Heaven and Hell

Well i really dislike the Idea of heaven and hell. But anyways I was wondering, what age are you when you get there? If same as died then If I believed in that I would hate to die of old age. Second, is there time in there, what the hell happens with that? Also who creates (and based on what) the decision of your placement?

I just wanted to ask what religious people thought of this. My batist friends (very religious) refused to answer this question, by kind of bypassing it and changing the subject, so I was left without a logical answer.

My thought for heaven would be any age you most desired, with hell it could be anything.

It exists outside of time.

God decides your placement, based on your actions on Earth.

That is exactly why I don't have a religion as of now. Maybe there is one out there, but for me all my t's have to be crossed and i's dotted. It's questions like that caused me to abandon religion all together. Some people may be able to be happy with these loose ends, but not me.

what age are you when you get there? If same as died then If I believed in that I would hate to die of old age.

Nope it's not the age of when you died. In the Bible it says we will be given a new body. So you can take that any way you want it. I take it as we'll look like what we did on earth but MUCH better. Every girl will look like a perfect 10 with nice tight bodies. All the guys will make NFL players look like pre-schoolers. That's just me though.

Second, is there time in there, what the hell happens with that?

Time will no longer be in the way we think of it. How do you time eternity?

Also who creates (and based on what) the decision of your placement?

You decide on where you're going to go. If you accept Jesus then you're going to Heaven. If you don't, then you're going to Hell.

Anyway, I find it strange though that your babtist friend wouldn't (or couldn't) answer those questions because they seem rather simple to me.

I disagree on the jesus thing tho, despite christianity's claims

yeah.. the idea of being sent for an eternity to burn in hell because you didnt believe that someone was the son of god that you have only really heard of, never met, and havent seen (other than pictures that they believe are rather inaccurate) and even with that, not everyone is even exposed to christianity, and dont say "missionaries" because they dont reach every one of the 1.2 billion people in china, or even the 1 billion in india...

if i did beleive in heaven i would say that as long as you are an all around good person then god will let u in. and if you were a bad person he will not let u in. christianity is just an interpretation of how to get to heaven. jews dont beleive in jesus yet they still go right? i think if heaven existed there would be more than one way to get there. what if jews were right all along and jesus is not the savior. then all christians would go to hell for worshiping a false god.

if i did beleive in heaven i would say that as long as you are an all around good person then god will let u in. and if you were a bad person he will not let u in.

I've heard that before and believe it or not many people who go to church believe that too. The thing is sin cannot enter into Heaven. If you believe in Heaven then you know that it's a very pure place with no pain ect ect ect.
We cannot get there as we are full of sin. Since Jesus died for our sins he provided the ultimate sacrifice for them. (Side note: This goes back to the old testament where every week somebody would take their best cow or lamb and kill it for forgiveness.)

christianity is just an interpretation of how to get to heaven.

I'd like to think it's the only way but yes it is in a way an interpretation.

jews dont beleive in jesus yet they still go right? i think if heaven existed there would be more than one way to get there. what if jews were right all along and jesus is not the savior. then all christians would go to hell for worshiping a false god.

Well they do actually believe in Jesus. The thing is they don't believe he was the son of God. They think he was just a good prophet.

The thing is if you look at a Jewish Bible (All it is is a Christian Bible without the new testament) you'll see there were some things that had to happen. There were something like 40 prophecies that had to come true. Several Jewish leaders saw these prophecies come true yet they still don't believe Jesus. The thing was, they wanted Jesus to save them from the Romain Empire, but that wasn't his mission.

Anyway, there's my belief and my :2cents: on the issue.

jews dont beleive in jesus yet they still go right? i think if heaven existed there would be more than one way to get there. what if jews were right all along and jesus is not the savior. then all christians would go to hell for worshiping a false god.

Muslims also believe in Jesus, they think hes a prophet like the Jews do.

Interesting answers.
Well another question comes up. I am a hardcore atheist, or lets take a person who decided to follow Buddah's believes. Does that person goes to Heaven/Hell or do they end up where they believed they would.
I mean most of the criminals do not believe in god, so how can they go to hell if they do not belieave in it or anything related to it?

Well, my belief is that it isn't as black and white as heaven and hell. There is a gray area in between.

