Information AboutHeaven |
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and Beatrice gaze upon the highest Heaven; from Gustave Doré 's illustrations to the '' Divine Comedy ''.]] Heaven may refer to the physical heavens, the Sky or the seemingly endless expanse of the Universe beyond. However, the term is often used to refer to a Plane Of Existence (sometimes held to exist in our own Universe ) in Religion s and Spiritual Philosophies , typically described as the Holiest possible place, accessible by People according to various standards of Divinity , Goodness , Piety , etc. Christian s generally hold that it is the Afterlife destination of those who have accepted Jesus Christ as their savior. In rare circumstances, humans have claimed, according to many testimonies and traditions, personal knowledge of Heaven. GENERAL ORIGINS Originally the term "heaven" referred to the sky or the area above the earth where the "heavenly bodies" are placed. This is the main meaning of the word in the Bible . It was considered the dwelling place of God and his Angel s. However, with time, the term came to be used also in the sense of the abode of the righteous at some point after death. This is supported by a few verses in the Bible, but the Bible tends to use other terms, such as Paradise , for this. (See below for other terms.) While there are abundant and varied sources for conceptions of Heaven, the typical believer's view appears to depend largely on his religious tradition and particular sect. Generally Religion s agree on the concept of Heaven as pertaining to some type of peaceful life after death related to the immortality of the soul. Heaven is generally construed as a place of Happiness , sometimes Eternal Happiness . A psychological reading of sacred religious texts across cultures and throughout history would describe it as a term signifying a state of "full aliveness" or wholeness. In ancient , heaven is either an eternally blessed life after death or a return to the pre-fallen state of humanity, a second and new Garden Of Eden , in which humanity is reunited with God in a perfect and natural state of eternal existence and generally they believe this afterdeath reunion is accomplished through faith that Jesus Christ died for the sins of humanity on the cross, was resurrected and "bodily" ascended into heaven. Examples of the highly divergent terminology referencing the concept of "heaven", in the Christian Bible are: the Kingdom Of Heaven (Matthew 5:3), the kingdom of the Father (Matthew 13:43), life (Matthew 7:14), life everlasting (Matthew 19:16), the joy of the Lord (Matthew 25:21), great reward (Matthew 5:12), the kingdom of God (Mark 9:46), the kingdom of Christ (Luke 22:30), the house of the Father (John 14:2), city of God, the heavenly Jerusalem (Hebr., xii), the holy place (Hebrews 9:12; D. V. holies), paradise (2 Corinthians 12:4), incorruptible crown (1 Corinthians 9:25), crown of life (James 1:12), crown of justice (II Timothy iv, 8), crown of glory (1 Peter 5:4) The diversity of references make it probable that the term refers to a direct experience of full spiritual aliveness or unity with God. In Eastern Religion s (and some Western traditions), with their emphasis on Reincarnation and Moksha (liberation), the concept of Heaven is not as prominent, but it still is present. In Buddhism , for example, there are several heavens, all of which are still part of Samsara (illusionary reality). Those who accumulate good Karma will be reborn(but no soul actually goes through rebirth; see Anatta ) in one of them. However, their stay in the heaven is not eternal—eventually they will use up their good Karma and will undergo a different Rebirth into another realm, as Humans , Animals , or other beings. Because Heaven is temporary and part of Samsara , Buddhists focus more on escaping the cycle of rebirth and reaching Enlightenment (Bodhi). In the native Chinese Confucian traditions Heaven ( Tian ) is an important concept, where the ancestors reside and from which emperors drew their mandate to rule in their dynastic propaganda, for example. In Hindu belief, likewise, heaven—called Swarga Loka —is seen as a transitory place for souls who did good deeds but whose actions are not enough for Moksha or merging (union) with Brahman. The popular belief of most faiths is that one enters heaven at the moment of death. This, however, is ''not'' part of the doctrine of ''all'' of Christianity (see Swedenborgianism for a Christian related religion that ''does'' have this doctrine). Some of Christianity along with other major religions maintain that entry into Heaven awaits such time as, "When the form of this world has passed away."
