Brian’s Reflection: Thursday, January 3, 2008


I don't believe in an afterlife, so I don't have to spend
my whole life fearing hell, or fearing heaven even more.
For whatever the tortures of hell, I think the boredom of
heaven would be even worse.

- Isaac Asimov, thinker, poet, author, fantasist,
born on this day, 1920, in Russia.


I do believe in an “afterlife”. Well - not really an “afterlife”. More an “Ongoing Life”. And I appreciate the metaphors of all faiths about what it will be like. They are colourful and beautiful, as are most metaphors about It. And, as Asimov, who doesn’t fear It because he doesn’t believe in It, I don’t either, because I do believe in It, and Jesus has said it is pleasant.

The metaphors of Heaven are supposed to make us think that Heaven is lovely – and I do. I have no interest in the details; they are irrelevant. The Afterlife will be about Truth, and “seeing through a glass” clearly instead of darkly. And about the giddiness of glimpsing finally what the Journey Onward is a little bit about. We really can’t know here the Reality, unless perhaps our imagination is fresh. And it doesn’t really matter to me.

I am not a person who can appreciate “boredom”. And I have to say that Christianity has produced some pretty boring theological “pictures” about Heaven. Ugh. As have other faiths - including the Muslim one about hoards of Virgins. (A) it makes me shudder yet again about the inability of religion to deal sensibly about sex, and (B) I prefer the idea that, having died, the mystery of sex takes an integrated place in the total reality of Being.

Life goes on forever, in a glorious kaleidoscope of dimensions of Being. One should never fear it - nthat presents a picture of “God” that is perverse. You can only “go to Hell” if you choose it, metaphorically speaking - and God doesn’t want that! And Heaven, well, Heaven, it is the most wonderful and un-boring thing you can possibly imagine. Because God lets us design It!

Sharpen your wits, oh friends!

Brian+