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I know there's a thread on what Hell is, so I was wondering what do you think Heaven is?
Is it just a happy mental state or another plane of existance?
I know it's usually seen as some kind of eternal reward after death.

It's my happy place.

Originally posted by travesty87
I know there's a thread on what Hell is, so I was wondering what do you think Heaven is?
Is it just a happy mental state or another plane of existance?
I know it's usually seen as some kind of eternal reward after death.

Whatever you think Hell is, Heaven is the opposite.

streets of gold in Heaven
no fear
no pain
no evil
all good

Exactly

yes

I have no idea

or should it be

wow! ... such interesting comments in the last 2 posts... Im overwellmed

well, your comment was interesting too!

Congratulations!

Another state of being.... just like hell.

if it exists...

an individuals idea of a perfect life...

It is your paradise. It is a place of complete harmony.

wat if it's just a concept created by man to encourage more moral behaviour?

heaven is god's home and earth is his footstool it is the place of the righteous.

Its nothing, it does not have streets of gold it probably won't even have your family. If heaven does exist it will probably just be a feeling. A feeling of perfection and bliss. The chance we could ever live in a perfect place is very slim. If we would go to heaven and it would be a city our entire personality would be changed and our only reason for living would be destroyed. Why test us if you are going to destroy us? So heaven will probably be a feeling. Or just a life as the one we have on earth only with less suffering.

true, going to heaven is very slim. heaven is indescribable.

Heaven is a place you enter if God decides to invite you there when you die. Thus, Hell, if you're bad.
I believe Heaven has an entrance but no exit. The entrance is a white gate high in the clouds where God greets you into his Kingdom. Heaven is a place you re-greet others you've known through life that've died and can eternally be in peace, etc.

Originally posted by DanieLs_4_Ever
Heaven is a place you enter if God decides to invite you there when you die. Thus, Hell, if you're bad.
I believe Heaven has an entrance but no exit. The entrance is a white gate high in the clouds where God greets you into his Kingdom. Heaven is a place you re-greet others you've known through life that've died and can eternally be in peace, etc.

Can you tell me where it is?

heaven is an invisible place. a place of spirits. Jesus said that the flesh cannot inherit the kingdom of God.

i believe heaven is here on earth so isn't hell !
with out the bad you cant appreciate the good like when the sun is shinning for say 3 days and then a storm hits and it rains for a week wow! thats a bummer then u say i wish this weather would clear up like last week and then the weather breaks and its a bright sunny day because u just experienced a bad day now with out the bad u cant appreciate the good. simple enough, don't u think?
u see i believe in reincarnation
i really cant see a heaven and everything so good and perfect
don't u think it would get boring?
"so here comes the karma"
a beatles lyric ill always cherish and believe .the song "the end"
"and in the end the love you take is equal to the love you make"

my vision of heaven is in the bible, not on earth.

Originally posted by Shakyamunison
Can you tell me where it is?
Wherever the dead souls of good people want it to be.

Originally posted by Atlantis001
Another state of being.... just like hell.

Yup......

Heaven is a place where pink and purple bunny rabbits hop around, on gold and silver streets. Heaven is where fruit is always ripe, and none of it ever goes bad. Heaven is a place where there is no such thing has rape, guns, racism, homophobics, fright, disease, blood, or pain. Heaven is the place where you can steal old man Stuart's pie that is cooling on his window ledge, but catch you in mid-act, and yell at you screaming "Gosh darn you little rascals" but you know deep down, he loves you guys. Heaven is the place where everyone is beautiful.

Originally posted by travesty87
I know there's a thread on what Hell is, so I was wondering what do you think Heaven is?
Is it just a happy mental state or another plane of existance?
I know it's usually seen as some kind of eternal reward after death. I believe heaven to be a sanctuary of appreciation and forgiveness

true, it is a place of the forgiven and the appreciation.