The idea of Heaven as a physical place has existed since the dawn of religion and human civilization. In some early religions (such as the Ancient Egyptian Faith ), Heaven was a physical place far above the Earth in a "dark area" of space where there were no stars, basically beyond the Universe. Departed souls would undergo a literal journey to reach Heaven, along the way to which there could exist hazards and other entities attempting to deny the reaching of Heaven. One popular medieval view of Heaven was that it existed as a physical place above the clouds and that God and the Angels were physically above, watching over man. With the dawn of the Age Of Reason , science began to challenge this notion; however Heaven as a physical place survived in the concept that it was located far out into space, and that the stars were "lights shining through from heaven". Several works of written and filmed Science Fiction have plots in which Heaven can be reached by the living through technological means. An example is Disney film '' The Black Hole '', in which a manned spacecraft found both Heaven and Hell located at the bottom of a Black Hole . In the modern age of science and space flight the idea that Heaven is a physical place in the observable universe has largely been abandoned. Religious views, however, still hold Heaven as having a dual status as a concept of mind or heart, but also possibly still physically existing in some way on another " Plane Of Existence ", dimension, or perhaps at a future time. According to science there are unobservable areas of the universe (everywhere beyond earth's Particle Horizon ), although by their very nature it is not possible to observe them. In Christianity it is believed that Heaven is a spiritual place, unreachable by humans and only to be entered after death. As a spiritual location it could be located somewhere within the known universe and as humans we would be unaware of its presence and unable to see it, or it could be located in another dimension or plane of existence. Many of today's Biblical scholars, such as N.T. Wright, in tracing the concept of Heaven back to its Jewish roots, see Earth and Heaven as overlapping or interlocking. Heaven is known as God's space, his dimension, and is not a place that can be reached by human technology. This belief states that Heaven is where God lives and reigns whilst being active and working alongside people on Earth. One day when God restores all things, Heaven and Earth will be forever combined into the 'New Heavens' and 'New Earth'. GETTING INTO HEAVEN Religions that teach about heaven differ on how (and if) one gets into it. In most, entrance to Heaven is conditional on having lived a "good life" (within the terms of the spiritual system). A notable exception to this is the ' Sola Fide ' belief of mainstream Protestantism, which takes emphasis off having lived a "good life" and teaches instead that entrance to heaven is conditional on belief and acceptance of Jesus Christ assuming the guilt of the sinner, rather than responsibility for ones own actions regardless of any good or bad 'works' one has participated in. Dual-covenant Theology is a variant of this belief that exempts Jews from having to adopt Jesus as savior as a condition for entry to Heaven. Many religions state that those who do not go to heaven will go to a place of punishment, Hell, which is eternal (see Annihilationism ). Some religions believe that other afterlives exist in addition to Heaven and Hell, such as Purgatory . One religion, Universalism , believes that everyone will go to Heaven eventually, no matter what they have done or believed on earth. Some sects of Christianity, including Jehovah's Witnesses , believe Hell to be the termination of the soul. IN THE BAHá'í FAITH The Bahá'í Faith regards the conventional description of heaven (and hell) as a specific place as symbolic. Instead the Bahá'í Writings describe heaven as a "spiritual condition" where closeness to God is defined as heaven; conversely Hell is seen as a state of remoteness from God. Bahá'u'lláh , the founder of the Bahá'í Faith, has stated that the nature of the life of the soul in the afterlife is beyond comprehension in the physical plane, but has stated that the soul will retain its consciousness and individuality and remember its physical life; the soul will be able to recognize other souls and communicate with them.1 For Bahá'ís, entry into the next life has the potential to bring great joy. Bahá'u'lláh likened death to the process of birth. He explains: "The world beyond is as different from this world as this world is different from that of the child while still in the . Accordingly, Bahá'ís view life as a preparatory stage, where one can develop and perfect those qualities which will be needed in the next life. The key to spiritual progress is to follow the path