There is no Heaven

[joggerjayne]

This could be my first post in this Section.

Anyway ...

Stephen Hawking has just said ...

"I regard the brain as a computer which will stop working when its components fail. There is no Heaven or afterlife. That is a fairy story for people afraid of the dark."

So, that's it then !

(Stephen Hawking was the person who, some years ago, had said that, if we could understand the particles and forces in the universe, then we would "know the mind of God".)

[pa___ul3]

I'm with doc and JTH, the notions of heaven and hell must be completely man-made because there are so many varying ideas of what it consists of which, were it the same place, would totally contradict it.
The idea of a heaven being a goal or reward in order to make you live your life 'better' is all well and good, but, like JTH, I'd rather live myself to see the benefits here, where I know for sure I can experience them.

[mike11111]

When you have the Choir of Angels singing for you, who needs Britain's Got Talent?

Seriously though, I don't know why I posted on this thread and regret having done so. If you examine all the threads in this category you will find that shorn of their diverse phraseology they all boil down to one thing; There is/There isn't a God. Neither side will ever yield to the other so to me it's all a load of wasted pixels.Frankly it's boring. I would much rather read about Doc's adventures with a bottle of rum and how he got on at the Bingo.

[joggerjayne]

mike is right.

[joggerjayne]

ps. how DID Doc get on at bingo ??

[Zeuhl]

Recipe for the creation of Heaven, Hell and all sorts of ego-centric religious notions:

1. The inability for many human beings to imagine ceasing to exist.
add
2. A fear of the unknown, uncertainty and an unwillingness to accept 'not knowing'.
top off with
3. Human Beings' outstanding powers of creativity and invention.

[classylady60]

I heaven lasts forever, what do you do when the beer runs out...

[mike11111]

It doesn't, that's the whole point!

[classylady60]

Sorry mike...was being silly....I should have said Hell....<smile>

[Cowtipper]

In hell they server Bud Light, Miller Lite, and have Busch Light on tap.

[whiskeryron]

Stephen Hawking is a theoretical physicist, the theories he dreams up are in his head not mine end of.Ron.

[Sir Alec]

I believe in reincarnation, which means there must be something out there. I don't believe in hell though, I think we are already in it.

[nightmare]

It is incredible how Stephen Hawking can be described as a genius, yet the instant he expresses an opinion which conflicts with those of theists, he is immediately declared to be an idiot who does not know what he is talking about.

[beso]

The point of science is that is matters naught who said what. The merit is with the hypothesis.

Religion is nothing but a series of personality cults where the focus on the supposed wisdom of the "prophet" goes to their head.

[Cowtipper]

I read an interesting article about atheists the other day. They come in all sizes and shapes with varying degrees of intelligence and opinions. Its not fair to lump them all in together because no two people see things the exact same way. I can't assume that Birdie and Beso share a political philosophy or any philosophy for that matter. I enjoy Mike's input just as much as Paul's and several others. Some of the people on this board are hilarious.

What I am curious about is the venom in some arguments. I'm a free thinking individual and no church tells me what to believe. I don't care about the church's position on abortion or any of a dozen other issues it puts its finger on.

I read the bible over and over. Then I read it again. I studied the words of Jesus and decided it was a good philosophy. I don't care what Jesus didn't do but what he did do. He cared for the outcasts and the down trodden. He healed the rich and the poor. He accepted people for who they were and what they could be. He fed the hungry and taught peace, love, and understanding. He corrected the religious hierarchy of the day and denounced the evil he saw around him. He gave his life in self sacrifice because he believed good would come from it.

People caused the inquisition, not Christ. People have manipulated and cajoled since the dawn of man. Its man's nature to act in his own interests.

I don't follow Christ for a promised reward or punishment. I don't believe we go to heaven when we die so what reward am I offered? My conscience doesn't give up what I've done wrong so there's no salve in forgiveness.

I believe if I see the end of the world come there will be sides drawn. It costs me nothing and perhaps gains me nothing but when it comes down to it I'd rather believe in something than believe in nothing.

[Cowtipper]

Dearest Baldrick77,
God loves you even if you are a troll. Please don't judge me too harshly from my place of birth. I had my choice of America or Canada and if I got white parents or brown. Next time I choose my place of birth I'll try to make it more acceptable to you. Until then please accept my most humble appologies for asking you to read what I wrote.

Oh, I didn't. God never told me I couldn't tell you to go bugger off. So I'd like to say in the most humble and polite way "Go bugger yourself."

[chris1957au]

He may be wrong, guess if he is he will have some explaning to do later lol