Do you believe in a "heaven" or "hell"?

[Taverner]

Poll question: Do you believe in a "heaven" or "hell"?

Answer accordingly...

[mvd]

1. Yes, I believe in Biblical heaven

Not so sure about hell. That could be one of the symbolic things in the Bible, where hell is a distance from God instead of a fiery place.

[Taverner]

2. I say I don't know, and I never will "know"

I could think there might be a heaven, or think that it's just nothing after death...

But I will never truly "know"

[GoddessOfGuinness]

3. I believe heaven and hell are frames of mind

And neither is necessarily eternal unless we choose to make it so.

[LaraMN]

4. I find it highly doubtful on both counts,

but I'm open to vague possibilities.

[Left Is Write]

5. I believe in the idea of heaven, though not in the literal sense...

of clouds and halos (which is really just a picture for humans to grasp; I think the reality of the afterlife is too nebulous for most of our human minds). Hell is not a concept that is ever taught in a literal sense in my denomination, and no, I do not believe in a literal fiery underworld below the earth ruled by a red guy with horns.

[hyphenate]

6. I'm not sure exactly what is beyond

this veil, but I've felt enough evidence from those who have passed on to doubt that death is the absolute end. I do believe in reincarnation, but I also believe that our energy--what comprises our "soul"--continues on after the death of the body. It's difficult to explain to people, but if you have ever been around people who have recently died, you have a glimmer of what I'm talking about.

I've been around death most of my life, from working in nursing, from my dad being a gardener at a cemetery, and other circumstances, and you can't face death with fear--you have to eventually accept it in order to move on. The worst part about death is those you leave behind who can't understand.

[Ron Green]

7. It's easier for me to believe that the eternal soul is undifferentiated -

no individual personality, but rather part of the Unity, or God, or whatever you'd call it. I think the individual personality dies with the body.

Which is why it seems silly to try to reach relatives on the "other side."

[LostinVA]

8. Change Valhalla to Various Neo-Pagan afterlife beliefs

Because I do believe in an afterlife, but not Valhalla...

[bigwillq]

9. We will never know

unless someone goes to either heaven or hell and comes back and tells us whether they really exist or not.

[Briarius]

10. I believe

this question requires another beer! :beer: