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Reticent



Last Updated: 11/18/2009

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Gender: Male
Status: Single
Age: 25
Sign: Taurus

City: Lehi
State: Utah
Country: US
Signup Date: 10/27/2005

Who Gives Kudos:


Thursday, December 20, 2007 

Picture having everything you want.  You've won the lottery 4 times and now have close to a billion dollars.  You've spent your money buying everything you want.  You've started foundations making and impact on the world around you.  With a little extra cash, you started a growing wind farm to erase the carbon footprint you created.  Your entire families debts were erased.  All the time you have is spent traveling and doing whatever it is you want. 

 How long can you remain happy?

 There is a common thing among most religions about a soul existing forever or spending eternity in some celestial place.  Even in a perfect world, heaven, doesn't the idea of eternity scare the crap out of you?  What my mind is capable of conceiving as perfect, is still not something I would want to last forever.

 Have you heard the story about the brass sphere 100' in diameter?  Every century, an eagle flies past and gently brushes the tip of its feather briefly touches the surface of this sphere.  When that sphere is eroded down to dust—the beginning of eternity has passed. 

 Seriously, think about that!!  Even in absolute perfection, can you imagine existing that long?  I think at some point, no matter how perfect, I would want things to end.  Lights out, that's it, my existence is over.  I'll say I don't think 85ish years will be enough to satisfy me, but I am ABSOLUTELY TERRIFIED of eternity. 

 Say you do make it to heaven in the presence of God.  I would hope that at some point in his grace, that you could request your time to be over.  He smiles, shakes your hand, you close your eyes, and that's it.  That is my idea of perfection—getting to choose when you're satisfied. 

Eric

 
This is going to sound blasphemous to some of your readers, I'm quite certain. But I've given this a lot of thought myself, though I came up with a slightly different conclusion. I think the bottom line is that as we are, heaven can't exist. We wouldn't be satisfied with it now, because we're not ready for it. Eternity, perfection, omniscience. These concepts are incompatible with jealousy, anger, sadness, and the rest of the imperfect emotions.

Now the counter arguement I always heard in church when I brought this point up during confirmation education or what have you was that when you get to heaven you wouldn't feel those things.

Why the Hell not? Is God just going to strip me of those things? I wouldn't be who I am anymore if He did that, and I wouldn't be okay if He just decided to change me to fit in up there. But if I could just be who I am, what right would I have to be there? How could I would deserve Heaven if the concepts were lost on me?

I guess that's not so much a conclusion as just more questions. /shrug
 
Posted by Eric on Friday, December 21, 2007 - 3:00 PM
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Reticent

 
People can think it's blasphemous. Most people believe it's something they should want because they were told to do so. I don't think they have actually given it any real thought.

The argument I was always told is that there is no way we can, as sinful people, conceive what true perfection is and what life would be like in the presence of God. You're absolutely right, perfection cannot exist without imperfection. If everyone was completely happy, that would just be a normal. Perhaps there is no feeling entirely. You can only feel happy now because it is a change from normal.
 
Posted by Reticent on Saturday, December 22, 2007 - 1:34 AM
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Napalm

 
Hmm, well here's my take. Heaven IS being in the presence of God, and Hell is the absence of God. And since God is life, then all living things are connected to each other through God. Ergo, we all share small part of the living God within us all. To die is to return your life to that greater existence that is God. I think though what you may be referring to is the concept of reincarnation? Perhaps not, but by dying and being reborn the soul can forget its previous life yet still learn from it. Egads, its time for a beer.
 
Posted by Napalm on Friday, December 21, 2007 - 10:35 PM
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Reticent

 
I understand what you're trying to say... but there's a snag. If certain people will make it to heaven and certain people will end up in hell, is that saying that God is perpetually losing part of himself?

Reincarnation could work, if your mind is essentially erased every life. One conscious mind simply could not last through eternity. I actually like the idea of reincarnation, it's much more comforting to me than what I was discussing earlier.

I just want to know that there is an end, albeit absolute with a poof, or a starting over by reincarnation. I don't like eternity, I don't want eternity.
 
Posted by Reticent on Saturday, December 22, 2007 - 1:39 AM
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Napalm

 
Hmm, interesting thread: "If certain people will make it to heaven and certain people will end up in hell, is that saying that God is perpetually losing part of himself?" I hadn't considered that. Fortunately I don't consider heaven and hell to be actual places. I like the Hindu and Buddhist view that a soul does not exist in a state of hell forever, but eventually passes through it. That said, your question is a difficult one to get around. Perhaps God has schizophrenia and imagines himself without himself.
 
Posted by Napalm on Saturday, December 22, 2007 - 5:54 PM
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Diane

 
I totally agree with Randy-scares the shit outta me!! Seriously. I can't think about the idea of existing forever without bringing myself close to a small panic attack...sometimes i wonder why God organized our energies into the beings that we are--only to have us wish we'd never existed ...or at least could stop the show at some point .I only hope that I have no concept of time in the next life so it doesn't feel like an endless trip...
If not, maybe a "mind wipe" every now and then to reset my hard drive...
 
Posted by Diane on Wednesday, January 16, 2008 - 5:39 PM
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