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¡°Is there a Heaven? Oh yeah, it¡¯s the place where dreams come true.¡± Since the beginning of time, humans have been searching for an answer to this universal question. Through the ages, many have come across this question and have been befuddled by what never seems to be sure. Despite the fact that the existence of Heaven is strongly rejected by most atheists, materialists, and some pantheist, such a miraculous possibility that a world free of pain, suffering and sin may exist is hard to deny. Since the creation of humanity, the entire recorded history has revolved around religious beliefs and humanity¡¯s desire for life after death.
A common and widely accepted definition of Heaven is the abode of God, of the angles, and of the spirits of the righteous after death. It is the place or state of existence of the blessed after this mortal life. Some even suggest that Heaven is merely a fantasy, a way to cover the human fear of death. However, this definition can be considered too broad for most religions. Out of the hundreds of religions that exist today, I would like to compare the three major religion¡¯s view on life after death.
Judaism is one of the oldest religions that are still practiced today with an estimated number of 15 million members. From the perspective of Judaism, Heaven is ¡°where the soul experiences the greatest possible pleasure - the feeling of closeness to God.¡± One view of Judaism of what the soul will experience during Judgment Day is that two visions will be projected for the soul to see. The first vision will replay the total length of one¡¯s life. All the decisions, thoughts, deeds, and moments of their life will be reviewed so that they will better comprehend and distinguish their personal strengths and limitations. The second vision will depict how one¡¯s life could have resulted, if they simply decided upon wiser choices. Through these created pains of regrets, the barrier between God and soul will fade away, enabling the character to be entirely connected to God.
In the eyes of a Christian, the gateway of Heaven is opened after death cleanses one¡¯s original and personal mortal sins. They believe that this act of forgiveness from God is made possible due to Jesus Christ¡¯s crucifixion on the cross. Even though Christianity is branched off into additional groups that practice different traditions, this is their common belief of what Heaven is.
On the other hand, Hinduism emphasizes a complete different view of ¡°Heaven.¡± In a sense, they believe that Heaven is only temporary and never permanent. Life in Heaven only lasts until they reincarnate back to this earthly world. Reincarnation, which literally means ¡°to be made flesh again¡±, holds the impression that the soul or the spirit of the dead will continue to exist and be reborn in a new body.
Putting these definitions and facts aside, the question that might be considered the most important for most people is ¡°How can I get to Heaven?¡± Most people have a common misconception that the entrance to Heaven can simply achieved by doing more good deeds than bad deeds. In a Christian view, Heaven can be achieved as long as the believer has an unconditional faith in the blood of Jesus Christ. Christians believe that because of their original sin (Adam & Eve¡¯s wrongdoing) that they are born with, Heaven would be impossible to enter without Jesus¡¯ infinite mercy. According to the Holy Bible, ¡°For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God.¡± (Romans 3:23) Acceptance to Heaven will not depend on the amount of ¡°good¡± deeds you do. As long as your soul is stained with the original sin, you are too unclean to enter the Kingdom of God.
In the other hand, Atheists disprove the existence of Heaven using possible contradictions. One aspect of Heaven that makes it impossible for it to exist is the problem that if Heaven did exist, neither would free will. If Heaven is a world without evil or sin, the inhabitants of Heaven would have no freedom of choice to do anything but good. Some Atheists even complain that Heaven is ¡°unfair.¡± The fact that Heaven is a gift of God that is completely unmerited makes it unjust for earthly dwellers who never receive the chance to learn and faithfully believe that ¡°right¡± religion. As a result, most atheists disprove the existence of Heaven or God due to the lack of evidence and the abundance of ¡°problems¡± that exists within religion.
Even with all of this information, the question to whether Heaven exists remains unanswered. One approach in proving that a world beyond death can exist is through rare cases of near-death experiences. A NDE is the perception reported by a person who nearly died or who was clinically dead and revived. Most people who¡¯s had a near-death experience overwhelmingly believe that they have been shown a glimpse of life of Heaven or even hell. During these rare occasions, an out of body experience that involves a sensation of floating above one's physical body is common. The experiencer will be able to consiously ¡°see¡± all the events that happens to surrounding the body. In a typical situation, the out of body experience is followed by a vision of a long tunnel, encountering deceased relatives and other holy beings, and a sensation of undescrible light and welcoming love. These remarkable phenomenoms has majorly influenced the religions today and gave the population a second thought on what Heaven really means.
One might consider whether anyone should even waste the time pondering on what might and might not happen to us after death. After conducting a minor survey in Cheong Shim International Academy, a small percentage of the students replied that we should be more concerned about the life we have right now rather than dwelling on an afterlife that isn¡¯t even been proven to exist. On the other hand, others firmly believe in the existence of Heaven and God because of their belief in the relgion that was passed down from their parents. In my personal opinion, I believe that depending on what their views on Heaven are, their attitude towards life would considerably be difference. Believing that their deeds during their earthly life would reflect upon the decision to whether they would enter Heaven, most believers would refrain from doing evil or sin at all. If the existence of Heaven can scientically be proven in the near future, a much purified world will be perfected. Everyone¡¯s attempt to become ¡°holy¡± and enter Heaven would, in a sense, achieve world peace.
In conclusion, I strongly consider that more funds should be contributed in researching and later proving the existense of Heaven. If this cannot be achomplished by a nation, the least an individual can do is to evandualize. By doing so, the population will become more familiar with the concepts and benefits of Heaven. As a result, the world today will take a step closer in becoming a ¡°heaven¡± itself.
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