Eternity in Heaven - Scary?

[JairCrawford]

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?

[Silver]

I do not view the concept of eternal life as scary so much as unrealistic.

[Joods]

When I used to believe, I never put much thought into "eternity". Instead, I thought about being reunited with family members. There was no fear or panic about an afterlife. Now that I deal with reality, I know that there is no such place waiting for me.

[The Valkyrie]

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.

[Chad32]

The older I get, the more I realize that eternal life isn't a good thing, no matter where you go. going to a nicer, more fun place, just delays the inevitable. Eventually you will have done everything you could ever think of, more times than you could count. Some christians argue there won't be boredom in hell, so I guess I could spend a hundred years playing cards with grandpa or something, and it wouldn't get old.

There's also the fact that we don't know how much of us this god is planning to take away to make us acceptable to him, meaning at some point whoever is walking around heaven isn't really us anymore. How much can you fiddle with someone's brain before they become a different person?

There are flaws with the idea of heaven. Eventually it will become a hell, assuming you're even capable of being aware of the repetitive tediousness of life there.

[Minimalist]

[brewer]

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)

[sdelsolray]

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?

I don't quite fit the qualifications from whom you are eliciting a response (see italicized text above).  When I believed in the Christian Heaven, I was not aware of the concept of "eternal".  I was quite young and my brain was still developing.  I never thought about eternity, nor was I trained or challenged to think about it.  Later, I rejected belief in the Christian Heaven and eventually developed some understanding of eternity, infinite and similar concepts.  So, I can only respond now, from an Ex-Christian perspective.

Assuming the myth is true (eternal heaven for those who qualify, are selected, etc.), and putting forth as much altruism as I can imagine, I would now say:

"I do not want to live for eternity in Heaven.  I choose instead to give/yield/provide whatever future life force/soul/energy I have earned to other current living organisms who, I my opinion, could use it more than me.  For example, many starving animals, including humans, could use some of it, as could many humans with mental illnesses.  Since I do not have the power or knowledge to do this by myself, I ask that it be done by those with the power and knowledge to make it so.  If you refuse this request, then fuck you."

[chimp3]

Imagine standing in a choir, facing a luminous father figure, and singing "Just a Closer Walk with Thee" forever, and ever, and fucking forever. If that does not frighten you, nothing will!

[The Valkyrie]

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??

🧐