Not so Heavenly

Is there a heaven? Is there life after death, and what will the life be like?  It seems that all civilizations have put in their two cents in this question, and I do not know enough to even begin to breakdown every view, but I would like to take on a piece of what some Christians and Muslims have said and believe about heaven and the afterlife.  

Since the 9/11 terror attacks we have all heard about the radical Muslim claims of 70 virgins waiting in heaven for those who kill themselves along with others for the cause of Islam (whatever that may be).  I doubt many westerners are buying the validity of this world view because it involves cruelty (mass and self murder) and the sexual enslavement of women to these murderers in the afterlife.  Notice that this worldview does not involve love, mercy, forgiveness, reconciliation of enemies, or to say the least, respect for women created in the image and likeness of God.  It is an indulgent solipsism and a gross, hedonistic pursuit of warped religion. Logically this could never be heaven, but it could be hell.

On the Barbara Walter’s special Heaven -- Where Is It? How Do We Get There?, Barbara interviewed an evangelical Pastor about his view on the afterlife.  The pastor’s response was less violent than the Islamic terrorist, but still self centered and hedonistic.  The pastor began to inform Walter’s that we would be able to eat as much as we wanted and never get fat.  I could not believe my ears. I did not know that gluttony would be ok in heaven. To be fair, this was not his only description, but it was enough for me to wish he had not been chosen to represent Christians on the afterlife.

The problem with each of these perspectives is that they represent everything that is wrong with the world.  They are self-centered and have nothing to do with holiness or reconciliation with God and each other.  Heaven is not about sex and good food, but the absence of sin and death, and eternal, joyful union with God and his people.