because everyone loves and evjoys different things.

My heaven is somewhere far away from here. My hell is the place I am in my life right now.

I haven't seen the movie yet. But I HAVE heard the soundtrack by Michael Kamen. I highly recommend you listen to it...very touching work he did. It's tough to find a copy of, but worthwhile. Michael himself has gone on to the next life, but he's left wonderful music for us here.

Speaking of that next life...it's hard to say what Heaven will be, because I think it'll be something we can't really conceive of. The few things I feel I can guess about are, it will be a place of great joy. Not only will we be able to have a closer relationship with God, but I also imagine we'll be able to understand things better, and even know each other much better, as who we truly are, rather than in the oblique way we do now.

As for Hell...I think I've always imagined a cold, absolute-zero, dark nothingness, rather than a fiery pit. It seems that nonexistence would be the opposite of life. love, and goodness--or perhaps "un-creation" would be the best term for it.

All of this is just my own personal belief and conjecture, so don't shoot me!

P.S.--If you go to http://www.michaelkamen.com, and go into the downloads section off the main menu (you have to go through a few screens to get there), click on where it says "Michael Himself". There's a version there of "Beside You" (the theme from the movie) that Michael Kamen sings. I actually think it's better than what you hear in the movie...he had this wonderful, soft voice, and I think you'd be interested in hearing it.

After watching the movie of the same name I have to wonder what are your visions of heaven and hell? Is there a single widespread vision or ideal? Or is it possible for there to be room for individuality?
Just wondering, afterall if our existence is based on our realization of it than what realms lie beyond our faulty comprehension?

That kinda reminds me of the old philosophy question, does the world exist out of your field of vision?

My heaven is somewhere far away from here. My hell is the place I am in my life right now.

The title is an excerpt from Hamlet's monologue. It amounts to a debate over whether he should commit suicide or not, and the bit in question is saying that you don't know what's on the other side. It could be far worse than what you have now. It can always be worse, despite what you think.

I personally think that we create our own reality, both in life and in death, and that we give ourselves what we think we deserve. We're usually on the polar opposites of too lenient or too harsh with ourselves.

Heaven is an unknown, but Jesus described hell as having fire and brimstone, so I'd have to say it's a volcanic wasteland. Hellish fits it nicely :roll:

In the Bible it speaks of Heaven and hell, it gives vivid descriptions.

In the Bible it speaks of Heaven and hell, it gives vivid descriptions.

REALLY?!?!

In the Bible it speaks of Heaven and hell, it gives vivid descriptions.

I don't take the bible too literally, since there was a purpose behind giving descriptions. It was written by men, I believe this, and I believe that there was a motive behind all that was included in the final draft. What we have is a final draft because the church convened some time in what I believe was the fifth century CE to decide which books to include to form a homogenous whole. The reason they included those descriptions was to give some extra oomph to their hell-as-punishment/heaven-as-reward message. If you're good, you will be rewarded, if you're bad you'll be punished. Let us describe the rewards or punishments to stir your imagination.

Myself, I try to act in the way I feel is fairest toward the other people in the world with me, what I consider to be right and honest, without really thinking of it as something I'm doing to avoid hell or gain heaven. I don't need a carrot.

It's been a loooong time since I've read the bible...

... but I can't seem to remember there actually being a mention of "hell" in it. Far as I can recall, "hell" as we know it has been "invented" (by lack of a better word) in the 14th century by Dante (Inferno). He wrote this story to give a more vivid description of the "eternal judgment" that awaits all the sinners.

For that matter: nowhere in the bible is it even mentioned that if we're good people, we'll go to heaven... so the whole concept of going either to heaven or hell is somewhat academic, in my humble opinion. Those who say it does... please quote. :P

(Am I going to hell, now? *ahem*)

Here's a interesting link, for those who are interested:
http://www.servantsnews.com/docs/judgment1.htm#e

I'm not exactly a model Christian, myself, so I don't really believe in "heaven" or "hell". I'd like to think, however, that, when my mortal body dies, my spirit will "live on"... even if it's only in other people's memories of me.

I have seen that movie, and think its great. I actuelly think that thats what it is actuelly like, just maybe a little bit different.
My other thought is that heaven is different for every person. It is how they picture it, as that would make them happy.
Hell is just the same.

Mine image of heaven is like something out of an Arabian Nights fable. An indoor garden, tiled floors, crystal clear fountains, silk and satin pillows and a large number of harem girls.



...That image ROCKS. Can I go chill in your heaven every so often?

All those who have sinned go to a world - between - heaven and hell and are purged of their sins before they are able to go to heaven.

Those who are unable to be cleaned go to hell.

This world is white: pure, untainted white.

It depends on how lenient you are willing to be with the translation. The Bible is very vauge on our modern day concepts of "Heaven" and "Hell". The King James version translates the word "sheol" as hell in the Old Testiment and use the corresponding word "hades" in the New Testiment (although it occurs only 11 times). However, both of these words, the hebrew "sheol" and the greek "hades", tell us nothing about the actual physical state of either (with "sheol" more correctly translating to "the grave" and "hades" more correctly referring to "the land of the dead") and, in fact, do not refer to any sort of punishment after life and simply refer to the state of being dead without any qualitative value judgements.

Most of our modern imagery about the nature of hell is based on heathen "corruption" of early Jewish and Christian belief. The Bible itself makes no value judgement.

For an excellent essay on this, visit this link:

http://www.tentmaker.org/books/TheBibleHell.html

A few years ago, in an attempt to seem more relevant, the Anglican Church actually "defined" Hell as "non-existence" and complete removal from divinity (so, in essence, a more spiritual punishment than a physical one). It's always struck me as amusing that the Anglican definition of Hell closely parallels the Hindu concept of "Nirvana".

A few years ago, in an attempt to seem more relevant, the Anglican Church actually "defined" Hell as "non-existence" and complete removal from divinity (so, in essence, a more spiritual punishment than a physical one).

I was not aware of this declaration...when was this again? I ask because it actually fits quite well with my own conception of what Hell is, and I did not know there were those in the Christian faith who also felt that way.

I was not aware of this declaration...when was this again? I ask because it actually fits quite well with my own conception of what Hell is, and I did not know there were those in the Christian faith who also felt that way.

The Anglican General Synod decided that hell was "a state of non-being and not one of eternal torment" in July of 1996. You can find more information on Anglican/Episcopalian faith at http://anglicansonline.org/.

Eh, whatever, I'm not a christian anymore so I don't care too much :p

A few years ago, in an attempt to seem more relevant, the Anglican Church actually "defined" Hell as "non-existence" and complete removal from divinity (so, in essence, a more spiritual punishment than a physical one). It's always struck me as amusing that the Anglican definition of Hell closely parallels the Hindu concept of "Nirvana".

I'd say a better interpretation of the concept would be "removed from God's sight", but yes, that would be non-existence. "Nirvana", on the other hand, is to lose the individuality of one's soul, it having been purged of impurity and the need to return again, to have it merge with the world soul. I rather like the idea.

I don't see non-existence as a bad thing really. In fact that's the way I'm hoping to go as oppose to the whole 'world soul' thing. That is just plain creepy.