(September 15, 2019 at 5:48 pm)wyzas Wrote:(September 15, 2019 at 5:22 pm)Belaqua Wrote: There is a wonderful book called The Great Chain of Being by Arthur Lovejoy which discusses, in part, different Christian views of heaven. Highly recommended. He summarizes two types: those that see heaven as an extension of this life, only better, and those which see heaven as radically different.
Dante's Paradiso is a good example of the radically different type, and it's in keeping with the official theology of the Catholic church -- allowing for certain poetic differences.
Dante's heaven is much in line with Neoplatonic thought. It is joining with the pure Good. But there is no time or space there, so the idea of how you spend your time is irrelevant.
I don't think he asked you to brag about knowing that one christian thinks this and one that. He asked what YOU would be doing.
Why the hell do you always feel the need to be pompous?
My favorite part is that I don't even think he realizes he's doing it. I think he really just believes that he's this educated, intellectually superior being and so he doesn't even think about how he comes off to people.
If you're frightened of dying, and you're holding on, you'll see devils tearing your life away. But if you've made your peace, then the devils are really angels, freeing you from the Earth.
