What if?
First off, I have to admit I'm taking a leap here. This is usually just a lil' ol' Mommy Blog about the cute, exasperating things my kids do, a few odds and ends of things I think, and how I'm doing....but I'm going to forge ahead into one of the big no-no topics: Religion (gasp!)
I've felt compelled to write this blog post for the past three days and can't get it out of my head. So to get it out, I'm going to write it down.
Now, mind you, I'm no biblical scholar and to be quite honest, I was a Sunday School flunkie. My cousin and I thought it was WAY cooler to skip Sunday School and spend the 45 minutes hiding in one of the church bathrooms or, better yet, the gymnasium. It was only after I got married, and especially after having babies that I felt the need to grow my relationship with God.
I was raised a Lutheran and the church I attended was, in my opinion, VERY conservative. We were taught that if you had not accepted Jesus as your Savior - you were going to Hell, if you committed suicide - you were going to Hell, if you did not tithe 10% - well, you weren't going to Hell but your life would not be as rich with blessings as those who did tithe properly. When I was confirmed, I was given the opportunity to sit down one-on-one with one of the many pastors of this very large Lutheran church and ask any religious questions I had. My burning question was about my pets - my cat and dogs that had passed away over the years; were they in Heaven? The answer was a callous "No. Animals do not have souls like humans. They do not go to Heaven when they die." After confirmation, as a high school Sunday School student (I did attend class sometimes), I remember being shown a horrifyingly graphic documentary about abortion with video footage of tiny, dead fetuses thrown in garbage cans behind abortion clinics. The message was loud and clear - abortion is a ticket straight to Hell.
As I've gotten older and made the decision to become a member of a different Lutheran church and as I've read more and experienced more of life, I've started to question some of the things that were drilled into our little heads at that conservative Lutheran church. In particular, a recent sermon at my church plus two blog posts I stumbled across in the past few days and a book I read entitled, "90 Minutes in Heaven" sparked a wondrous idea in my mind.....
So, go right ahead and let me know if you think I'm wrong or misguided about any of this; I promise I won't be offended because I already admitted I'm a novice in all this biblical knowledge stuff but I do remember learning that God is the Alpha and the Omega. He is everywhere, always. He has always been there since the beginning of time (which actually has no beginning because God is eternal) and will be there (where?) forever. And God loves US (humans, creation, and I have to believe this includes the beautiful animals he created and the wondrous nature he brought into being) so very much that he sent his only Son to die on the cross for our sins. So if God is all-powerful, always there, never ending, I have to imagine that his Love is like human love times a quadratripatraptalibillion or something, right? I have the Bible sitting next to me because I thought I might look up some verses to back up what I'm saying here but I'm not feeling compelled to open it. I'm just letting this pour from my heart....
So here's where I'm headed with this. I'm a Christian; a Lutheran. I have friends and relatives who are Baptist, Methodist, Catholic, Muslim, Mormon, Jewish, and non-believers. I'm a sinner. I'm pretty sure everyone on earth is a sinner. Sure, there are varying degrees of "badness" that humans assign to sins - murdering is pretty darn bad while coveting your neighbor's Corvette is just a little oopsy. But if God's Love for us is a quadratripatraptalibillion times bigger than my love for my own children and I forgive my children several times a day for the oopses they commit....then maybe God has the capacity to forgive all of his children their oopses? Maybe even the really bad ones? Maybe if you fall prey to debilitating depression and you take your own life, God cries and grieves for you and welcomes you with open arms to Heaven. Maybe if you live in a third-world country and you think there must be a higher being up there because somethin' made the dirt you sleep on and the bugs that land on you and the water you use to wash your clothes and cook with and drink but you've never had the opportunity to hear about God, maybe YOU are cherished and float right through the gates of Heaven when it's your time. Maybe if you're a dog or a cat or a horse or a chinchilla who gave some human years of happiness and love and when that human looked in your eyes, they swear they saw a soul and knew you for an individual being, there's a kitty climber or a dog bed or a beautiful pasture or a whatever-chinchillas-would-like-to-roll-around-in waiting for you in Heaven. And when your people get to Heaven after you - you'll be reunited. Because Heaven is supposed to be Perfect.
And if I'm just a little, sinful, grubbing human and I can forgive and love on my children who sometimes make terrible mistakes, I have to believe that GOD Who is so much more than me, Loves his Creation with a Love that we can't even comprehend. And maybe it's all just silliness to bicker with one another about which writings are correct and which belief is accurate and to chastise believers for not spreading the Word properly and converting people to their way of thinking. Maybe God wants for us what I want for my kids - for everyone to get along and be happy and healthy and leave their world a little better than it was when they got there. Maybe it's enough to try to be good. How do we know?