Originally posted by A believer
i believe heaven is here on earth so isn't hell !
with out the bad you cant appreciate the good like when the sun is shinning for say 3 days and then a storm hits and it rains for a week wow! thats a bummer then u say i wish this weather would clear up like last week and then the weather breaks and its a bright sunny day because u just experienced a bad day now with out the bad u cant appreciate the good. simple enough, don't u think?
u see i believe in reincarnation
i really cant see a heaven and everything so good and perfect
don't u think it would get boring?
"so here comes the karma"
a beatles lyric ill always cherish and believe .the song "the end"
"and in the end the love you take is equal to the love you make"

Thats why I said that if it does exist its going to be a feeling not a real place.

Originally posted by Fishy
Thats why I said that if it does exist its going to be a feeling not a real place.

If you really want to know...you have to visit the Religious Forum and click on the thread "Who's in Hell."

Well Gandi will be, everybody before Jesus was born all the people that never heard of God. Hitler of course is not he believed in god so he is forgiven...

To get to Heaven....you have to answer St. Peters questions.....Juns have to...

A nun dies and goes to heaven. St. Peter says to her, "I'm sure you've lead a virtuous life, Sister, but before I can let you into heaven, you must answer one question. What," asks St. Peter,"were Eve's first words when she saw Adam?"
"Boy," says the nun, "that's a hard one."
"That's right!" says St. Peter, and the pearly gates open wide

This cosmos is heaven, if you want it to be.

Heaven is a place in your mind......

heaven is whatever you want it to be.

Originally posted by Fishy
Well Gandi will be, everybody before Jesus was born all the people that never heard of God. Hitler of course is not he believed in god so he is forgiven...

wtf? Hitler was evil, he is not forgiven! Dude your world veiw is seriously messed up. Unless this is a joke... it has to be.

due to christian logic all those who accept christ as their savior and seek forgivness for their sins should receive redemption, that away Hitler can get it, even Satan can get it

Only if he answers the question right......

According to the bible, and Jewish tradition, Heaven is built on ten levels, with the Lord living on number seven, and the Creator on umber ten.... and when you get to heaven, your reward is to sing the praise of the Lord for all eternity, without break, rest or pause.....

Originally posted by big gay kirk
According to the bible, and Jewish tradition, Heaven is built on ten levels, with the Lord living on number seven, and the Creator on umber ten.... and when you get to heaven, your reward is to sing the praise of the Lord for all eternity, without break, rest or pause.....

So this is really just one big audition for a job in god's quire?

Prostitute + Vegas + Money - Willpower = Heaven.

ha ha ha

hell is at west brom, heaven is at molineux and thats where i come from

wolves draw me a picture a draw this game .....yet again

Paradise is in Michigan...not to far from hell....seen the signs...Really...

Heaven is the ability to progress beyond the limits of this human existence, to become more than man currently can.

Originally posted by cking
heaven is god's home and earth is his footstool it is the place of the righteous.

Originally posted by travesty87
I know there's a thread on what Hell is, so I was wondering what do you think Heaven is?
Is it just a happy mental state or another plane of existance?
I know it's usually seen as some kind of eternal reward after death.

The Buddhist principle of the oneness of self and environment (esho funi) means that life (sho) and its environment (e) are inseparable (funi). This means that although we perceive things around us as separate from us, there is a dimension of our lives that is one with the universe. At the most fundamental level of life itself, there is no separation between ourselves and the environment.

Life" means the subjective self that experiences the effects of past actions and is capable of creating new causes for the future. The environment is the objective realm where the karmic effects of life take shape. Each living being has his or her own unique environment, place or condition. For example, a person whose inner life is in a state of hell or suffering may perceive the environment of the inside of a crowded subway train as being hellish, while a person in the state who might manage to feel compassion and sense of joy makes a place a sense of camaraderie and serenity with fellow passengers.

People also create physical environments which reflect their inner reality. For instance, someone who is depressed is likely to neglect his home and personal appearance. On the other hand, someone who is secure and generous creates a warm and attractive environment around them. So, everything around us, including work and family relationships, is the reflection of our inner lives. Everything is perceived through the self and alters according to the individual's inner state of life. Thus, if we change ourselves(our minds) our circumstances will inevitably change also.

