Do You Think Heaven Exists?

[N!ck]

Not exactly, it's a generalisation saying it is for the weak minded and that only religions follow the idea of a Heaven :S

Some people believe in an after life, or Heaven, because they feel there must be something to believe in. Many clever philosophers follow this theory. The idea of a Heaven has always existed, religion has just piggy-backed it and is just one branch of the after-life - arguably, you don't have to belive in a deity to believe in an afterlife, the both aren't connected - a God and Heaven is believed in, but you can believe in an afterlife or "Heaven" without believing in God.

But yeah, to me it's a nice thought of there being a Heaven, but that's just it - it's a nice thought that Grandpa, Skittles and any other people and animals have gone off to a Heaven and are together.

And OMG there's a bug behind the screen :S

You just proved my point.

because they feel there must be something to believe in.

There's the weak minded part. People can't accept that there is much more likely than not, nothing there.

to me it's a nice thought of there being a Heaven

There's the comfort part .

[ifuseekamy]

Not exactly, it's a generalisation saying it is for the weak minded and that only religions follow the idea of a Heaven :S

Some people believe in an after life, or Heaven, because they feel there must be something to believe in. Many clever philosophers follow this theory. The idea of a Heaven has always existed, religion has just piggy-backed it and is just one branch of the after-life - arguably, you don't have to belive in a deity to believe in an afterlife, the both aren't connected - a God and Heaven is believed in, but you can believe in an afterlife or "Heaven" without believing in God.

But yeah, to me it's a nice thought of there being a Heaven, but that's just it - it's a nice thought that Grandpa, Skittles and any other people and animals have gone off to a Heaven and are together.

And OMG there's a bug behind the screen :S

Problem is that that's all it is. Unless someone wants to provide scientific reasoning as to why you'd transcend life itself. It's impractical without being incorporated into a higher being theory.

[Grimmauld]

i believe there is a heaven for a thug

[Mentor]

Nope, not in the slightest. I don't believe in souls, gods or anything else lacking even the slightest morsel of proof.
So nope, just death, nothingness, which in my opinion sounds like a much more relaxing way to spend eternity :p

[GommeInc]

There's the weak minded part. People can't accept that there is much more likely than not, nothing there.

That's not being weak minded, unless you believe weak minded people are those who believe in anything? Weak mindedness is based on poor judgement, considering there isn't anything to judge, it doesn't make it weak mindedness, just a belief - e.g. Michael Jackson being the King of Pop - it's not proven, it cannot be proven, but it's accepted by some. Also, loads accept that "there is much more likely not" an afterlife, but they seek comfort in it - how is that weak mindedness? It's like seeking comfort from a friend who has aided you in a bad time.

There's the comfort part .

And I disagreed with the comfort part... When?

Problem is that that's all it is. Unless someone wants to provide scientific reasoning as to why you'd transcend life itself. It's impractical without being incorporated into a higher being theory.

Reincarnation, one form of an "after life" (where a new life happens after a previous life), is believed by many people, not all of which believe in a deity It's a belief based around the mind moving from one body to another, connected, but not always, to a god. And a life in a magical place isn't always backed up by some deity - some people believe we roam the earth as spirits where the idea of ghosts and ghouls in stories come from.

Nope, not in the slightest. I don't believe in souls, gods or anything else lacking even the slightest morsel of proof.
So nope, just death, nothingness, which in my opinion sounds like a much more relaxing way to spend eternity :p

I wanted to haunt children who stepped foot on my yard with you, sadly you won't be joining me

[ifuseekamy]

Reincarnation, one form of an "after life" (where a new life happens after a previous life), is believed by many people, not all of which believe in a deity It's a belief based around the mind moving from one body to another, connected, but not always, to a god. And a life in a magical place isn't always backed up by some deity - some people believe we roam the earth as spirits where the idea of ghosts and ghouls in stories come from.


I wanted to haunt children who stepped foot on my yard with you, sadly you won't be joining me

Lol I've seen enough of people with "wHaT GoEs ArNd CoMeS aRoUnd" in their facebook profile bit. Most of them are stupid which isn't surprising. It's like an idiots version of finding comfort in heaven; they don't realise that there wouldn't be a difference between ceasing to exist and coming back as someone else :S I just think it's pretty irrational to be an atheist but believe in an afterlife. The belief in a ghost/spirit or whatever other metaphysical form-- is it just something a sperm and egg carry around, then when they meet your soul becomes one?

[Mentor]

Lol I've seen enough of people with "wHaT GoEs ArNd CoMeS aRoUnd" in their facebook profile bit. Most of them are stupid which isn't surprising. It's like an idiots version of finding comfort in heaven; they don't realise that there wouldn't be a difference between ceasing to exist and coming back as someone else :S I just think it's pretty irrational to be an atheist but believe in an afterlife. The belief in a ghost/spirit or whatever other metaphysical form-- is it just something a sperm and egg carry around, then when they meet your soul becomes one?

I wouldn't say beliefs in an afterlife or reincarnation is really any different if people do or do not believe in a god, after all Buddhism holds no god character yet is still a religion with that sort of beliefs system.
Personally i hold all beliefs are generally quite equally in the irrationality since they are baseless in terms of evidence. Equally when the beliefs systems start conflicting with evidence they move from irrational to somewhat stupid imo. Tis a good about many conceptions of reincarnation, as in that it would be no different from simply ceasing to exist. Although some religions do hold you retain knowledge and experience from previous life, which does kinda add a point to the reincarnation.

[Immenseman]

I don't think there is no. It's just been made up by people who are scared there is nothing after life in my opinion.

[N!ck]

That's not being weak minded, unless you believe weak minded people are those who believe in anything? Weak mindedness is based on poor judgement, considering there isn't anything to judge, it doesn't make it weak mindedness, just a belief - e.g. Michael Jackson being the King of Pop - it's not proven, it cannot be proven, but it's accepted by some. Also, loads accept that "there is much more likely not" an afterlife, but they seek comfort in it - how is that weak mindedness? It's like seeking comfort from a friend who has aided you in a bad time.

No, I'm just defining people who can't grasp the concept of there being nothing there, therefore determining that "heaven" must (probably) exist as weak minded. I'm not saying this is a concrete thing, it's just my suggestion

And about the Michael Jackson thing, yes it is opinion, but if you analysed his statistics in comparison to other similar artists it's definitely not a frivolous opinion, whereas the existence of "heaven" most certainly is.

[Dan2nd]

If Heaven is real I imagine that it'd be a pretty empty place... who on this forum can honestly say that they have lived exactly how religion demands we live.. I'm sure if there is a God he/she wouldn't except excuses that we live in modern times so we have to live as such.. yeah I doubt anyone now days would get in. (unless you are a nun or something of course)