Who goes to Heaven?

[Done]

I’m not including a “There is no Heaven” choice since this is a Christian forum and I assume everyone here believes in Heaven. Perhaps none of these choices matches your belief, but which one comes closes?

[Rabrrrrrr]

1. Unless everybody goes, Easter is a load of bullshit. I'm a universalist.

Of course, that's just my opinion, but here I stand. I cannot do otherwise. God help me, Amen!

:7

[hippywife]

2. Amen, Rabrrrrrr!

I stand right there with you!

[Critters2]

3. Agreed

Though I find the whole "getting into heaven" thing not a huge piece of my thinking. Maybe that means I'm not...going to heaven, that is.

[Rabrrrrrr]

4. Or maybe it means you aren't a shitbag hypocrite who's constantly in fear of it.

Like, say, Falwell and Phelps and ilk.

:7

Yeah, I don't worry about the Heaven thing, either - I think the whole purpose of Jesus was to come and say to us all "Look - stop worrying about it - you're in. Okay? Get that? You're IN. IN IN IN IN IN. Okay? In. Yes, that's right, you are IN. You are so in, you don't have to worry about. Alright? Get that? Yes, IN IN IN. I just want to be clear on this - you're getting in, okay? No problem, no chance of it not happening, nothing to worry about. Stop worrying about it. You're IN. Okay? Good, now that we have that covered, here's the stuff that's actually important about what God is doing: LOVE ONE ANOTHER. Stop being so fucking obsessed with your own salvation - you're in - think about someone else for a change. And, no, don't be worried about their salvation either - they're in, too. FEED THEM, you morons. GIVE THEM DRINK. They don't need a fucking Bible, they're starving to death! GIVE THEM FOOD AND WATER. God! (oops - sorry dad). I mean, seriously, in the Gospel of John I said 'love one another' like 15 times, I gave it as my final command, and you're still pulling shit out of Leviticus in order to justify not loving one another. Morons. I mean, morons that I love, of course. But still. God! (oops - sorry dad), I mean, geez."

[okasha]

5. Now, that has to be one of the best Easter sermons

--one of the best sermons for any date--I've ever seen.

:applause:

Don't know how you feel about novels with Jesus as a character, but if you enjoy them, I think the Jesus of The Passion of Mary Magdalen would be totally down with the Gospel According to Rabrrrrrr.

[Critters2]

6. Can I use that?

Without the "fuckings" and "shits" probably...but otherwise.

That's about it, really.

[Rabrrrrrr]

7. Feel free to do so!

I'm glad you like it!

Good ol' UCC upbringing comes in handy sometimes, especially about going to Heaven and helping others.

[54anickel]

10. Thanks Rabrrr, you've helped me put my thoughts and struggles into words.

Wanted to give a special thanks to you, MyCritters and the RevCheeshead for your thoughts and the kick to that older thread as well. The one asking can you be a Christian if you don't believe in God? http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=291x2297

I struggle with my "Christian up-bringing" vs my faith in God as I've come to understand God. I found that thread to be very interesting as well as reassuring. A friend recently shared a quote..."I may be bound to my Christianity but God is not". I'm still contemplating that one...by being bound "to" am I bound/trapped "in" (and by) my Christianity, or is it more like the binding of roots from which I can grow and expand?

[TreasonousBastard]

8. What's Heaven? I never fully understood how...

the ancient Jewish views of the afterlife and their general dismissal of heaven and hell as actual places became transformed into the common Christian views. "Hell," btw, is only in Christian translations of the OT I've seen, not in Jewish ones.

A lot of us Quakers and Universalists take all of this mythology with a grain of salt and are a lot closer to the Jewish concept of "heaven" and "hell" being our relationship with God-- heaven is being with God and hell is the absence of God. Nobody has bothered to come back from the dead to explain it all to us, so the emphasis is to live a proper life (whatever that is) and the afterlife will take care of itself.

[Critters2]

9. That's where most UCCs are, too.

I always find it interesting that, when Jesus did come back from the dead, he STILL spent his time teaching ethics. Not a word about pearly gates or golden streets. Just more "Love God, love others."
So, that seems to be the point.

[regnaD kciN]

11. My personal, non-authoritative opinion...

...is that everyone will get into heaven...but, if you've killed off your spiritual sense, it may well feel like hell. For, if you've spent your whole life essentially "worshipping yourself," how will you be able to find joy in a place where God is at the center, not you yourself?

[roguevalley]

12. I believe we all go back to where we came from, heaven, the

summerland, the far world, names don't matter. what we do here does. we are supposed to live, support and forgive each other. what you do here affects where you go next. either to the light or to the dismal land, we all go back to god. we are a spark of him here, living and experiencing his/her creation. then we go back, to his/her love and that of those who wait for us. it is important to do good. not just for good's sake, but for the hope and dream of going back to your long gone loved ones. my mother and father are there, waiting for me. They could never just go into infinity or a void. they have earned and deserve god's love and company.