My kids have been asking what Heaven is like lately. I tell them I imagine Heaven is like paradise because when we get there, we'll have shed our earthly bodies and be composed only of our Soul and because we'll be in the presence of God, there's no room for sadness or anxiety or grief or anger so no matter what Heaven is like, it will be wonderful. BUT, I tell them, no one knows for sure. Because once you go to Heaven, you (usually) don't come back and tell about it. So we'll just have to do our best enjoying our time here on earth - loving on each other, helping each other, taking care of the earth, until it's our time to go to Heaven and then we'll know!
What do y'all think?
I've felt compelled to write this blog post for the past three days and can't get it out of my head. So to get it out, I'm going to write it down.
Now, mind you, I'm no biblical scholar and to be quite honest, I was a Sunday School flunkie. My cousin and I thought it was WAY cooler to skip Sunday School and spend the 45 minutes hiding in one of the church bathrooms or, better yet, the gymnasium. It was only after I got married, and especially after having babies that I felt the need to grow my relationship with God.
I was raised a Lutheran and the church I attended was, in my opinion, VERY conservative. We were taught that if you had not accepted Jesus as your Savior - you were going to Hell, if you committed suicide - you were going to Hell, if you did not tithe 10% - well, you weren't going to Hell but your life would not be as rich with blessings as those who did tithe properly. When I was confirmed, I was given the opportunity to sit down one-on-one with one of the many pastors of this very large Lutheran church and ask any religious questions I had. My burning question was about my pets - my cat and dogs that had passed away over the years; were they in Heaven? The answer was a callous "No. Animals do not have souls like humans. They do not go to Heaven when they die." After confirmation, as a high school Sunday School student (I did attend class sometimes), I remember being shown a horrifyingly graphic documentary about abortion with video footage of tiny, dead fetuses thrown in garbage cans behind abortion clinics. The message was loud and clear - abortion is a ticket straight to Hell.
As I've gotten older and made the decision to become a member of a different Lutheran church and as I've read more and experienced more of life, I've started to question some of the things that were drilled into our little heads at that conservative Lutheran church. In particular, a recent sermon at my church plus two blog posts I stumbled across in the past few days and a book I read entitled, "90 Minutes in Heaven" sparked a wondrous idea in my mind.....
So, go right ahead and let me know if you think I'm wrong or misguided about any of this; I promise I won't be offended because I already admitted I'm a novice in all this biblical knowledge stuff but I do remember learning that God is the Alpha and the Omega. He is everywhere, always. He has always been there since the beginning of time (which actually has no beginning because God is eternal) and will be there (where?) forever. And God loves US (humans, creation, and I have to believe this includes the beautiful animals he created and the wondrous nature he brought into being) so very much that he sent his only Son to die on the cross for our sins. So if God is all-powerful, always there, never ending, I have to imagine that his Love is like human love times a quadratripatraptalibillion or something, right? I have the Bible sitting next to me because I thought I might look up some verses to back up what I'm saying here but I'm not feeling compelled to open it. I'm just letting this pour from my heart....
So here's where I'm headed with this. I'm a Christian; a Lutheran. I have friends and relatives who are Baptist, Methodist, Catholic, Muslim, Mormon, Jewish, and non-believers. I'm a sinner. I'm pretty sure everyone on earth is a sinner. Sure, there are varying degrees of "badness" that humans assign to sins - murdering is pretty darn bad while coveting your neighbor's Corvette is just a little oopsy. But if God's Love for us is a quadratripatraptalibillion times bigger than my love for my own children and I forgive my children several times a day for the oopses they commit....then maybe God has the capacity to forgive all of his children their oopses? Maybe even the really bad ones? Maybe if you fall prey to debilitating depression and you take your own life, God cries and grieves for you and welcomes you with open arms to Heaven. Maybe if you live in a third-world country and you think there must be a higher being up there because somethin' made the dirt you sleep on and the bugs that land on you and the water you use to wash your clothes and cook with and drink but you've never had the opportunity to hear about God, maybe YOU are cherished and float right through the gates of Heaven when it's your time. Maybe if you're a dog or a cat or a horse or a chinchilla who gave some human years of happiness and love and when that human looked in your eyes, they swear they saw a soul and knew you for an individual being, there's a kitty climber or a dog bed or a beautiful pasture or a whatever-chinchillas-would-like-to-roll-around-in waiting for you in Heaven. And when your people get to Heaven after you - you'll be reunited. Because Heaven is supposed to be Perfect.