outlined by the current Manifestations Of God , which Bahá'ís believe is currently Bahá'u'lláh. Bahá'u'lláh wrote, "Know thou, of a truth, that if the soul of man hath walked in the ways of God, it will, assuredly return and be gathered to the glory of the Beloved."3 The Bahá'í teachings state that there exists a hierarchy of souls in the Afterlife , where the merits of each soul determines their place in the hierarchy, and that souls lower in the hierarchy cannot completely understand the station of those above. Each soul can continue to progress in the afterlife, but the soul's development is not entirely dependent on its own conscious efforts, the nature of which we are not aware of, but also augmented by the grace of God, the Prayer s of others, and good deeds performed by others on Earth in the name of that person. IN CHRISTIANITY Historically, Christianity has taught "Heaven" as a generalized concept, a place of eternal life, in that it is a shared plane to be attained by all the pious and elect (rather than an abstract experience related to individual concepts of the ideal). The Christian Church has been divided over how people gain this eternal life. From the 16th to the late 19th Century , Christendom was divided between the Roman Catholic view, the Orthodox view, the Coptic view, the Jacobite view, the Abyssinian view and Protestant views. Roman Catholics believe that entering Purgatory after death (physical rather than ego death) cleanses one of Sin (period of suffering until one's nature is perfected), which makes one acceptable to enter heaven. This is valid for Venial Sin only, as mortal sins can be forgiven only through the act of reconciliation and repentance while on earth. Some within the Anglican Church also hold to this belief, despite their separate history. However, in Oriental Orthodox Church es, it is only God who has the final say on who enters heaven. In the Eastern Orthodox Church , heaven is understood as union and communion with the Triune God (reunion of Father and Son through love). Thus, Heaven is experienced by the Orthodox both as a reality inaugurated, anticipated and present here and now in the divine-human organism of the Christ's Body, the Church, and also as something to be perfected in the future. In some Protestant Christian sects, eternal life depends upon the sinner receiving God's grace ''(unearned and undeserved blessing stemming from God's love)'' through Faith in Jesus ' death for their sins, his resurrection as the Christ, and accepting his Lordship (authority and guidance) over their lives. In other sects the process may or may not include a physical baptism, or obligatory process of transformation or experience of spiritual rebirth. According to the controversial website " Religioustolerance.org ", "Conservative and mainline Protestant denominations tend to base their belief in heaven on the literal interpretation of certain passages of the Bible, and symbolic interpretations of others. They arrive at very different beliefs because they select different passages to read literally." What Christian groups say about the afterlife: Heaven, Hell, Purgatory, Reincarnation... at Religioustolerance.org. Early Christian writing In the 2nd century AD, Irenaeus (a Greek bishop) wrote that not all who are saved would merit an abode in heaven itself. In ''Against Heresies'', he wrote that only those deemed worthy would inherit a home in heaven, while others would enjoy Paradise , and the rest live in the restored Jerusalem. In Orthodox Christianity The teachings of the Eastern Orthodox and Oriental Orthodox communions regarding the Kingdom of Heaven, or Kingdom of God, is basically taken from scripture, and thus many elements of this belief are held in common with other scriptural faiths and denominations. Some specific descriptions of this Kingdom as given in the canon of scripture include—(this list is by no means comprehensive):
In Roman Catholicism The Roman Catholic Church bases its belief in Heaven on some main biblical passages in the Hebrew and Christian Scriptures (Old and New Testaments) and the books of the Apocrypha and collected church wisdom. Heaven is the Realm of the Blessed Trinity , the Blessed Virgin Mary , the Angels and the Saints . According to the dogma of Assumption Of The Virgin Mary , the Virgin Mary "having completed the course of her earthly life, was assumed body and soul into heavenly glory", which implies that heaven must have some facility to support human bodies as well as souls or that the experience of heaven is to be understood as a spiritual (soul) experience while still on earth. The essential joy of heaven is called the Beatific Vision , which is derived from the vision of God's essence. The soul rests perfectly in God, and does not, or cannot desire anything else than God. After the Last Judgement , when the soul is reunited