Purgatory

i just cant accept the fact that a child rapist/murderer could get into heaven just by asking for forgiveness while a good person will go to hell for not beleiving in somet5hing they find hard to beleive. what kind of justice is that? and you cant say ur religion is right and others are wrong cause they all have the sasme basis. whos to say you wont be chillin on mount olympus with zeus when u die. if i beleived in any sort of afterlife it would be like an alternate demension where our bodies electrical energies goes when it can no longer inhabit the brain. not controlled by anyone yet shared by everyone.

Interesting answers.
Well another question comes up. I am a hardcore atheist, or lets take a person who decided to follow Buddah's believes. Does that person goes to Heaven/Hell or do they end up where they believed they would.
I mean most of the criminals do not believe in god, so how can they go to hell if they do not belieave in it or anything related to it?

In all honesty, there isn't a person in the world that can give you a 100% accurate answer for any of these questions. We have no FACTS, all we have is hearsay and questionable evidence. Nothing has been proven, nor can it be. This is where faith comes into play, you believe what, logically, you shouldn't believe. This is also where finding God for yourself comes into play. If you have no answers to your questions, and no man can answer them, the next step is to search for God to answer them. Bible says "seek me and you will find", so if that ends up true and you do find Him, then you can have faith that the Bible is true. If not, then you can continue being atheist and hope there's no such thing as hell.

Well, I'm not going to voice my opinion on whether i think there is a heaven or hell. But I will say something that just happened to my history teacher here at college.

He just got out of the hospital, he flatlined for 30 seconds, and then got mouth to mouth, and came back. Got a pacemaker installed (this happed last thrursday) and was back workin yesterday. While he was flatlined, he said he did see white light, it was like floating into a cloud bank.

-Ryan

Lots of people who "died and came back" say they experience similar things. Is it so surprising that even though our heart has stopped pumping our brain can still function at some level for a short while? Since many of these people can return to normal brain activity (or close to) I would say no.

That being said I think that some people may "be in heaven" in their mind, at least for a short while. Hours or days later may be a different story but maybe it will seem like eternity. If your brain was instantly blown to bits then this couldn't happen.

i just cant accept the fact that a child rapist/murderer could get into heaven just by asking for forgiveness while a good person will go to hell for not beleiving in something they find hard to beleive.

Well you start to ask questions like if that person was really saved. If they truely were though and they fell away from God and became a rapist/murderer then they'd still get into Heaven.

The good person on the other hand could help every single old lady across the street and it still isn't enough to get into Heaven, sorry.

It may not seem right but in the end everybody will be judged for what they did. Even the rapist who got into Heaven will be punished for what they did somehow.

what kind of justice is that?

I don't find it hard to understand or get. It says in the Bible that you're saved by your faith, not by works.

and you cant say ur religion is right and others are wrong cause they all have the sasme basis.

I don't think all religions are the same. They all go there own way in one way or another.

We all have the choice though to pick what we want to believe and how we believe it :2cents:

Well you start to ask questions like if that person was really saved. If they truely were though and they fell away from God and became a rapist/murderer then they'd still get into Heaven.

That is absolutely NOT true. You are doing people a great disservice by making such a statement. A cursory study of the teachings of the New Testament would explain this. I cannot mention all the passages which relate this idea, but here are two with particular relavence:

Hebrews 6:4-6 "It is impossible for those who have once been enlightened, who have tasted the heavenly gift, who have shared in the Holy Spirit, who have tasted the goodness of the word of God and the powers of the coming age, if they fall away, to be brought back to repentence, because to their loss they are crucifying the Son of God all over again and subjecting him to public disgrace."

It is a common misconception, with no Biblical backing, that salvation is achieved simply by accepting Jesus Christ as Lord. If it has no impact on your life, and the way you choose to live it, that faith is not real, and will not save you. You are correct that we are saved by grace and not by works. But reading the book of James you will find that faith without works is dead. It will not lead you too salvation.

Matthew 7:13-23 "Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it...
every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Thus, by their fruit you will recognize them.
Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord', will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. Many will say to me on that day, 'Lord, Lord did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?' Then I will tell them plainly, 'I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!"

I don't mean to jump on you, but it truely pains me to hear another believer spread these misconceptions.

i know what ur saying im just mentioning that if the murderer commited theese crimes and had a total change of heart while on death row, and he truly acccepted jesus in his heart. he would live in eternal happiness while the person who did nothing wrong will suffer forever. why would any loving father let their children destroy their own future? if this is the kind of love and justice your god shows i do not want to know him.

well "if" is the reason you should find out for yourself, instead of taking a book written by men's word for it.

