I am a 20 year old male. During my child hood I was raised in a Missouri Synod Lutheran Christian church. My entire life until about 18 years of age I blindly followed Christ. The past couple of years I have begun to doubt my faith, and any faith for that matter. I am content with the idea that you die and that is the end. I am a very logical thinker, and I can't comprehend anything other than that. It really takes the purpose out of life, but I am trying to decipher that now as well.
But anyway, here is my question:
What is the appeal of heaven? Personally, I see any form of eternal life to be hell. I'm sorry, but sitting around worshiping someone all day long for an eternity does not sound like a good time at all. Honestly, I think I would last a day in heaven before I would start going nuts. I mean, nothing anyone does today would be available in heaven. I couldn't listen to music I like, I couldn't ever swear again, I couldn't be sarcastic, I couldn't play in my band, I couldn't admire a hot chick. Perfection is the least appealing thing I can think of. Eternal perfection isn't even comprehensible. Obviously, the bible's description of Hell doesn't sound appealing, I mean who wants to burn all day and always be thirsty? But shit, at least you'd be doin' manual labor or something. And I'm sure you could still swear. So, criticize me. Damn me. Tear me apart. Or, if you are truly a Christian (or any religion really), enlighten me. Make me want to go to heaven.
And I'm not saying that I just want to fuck around and party and shit all day and because I can't do that I don't want to go to heaven, I'm saying that even if everything is picture perfect and happy and such, that would still be hell. I can't stand being around too many happy people in one room. It's just not healthy. Why can't we just die and be dead? God created each of us to be different. Because of this, not even God could create a perfect world known as heaven, because everyone's idea of perfect is different. Nobody's idea of perfect is pure. Unless God created personal heavens, but that still doesn't make sense. None of the pieces fit together. And for the record, I have read the prominent books of the bible.
Originally posted 2009-05-27 04:43:53.
"Why can't we just die and be dead?"
That's what happens!
You say:
"I am content with the idea that you die and that is the end. I am a very logical thinker, and I can't comprehend anything other than that."
That's almost correct. We die and that is the end of OUR life. But we (and all life forms) go on as part of another life form.
Life is a never ending cycle of birth>life>death then the remains (minerals and chemicals) of the life form are taken up by another life form and in this way each of us lives on, as part of another life. We are not aware of it, but this does give our life "purpose" in that we give sustenance to another life form when we die.
It's a cycle that's been going on ever since life on Earth began and will continue for millions of years more.
Gods were created by humans because people couldn't understand that there was no "purpose" and that life was a process applying to ALL life forms on earth, from the single cell creature to the tallest tree on the planet. All life on earth comes from the same original DNA of a single cell creature and all life has evolved to what we see and know now and will continue to evolve as life adapts to environmental change, just as it always has.
Humans thought that they must be something "special" because they were more advanced than all of the other life forms surrounding them. So they invented a "creator". An invisible being that created all life on earth but made humans something special and different.
There is no spiritual mystery about life on earth. It is just that. Life.