Heavenly rewards allocated on a curve?

[BobK]

Maybe someone can fill me in on how the reward system in heaven works, for the people that make the cut in God's eyes.

Is everyone treated equally in heaven?

If treated equally, why?

If treated unequally, are the rewards allocated using some type of scale based on religiousness. Maybe a normal curve with most people getting about average rewards, some minimum, and others maximum.

If graded on a scale, what would likely be the differences between minimum, maximum and average rewards and what would the population distribution look like?

Edited for spelling and to add...

The reason I ask these questions is to understand why a person that is a believer, and considers themselves rational, would do more than the minimum required to qualify for entry into heaven. It seems to me that eternal bliss would be enough for anyone, if that is the minimum reward received.

 

[c4ts]

Maybe someone can fill me in on how the reward system in heaven works, for the people that make the cut in God's eyes.

Is everyone treated equally in heaven?

If treated equally, why?

If treated unequally, are the rewards allocated using some type of scale based on religiousness. Maybe a normal curve with most people getting about average rewards, some minimum, and others maximim.

If graded on a scale, what would likely be the differences between minimum, maximum and average rewards and what would the population distribution look like?

Not everybody is rewarded the same. Everyone gets the crap Heaven except for the Mormons!

 

[Paul C. Anagnostopoulos]

I thought you got eternal bliss. Who then cares if you get shrimp or beef jerky?

~~ Paul

 

[Agammamon]

I thought you got eternal bliss. Who then cares if you get shrimp or beef jerky?

~~ Paul

Wait a minute, does the Drug Czar know about this "eternal bliss" thing? Sounds like it could be better than heroin, which is more powerful than meth, which gives a better high than crack, which is more addicting than heroin.

 

[TylerD]

I think the ideas of "heaven" differ from religion to religion. Some religions (like Mormonism, as c4ts pointed out) believe there are different levels of heaven, (the Mormons actually think they become gods/goddesses when they die). I'd say that most Christian/Muslim people would say that all are treated equally in heaven once they get there.
I have a few questions about heaven myself. Number one being is it possible to get kicked out of heaven once you're there? If so, it'd be awfully hard to go through an eternity without doing something bad enough to get kicked out. And if so few are going to get inot heaven, (only 140,000, according to the most extreme Christians out there), what's the point of even attempting to get in? And what is so great about heaven that would make an atheist like me want to get in? I know I certainly wouldn't want to spend an eternity playing a harp next to Jerry Falwell.

 

[Skeptical Greg]

.....a person that is a believer, and considers themselves rational.....

The quote above, pretty much sums up the problem..
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------


Have you seen the .. " Serial killer accepts Jesus, rejoices with victims in Heaven .. " story?


Tell me about someone who believes this, and can be called ' rational'....

 

[chance]

TylerD

I have a few questions about heaven myself. Number one being is it possible to get kicked out of heaven once you're there? If so, it'd be awfully hard to go through an eternity without doing something bad enough to get kicked out.

interesting, If one had free will in heaven, and infinity to practice it in, the possibility of being the bad boy in heaven is on the cards.

And what is so great about heaven that would make an atheist like me want to get in?

Actually I hardly think you would remain an atheist for long in heaven.

 

[c4ts]

TylerD interesting, If one had free will in heaven, and infinity to practice it in, the possibility of being the bad boy in heaven is on the cards.

Actually I hardly think you would remain an atheist for long in heaven.

What if there's an afterlife... but no God?

It could be a democracy up there for all we know.

 

[BobK]

The quote above, pretty much sums up the problem..
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------


Have you seen the .. " Serial killer accepts Jesus, rejoices with victims in Heaven .. " story?


Tell me about someone who believes this, and can be called ' rational'....

That's why I put "considers" instead of "is".

 

[jimmygun]

It is my understanding that "Christians" do do the minimum. Believing in Christ is all it takes. You can beat cats to death with a brick, you can rob rape and pillage, you can torture and maim, you can commit genocide, you can eat babies and burn mothers. If you believe in Christ, not to worry! You are in!

 

[BobK]

It is my understanding that "Christians" do do the minimum. Believing in Christ is all it takes. You can beat cats to death with a brick, you can rob rape and pillage, you can torture and maim, you can commit genocide, you can eat babies and burn mothers. If you believe in Christ, not to worry! You are in!

Although some may just believe, others actually do considerably more. Such as go to church, tithe, witness for their religion etc.

If all things are equal in heaven why bother with the extra stuff?

I'm sure they could find a more rational use for their time on Sundays.

 

[c4ts]

It is my understanding that "Christians" do do the minimum. Believing in Christ is all it takes. You can beat cats to death with a brick, you can rob rape and pillage, you can torture and maim, you can commit genocide, you can eat babies and burn mothers. If you believe in Christ, not to worry! You are in!

Now that Chick Tract about the wild west makes sense...

 

[Loki]

BobK,

Although some may just believe, others actually do considerably more. Such as go to church, tithe, witness for their religion etc.

If all things are equal in heaven why bother with the extra stuff?

As with most things, the Catholics have had 2,000 years to come up with answers for questions like this. In a word - purgatory. If you do the minimum, you're *in*, but you'll have to serve some time in purgatory to work off the sin you accumulated while here on Earth. You can keep your time in purgatory to as short as possible by doing "extra duty" while in the land of the living.

Of course, as Yahzi once pointed out, an eternity in heaven is the final result no matter what, so some "less that eternity" spent in purgatory is essentially insignificant in the long run.

 

[c4ts]

Has anybody read the Divine Comedy. Purgatory is weeeeird. Three-eyed beauties and such...

 

[Darwin]

It does not surprise me that there are not too many theists replying to this thread (of course,to assume that theists are all around this board is questionable)
I would believe that such questions could manage to penetrate quite deep into a believer´s mind,and could be even considered offensive.
I´m speculating but I believe the scripture does not exactly bomb one with satisfying answers for how things happen up there.Perhaps because of the obscure nature of this subject,this is not generally discussed to a great degree.

 

[Cleopatra]

I would believe that such questions could manage to penetrate quite deep into a believer´s mind,and could be even considered offensive.

... plus the fact that such questions have nothing to do with scepticism.

 

[K-W]

I think heaven is probably a pretty bad deal. I bet its lik spending eternity in church.

 

[BobK]

Darwin,

I was starting to notice the lack of theistic input myself.

One would think that there would be at least one believer on the forum that could give some sort of cogent response to the questions.

Loki,

I liked the "less than eternity" remark. Very true.