...a book written by men's word for it.
That is one of the main reasond That I do not believe in Bible, and many things about Christianity. There is no original "Bibile" and all bible consists of are things written by people, and rewritten many times. Each time mostlikely somthing is thrown out or in.
Twizted_3KGT the Idead of pursuing the answer is somewhat logical but I think I will just continue being atheist, and maybe on the side try to find out the answer.
Thank you for the replies.

Well i Might aswell add my point in.

I believe that although religions go different ways, their paths, like the many rivers eventiually go to the same sea, god, the almighty.

As for accepting Jesus, I'm not a christian but I believe that in the phrase, "you'll be saved by accepting Jesus" etc. I think that its really you'll be saved if you follow his ways, ie: be a good person and personify and try to be what jesus was etc.

Its just that religions teach this "love thy neighbour" thing in different ways.

As for when you die, check out
http://www.near-death.com/ (http://www.near-death.com/experiences/research06.html)

or more specifically
http://www.near-death.com/experiences/research06.html

Its a good site with a lot of compilations of the various things.



But on the flip side of that, one could argue that even though those people were "brain dead" so to speak, the last image they think of will be all the things that they believe will happen when they die. This will get imprinted on their brains as it shuts down and when they "reawake" this is what is "remembered"

However, that dosn't account for many NDE's being quite similar even in places like say remote villages in india where things like "go towards the light" wouln't (i think) be an influence at all but still the people that have NDE's there supposedly see a light etc.


also some good info on "the void" or whatever its refered to in your beliefs. (hell, the punishment place in hinduism.. the name slips me... etc.)

its all too complicated.. i invent my own beliefs, just like man did for the bible.


near-death is bullshite too... people have their ups and downs. people who are about to die are in one shitty, stressfull situation. when you finally pass out and your nervous system tries to equalize it out... blam-o, you're instantly looking into the eyes of god.

i've went through some bad trips, switching from getting burned up and having my body ripped apart, to sitting on top of the highest mountain talking to jesus. BOTH were enjoyable and painfull, and neither one meant to be experienced continuously.

going to heaven and seeing all the chicks as hot and beatiful, and all the guys with football player bodies... is one sick, demented, shallow dream.



i believe in reincarnation, but i don't believe we are judged as good or bad, right or wrong... then reincarnated as follows.

you can imagine to yourself that poor/ugly/stupid people have a shitty life.. but there are a trillion different factors that combine to make up a person's day, and I guarantee that everyone has their moments of fulfillment, or else they wouldn't be here.

needless to say, our lives are mere specks in the book of time. The earth is estimated to be 45,000,000,000 years old, and your worried what will happen within 80?


if you wanna make a leap of faith then stop believing what everyone else has to say. rather than throwing a veil of ignorance over everything you're afraid of experiencing. Think for yourself.

^ they dont even think the universe is 45 billion let alone earth. More like 4.6 billion

yea the universe is only about 15 by our best guesses. maybe a little more.

prove it.


anyways, what difference is 45 billion vs. 4.5 billion in comparison to the human lifespan? none, no comparison. All materials are essentially recycled... it's just a matter of how long an object is capable of staying together.

i don't have a problem with religion. it makes people happy and go about their days...

but it isn't without its problems. when my grampa passed away, I overheard my gramma worrying about how he was sent to hell. that was really sick to me, what a way for her to spend the rest of her life. not to mention her being alone in heaven without her life partner. doesn't that defeat the purpose of heaven?

prove it.
Are you serious? Perhaps you should become a bit more informed.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Age_of_the_universe

anyways, what difference is 45 billion vs. 4.5 billion in comparison to the human lifespan? none, no comparison. All materials are essentially recycled... it's just a matter of how long an object is capable of staying together.


Entropy?

The sun will begin to die in about 5 billion years, it will not "stay" together for that long. As for all materials being recycled, prior to the Big Bang, where might you propose this matter came from?

Regarding the reincarnation, you must then believe there is some sort of self or sole we possess, which is distinct from the human mind/body. If that is the case, I would have to imagine that God created it, and if God created it, might He have some specific ideas (morales) He wishes to impart in us?

I am a strong Christian, but I have not always been this way. Thinking for myself is what led me to Christ.