with its body, the body participates in the happiness of the soul. It becomes incorruptible, glorious and perfect. Any physical defects the body may have laboured under are erased. The Roman Catholic teaching regarding Heaven is found in the '' Catechism Of The Catholic Church '': "Those who die (generally understood as physical death as opposed to "body level," ego identity) in God's grace and friendship and are perfectly purified, live forever (defined as immortality of the body as opposed to eternal aliveness in the psychological sense). This perfect (divine) life with (Father Deity rather than concept of "perfect goodness") is called heaven. [It is the ultimate end and fulfilment of the deepest human longings, the state of supreme, definitive happiness, full aliveness. The Catholic Church teaches that only those baptized by water (symbol of purification/internal cleansing), blood (symbol of martyrdom), or desire (explicit or implicit desire for purification) may enter heaven and those who have died in a state of grace may enter heaven. Upon dying, each soul goes to what is called "the particular judgement" where its own afterlife is decided (i.e. Heaven after Purgatory, straight to Heaven, or Hell .) This is different from "the general judgement" also known as "the Last Judgement " which will occur when Christ returns to judge all the living and the dead. It is a common Roman Catholic belief that St. Michael The Archangel carries the soul to Heaven. The belief that Saint Peter meets the soul at the "Pearly Gates" is an artistic application of the belief that Christ gave Peter, believed by Catholics to be the first Pope , the keys to Heaven. As Heaven is a place where only the pure are permitted, no person who dies in a state of sin can enter Heaven. ''"Those who die in God's grace and friendship and are perfectly purified live for ever with Christ. They are like God for ever, for they "see Him as he is," face to face."'' (''Catechism of the Catholic Church'' §1023) ''"Those who die in God's grace and friendship imperfectly purified, although they are assured of their eternal salvation, undergo a purification after death, so as to achieve the holiness necessary to enter the joy of God."'' (''Catechism of the Catholic Church'' §1054) If one were Baptized validly and then died, one would go directly to heaven (in the Roman Catholic belief, the sacrament of Baptism dissolves the eternal and temporal punishment of all sins). If one never committed a mortal Sin and were absolved of all his venial sins just before death, one would go directly to Heaven. Most people who enter Heaven do so through s, Angelic Salutation s and Minor Doxologies for the intentions of the Pope, and then perform some act of gaining the indulgence. Of course, one must remain free from all sin, mortal and venial, while doing all these things. In Protestant Christianity The intermediate state (between death and the resurrection) is unclear in Protestant Christian thought (see the article on Soul Sleep ), but the following is generally concluded about the eternal life which Jesus promised those who believed in Him: The term Heaven (which differs from "The Kingdom of Heaven" see note below) is applied by the Biblical authors to the realm in which God currently resides. Eternal life, however, occurs in a renewed, unspoilt and perfect creation (presumably full of plants, animals and stunning landscapes), which can be termed Heaven since God will choose to dwell there permanently with his people. There will no longer be any separation between God and man. The believers themselves will exist in incorruptible, resurrected and new bodies; there will be no sickness, no death and no tears. The person was never meant to be disembodied. Death is not a natural part of life, but was allowed to happen after Adam And Eve disobeyed God (see Original Sin ) so that mankind would not live forever in a state of Sin and thus a state of separation from God. Not only will the believers spend eternity with God, they will also spend it with each other. John's vision recorded in Revelation describes a New Jerusalem which comes from Heaven to the new earth, which is a seen to be a symbolic reference to the people of God living in community with one another. 