Heaven and Hell

[Cyrus]

We don't need moderators, we need editors.

[Zeno]

[ QUOTE ]
For some reason your post reminded me of a short story by Mark Twain.

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The short story is called 'Capt. Stormfield's Visit to Heaven'. A very useful short story to read as suggestion by someone not long ago.

-Zeno

[MaxPowerPoker]

You speak with a great deal of authority on the subject. Where exactly does your authority come from? Surely you didn't just make all that up.

[usmhot]

I grew up Irish Catholic [img]/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img] ... we study this stuff all through school.

I came to realise that the concept of 'papal infallacy' and comparable concepts in other religions was the biggest con that man has ever carried out. Given the way that any organised society becomes subjected to corruption and power mongering, you have to factor such motivations into the tenets / rules / regulations of any system, including organised religions. Concepts/images of heaven and hell were very useful ways of controlling the masses, with obvious benefit to those in control.

And what's more, I realised that there is no reason to believe that people 100 or 1000 or 2000 years ago had a better perspective on God and religion than people today do. In fact, on the contrary, people's understanding of such things is necessarily coloured by the circumstances in which they live. And books that were written at a time when it was considered perfectly reasonable to stone someone to death are going to be a little on the violent and primitive side.

[m1illion]

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I am unclear on a few things here.

1. All things being equal, do you go to Hell because you are bad, or go to Heaven because you are good?

2. If, at the end of your lifetime, everything you have done balances out, which place do you go to? Is there a lightning round to decide?

3. Does each place have a quota? Even if we ignore the problems with population control, it seems to me that each place would have an ever increasing need for labor... you know, keeping the furnaces burning and such.

4. If there is a quota, my dad fought in 'Nam..... does he get graded on a weighted scale?

5. If I'm good, and I praise God's name, and worship faithfully... Do I get to quit the ass-kissing when I get to Heaven? Because, I'm married and have to field the "Do I look fat in this" question enough as it is. I don't think I could take eternity with someone who constantly needs to be told how great they are and how much I love them.

It's not that I don't want to believe.... I just want to clear up the ground rules on my eternal destiny before I sign up.

[/ QUOTE ]

1. All things are not equal.
2. Yes. I advise brushing up on Ket. Link
3. No
4. see 3
5. No

[MaxPowerPoker]

[ QUOTE ]
I came to realise...you have to factor...And what's more, I realised

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So you did just make all that up. Got it.

[usmhot]

[ QUOTE ]
So you did just make all that up. Got it.

[/ QUOTE ]

What's your point?

[runner4life7]

I will make this simple.
Do you believe Jesus died for you sins?

If yes proceed to Heaven
If no proceed to Hell
If Catholic and think thats not good enough then make up a place called purgatory so you can sell indulgences to the poor class in the 1400-1500s so their family members will get out of purgatory and go to heaven, because that makes the most sense.

No quotas, there are enough people going to each.