Are you serious? Perhaps you should become a bit more informed.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Age_of_the_universe


say you were born 4,000 years ago(or even 10 years ago), somewhere in Africa. Would your beliefs have included these mathematical theories then? if the theories weren't available then, what greater relevance would they apply to a life experience now?

I looked at the theories, low and behold, the mechanics mean zip to me. Although, if i really wanted to understand, there are ways. But until then I am simply taking someone elses word for it.



The sun will begin to die in about 5 billion years, it will not "stay" together for that long. As for all materials being recycled, prior to the Big Bang, where might you propose this matter came from?



someone told me the big bang was just a rumor. I was told life actually began about 30 years ago, when the "matrix" was first booted up, we are actually aliens, playing a game of complicated chess. some people might even believe that.



Regarding the reincarnation, you must then believe there is some sort of self or sole we possess, which is distinct from the human mind/body. If that is the case, I would have to imagine that God created it, and if God created it, might He have some specific ideas (morales) He wishes to impart in us?



I don't believe that any one being has more "power" over another. I think that every part goes together as a whole. such as, smart people can't be defined without the presence of stupidity. Everyone's experience has their plusses and minuses, the perfect human is only an idea in everyones head, makes them move forward with hope.

most people look at celebrities like they have the perfect existence... but celebrities have no public freedom, and live with the fact that every move they make is monitored and judged by millions. Like Tom Cruise's fist pump, couch jump... what a freakin' idiot.

at the same time I look at a chickadee, as it quickly flies between the rungs of a porch railing... and I think, even though its lifespan is short, maybe it's perception of time is different than ours.

as for having a soul, i don't know. there are positive and negatives that every human designs and live by. you might think you've mastered throwing out all your negatives, and be living as a happy person.. but the way people then percieve you might make them angry.

like this religous aunt I have, she thinks lately I've pulled myself together, found what makes me happy, closer to god.. something like that.. now what I think of, was that she thought of me as a fuck-up before, bitch.


so you might be reincarnated as a worm, a frog, a panda, a deer, a mosquito, the stupid kid down the street.... but their existences really aren't any better or worse than your own, just a juggling of characteristics. you are a part of life, and that is the gift.

time n' space goes on forever, so whats 1 month as a worm?

say you were born 4,000 years ago(or even 10 years ago), somewhere in Africa. Would your beliefs have included these mathematical theories then? if the theories weren't available then, what greater relevance would they apply to a life experience now?

You said "prove it" as if you did not believe in the afore-mentioned age of the universe, so I gave you a bit of proof.


someone told me the big bang was just a rumor. I was told life actually began about 30 years ago, when the "matrix" was first booted up, we are actually aliens, playing a game of complicated chess. some people might even believe that.
This person has then proved their ignorance. The theory of a Big Bang is predicted by the Theory of General Relativity; perhaps the most exhaustively tested and affirmed theory in all of science. It is no rumor my friend. To believe otherwise would require denying the laws of physics.


I don't believe that any one being has more "power" over another. I think that every part goes together as a whole. such as, smart people can't be defined without the presence of stupidity. Everyone's experience has their plusses and minuses, the perfect human is only an idea in everyones head, makes them move forward with hope.

I don't see where this is going...

most people look at celebrities like they have the perfect existence... but celebrities have no public freedom, and live with the fact that every move they make is monitored and judged by millions. Like Tom Cruise's fist pump, couch jump... what a freakin' idiot.

I guess I agree?

at the same time I look at a chickadee, as it quickly flies between the rungs of a porch railing... and I think, even though its lifespan is short, maybe it's perception of time is different than ours.

It probably is, it's all about relativity my friend, "When you are courting a nice girl an hour seems like a second. When you sit on a red-hot cinder a second seems like an hour. That's relativity." -Albert Einstein

as for having a soul, i don't know. there are positive and negatives that every human designs and live by. you might think you've mastered throwing out all your negatives, and be living as a happy person.. but the way people then percieve you might make them angry.

I don't see how having a soul relates the rest of your statement, so I have no comment here.

like this religous aunt I have, she thinks lately I've pulled myself together, found what makes me happy, closer to god.. something like that.. now what I think of, was that she thought of me as a fuck-up before, bitch.

