Originally posted by ShutterBug:
casino_king is right again.
But undeniably, we are living our lives towards an unknown ending.
Personally, I'm living my life, with my mind's eye set on gradually "letting go" of things in life and in this world that is all so temporary. However by this, I DO NOT imply that in death, do we find absolute permanence or eternal being. In fact, I doubt that, as well as the existence of heaven or hell, simply because NO ONE in human history has EVER proven their existence.
You can call it self delusions if you want to but many people by Faith (not evidence) believe that they will indeed go to "heaven."
Each religion, whether Hinduism, Buddhism or Christianity have their own "way" to get to "heaven."
The Buddhist's "heaven" and the Taoist's "heaven" are very different places.
Even Catholic Christian heaven and Protestent Christian heaven are different.
I missed out as you rightly pointed out, an atheist concept of "heaven." In your case a
gradually "letting go"A gradual acceptance that things are not permanent and at the end of it we die, sayonara... for ever.
That would be a most attractive alternative if all there is to "religion" is "heaven" after we all die.
Yet that is not the case. The teaching of the founders of religion emphasised the effectiveness of their teaching for
daily living.The religious organisations sell "heaven" after their adherents die because, this way, they are not held accountable.
When Buddha taught Buddhism, he did not sell a "hereafter heaven" but achieving "heaven" on earth.
When Jesus taught about entering into the Kingdom of Heaven; also said that He was talking about earthly things.