I guess we all get to goto Heaven because the guild is dead

[Zolof Keeper Of Souls]

What are your thoughts of heaven? What do you think its like beyond what the bible tells us, and do you think people get to go there if they are not Christians? Why or why not?  

[freelance lover]

The crew is working on reviving the guild, first we're working on cleaning it out. Ha.

As for Heaven, I've never really given much thought to the afterlife, nor do I really care. I have faith that God will take care of me, whatever happens next, and I'm much more interested in making the best of this life, rather than worry about the next.  

[Shadows-shine]

Since I have a hard time phrasing my thoughts, here is a link describing how my religion teaches what Heaven is like: heaven  

[Fushigi na Butterfly]

You know, my personal thoughts on Heaven have changed almost as much as my favorite food has. When I was younger, of course I went with the fluffy clouds and pearly white gates that somehow appeared gold in my mind, with angels flying around and playing harps idea that everyone is taught to think about Heaven as children. Then it shifted into more of an idea about a place where each person is sort of .... sectioned off in his or her personal paradise, containing anything and everything that person could think to want. As my faith grew, and I began to understand God and the Bible a little more, I began to stop thinking of the physical traits of Heaven and to focus more on the spiritual aspects of it. Now, though my faith is somewhat in a wavery stage, I feel that Heaven is being with God, and I guess, in a way, I've always felt that that was the key element. God loves us and wants us to be with Him, and wants to be with us (which is why He sent His Son). Our ultimate destination and goal is to return to that fellowship with Him, the way it was in the garden in the beginning, when humanity knew God implicitly and walked with Him daily. I have no idea what that means for the physical appearance of Heaven or anything else beyond that, and I can't recall to mind any actual descriptions of Heaven mentioned in the Bible, but there you have it: my thoughts on Heaven.

Also, we are trying to revive the guild, because I was a horrible guild captain and abandoned it when I experienced of crisis of faith. No worries though, Ryuu is an excellent captain. 3nodding

ETA After browsing through the link Shadows-shine posted, I'd like to add that I have a somewhat modified version of the Mormon belief of different Heavens, or different levels of Heaven. I've sort of come to believe in an unorthodox version of Hell, which some might still consider to be Heaven (as, again, I can't call to mind any specific details in the Bible that say "This is what Hell will be like"), and which has been somewhat informed from something someone said in this guild once. I find it hard to believe that a loving God would necessarily condemn anyone, especially since the Bible preaches that in Jesus there is no condemnation. Now, whether this applies only to those who have accepted the gift of Christ's salvation, or to everyone because Christ did what He did is open for discussion, but I feel that those who do not want to be with God will get just that, but that it doesn't necessarily have to be a painful experience. Perhaps ultimately it would be (this part I haven't decided on), since we were created by God to be with God, but I imagine it to be more of a vague missing something than an eternal suffering for lack of communion with God.  

[Galad Aglaron]

I don't believe in an afterlife, but I guess from a Christian perspective, at its most fundamental level, Heaven would be in the presence of God and Hell would be separation from Him. If you look at Jewish sources, then Heaven is very mythologised and dogmatic; seven levels, each with its own angelic Prince, with God presiding over the innermost sphere of Heaven, the Well of Souls beneath His throne, all that.  

[Ravynne Sidhe]

`Though thy crest be shorn and shaven, thou,' I said, `art sure no craven.
Ghastly grim and ancient raven wandering from the nightly shore -

When it comes to heaven, I don't think that it's this mystical palace on fluffy white clouds that a lot of people will have you believe. I think it's honestly a lot different than that.

I honestly never had an opinion or vision of what heaven could be like until I read The Lovely Bones in the 9th grade. The book is about a young fourteen year old who is raped and murdered. The book chronicles her life in heaven, and how life is in the living world after she's raped. It was a sad and touching book. But it brought into question: What if heaven could be different, like your own sort of paradise that you make?

To me heaven could be a personification of our dreams, and positive things that we wish for. Heaven could quite possibly be a mirror image of Earth without all the violence, hatred and sin (I wrote a poem on it, and this was the image I had for it)

Tell me what thy lordly name is on the Night's Plutonian shore!'
Quoth the raven, `Nevermore.'

 

[Fushigi na Butterfly]

@Galad: I somehow managed to miss all Jewish descriptions of Heaven, even though I feel like I've had a pretty good exposure to the comparing and contrasting of Jewish versus Christian beliefs/dogma. I feel cheated now. D:

@Ravynne: The second half of your post is part of what I feel Heaven could be like. I don't actually have a concrete image of it, but I do know that I believe, ultimately, it is being with God.  

[xxEverBluexx]

I've been locked inside that house, all the while You hold key
And I've been dying to get out, though that might be the death of me

I can't say for sure what Heaven is like (beyond what the Bible says, and anyone here can easily google that), but there's a few things I think that I'm not sure everyone does. I think I saw a verse that said we're already in the throne room, so if that's true than we already are spiritually in Heaven (I can't say that for sure without finding the verse though ^^; wink . I've read the accounts of three people who have died and come back, and they spoke of music that was always in harmony, the gates which were only described as being pearl like because there wasn't a better way to describe it, and not eating the food because if they had come back after tasting it, earthly food would have tasted like saw dust. One of the accounts also said Jesus showed him a realm that wasn't like Heaven or Hell, but was for those that dedicated their lives to wisdom and knowledge; since the Word doesn't mention it, I don't know whether to believe that or not.

Beyond that, I believe it's going to be like every moment is perfect and full, like those days you experience where you just don't want them to end because everything is too good. We're going to be able to do things and see things we couldn't do and see here, and we'll never have to worry about boredom, loneliness, anger, or sorrow again. We'll also get to dwell with God, which will naturally be the best part. ^^

And all I'm asking is for You to do what You can with me
But I can't ask You to give what You already gave