This is a liberating concept as it means that there is NO need to seek enlightenment outside ourselves or in a particular place(i.e after death). Wherever we are, in whatever circumstances, we can bring forth our innate reality, thus transforming our experience of our environment into Heavenly or "Pure land"--a joy-filled place where we create value of peace and harmony for ourselves and for others.


As my great teacher Nichiren wrote, "If the minds of the people are impure, their land is also impure, but if their minds are pure, so is their land. There are not two lands, pure(i.e heaven) and impure(i.e hell) in themselves. The difference lies solely in the good or evil of our minds."

OK this sounds hokey.....Heaven is where your heart is...So, it better be in there right place, or it won't last long.

It’s a fictional place that is used so the people of power in the church can get your money

Originally posted by Kelly_LS
Wherever the dead souls of good people want it to be.

However we don't experience death, we only experience life.

Originally posted by debbiejo
OK this sounds hokey.....Heaven is where your heart is...So, it better be in there right place, or it won't last long.

Heaven is where the heart is, as is the home, ergo my home is heaven.... Egad! I truly am a God of my own realm!

I quite like that idea.

Yeppers!!!! You are the master of your domain..............(sinfield quote..sp)

Originally posted by debbiejo
Yeppers!!!! You are the master of your domain..............(sinfield quote..sp)

Now I just have to become the master of every body elses domain and I'll be set.

It is in your mind.

ooooh....I like that one.

Welll that's what I just said..........

It is what they say in the bible.Or in some movies cloudly.I think heaven is different for everyone through.jm

Simply put Heaven is God's abode, God's home, God's house. Heaven is not a state of mind or figment of the imagination. Heaven is a "literal" place as revealed in God's Word (the holy Bible). All questions about what Heaven is should be researched from the Bible not from external sources. External sources (such as someone's personal testimony about Heaven) serve only to confirm what God has already said in His Word.

http://option-wizard.com/aa/17.shtml

http://members.aol.com/wnichint/heaven.html


Heaven is replete with opulence all around. God is so wealthy that His streets are made of gold (not lined with gold). The gates (and there are twelve of them) of New Jerusalem in Heaven are each solid pearl (not that little pearl that you are accustomed to seeing either).

Revelation 21:21
The twelve gates were twelve pearls: each individual gate was of one pearl. And the street of the city was pure gold, like transparent glass .

This is going to be my new hometown for eternity.
The entire city in Heaven (it is called New Jerusalem) is pure gold and it is surrounded by a wall made of jasper. The foundations of New Jerusalem are twelve precious stones.(

Revelation 21:18-20
18 The construction of its wall was of jasper ; and the city was pure gold, like clear glass . 19 The foundations of the wall of the city were adorned with all kinds of precious stones: the first foundation was jasper, the second sapphire, the third chalcedony, the fourth emerald, 20 the fifth sardonyx, the sixth sardius, the seventh chrysolite, the eighth beryl, the ninth topaz, the tenth chrysoprase, the eleventh jacinth, and the twelfth amethyst.

The Bible does not really describe what Heaven looks like but it does describe what the Heavenly city, New Jerusalem, looks like. Heaven is not this city, but the city is a subset of Heaven. Heaven is perhaps a planet. The Bible does not say that so I will just stick to the Bible's description of New Jerusalem.


The wall of New Jerusalem, is made of Jasper and is 600 feet high, its length 1500 miles, and its width 1500 miles. I got one word to describe this: Wow! Amazing! Huge! New Jerusalem is half the distance of the United States, and it is a city! There isn't a city this large anywhere in the world.


http://www.hasilvestre.org.br/advir/imagens/GoldSat1/images/people%20in%20heaven%20happy.jpg (Heaven)

http://www.hasilvestre.org.br/advir/imagens/GoldSat1/images/new%20Jerusalem%20heaven%20city.jpg (New Jerusalem in Heaven)

Originally posted by JesusIsAlive
Revelation 21:21
The twelve gates were twelve pearls: each individual gate was of one pearl. And the street of the city was pure gold, like transparent glass


You lying little shithead....in my previous thread GATES OF HEAVEN you argue that there are NO GATES...and NOW you argue that there ARE GATES ?????????

