"Because the bible says so...." Or words to that effect. Belief in a "heaven" (Paradise) over a Hell (Hades) is a rather new development when it comes to religious beliefs. Biblically speaking (Christianity), the earliest books speak of hell as in "hades" the grave. Its not until much later that Hades transforms into a place of punishment. Interpretation of the bible to include 'all people go to heaven' is kind of wrong. In my OPINION. My Interpretation is that a few of us will get to heaven, for a time the so called "Saints" the rest of us are in Hades (the grave) until the last trump. Christ returns to Earth, sets up His Kingdom here on Earth, the New Jerusalem descends and all who are found worthy (which is far many more than modern ministers would have us believe) dwell in 'new bodies' here on earth for ever and ever with Christ and Father. The Thief who hung next to Christ was 'rewarded' to be in Heaven with the Christ, this has often been interpreted to mean we all go to heaven immediately as a 'reward'. But, consider that we are told that the 'dead in Christ' arise at end. If they are rising, that means they have been in the grave. This concept is called "soul sleep" and has its roots far deeper in history than the concept of going to heaven or hell or purgatory immediately upon death. When Jesus spent 3 days in hell (Hades) He did not go to a place where souls are shoveling coal in a furnace deep within the earth, it means He spent 3 days in the grave - dead. Hell (Hades/The Grave/Gehenna/Sheol) and the Lake of fire are two separate ideas that have, sadly, been mixed and confused. The Lake of Fire is reserved for the Rebelling Host (Fallen Angels) and for those few humans who have completely and totally distanced themselves from God (the Father). Thus those who knowingly receive the Mark (which is to say they turn away from God to Follow the Antichrist) are sent into the lake of Fire, followed by Satan and his minions. The rest of us return here to Earth. The Punishment Reward System most likely started as a way to hold political power over the masses. The Reformation of the Church, followed soon after by the Fall of Rome which left a political vacuum, resulted in a powerful religious organization that had the resources to 'take charge'. In order to insure conversion the concept of 'reward and punishment' worked rather well. Some of the things one was rewarded for was faithfulness and loyalty to the Church, some of the things punished was being against the Church (Not the religion but the political power). Jewish Teachings do not have a place of eternal damnation (hell). This is based upon literal interpretation of the Old Testament. The New Testament has been 'interpreted' not so literally in many cases, and the Church developed 'Doctrine' which is basically 'man's reflection upon the Word'. It is Doctrine, not the bible, that most Protestant denominations still cling to. It is Doctrine (not the bible) that the breaks in the denominations are over. Thus Doctrine has evolved into Doctrines (plural) where many interpretations have lead to the formation of individual systems of belief. Hell and Heaven as a "reward and punishment" system is rarely if ever challenged, however Purgatory was.