'Heaven' will be the place where life will be lived to the full, in the way that the designer planned, each believer 'loving the Lord their God with all their heart and with all their soul and with all their mind' and 'loving their neighbour as themselves'(adapted from Matthew 22:37-38)—a place of great joy, without the negative aspects of earthly life. ''(The Greek "hê basileia tou ouranou", usually translated as "the Kingdom of Heaven", is indeed more literally "the rule of the skies", with "the skies" a codeword for God .)'' In contrast with the Catholic position (affirmed and described at the Council Of Trent in the 16th century), most Protestants hold that salvation is obtained "sola gratia, sola fide"—by the grace ''(unearned favour)'' of God alone, through faith in Christ alone—not through living a good life or through belonging to a particular church organization (See Ephesians 2:8–9). Therefore, any person who sincerely has faith in Jesus and asks for God's forgiveness will automatically be granted forgiveness for their sins and has the assurance of eternal life. The question which may be asked, "How much faith is enough faith?" can be answered, enough to be able to make the decision to put your trust in Jesus' death and resurrection and choose to follow him. The Protestant tradition is divided into many different strands of thought, though most positions today can be categorised broadly as either Calvinist or Arminianist . Calvinism argues that entry into Heaven has already been Predetermined by God—that all those who are Christians have in fact been chosen from the beginning of time to be saved. Faith in Christ is still essential, but the reason why a Christian has faith is because God has chosen them beforehand. Arminians hold a modified form of this doctrine. In this case, a person can choose to have faith in Christ out of their free will and is not compelled to by divine power. A detailed examination of the differences between these two Protestant strands of thought are examined in their respective articles. It is easy to conclude that there is a contradiction between the idea that a person obtains salvation through choosing to put his/her faith in Christ, and the idea that God predestined those who would enter heaven. However, neither the Apostle Paul nor Polycarp seemed to see a paradox between the true God's sovereignty and mankind's ability to perceive and choose. Many Protestants hold that both ideas are taught clearly in the Bible; they teach that eternal salvation by which a believer gains eternal life with God is a supreme free gift Divine Grace made available to "whosoever will" trust in the Lord Jesus Christ alone for His full payment. While these divisions still exists within the Protestant church, since the early 20th Century few Protestant churches have adopted a Universalist approach (the idea that all will enter Heaven). Jehovah's Witnesses Jehovah's Witnesses hold the belief that Heaven is the dwelling place of Jehovah God and all of His spirit creatures, the seat of His power as Sovereign of the Universe, and the place where 144,000 chosen faithful followers of Christ will reside ruling over the resurrected Earth alongside the anointed King, Jehovah's son Jesus Christ.4 Seventh-day Adventist See Also: Heavenly sanctuary Seventh-day Adventist eschatology The Seventh-day Adventist understanding of heaven is based on Biblical writings which set out the following:
THE CHURCH OF JESUS CHRIST OF LATTER-DAY SAINTS The view of heaven according to the Latter-Day Saint movement is based on Section 76 of the Doctrine And Covenants . The afterlife is divided first into two levels until the Last Judgement; afterwards it is divided into four levels, the upper three of which are referred to as "degrees of glory" that, for illustrative purposes, are compared to heavenly bodies. Before the Last Judgement, spirits separated from their bodies at death go either to Paradise or to Spirit Prison based on their merits earned in life. Paradise is a place of rest while its inhabitants continue learning in preparation for the Last Judgement. Spirit Prison is a place of anguish and suffering for the wicked and unrepentant; however, missionary efforts done by spirits from Paradise enable those in Spirit Prison to repent, accept the Gospel and the Atonement and receive baptism through the practice of Baptism For The Dead .Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints Doctrine and Covenants 128:18 After the resurrection and Last Judgement, people are sent to one of four levels:
IN HINDUISM In Hinduism, with its emphasis on Reincarnation , the concept of Heaven is not as prominent. While heaven is temporary (until the next birth), the permanent state that Hindus aspire to is Moksha . Moksha is seen as the soul's liberation from the cycle of life and death, a re-establishment in one's own fundamental divine nature and may include union with or joining God. Entry into heaven ( Swarga loka) or hell ( Naraka ) is decided by the Lord of death Yama and his Karmic accountant, Chitragupta , who records the good and bad deeds of a person during his lifetime. It must be noted that Yama and Chitragupta are subordinate to the supreme Lord Ishwara (God) and work under his direction. Entry into heaven is only dependent on ones actions in the previous life and is not restricted by faith or religion. The ruler of heaven, where one enjoys the fruits of ones good deeds, is known as Indra and life in that