Another Contradiction....thanks a lot !

Originally posted by travesty87
I know there's a thread on what Hell is, so I was wondering what do you think Heaven is?
Is it just a happy mental state or another plane of existance?
I know it's usually seen as some kind of eternal reward after death.

To me heaven is one of the ten worlds.

What are the The Ten Worlds?

One way that Buddhism explains life is through a concept known as "the ten worlds." These are ten states or conditions of life that we experience within ourselves and are then manifested throughout all aspects of our lives. Each of us possesses the potential for all ten, and we shift from one to another at any moment, according to our interaction with the environment. That is, at each moment, one of the ten worlds is being manifested and the other nine are dormant. From lowest to highest, they are:

Hell -- This is a state of suffering and despair, in which we perceive we have no freedom of action. It is characterized by the impulse to destroy ourselves and everything around us.

Hunger -- Hunger is the state of being controlled by insatiable desire for money, power, status, or whatever. While desires are inherent in any of the ten worlds, in this state we are at the mercy of our cravings and cannot control them.

Animality -- In this state, we are ruled by instinct. We exhibit neither reason nor moral sense nor the ability to make long-range judgments. In the world of Animality, we operate by the law of the jungle, so to speak. We will not hesitate to take advantage of those weaker than ourselves and fawn on those who are stronger.

Anger -- In this next state, awareness of ego emerges, but it is a selfish, greedy, distorted ego, determined to best others at all costs and seeing everything as a potential threat to itself. In this state we value only ourselves and tend to hold others in contempt. We are strongly attached to the idea of our own superiority and cannot bear to admit that anyone exceeds us in anything.

Humanity (also called Tranquillity) -- This is a flat, passive state of life, from which we can easily shift into the lower four worlds. While we may generally behave in a humane fashion in this state, we are highly vulnerable to strong external influences.

Heaven (or Rapture) -- This is a state of intense joy stemming, for example, from the fulfillment of some desire, a sense of physical well-being, or inner contentment. Though intense, the joy experienced in this state is short-lived and also vulnerable to external influences.

The six states from Hell to Heaven are called the six paths or six lower worlds. They have in common the fact that their emergence or disappearance is governed by external circumstances. Take the example of a man obsessed by the desire to find someone to love him (Hunger). When he at last does meet that person, he feels ecstatic and fulfilled (Heaven). By and by, potential rivals appear on the scene, and he is seized by jealousy (Anger). Eventually, his possessiveness drives his loved one away. Crushed by despair (Hell), he feels life is no longer worth living. In this way, many of us spend time shuttling back and forth among the six paths without ever realizing we are being controlled by our reactions to the environment. Any happiness or satisfaction to be gained in these states depends totally upon circumstances and is therefore transient and subject to change.

In these six lower worlds, we base our entire happiness, indeed our whole identity, on externals.

The next two states, Learning and Realization, come about when we recognize that everything experienced in the six paths is impermanent, and we begin to seek some lasting truth. These two states plus the next two, Bodhisattva and Buddhahood, are together called the four noble worlds. Unlike the six paths, which are passive reactions to the environment, these four higher states are achieved through deliberate effort.

Learning -- In this state, we seek the truth through the teachings or experience of others.

Realization -- This state is similar to Learning, except that we seek the truth not through others’ teachings but through our own direct perception of the world.

Learning and Realization are together called the "two vehicles." Having realized the impermanence of things, people in these states have won a measure of independence and are no longer prisoner to their own reactions as in the six paths. However, they often tend to be contemptuous of people in the six paths who have not yet reached this understanding. In addition, their search for truth is primarily self-oriented, so there is a great potential for egotism in these two states; and they may become satisfied with their progress without discovering the highest potential of human life in the ninth and tenth worlds.

