What is Heaven?

[JoshC]

In Christian (and other religions, if you like) beliefs, what is Heaven?

Where is it? What is it? Wouldn't it get a bit boring? Isn't it just a mess up from humans' evolutionary useful fear of death and cognitive abilities?

Just wondering what peoples ideas on this.

[Miles]

In Christian (and other religions, if you like) beliefs, what is Heaven?

A neat place where everyone goes around with a big grin on their face all day long (yes, there are nights there).

Where is it?

It's up in the sky, and you need a cloud to go through to get there,

• Acts 1:9
  
  9And when he had spoken these things, while they beheld, he was taken up; and a cloud received him out of their sight.

What is it?

Eternal bliss.

Wouldn't it get a bit boring?

Sure it would, but upon entering heaven Phil or Brenda---the current admitting angels--make sure you receive a lobotomy so you won't care.

Isn't it just a mess up from humans' evolutionary useful fear of death and cognitive abilities?

Oh! No! No! NO! Don't EVER say that. Heaven is ice cream and cookies, and good looking women who like me. It's been promised. So never think about all that ugly stuff. It's a great place. The BEST place

[McCulloch]

Where is [heaven]?

Then God said, "Let there be an expanse in the midst of the waters, and let it separate the waters from the waters." God made the expanse, and separated the waters which were below the expanse from the waters which were above the expanse; and it was so.
God called the expanse heaven. And there was evening and there was morning, a second day.
Then God said, "Let the waters below the heavens be gathered into one place, and let the dry land appear"; and it was so. God called the dry land earth, and the gathering of the waters He called seas; and God saw that it was good.
[...]
Then God said, "Let there be lights in the expanse of the heavens to separate the day from the night, and let them be for signs and for seasons and for days and years; and let them be for lights in the expanse of the heavens to give light on the earth"; and it was so. God made the two great lights, the greater light to govern the day, and the lesser light to govern the night; He made the stars also. God placed them in the expanse of the heavens to give light on the earth, and to govern the day and the night, and to separate the light from the darkness; and God saw that it was good.

According to Genesis, heaven is below the waters above and above the land and the sea. It contains the sun, moon and the stars. God and his angels call out from heaven to various people from time to time. Rain and dew come from heaven. Elijah, the prophet, went up by a whirlwind to heaven whereas Jesus used a cloud to ascend far above all the heavens. He will also come back on clouds.

[T-mash]

In Christian (and other religions, if you like) beliefs, what is Heaven?

Where is it? What is it? Wouldn't it get a bit boring? Isn't it just a mess up from humans' evolutionary useful fear of death and cognitive abilities?

Just wondering what peoples ideas on this.

I bolded the part for you where you answered all your own questions. Heaven is the result of human nature. Humans that:
1) Don't want to lose people they care for
2) Don't want to stop living themselves

Survival is the most important part for every organism. Human beings are one of the few that actually understand death. We know we will die. So how does our survival mechanism cope with the idea that our death is inevitable? Make up a way to cheat death.

[JoshC]

yeah, that's my view on the subject (see how I subtly included it hehe), I was more just interested in how anyone could not see this was the case.

[OnceConvinced]

It will be a beautiful wonderful place where all Christians will have to bow down and worship God for all eternity. There will be no sin or rebellion there, thus all people will be turned into robots with no free will. All knowledge and memories of their unsaved loved ones will be erased from their memories, so that they won't have to live with the torment of knowing that those loved ones are currently roasting for all eternity at that hand of their loving God.

[Heterodoxus]

In Christian (and other religions, if you like) beliefs, what is Heaven?

One definition of the Christian heaven is ἐπου�α�νιος, epouranios, above the sky.

All else is conjecture.

[T-mash]

In Christian (and other religions, if you like) beliefs, what is Heaven?

One definition of the Christian heaven is ἐπου�α�νιος, epouranios, above the sky.

All else is conjecture.

Conjecture? Since when did mythology became conjecture?

[Paul2]

Heterodoxus,

One definition of the Christian heaven is ἐπου�α�νιος, epouranios, above the sky.

Epouranios is an adjective.

Paul

[Random Mind]

yeah, that's my view on the subject (see how I subtly included it hehe), I was more just interested in how anyone could not see this was the case.

So then it would be accurate to say you created the post purely to mock people you feel are ignorant / brainwashed / unintelligent (overall just less advanced than you) and not so much out of a desire to hear another perspective on life / death?

Interesting. Yes, Christians must definitely be the close minded ones. Good post, I hope one of them thar Christians is dumbs enough to come argue this mock fest!