A Brief Guide to Heaven

Contents

• Pros & Cons of Heaven
  • Advantages of Heaven
  • Disadvantages of Heaven
• Common Objections to Heaven
• What Scripture says about Heaven
• Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

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A larger version of the picture by Ethan D. Keiley is on the Home Page, after the list of Major Options.

The source of the directional arrows is also on the Home Page.

Advantages of Heaven

• Everyone is good.

Disadvantages of Heaven

• You have to be good.
• You have to behave.
• You have to be responsible.
• You have to care.
• You have to obey your superiors. (Heaven is hierarchical.)

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Common Objections to Heaven

• Isn't keeping people out of Heaven self-righteous and exclusive?
  

  It's common sense. Maybe you do not live in a gated community, do not lock your house, and do not lock your car. If you do not do any of these things, you must live in a pretty nice place, where the people who would cause you to have to lock things up, are far away. It sounds like heaven. So what advice do you have for the rest of us?

What Scripture says about Heaven

"Then he showed me the river of the water of life, bright as crystal, flowing . . . through the middle of the street of the city; also, on either side of the river, the tree of life . . . and the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations." The Book of Revelation, Chapter 22, verses 1-3

Comment: Scripture describes Heaven as a city, a place that is set up for human habitation. It is also like a park. The tree of life must be a kind of tree, rather than one tree, since it's on both sides of the river.

Scripture quote from the Illustrated Catholic Bible on CD-ROM, Harmony Media, Inc.

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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

• Does Heaven have a web site?
  

  This is it.

• No, I mean an official web site!
  

  Maybe you would like the Vatican in Rome. It's been official for two thousand years.

• How can a person get into Heaven?
  

  This is a serious question. Would we fit in? Heaven is place where no one will hate us, no one will hurt us, and no one will be angry with us. You can add to the list. No one will belittle, ridicule or look down on us, or be harsh or mean to us.
  
  A quick review of our own personality and behavior leads to an obvious conclusion: They can't let us in. If they were to let us in, Heaven wouldn't be such a nice place any more. Trying to get into Heaven means we have to "clean up our act" so that we will belong there.
  
  The idea that they can't let us in, comes from the writings of Basilea Schlink, co-foundress of the Evangelical Sisterhood of Mary.

• How can a person stay out of Heaven?
  

  It's pretty easy to stay out of a place that's hard to get into.

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