Bodhisattva -- Bodhisattvas are those who aspire to achieve enlightenment and at the same time are equally determined to enable all other beings to do the same. Conscious of the bonds that link us to all others, in this state we realize that any happiness we alone enjoy is incomplete, and we devote ourselves to alleviating others’ suffering. Those in this state find their greatest satisfaction in altruistic behavior.

The states from Hell to Bodhisattva are collectively termed "the nine worlds." This expression is often used in contrast to the tenth world, the enlightened state of Buddhahood.

Buddhahood -- Buddhahood is a dynamic state that is difficult to describe. We can partially describe it as a state of perfect freedom, in which we are enlightened to the ultimate truth of life. It is characterized by infinite compassion and boundless wisdom. In this state, we can resolve harmoniously what appear from the standpoint of the nine worlds to be insoluble contradictions. A Buddhist sutra describes the attributes of the Buddha’s life as a true self, perfect freedom from karmic bonds throughout eternity, a life purified of illusion, and absolute happiness. Also, the state of Buddhahood is physically expressed in the Bodhisattva Way or actions of a Bodhisattva.

http://www.sgi-usa.org/buddhism/faqs/tenworlds.htm

Originally posted by Lord Urizen
You lying little shithead....in my previous thread GATES OF HEAVEN you argue that there are NO GATES...and NOW you argue that there ARE GATES ?????????

Another Contradiction....thanks a lot !
That was uncalled for.

I'll tell you what heaven is when I die.

Originally posted by JesusIsAlive
"...Gates of Heaven? There is no such thing. The gates lead into the Heavenly City, New Jerusalem not into Heaven. Heaven is perhaps like a country and New Jerusalem a city within the country...."


Remember I am a semanticist (hair-splitter). There is a difference between "Heaven" and the city (New Jerusalem) in Heaven. I said all that to reiterate this: there are gates that lead into the city of New Jerusalem but Heaven is like the country and New Jerusalem the city within the Kingdom of Heaven. So I do not believe that there are gates that lead into Heaven, they lead into New Jerusalem (the City of God).

Originally posted by JesusIsAlive
Remember I am a semanticist (hair-splitter). There is a difference between "Heaven" and the city (New Jerusalem) in Heaven. I said all that to reiterate this: there are gates that lead into the city of New Jerusalem but Heaven is like the country and New Jerusalem the city within the Kingdom of Heaven. So I do not believe that there are gates that lead into Heaven, they lead into New Jerusalem (the City of God).

Edit:

Don't get upset by what Lord Urizen said.

Originally posted by JesusIsAlive
Remember I am a semanticist (hair-splitter). There is a difference between "Heaven" and the city (New Jerusalem) in Heaven. I said all that to reiterate this: there are gates that lead into the city of New Jerusalem but Heaven is like the country and New Jerusalem the city within the Kingdom of Heaven. So I do not believe that there are gates that lead into Heaven, they lead into New Jerusalem (the City of God).

Fair enough, but why are thier Gates in the first place ?

beacuse heaven is open to ALL!

Originally posted by Alliance
beacuse heaven is open to ALL!

No it's not...ask JIA

Hear ye, hear ye: I will say this for time and eternity. I call Heaven and earth as witnesses today, for what I am about to say about Heaven being for all will be planted in the hearts of all who read this. After I write this there should no longer be any doubt as to where I stand or rather where God the Father stands on this matter. So without further ado, I present to you what the Bible (God's Book/Word) reveals on the subject of Heaven being for all.

Lord Jesus please tell the world what your stance is on Heaven being for all.

