Heaven

Here are two things that have been on my mind lately:

1.) Things get a little squiffy when religion is involved.
2.) Not everyone is going to get what they want all the time.

And I feel as though they match up under the same umbrella of thought/theory. I also feel as though this proposal deserves (at least) its own book. But I don't have a book. I have a blog and just enough time to write a bit in it. So here goes.

The idea of "Heaven" has always perplexed me. As a child I remember thinking that at a first glance the intention of it was simple enough to understand: Be good and you will be rewarded. Be bad and you will be punished. And I understood that. But once I got into the details of it, it simply seemed downright impossible. Because, as I understood, this "Heaven" is where you would be rewarded with a really great setting and scenario for the entirety of your afterlife. A place where you would be happy - forever. Let's get past the whole "we've been to space and haven't seen Heaven" thing, and arguments of the like. What I didn't understand is this:

How could I be perfectly happy forever in a Heaven where someone else - who has a completely different idea of "happiness" - was just as happy? One person's idea of Heaven has dogs everywhere (for snuggling). My idea of it would likely have little to no domesticated animals, as I do not care much for the hair, allergies or responsibilities that ensue. Is there someone else taking care of these creatures? Who? Why do they get stuck with it? That couldn't possibly be enough people's idea of Heaven to really take care of all of those dogs. Also, what if the dogs don't share the idea of this scenario being "Heaven"? Do they not get a say?

The point to all of this (holy cow) is: Not everyone is going to get what they want all the time. Also, what if my idea of "Heaven" is spending time with someone incredibly special who does not subscribe to the ideals that allow you into Heaven? Then I am out of luck, I suppose. Leading, of course, to possibly the most peaceful and least controversial evidence of the other point I had: Things get a little squiffy when religion is involved. So many holes! So many variables. If religion were a story, it wouldn't be a very good one, what with all the plot holes and (what some may find to be) injustice.

This leads me into the next topic I typically think of in congruence with the aforementioned:

"Separation of Church & State"


(see next blog)