Heaven and Hell

Hey everyone...

Here is a story that is often shared around the campfires of my summers up north...

There was once a boy who was deathly afraid of dying.

He had been going to church with his family, and as most kids who spent their Sunday mornings in Sunday School, he wasn't sitting well with the idea that depending on how he behaved, he could end up suffering forever and ever in eternal pain.

God felt the boy's distress, and decided to show him exactly what Heaven and Hell really are.

He first took the boy to hell.

Expecting to see lakes of fire and hear deafening screaming, the boy was utterly surprised to see a giant dinner table. Everyone was sitting eagerly around the table, ready to dig in to what appeared to be a giant feast. As the servants brought out the platters and lifted the lids, the boy was astounded to see that these souls that were supposed to be being punished were about to indulge in what looked like the biggest, fanciest, most delicious feast ever conceived.

As they picked up their cutlery in their hands and began going for the food, the boy noticed something bizarre about the people sitting around the table. As they dug their forks into the food, he noticed that their arms had no joints at the elbow- they were unable to bend their arms in any way... making it impossible for them to direct their forks into their mouths.

The boy watched as the people furiously tried to feed themselves, but were unable to put their food anywhere near their mouths. They began shouting out in frustration and agony, unable to enjoy the most marvelous feast ever created.

Suddenly, God took the boy away from the disastrous feast, and took him to heaven.

Instead of clouds, harps, and St Peter at the giant golden gate, the boy was astounded to see a familiar setting: in heaven, he saw the exact same giant dining table he had seen in hell, with exactly the same feast being prepared.

Just as the people in hell, however, the people in heaven also had no joints in their elbows, and thus were unable to feed themselves. This time though, as the people began to dig their forks into their meal, instead of trying and failing to feed themselves, they began to feed each other.

The boy felt a sense of peace and awe as he saw the people in heaven reaching their un-bendable arms across the table to feed their fellow friends, and the feast was a marvelous success, and the atmosphere one of total joy, love, and happiness.

God then returned the boy to his bed, and the boy fell asleep in peace... knowing that heaven was something more than being in service to God- it was a place of being in service to others.



This story always makes we wonder that if we all, in the metaphorical sense, choose to feed each other instead of ourselves... if the idea of "heaven on earth" would actually become a reality.

Anyways... hope you enjoyed

I hate Christianity and refuse to go to the christian heaven, and I'm all for peace and helping others. I know I'm weird.

Well first we have to put our differences behind us if we want to live in harmony. Religion is gonna be a big hurtle, as well as racism, and greed. I dont know how were gonna do it, but I know that if I try to be the best person I can be, maybe, MAYBE, there is hope for humanity.

religion is a weird thing....

most of the murders that have ever occurred on this planet are due to religion (specifically Christianity) and many of the bloodiest wars revolutions and discriminations are due to religion (again specifically Christianity)

yet they are promoting peace and love???
That makes absolutely no sense at all!

After that story, which we all have heard, and know that it was concieved and written by a Christian, you two posters have that to say?

What about the premise of heaven on earth, that the OP was trying to make? What did ya think of that?

You guys must be crazy, to inject that hatred, within the context and the frame of reference being offered in the OP.

reply to post by Monts


Interestingly, this story can be recast within the context of the suffering of attachment, and the karmic wheel of Samsara, but why even bother raising that idea, it's getting discouraging around here, but I know there are many readers, as well as ATS members with understanding, so might as well keep on keeping on..

reply to post by AuirOverrun


Soviet Russia. Cambodia. China.

Learn and you shall be enlightened.

A lot of people like to blame religion for the worlds troubles, and a lot of people like to use religion as a scapegoat for their neferious actions...

Convenient isn't it?

People regardless of their religion or lack of any, will always do bad things, and either admit to themselves that they did a bad thing and are responsible for it, or try to blame it on their religion, or someone else's religion...

Those who have denied ignorance already know who the guilty one is, and that is the person who chooses to do a bad thing, period..

No amount of blaming it on religion will take away from the fact that a person chose to do a bad thing...