And if I'm just a little, sinful, grubbing human and I can forgive and love on my children who sometimes make terrible mistakes, I have to believe that GOD Who is so much more than me, Loves his Creation with a Love that we can't even comprehend. And maybe it's all just silliness to bicker with one another about which writings are correct and which belief is accurate and to chastise believers for not spreading the Word properly and converting people to their way of thinking. Maybe God wants for us what I want for my kids - for everyone to get along and be happy and healthy and leave their world a little better than it was when they got there. Maybe it's enough to try to be good. How do we know?
My kids have been asking what Heaven is like lately. I tell them I imagine Heaven is like paradise because when we get there, we'll have shed our earthly bodies and be composed only of our Soul and because we'll be in the presence of God, there's no room for sadness or anxiety or grief or anger so no matter what Heaven is like, it will be wonderful. BUT, I tell them, no one knows for sure. Because once you go to Heaven, you (usually) don't come back and tell about it. So we'll just have to do our best enjoying our time here on earth - loving on each other, helping each other, taking care of the earth, until it's our time to go to Heaven and then we'll know!
What do y'all think?
Comments
As far a suicide... I would have killed myself long ago with the suffering I have endured if I was thinking I just got to go to heaven in UTOPIA. But I was never feeling like I could do that and not end up in hell. The bible does not specifically tell you that answer. And I would NEVER take a chance at eternity in hell. By faith in Christ we find our way as Christians. By trusting CHRIST and accepting whatever we are handed out in life. Trusting that His purpose is beyond our understanding and knowing that He always has a plan. AND some day we will unite with Him in Heaven....for eternity. "Good job my faithful servant." Look to scripture and you will find the answers that you seek.... not just from some pastor in front of the church who speaks on Sundays. Big hugs and love.....
It's too bad that religion becomes such a taboo subject -- the truth is, I think we all have more common ground than we realize. What I am struck most by, in your post, is your notion of God, as a loving father. This is precisely how I see Him, and I think I've gained more insight (he said, pretentiously) into the mind of God by being a parent, than by anything else I've ever done. I understand wanting the best for my children. I understand wanting 100% from them, but understanding that sometimes their best effort might only get them half way there. I understand having standards that, right now, they may not be able to achieve, but not loving them one fraction less than I would if they always did everything I asked them. And I'm just a fallible human being.
I do believe that God has certain requirements for us to return to His presence. One of those requirements --- the big one -- is to be free from sin. And there's the rub. Sin is not simply doing wrong. To sin is to understand what God wants you to do, and to turn away from it. Sin is a willful act. To return to the presence of God, we have to be cleansed -- forgiven -- of sin. God, being eternal and unchangeable, cannot allow sin, and laws of justice require a penalty for an offense. Yet a loving Father also desires to extend mercy to His children.
How do you satisfy both mercy and justice? Hence the mission of Christ. The Atonement -- the act of bringing us back to a state of oneness with God. Jesus, as a perfect being -- a sinless being (frankly, if Jesus was raised a carpenter, I don't believe he perfectly hit every nail on the head, every time. But that's not a sin) -- was able to take upon Him, the sins and mistakes of all mankind. In doing this, he gained insight and understanding into the hearts of each of us. He knows our hearts, He knows why we do what we do. This allows Him to act as our Mediator with the Father. He payed the price of sin, and his conditions for each of are the same. To accept him as the savior, and to follow his example. A broken heart and a contrite spirit is the price we pay to be forgiven of sin, and to be allowed back in to God's presence.
Well, that got a little wordier than I had intended :)
Let's get to the idea of animals. I believe God created everything spiritually before it was created physically. I believe it is the spirit -- or soul -- that gives animation and life to the body, whatever body we're talking about. I think everything that God has created -- with the exception of man -- fulfills the measure of its creation. I believe that animals have a spirit, though I don't think they're really capable of sin. Hence, I see no reason why animals -- who have given so much, whether love and companionship or food and clothing to God's children -- should not have a place in God's kingdom. They've done everything God has ever asked of them. Maybe there will be more animals than humans :)
As for the notion of Hell, I think it becomes a matter of definition. What is Hell? Not being in God's presence? I'd say that qualifies. What about being in God's presence unworthily? That would be hellish too. Where is the cutoff between Heaven and Hell? How good do you have to be to go to one? How bad do you have to be to go to the other? This is a much more complicated subject for me to get into -- I've already put you to sleep by now :) -- but suffice it to say that I believe that God, as a loving Father, wants to bless us as much (and more) than we deserve. And I'm glad that He and Christ are the ones who will be judging us, ultimately. It becomes so easy for us in an age like today, to pass judgment on one another, when we don't know each others hearts and intentions.