Matthew 5:1-10
1 And seeing the multitudes, He went up on a mountain, and when He was seated His disciples came to Him. 2 Then He opened His mouth and taught them, saying:
3 “ Blessed are the poor in spirit,
For theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
4 Blessed are those who mourn,
For they shall be comforted.
5 Blessed are the meek,
For they shall inherit the earth.
6 Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness,
For they shall be filled.
7 Blessed are the merciful,
For they shall obtain mercy.
8 Blessed are the pure in heart,
For they shall see God.
9 Blessed are the peacemakers,
For they shall be called sons of God.
10 Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake,
For theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

Matthew 11:28-30
28 Come to Me , all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. 29 Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.”

Revelation 22:17
And the Spirit and the bride say, “Come!” And let him who hears say, “Come!” And let him who thirsts come. Whoever desires, let him take the water of life freely.

The Father, Son, and Holy Spirit invite all races, ethnicities, cultures, backgrounds, colors, languages, and nations to freely receive salvation through Jesus Christ. They want everyone to be saved and to go into God's presence in Heaven. Come, meet your loving Creator and ask Him all of life's questions when you get to Heaven. He is waiting patiently (and eagerly) for you to join Him in Heaven. That is why the Father sent Jesus to die, so that through His ultimate sacrifice everyone could have an opportunity (all will not accept this great opportunity and will end up in Hell) to go to Heaven.

Deuteronomy 30:19
I call Heaven and earth as witnesses today against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing; therefore choose life, that both you and your descendants may live;

If what you say is true, then you would be filled with love and be a totally different person then you appear to be on this forum. Let me suggest that you do not know what God wants. You do not understand the true nature of God, because you do not manifest this knowledge.

Originally posted by Shakyamunison
If what you say is true, then you would be filled with love and be a totally different person then you appear to be on this forum.
From what he writes I actually believe he probably is a good person in person. Sometimes its too easy to be taken out of character when not face to face with someone.

Originally posted by The Disagreer
From what he writes I actually believe he probably is a good person in person. Sometimes its too easy to be taken out of character when not face to face with someone.

Yes I agree, but I'm not talking about a good person. If you have the Holy Spirit in you and you know the will of God, then you have to be a saint.

Originally posted by JesusIsAlive
Hear ye, hear ye: I will say this for time and eternity. I call Heaven and earth as witnesses today, for what I am about to say about Heaven being for all will be planted in the hearts of all who read this. After I write this there should no longer be any doubt as to where I stand or rather where God the Father stands on this matter. So without further ado, I present to you what the Bible (God's Book/Word) reveals on the subject of Heaven being for all.

Lord Jesus please tell the world what your stance is on Heaven being for all.

Matthew 5:1-10
1 And seeing the multitudes, He went up on a mountain, and when He was seated His disciples came to Him. 2 Then He opened His mouth and taught them, saying:
3 “ Blessed are the poor in spirit,
For theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
4 Blessed are those who mourn,
For they shall be comforted.
5 Blessed are the meek,
For they shall inherit the earth.
6 Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness,
For they shall be filled.
7 Blessed are the merciful,
For they shall obtain mercy.
8 Blessed are the pure in heart,
For they shall see God.
9 Blessed are the peacemakers,
For they shall be called sons of God.
10 Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake,
For theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

Matthew 11:28-30
28 Come to Me , all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. 29 Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.”

Revelation 22:17
And the Spirit and the bride say, “Come!” And let him who hears say, “Come!” And let him who thirsts come. Whoever desires, let him take the water of life freely.

The Father, Son, and Holy Spirit invite all races, ethnicities, cultures, backgrounds, colors, languages, and nations to freely receive salvation through Jesus Christ. They want everyone to be saved and to go into God's presence in Heaven. Come, meet your loving Creator and ask Him all of life's questions when you get to Heaven. He is waiting patiently (and eagerly) for you to join Him in Heaven. That is why the Father sent Jesus to die, so that through His ultimate sacrifice everyone could have an opportunity (all will not accept this great opportunity and will end up in Hell) to go to Heaven.

Deuteronomy 30:19
I call Heaven and earth as witnesses today against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing; therefore choose life, that both you and your descendants may live;



That all sounds very nice, JIA, but why are there Gates? Can you please answer my question ?