Sounds like she wants the best for you, sorry you have to deal with someone who cares for you so much, she must be an evil, vile person.

so you might be reincarnated as a worm, a frog, a panda, a deer, a mosquito, the stupid kid down the street.... but their existences really aren't any better or worse than your own, just a juggling of characteristics. you are a part of life, and that is the gift.

time n' space goes on forever, so whats 1 month as a worm?

This gets back to my point relating to the soul. In order to be reincarnated there must be something about your being which exists apart from the four dimensional world which we experience, if not, you would certainly cease to exist upon death, and the concept of reincarnation is void. For reincarnation to be a valid concept, something of you must be put into this new creature. For this to happen, something outside our space/time dimensions must have influenced such events, many would refer to this individual as God. Therefore, I contend that anyone who believes in reincarnation must cede to the existence of a higher power. It is only the logical conclusion to this course of reasoning.

"When I die, fuck it! I wanna go to hell,
I'm just a piece of shit, it ain't hard to fuckin' tell
It don't make since going to heaven with the goodie goodies
Dressed in white, I like black Timbs and black hoodies
God will probably have me on some real strict shit
No sleeping all day, no getting my dick licked
Hanging with the goodie goodies lounging in paradise
Fuck that shit, I rather pop guns and shoot dice"!

The Notorious B.I.G. 1994 "Ready to Die"

I wonder if God kept Biggie's word on that verse?

if so, that sucks BIGGIE-time for him.

This thread reminds me of the Megadeth song "Dread and the Fugitive Mind" ....in it he says :
"What if I do get caught? What if there is no judgement?
If I'm right I lose nothing, If you're right I lose it all.
I ought to get caught, because I'm doing something wicked.
I'm guilty, haunted by my fears and the only consequences are Dread and the Fugitive Mind."

What I see in this, is evidence to the theory of "Heaven and Hell are right here on earth" Regardless of his eternal resting place, the person in this song is in agony over what they've done. They know full well that their evil actions demand an accounting. They are paying for their sins now, and will for all eternity.
In reality, its far worse. On God's scales of absolute justice, if you break any part of the law, you are as guilty as breaking all of it. The law was not given to save us, but to show us that we need a savior. The hypothetical "good person that is wrongfully sent to hell" scenario is just that....hypothetical. Our measure of a good person is far more forgiving than God's. We would no doubt be willing to overlook certain mistakes, personality traits and attitudes in light of the "bigger picture". On God's scales of absolute justice, if you break any part of the law, you are as guilty as breaking all of it.

Now, if anyone chooses to accept the sacrifice that Jesus Christ made for him, he can be free from the guilt and fear. Knowing that Christ's payment for sin covers all transgressions past, present and future. I believe that freedom and peace right-here-right-now is a far more relevant point of discussion than eternity.

ct91rs,

if you'd give up with your Einstein quotes/theories we might have something worth arguing about. Einstein was extremely capable of thinking inside the lines, he was one person out of millions. His words and work applied to how he saw the world, the average human(example: myself) is clueless to the original meaning. Until you develop you're own work, and I start seeing biographies about you on A&E, please use your own ideas.

I could just as easily quote Salvador Dali, Timothy Leary, Aldous Huxley, Terence McKenna, or many others who were genious at thinking outside the lines. (but then again, the average human is clueless to many of their perceptions).

I'll never create a mathematical theory in my lifespan, so that must mean my beliefs/thoughts are insignificant, and I can only be a sheep? You said the matrix theory is ignorance? you don't think a computer program is capable of designing a world where math works? where traces of a big bang were left? where discoveries can be made using what's available? I don't call that ignorance what-so-ever, more like imagination and creativity.

/\ not that I believe any of that /\ . But what I'm trying to explain, is that science is the pole opposite of imagination, and neither one is more important or believable than the other, and you can only recognize one through the comparison of another.


This gets back to my point relating to the soul. In order to be reincarnated there must be something about your being which exists apart from the four dimensional world which we experience, if not, you would certainly cease to exist upon death, and the concept of reincarnation is void. For reincarnation to be a valid concept, something of you must be put into this new creature. For this to happen, something outside our space/time dimensions must have influenced such events, many would refer to this individual as God. Therefore, I contend that anyone who believes in reincarnation must cede to the existence of a higher power. It is only the logical conclusion to this course of reasoning.


I agree. except I think that our memories, our selves only exist here in this lifespan, after that they're gone, except to those who remember us. Life is what we make it, but under situations. Our soul is only the light of consciousness, and it doesn't belong to God or Satan.