realm is said to include interaction with many celestial beings (gandharvas). IN BUDDHISM According to Buddhist Cosmology the universe is undergoing cycles and beings are spread over a number of existential "planes" in which this human world is only one (though important) "realm" of life. The Buddha confirmed the existence of other worlds, of heavens and hells populated by celestial beings. In the early Buddhist Literature , the Buddha himself was described as having gone to the heavens and meeting with the gods. The scriptures also quoted instances of gods descending down to the earth to witness some momentous events in the life of the Buddha. Prominent among the Buddhist gods are Sakka and Brahma . Sakka is like the Indra / Zeus of the Buddhist pantheon. He is the ruler of gods and stays in the world of desires. Sometimes he interferes with humans. Brahma is the overlord of the highest heavens, the Brahma world. He is mentioned frequently in the Buddhist scriptures and comes closest to the monotheistic concept of "God". In Buddhism he becomes a follower of the Buddha and converted to the Buddhist path in the presence of Buddha himself. In Buddhism the gods are not immortal, though they may live much longer than the earthly beings. They also are subject to decay and change, and the process of becoming. The intensity and the manner in which these processes take place however may be different and involve longer periods of time. But like any other beings, they are with a beginning and an end. However, all heavenly beings are regarded as inferior in status to the Arhats who have attained Nirvana . The gods were also from the lower worlds originally, but slowly and gradually graduated themselves into higher worlds by virtue of their past deeds and cultivation of virtuous qualities. Since there are many heavens and higher worlds of Brahma, these gods may evolve progressively from one heaven to another through their merit or descend into lower worlds due to some misfortune or right intention. The gods of Buddhism are therefore not immortal. Neither their position in the heavens is permanent. They may however live for longer durations of time. One of the Buddhist Sutra s states that a hundred years of our existence is equal to one day and one night in the world of the thirty three gods. Thirty such days add up to their one month. Twelve such months become their one year, while they live for a thousand such years. IN ISLAM See Also: Jannah The concept of heaven in , Muslims believe that all human beings are born pure and will naturally turn to God, but it is their environment and lack of will power which influences them to choose ungodly ways of life. In Islam, therefore, a child who dies automatically goes to heaven, regardless of the religion of his or her parents. The highest level of heaven is Firdaws (فردوس)- Pardis (پردیس), which is where the prophets, the martyrs and the most truthful and pious people will dwell. IN JUDAISM While the concept of heaven (''malkuth hashamaim'' מלכות השמים—The Kingdom Of Heaven ) is well-defined within the Christian and Islam ic religions, the Jewish Concept Of The Afterlife , sometimes known as "olam haba", the world to come, seems to have been disputed between various early sects such as the Sadducees , and thus never set forth in a systematic or official fashion as was done in Christianity and Islam. Jewish writings refer to a "new earth" as the abode of mankind following the resurrection of the dead. Judaism does, however, have a belief in Heaven, not as a future abode for "good souls", but as the "place" where God "resides". In Kabbalah Jewish mysticism Jewish Mysticism recognizes Seven Heavens . In order from lowest to highest, the seven Heavens are listed alongside the Angel s who govern them and any further information: # Gabriel , is the closest of heavenly realms to the Earth; it is also considered the abode of Adam and Eve . # and Raphael . It was in this Heaven that Moses , during his visit to Paradise, encountered the angel Nuriel who stood "300 Parasang s high, with a retinue of 50 myriads of angels all fashioned out of water and fire." Also, Raquia is considered the realm where the fallen angels are imprisoned and the planets fastened.''The Legends of the Jews'' I, 131, and II, 306. # and the Tree Of Life ; it is also the realm where Manna , the holy food of angels, is produced.''The Legends of the Jews'' V, 374. The '' Second Book Of Enoch '', meanwhile, states that both Paradise and Hell are accommodated in Shehaqim with Hell being located simply " on the northern side." # , and according to Talmud Hagiga 12, it contains the heavenly Jerusalem , the Temple, and the Altar. # , an angel referred to as evil by some, but who is to others merely a dark servant of God. # . # , is the holiest of the seven Heavens provided the fact that it houses the Throne of