Eternity in Heaven - Scary?

[Amarok]

Forget Hell for now as that's a whole different can of worms.

So I came across an article not too long ago and it was an atheist article and I was reading through the comments. One of the comments I came across was someone explaining that the idea of spending eternity -anywhere- was nearly panic inducing during their time as a Christian. It was the first time I had ever heard or read anyone express this so strongly.

So for those of you who used to believe in an eternal Heaven, I am wondering, did any of you share similar feelings about it?

Heaven is most nightmarish concept i can think

[Succubus]

Long after the last star burned out, the last black hole evaporated and the closest two hydrogen atoms are light years apart, you and the missus are sitting in heaven:

It was my sister Carol you really wanted wasn’t it I remember catching you feeling her arse at Angela's 40th and don't think I've forgotten that time you came in drunk and pisst in the wardrobe all over my shoes I'll never forgive myself for letting you book that holiday Morocco is not a Spanish speaking island in the Mediterranean you stupid cunt and how dare you tell you tell your drunken pals I've got a fanny like a wizard's sleeve and I never did get proper Christmas presents always M&S gift vouchers my mother told me I was making a big mistake when.........................

I hate you!

And there's no way out. You can't kill yourself, remember gods omniscience? He would know nicely that would be your intention so there's no way he would let you into heaven in the first place. Even when you're dead, you're fucked.

Christians. Be careful what you wish for.

[Whateverist]

I don't have a fear of an eternal afterlife.  Not now or when I was a believer.

To be honest, even as a believer the thought of spending eternity in heaven with the sole purpose of praising god was disturbing to me.  Now the idea just disgusts me.

Eternity praising an egotistical being?

No thanks.

Yeah, I'm pretty sure my bolded is the job of interns.  Am I right?

[Mister Agenda]

I remember listening to sermons about how great heaven is when I was a kid and thinking Id rather stay here on Earth as long as possible. It sounded boring, hearing about it was boring, and I hated being bored for an hour, eternity would be excruciating. Later I wondered things like: if I'm happy in heaven while my loved ones are being tortured in hell, that sounds like some kind of holy lobotomy is required. The person in heaven wouldn't really be me, then.

Of course, when people were trying to sell heaven, everyone was doing hard labor, a chance just to rest without pain would have sounded pretty good compared to subsistence farming.

[Whateverist]

Existing in heaven would be like being a mindless automaton. No original self thought, no original self action, only thoughts and action as god commands. If the omniscient god exists and everything has been foreseen then there would be no free will, especially now that you've been let into the "special place".  Everything scripted, ICK!

Might as well just give me a lobotomy at the gate. 

(please, lets not derail into a free will thread)

But...


But...


What about Free Will??

🧐

Now you're just being shamelessly willful.

[Angrboda]

I came from religions without a concept of heaven. The main problem I have with heaven today is that I can't imagine how it would be capable of existing and still be coherent with human nature. It seems that part of the pleasure of succeeding is knowing that we could have failed. Without that, succeeding at something would seem rather hollow. So heaven would seem to remove the pleasures that come from demonstration of competency and excellence. I suspect that would rob us of a great many positive experiences. So what are we left with once you remove those positives that depend upon the existence of a negative to be meaningful? What do theologians imagine, that it's like one, non-stop crack high? How desirable is that?

[Gawdzilla Sama]

At the Pearly Gates you are issued a number. You find the spot associated with that number and kneel before God. Then you sing hosannas. Forever.

Enjoy your stay in Paradise.

[CapnAwesome]

I've never believed in an afterlife, but I find the idea of any eternal existence horrifying. The only exception would be if I had complete control over it.

That's actually an episode of the twilight zone. Someone ends up with a place like that and finds out it's really hell.

[Crossless2.0]

I've never believed in an afterlife, but I find the idea of any eternal existence horrifying. The only exception would be if I had complete control over it.

That's actually an episode of the twilight zone. Someone ends up with a place like that and finds out it's really hell.

A holiday weekend in Fresno was as close as I hope to get.

[SteveII]

I see this happen from time to time. Atheists zero on on one aspect without considering the whole ball of wax. If God is infinite, powerful and intelligent enough to create the universe, created us in his image, don't you think he might have ideas how to provide fulfillment to our minds? For example, what if our minds now are limited by the vehicle they are in (our brains). What experiences could we have if some gate was opened to the richness of the universe of possible knowledge/experiences/emotions/etc.? You don't know what you don't know.