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The choice of Heaven or Hell

© Francois Tremblay

At first, it seems clear that Heaven is a desirable state. In fact, it is supposed to be the most desirable state possible. It is supposed to be one of the "hooks" enticing people to join a religion, and therefore it should be as nice as possible. Obviously, the problem with that is that various people have various dreams, and you can't really reify some particular state as "the best". Therefore, descriptions of Heaven must be vague.

Of course, that souls do not exist makes the notion meaningless, but let's give Christians the benefit of the doubt for the purposes of this discussion.

I have talked to a Christian once who considered it his duty to convert atheists, that such an action gives him "more golden bricks" in his heavenly driveway. While it may be convenient for the simple of spirit to give such Earthly descriptions, we need not content ourselves. Heaven is simpler, much simpler than life on Earth. In the Christian version, the Bible describes it as follows :

* Heaven (New Jerusalem) is a cube, measuring approx. 2 500 km on each side (Rev. 21:16). I will spare you all the physical descriptions, which are nonsensical in a supernatural realm...
* What people do in Heaven : singing (Rev. 5:9, 15:3), serving God (Rev. 7:15, 22:3) and boss it over the other humans and the angels (2 Tim. 2:12, 1 Cor. 6:2-3, Rev. 22:5). Boss it over for what, since there is no sin, I have no idea.
* No sinning in Heaven (Rev. 21:27).
* What else there isn't in Heaven : hunger, thirst, sunlight or heat (Rev. 7:16), tears and pain (Rev 21:4), and death (John 3:15, 5:24, 10:28, 17:2, Rom. 6:23, Rev. 21:4) - with no bodies, these are kindof a given.

Now we already have a problem. The people in Heaven are supposed to be us - otherwise it is not our afterlife. But on Earth, we are all sinners, and even the most rabid fundamentalist does more with his life than singing and serving God. Eternal life and no sin makes Johnny more than just a dull boy, but not the same boy at all - if we no longer have the desire to sin, then it can be argued that we are not the same person at all. I expect that it might seem nice for the first hours, but it would be a torture, much like eating chocolate non-stop for the next seven hundred years.

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