ANSWERS: 29
  • Live as if there is , or at least a life where you are not evil.
  • I would say live as if there is not one, be moral for the sake of being moral etc. Then if there is no heaven your life has been worthy and good for good reasons. If there is the same applies and bonus (providing God does not condemn you for refusing to believe which seems a bit nasty). The flip side is to only do good etc for the sake of a reward later. If there is a reward all well and good but your actions were only moral for reward - is that really moral? And if there isn't what a wasted effort! In my opinion only of course. Kinda like an inverted Pascal's Wager, nice :)
  • The problem with this question is that there is conflict about how exactly to live as if there is a heaven. There are also no rules about how one must live if there is no heaven. So what's better? Impossible to know.
  • It doesn't matter to me whether there is a heaven. It's best for me to live my best and fullest now, without worrying about rewards, punishments or an afterlife. So I'm living as though there isn't a heaven, regardless. I can't say it's right for everyone, but it is for me.
  • In my opinion yes. I have to believe that I will be seeing my deceased loved ones one day
  • The word Heaven has many different semantics, so I will answer from my own personal opinion. For me, Heaven is two different circumstances. Hope for my future mortality, and the experiences here on earth that are as close to "perfect" as one can get. So in other words, Heaven [to me} is both here now, and there then. All I have is right now. I live with the hope of Heaven, and if I find out there isn't one, I will have no regrets about how I've lived with that hope.
  • This is a great question. There are countless religons in the world. Who is there to say that heaven is real or for that matter hell. I just think that you ultimately create your own destiny in life. For better or worse.
  • No, it's best to live as close to reality as you can get. The less distance there is between you and life as-it-is, the more satisfied and effective you are.
  • it's been a long time, Stableboy. remember the old phrase,to live in hope and die in fear.so choose one.
  • i believe its better to live a good life whether you belive in heaven or not. leading a good life just to get into heaven is bad!
  • There is no heaven.
  • Aye.. agreed.
  • My view as an agnostic is, "Yes".
  • Well, we're probably better off living as though there is a heaven, so at least there is something at the end of the path (and all our pious acts aren't in vain). If there is a heaven I hope that I make it. But I'm still kind of confused about my religion.
  • From a ‘safe bet’ point of view it is obviously better to do the former. However some might say “that there is conflict about how exactly to live as if there is a heaven.” There is even a bigger confusion about how to live if there is no heaven. At least with the ‘there is heaven’ options there are religions that define limits on how you may live. With the ‘there is no heaven’ options there can be no limits on how you may live. The only limits are man made laws, and these change from place to place and time to time. In any case there are many who find ways of breaking these laws without being caught. So how to you decide which religion – you have to put effort into it and weigh up all the available options, relying more on scriptures and less on opinions.
  • The Taoists and Zen Buddhists teach that through meditations, exercises, and "right" living, one may go through life by following a specific set of changes that bring the person, step by step, closer to the Great Maker, and will eventually lead to "the Reunion of Heaven and Man" and that by doing so, one may reach a heavenly state of full enlightenment while still alive. ... so, living as if there is a Heaven, and striving to reach it while still alive, is my opinion of "a better way" of life.
  • it depends on the way you live outside of religon and what kind of heaven you are or aren't going to
  • I think the former, however you understand Heaven. In secular terms, you could say, "Aim for earth and you get earth. Aim for the stars and you get earth thrown in."
  • I prefer to live for the here and now, than for the what maybe when I am dead. What is the difference between living for heaven and living without one? Are you not living the same life?
  • Heaven or no Heaven. Live life to the fullest.
  • I think that heaven's time is way more long that just a life time :)
  • Sorry should have been a comment.
  • 4-30-2017 In the military we used to answer questions like this with "RTFM!" That means "Read the full manual!" After all, we were given a book so you could know what's what. We also have a devil who spreads confusion any way he can. Your only hope is to ignore all the bs you hear from random strangers and misguided preachers and read it yourself. Read a chapter of Proverbs every day. Proverbs has 31 chapters so you can keep your place by just looking at a calendar. There is no religion or nothing in Proverbs and you don't have to believe anything. Just read to find wisdom. When you are comfortable with that, then read the bible from Romans to 2 Thessalonians over and over until you start to remember what it says. That is the part that applies to Christians. The answer to your question is in Romans where it carefully explains that behavior doesn't count any more. Either you believe in Jesus and are saved, or you don't believe and are lost.
    • Mr PantsFellDown
      Well, Jewels, it seems you come by it honest anyway. I cant agree with being theist, but I do appreciate when someone doesnt just talk the talk, they actually walk the walk. You even provide guidelines you obviously earned through your own effort over time. It's admirable and good example, not even just of christian stuff.
  • I think so
  • It actually makes no difference what a person merely "believes", as per the unexpected hanging paradox. If you simply "believe" there is no heaven, then you are no more informed than a person who merely believes there is.
  • yes no
  • Nope. That's just being stupid. You have the capability to learn and experience. If "knowing" about heaven and the Afterlife is so important to you then dedicate the appropriate time and resources to it. Don't be a dullard atheist and expect others to ply you answers because you think you're "special".
  • Nope. That's just being stupid. You have the capability to learn and experience. If "knowing" about heaven and the Afterlife is so important to you then dedicate the appropriate time and resources to it. Don't be a dullard atheist and expect others to ply you answers because you think you're "special".

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