Heaven and Hell

The moment I learned of who had flown the two jet-liners into the Twin Towers in New York in 2001, I thought – damn!  These Al Qaeda bastards did this believing they would be rewarded with eternity in Heaven, along with 70 virgin girls apparently.  In fact their young lives were snuffed out in an instant and therefore probably painlessly, while thousands of innocent people, including Muslims, died horrifying deaths, followed by the drawn-out painful deaths of many firemen and other first responders as they contracted lung disease etc. from the smoke and debris inhalation.  I went and sat in the woods by a stream and sobbed, not only because of the mass destruction in New York but because I knew that the Bush government would over-react. And so we’ve had the Iraq war killing tens of thousands of people on all sides, leading to the formation of ISIS and much of the chaos in the Middle East today. And now we have their terrorist attacks in Paris, Brussels, San Bernadino, Orlando, and now Istanbul, each time with the perpetrators believing they are about to go to heaven.

As I wrote in my last blog of June     there is evidence to suggest that one reason for the success of Islam and Christianity in earlier centuries was that they more clearly promised a life after death. Unless we’re old and suffering a lot, none of us want to die, and unlike probably most, or maybe all other animals, we know we’re going to, which is the rather large downside to being human and leads to a lot of emotional issues in humans. Other animals, particularly pets that are taken good care of, have a more carefree life.

However, ladies and gents – it’s 2016 and it’s about time we grew up and faced the fact that this is the way it is. This is our one life, and our role in it is to enjoy it while hopefully helping others to enjoy theirs, and trying to spread some happiness around, trying to leave the world a little better than when we came into it. There are quite a few religious believers today who say they accept the truth of evolution, and so they should – ‘cos if one studies the facts one doesn’t have much option. We humans are not so much descended from apes but are apes. Zoologists classify humans along with six other species of ape in the ape family Hominidae. All seven species of us are descended over the last several million years from earlier more monkey-like creatures. So, if there is a life after death, this presumably is some special status granted to just one species - Homo sapiens - by the Creator. I mean you’re not trying to tell me that the beans I ate for supper are also now in heaven, or the chicken. So, this means that at some point over the last six million years the Creator will have had to have said to him/herself; ‘OK, after midnight tonight all babies born to these apey-humans are going to have a soul which will continue to exist after its body dies. So some years later you die, go to heaven, look around and ask ‘Where are my parents?’ ‘Oh’, says God, ‘Your Dad’s over there somewhere, but your Mum didn’t make it ‘cos she was born the day before the deadline,’ - excuse the pun.

Yep, it’s ridiculous, and in 2016 it’s time we grew up and started valuing the one life we have, and use it to try and make life more worth living for others, particularly those in desperate circumstances – the homeless and hungry in America, the millions of refugees, and the far-too-many ill and starving in Africa and other parts. There’s work to do.  

I’m not worried about going to hell, but I wouldn’t want to go to heaven either – what, for ETERNITY ? !  That’s a hell of a long time. I love wandering in beautiful nature admiring the pretty flowers and the inspiring view with someone I love; and reading books; but for EVER? A trillion years? It’s of course silly. Over and out.