The Reality of Heaven

As captains of our ship on earth we inherit what was begun on earth; memories are key to whether we inherit either a heaven or hell.

Courtesy: landscapedvd.com

(PASO ROBLES, Calif.) - For the longest time, I was stumped by the concept of heaven as I was given to suppose it must be: its purity seemed always to be contaminated by the concepts of man who wants to make of it an object of his design.

In 1980 I wanted to see again the farm and homestead of my grandparents where mother and her many siblings were raised, and to visit the gravesites of my grandparents.

At the cemetery I asked a grave digger if he could show me their burial sites; he asked me if they were Catholic or Protestant explaining that in his cemetery bodies are buried in separate sections just feet apart according to their chosen religion, Catholic or Protestant, all are covered by the same earth, although each, apparently, has it own heavenly address.

A member of the church mother attended far removed from her youth, had requirements for her heaven: no Negroes allowed; nor whites for that matter, unless they had passed her muster. “If that woman goes to heaven, I’m not sure I want to go there.” she said.

But, if not one wit of what we do on earth, or who we know, can be forgotten,” how can this human contamination be avoided? I was perplexed, until I read what I consider to be the solution in Miracles and Modern Spiritualism by Alfred Russell Wallace [1874].

Those with whom spirits commune in afterlife depend not only on who they knew before death but with whom they feel an intellectual affinity after death. [paraphrased]. Voila!

On this basis alone does heaven become the promised goal. I suspect, also, that if one wants to commune with friends or relatives of less than intellectual affinity, it can be arranged simply by thinking of them.

The same ought to be true of pets. By our very nature, we create the basis on which to build intellectual relationships, to enjoy being with friends and family and, more importantly to avoid in the afterlife those who do not contribute to our happiness.

As captains of our ship on earth we inherit what was begun on earth; memories are key to whether we inherit either a heaven or hell.

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Kenneth G. Ramey was a 79-year old "writer without a Website" who is generating excellent, provocative articles on the subject of religion and world affairs. We are pleased that Ken's "lone wolf" presence as a writer in the world has been replaced by a spot on our team of writers at Salem-News.com. Raised in Minnesota and California during the dark years of the Great American Depression, Ken is well suited to talk about the powerful forces in the world that give all of us hope and tragedy and everything in between. You can write to Ken at: darken1@sbcglobal.net