It's the same analogy of "guns don't kill people, people kill people..

Religions don't kill people, people kill people, and then blame it on something else... religion seems to be the popular fall guy lately.....

OP, I have heard that story and like it... It illustrates nicely the difference between good and bad, or success and fail, or what have you...
It could even be literally true , at least in the lesson meant to be learned by the example...

reply to post by alienreality


Religion fills young people with underdeveloped minds to accept radical beliefs that are not based on empirical evidence. This is not a good thing. History confirms this as "religious beliefs" have been used as justification for committing some pretty horrendous massacres. Man doesn't need religion to do bad things, but it has provided plenty of inspiration.

I like the storie, makes ya think outside the box.

So sad to see the same comments has usual, christianity is the worst bla bla bla, all mass religions have there good and bad, to compare in history which is the worst is futile lol, we should more try to take out those parts and all live hapily eheheh, in my dreams i guess...


just my 2 cents

reply to post by Dark Ghost


Funny, don't schools fill young minds with strange beliefs without empirical evidence? Isn't that basically anything that is not experimental science?

Good story, I haven't heard that one before.
That story would not do well, on a survivalist thread.

reply to post by 547000


That is correct. The key difference being, however, is that Religion tries to explain Absolute Principles which humans cannot confirm with their senses, whereas information taught at school uses the knowledge we have gained through empirical tests to explain what is probably happening. Science is susceptible to change; Religion is not.

reply to post by Dark Ghost


The humanities are not science, neither are most social "sciences", yet we have no problem teaching some academician's pet theory as truth.

Erm

[atsimg]http://files.abovetopsecret.com/images/member/6ded77aab9bc.jpg[/atsimg]

reply to post by 547000


You are confusing "Knowledge" and "Absolute Truth". Knowledge is relatively stable but prone to change when more information comes to light. Truth is a concrete constant that exists irrespective of the variables that surround it. The trouble with us Humans is we tend to be petrified when faced with something we cannot explain; instead of admitting that we do not have the answers even though we might some day.

To those anti-religion posters on this thread...

Of course religion has done harm and been a catalyst for unspeakable massacres.... but what about societies in which there is no religion?

I think we only need mention China and the Soviet Union to be reminded of the dozens upon dozens of millions of people that have died in the last century- countries with atheistic belief systems.

The ultimate reality of every religion there is, is to love other people the same way you love yourselves. As soon as people use other aspects of the religion to twist people into believing otherwise, they aren't following the golden rule of ALL religions.

As for people who "hate" Christianity specifically...

There are countless millions of dollars donated and put to use every year by Christian organizations to help other people at home, and around the world- this isn't even taking into consideration the volunteer efforts that Christians undertake. Without doubt, Christian aid groups make a HUGE impact around the world... but I suppose that's a terrible thing because they do it because of "religion".

I myself was raised in a Roman Catholic family, and for many years of my youth, I hated Christianity. I hated going to church every Sunday, and I distanced myself from anyone who were devout Christians, and instead hung around people who either weren't Christians, or didn't care or believe in anything. I was miserable, and found these people to care mostly for themselves, with little regard to the feelings of others.

Recently though, I've found that Christians are nice people- in fact, the nicest, most caring and generous people I know... at least in my community. I've been hanging around Christians more often, and while I still do not have particular "Christian" beliefs, I almost consider myself a Christian in the fact that I share a similar set of morals and value system as Christians do.

I find it easy to recognize in the words of Jesus, a character there, and a very well informed person, who then willingly took on all the sufferings and sorrows of the world, by a greater love capable of enveloping or reconciling that aspect of the human condition that he carried in himself and was his source of inspired action, and thinking and teaching, which is absolutely and utterly extraordinary (when examined free from contempt prior to investigation), and therefore is something that cannot be derided by the catcalls and boos of dimwits.

reply to post by Monts


At the end of the day, neither Religion nor Atheism is the problem. The real problem is the institutionalisation of a Radical Belief System which serves to justify killing and mistreating others, without regarding the consequences for those alive today and future generations.