Thanks for the thought provoking post today Sheri.
Fanatical runners will run every day. If you saw them running or competing at any given time, you'd likely think they were doing fine or maybe not even know whether they were running hard or not. In reality there are days or runs that give those same people a really hard time and it could be their very worst run off all time and anyone would still call them a runner. Part of the process of running is to keep running even when it's hard, not to run perfect all the time. Now that I think of it that's pretty similar to a talk I heard by a monk about how to meditate too, maybe I stole it from him...
Anyway, this might not be the kind of thing you are wanting to here, but for me, I don't believe so I think of this quite a lot different but I'll share since I'm always bugging people to participate on my blog:)
You ask what if you don't practice the faith properly or what if only some people go to heaven or what if animals don't? But really, what if? What if no one goes to heaven, or what if some people go to heaven and others don't or what if everyone goes to heaven? Would you respond to any iteration of that question by telling your children to live any differently than you do now? I would hold that you and most other people would live exactly the same no matter what the answer to that question (maybe sans religious pomp or maybe more). If there were completely arbitrary rules for getting into heaven and there was nothing you could do to influence your acceptance, would you stop loving or respecting people? Would you stop internalizing societal norms and traditions? I think it's probably unlikely. These are the kind of things that we pick up so early in our lives, even before any moral code is taught to us or any religious doctrines. That's probably not very helpful to you...sorry. I hope you find a way to answer this suitably for yourself.
I was once good friends with a man who was the pastor of a church he founded. I'm not sure exactly where they fell on the spectrum, but it was kinda his own deal and he had a small following. I'm not sure if he still tends a flock. But anyway, he had a unique take (I think. He could have borrowed it from somewhere).
He believed that every person goes to heaven and every person from the past and future went or will go. He believed that when jesus died he took that power from luci. He held that if it really happened the way it said in the bible, namely that jesus when to hell and took the keys (or something like that) from satan than it could no longer happen that a person would go to hell. I'm not sure if that's supported by any scripture or if he had any other reasons for believing it but I thought it might be an interesting belief to share since it has kind of its own internal logic and is not something you hear everyday.
I once saw an interaction between him and a waitress who found out he was a pastor somehow and she was so excited to talk to him about some opportunity for mission or just to talk to "non-believers", as they say. He talked with her and never let on, but after she left he turned and said, "she'll never know that I don't think it matters if those people convert or not." He was kind of bemused or something. I asked why he bothered with having a church and telling people if it didn't matter. He said it was good news.
If you wonder how serious he was, he once asked me if I wanted to teach their sunday school, knowing I didn't believe. I'm not sure how serious he was or what that lesson would be like, but I guess he was committed right?
First of all, let me start with this.
John 14:6 : Jesus answered, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the father except through me." In other words, the only WAY to heaven to be with our Father is through Jesus Christ. He came to die for our sins so we could have forgiveness. Literally all you have to do is ask! It's incredible. Our pastor said this Sunday, and it's so true. "Religions cannot coexist because Jesus Christ has no coequal. Budha is dead, Mohammed is dead, Confucius is dead, Jesus is the fulfillment of the Jewish faith, He has no equal, He has no rival, and He has no competition." Acts 4:12 says, "Salvation is found in no one else. There is no other name in all of heaven for people to call on to save them."
Furthermore, hell is a very real place. Matthew 25:46, "Then they will go away to eternal punishment (talking about hell), but the righteous to eternal life." I've read somewhere, I can't find the scripture right now, that says those in hell will be reminded over and over for all of eternity the times they were told about salvation through Jesus and refused to accept it. Such a sad situation. I wish more Christians would get on fire about sharing the gospel. Souls depend on it!!!
I will leave you and anyone reading with one last statement. For those that don't believe in hell, let's just assume for one quick second that you are right. With me living the life that I do believing, when I die nothing will happen to me. I will not lose anything. On the other hand. Let's say I'm right. Would you want to risk an ETERNITY in a real hell because you refused to believe. Christ is real. He works in my life every day.
Praying you find the answers you are looking for!!