Glory attended by the Seven Archangels and serves as the realm in which God dwells; underneath the throne itself lies the Abode of all unborn human souls. It is also considered the home of the Seraphim , the Cherubim , and the Hayyoth . IN POLYNESIA In the creation stories of Polynesian Mythology are found various concepts of the heavens and the underworld. These differ from one island to another. What they share is the view of the universe as an egg or coconut that is divided between the world of humans (earth), the upper world of heavenly gods, and the underworld. Each of these is subdivided in a manner reminiscent of Dante 's Divine Comedy , but the number of divisions and their names differs from one Polynesian culture to another. Māori Among the Māori, the heavens are divided into a number of realms. Different tribes number the heaven differently, with as few as two and as many as fourteen levels. One of the more common versions divides heaven thus: # Kiko-rangi , presided over by the god Toumau # Waka-maru , the heaven of sunshine and rain # Nga-roto , the heaven of lakes where the god Maru rules # Hau-ora , where the spirits of new-born children originate # Nga-Tauira , home of the servant gods # Nga-atua , which is ruled over by the hero Tawhaki # Autoia , where human souls are created # Aukumea , where spirits live # Wairua , where spirit gods live while waiting on those in # Naherangi or Tuwarea, where the great gods live presided over by Rehua The Māori believe these heavens are supported by pillars. Other Polynesian peoples see them being supported by gods (as in Hawai'i). In one Tahitan legend, heaven is supported by an octopus. Tuamotus The Polynesian conception of the universe and its division is nicely illustrated by a famous drawing made by a Tuomotuan chief in 1869. Here, the nine heavens are further divided into left and right, and each stage is associated with a stage in the evolution of the earth that is portrayed below. The lowest division represents a period when the heavens hung low over the earth, which was inhabited by animals that were not known to the islanders. In the third division is shown the first murder, the first burials, and the first canoes, built by Rata . In the fourth division, the first coconut tree and other significant plants are born. ATHEIST CRITICISM OF THE BELIEF IN HEAVEN Atheists usually reject the existence of heaven and are therefore more generally concerned with the effect that such a belief has on society. Some atheists (and non-theists such as Emma Goldman expressed this view when she wrote, ''"Consciously or unconsciously, most theists see in gods and devils, heaven and hell; reward and punishment, a whip to lash the people into obedience, meekness and contentment."''Goldman, Emma. "The Philosophy of Atheism" . ''Mother Earth'', February 1916. Many people consider George Orwell 's use of Sugarcandy Mountain in his novel '' Animal Farm '' to be a literary expression of this view. In the book, the animals were told that after their miserable lives were over they would go to a place in which ''"it was Sunday seven days a week, clover was in season all the year round, and lump sugar and linseed cake grew on the hedges"''. Opinions : Essays : Orwell's Political Messages by Rhodri Williams. Background information for George Orwell's Animal Farm at Charles' George Orwell Links. Fantasy author Phillip Pullman echoes this idea in the fantasy series His Dark Materials , in which the characters finally come to the conclusion that people should make life better on Earth rather than wait for heaven (this idea is known as the Republic Of Heaven ). Some atheists have argued that a belief in a reward after death is poor motivation for moral behavior while alive The Atheist Philosophy Quote by Albert Einstein at Quote DB., arguing that ''"It is rather more noble to help people purely out of concern for their suffering than it is to help them because you think the Creator of the Universe wants you to do it, or will reward you for doing it, or will punish you for not doing it. problem with this linkage between religion and morality is that it gives people bad reasons to help other human beings when good reasons are available."'' conference ([http://beyondbelief2006.org/watch/watch.php?Video=Session%209 watch here ). Others have further argued that an irrational belief in heavenly rewards may actually ''motivate'' believers to do horrible things while on Earth. , 2001 . In his television programme '' The Root Of All Evil? '' Dawkins states, ...there would be murderers all around the world who want to kill you and me and themselves because they are motivated by what they think is the highest ideal the suicide bomber believes that in killing for his god he will be fast tracked to special martyrs’ heaven. SEE ALSO
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