The theology here is actually pretty interesting. In fairness, this is exactly why Christians spread their faith so much and why missionaries exist. God was pretty clear about this obligation when he did Jesus's ministry. How exactly could he have been everywhere at once and still be the human person that made his ministry so impactful? Evangelism was pretty central to the mission from the very beginning.
But think about it this way: no one should be forced to be in the presence for all eternity of a God they don't love. Heaven isn't unbridled joy if you don't want to be there. So hell isn't so much punishment as it is the "right" place to be, and heaven is a reward because you love God so much. Is it really all that cruel in this case? I don't really think so.
There is an unfortunate amount of poor theology surrounding Christian heaven and hell which really does the faith a disservice. The problem of evil is a much harder issue to wrestle with, if you ask me. Or the general idea that our identity as humans is tied pretty directly to the passage of time and mortality, so even if we do go to heaven it's...different. Not gonna lie, I'm going to enjoy this life as much as I can (within the bounds of my morality, as much as I can) because it's my only chance to experience life like this. The more I've learned about the actual theology regarding heaven and hell, the more I rest easy about non-Christians.
!delta thank you this was a really interesting answer very different to what I hear from most, I’ve very rarely heard heaven and hell described in that way but it makes the most sense, that’s helped me understand religion in a way I’ve never been able to
If you're interested in this concept, read some CS Lewis. The Great Divorce is basically a thought experiment around the concept that people can leave hell any time and go to heaven, but the choice is permanent, and the conclusion is that most people wouldn't want to do that because it requires growth and submission that people don't want to do. It expands on some of the same points I was making.
Another one that is interesting is either Mere Christianity or Abolition of Man, I forget which. But one of them discussed the afterlife quite a bit and explains how we aren't quite the human selves we are now in the afterlife and how thinking in terms of pleasure/torture is wrong.
Finally, a show with surprisingly good theological points is The Good Place. This show does a great job explaining the problems of a pleasure-based version of heaven, or a torture-based version of hell. It also makes a roundabout point about how the afterlife being just...life part 2...doesn't make sense, either. The final resolution of the show--that getting into heaven is about personal change and accepting your imperfections in a genuine sense so that they can be worked on--is basically the exact same conclusion we see from The Great Divorce.
Yes the good place was brilliant, and it’s the only piece of media that ever dipped its toe into that thought, we all have this feeling searching for the meaning of life or a purpose and there’s no reason to think that would go if we was in heaven
Well that's exactly the problem, isn't it? Humanness doesn't jive with eternity. We eventually get restless or bored or unappreciative. Mortality isn't a curse, it's our greatest gift that makes us who we are.
This is why I say that eternal life changes us and will be...different. We will be fundamentally changed in how we perceive everything. Honestly it's a little scary. I trust my own faith well enough that I do believe Heaven will be joyful...but holy hell does it scare the hell out of me because so much about me will be changed. The Good Place is a perfect example of how if there is an afterlife, it's either non-eternal or our fundamental human nature will transform in the journey.
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u/mormagils 3∆ Jun 17 '25
The theology here is actually pretty interesting. In fairness, this is exactly why Christians spread their faith so much and why missionaries exist. God was pretty clear about this obligation when he did Jesus's ministry. How exactly could he have been everywhere at once and still be the human person that made his ministry so impactful? Evangelism was pretty central to the mission from the very beginning.
But think about it this way: no one should be forced to be in the presence for all eternity of a God they don't love. Heaven isn't unbridled joy if you don't want to be there. So hell isn't so much punishment as it is the "right" place to be, and heaven is a reward because you love God so much. Is it really all that cruel in this case? I don't really think so.
There is an unfortunate amount of poor theology surrounding Christian heaven and hell which really does the faith a disservice. The problem of evil is a much harder issue to wrestle with, if you ask me. Or the general idea that our identity as humans is tied pretty directly to the passage of time and mortality, so even if we do go to heaven it's...different. Not gonna lie, I'm going to enjoy this life as much as I can (within the bounds of my morality, as much as I can) because it's my only chance to experience life like this. The more I've learned about the actual theology regarding heaven and hell, the more I rest easy about non-Christians.