This is such a wierd topic to discuss now that I think about it. As everyone will find out the answer but nobody will ever be able to share it with anybody alive. You might just reach whatever you desired and hoped for once you die, but its just one of millions of answers to this question.
Lets just hope for the best. If my thoughts about this are right I am good, if they are wrong then at least I will have a fun life while alive.

^ they dont even think the universe is 45 billion let alone earth. More like 4.6 billion

That's kinda of a blanket statement. There are two views of creation, Old Earth and New Earth. New Earth takes the word "day", as it is translated in Genesis, as a literal 24 hour day. The word, however, just simply means a passage of time. Old Earth creation, the view i tend to identify with, believes the word "day" is figurative and believes that the scientific age of the Universe is correct.

Another point, don't remember who it was by, was that a man who never did anything wrong but never believed in Jesus would go to hell. If the man did not sin, then he would not need the grace of the sacrifice of Jesus to enter heaven. However, in the practical world, all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God, so we all need God's grace. With the murderer/rapist, if he fell from his faith and did not return to it before he died, then I believe he will go to hell. If, however, he accepts the Lord as is savior (again I suppose) and repents from his sins, then he will be saved.

As for the dilemma of those that never had the chance to learn about Jesus, I grappled with this question myself. After reading the Bible and meditating on it, I came to the belief that those who do not have the chance to learn about Jesus will be judge by the laws of the tribe/society in which they live, as well as the laws of morality which i believe are engrained in every person.

I'd gladly input on any other questions from an educated Christian's perspective.

Deep! Im wiccan...and believe that if you are good in life you die and go to the summer lands (kind of like heaven) once you're there you can choose to stay or go back to earth. Some of your dreams are snippets of past memories to help you on the right path back to the summer lands. If you're bad, you go back so that you can right your wrongs...there is no such thing as hell...but you will get treated as you treated others, which is kind of a hell on earth :grinyes:

I personally don't have any specific religious beliefs as far as a deity. But i do beleif in a supreme being. I also think that you could be a atheist or a buddhist or whatever and you could still get to "heaven" as long as your not full of hate and that you are more known for doing good things in your life. Now if you are full of hate or do selfish things for any reason then you will :newburn: do good and good things shall happen

Chocolate is heaven, but cavities are hell.....so what does that make toothpaste?

Chocolate is heaven, but cavities are hell.....so what does that make toothpaste?
Your saviour:icesangel

I think that Mere Christianity by C.S. Lewis is probably one of the best apologetics I have read. His argument starts by explaining how we can know that there is a being "above" us. He then follows that argument to how we can know that this being is God, and how we know that chiristianity is true. Then he goes on to explain some doctrine and why we can trust it. Its worth reading if you are interested in intelectual not to "preachy" answers to some questions about chirstianity.

I think that Mere Christianity by C.S. Lewis is probably one of the best apologetics I have read. His argument starts by explaining how we can know that there is a being "above" us. He then follows that argument to how we can know that this being is God, and how we know that chiristianity is true. Then he goes on to explain some doctrine and why we can trust it. Its worth reading if you are interested in intelectual not to "preachy" answers to some questions about chirstianity.

I've been trying to get my hands on a copy of Mere Christianity and will hopefully get to reading it this semester. I've heard nothing but good things from people who read the book. Right now, I'm reading a book for my Basic Christian Beliefs class called Avoiding Jesus by Michael Green, its a pretty good book as well.

Me personaly I like Anne Rice's idea of heaven and hell and the whole god vs satan thing in her book Memnoch the Devil. I know it's fiction and all that but it is a whole diffrent and original twist from what you're used to hearing.

God exists outside Heaven or Earth, He created them both. He said that Heaven and Earth will both pass away, but that He will remain, and we with Him. Heaven is not a physical location, at least not here on Earth. It is where God is, so if we are in Heaven, we are with God. But God is also living inside us in the Holy Spirit. So when we are with God, I think we are also in Heaven. Confused? me too.

I've been trying to get my hands on a copy of Mere Christianity and will hopefully get to reading it this semester. I've heard nothing but good things from people who read the book. Right now, I'm reading a book for my Basic Christian Beliefs class called Avoiding Jesus by Michael Green, its a pretty good book as well.
Yeah man its a great book, it proves that contrary to what athiest's think you can think and be a christian at the same time.