Why do Christians grieve so when a loved one dies? Do they grieve as much as an atheist? They'll be reunited with them in paradise so why so sad?

@Moxymoxy

It seems to me that the sadness at being temporarily separated from someone you love even if for a long time should not be the same as the grief of permanent separation.
And yet Christians seem to grieve as if it is a permanent separation.

@Pikachu My father is dead. I do believe I'll see him again. But I miss him. It hurts he's not here to to talk to. I find you to be disingenuous. It doesn't matter what your spirituality is or isn't when you love someone and they're gone from your life- this life on this planet - you miss them.
There is no way you can't understand this if you're a human being.
Being Christian and believing in an afterlife doesn't exclude you from having emotions.

@Moxymoxy

I'm sorry to hear that😣
It's not that i can't understand having a reaction to that loss, it's that i don't understand why one would perceive that loss in the same way if one believes that the loss is temporary rather than permanent.

@Pikachu I think you do understand. I'm looking back through your postings and you seem to spend a lot of time telling Christians they're wrong to believe what they believe.
I don't like fundamentalist Christians who feel the need to tell non Christians they are wrong. It's disrespectful and arrogant.
You are what I can only see as a fundamentalist atheist. You feel the need to tell/show us we're wrong.

@Moxymoxy


Nope.
That's why i said i don't understand lol.
I guess because i think i would feel such comfort in believing i'd see again the loved ones i've lost that i can't understand how someone could be equally as upset if they think they'll see theirs again in a paradise.


I can understand that interpretation.
But i don't go around trying to convince Christians that god doesn't exist. I invite debates on specific beliefs which i find incompatible with observable reality and criticize elements of the theology which i find problematic.
I get that not everybody is interested in engaging in that kind of discussion and i wouldn't expect anyone who doesn't find it as fun as i do to involve themselves.

As for this specific topic, i'd implore you not to attribute malice where simple disagreement is sufficient to explain the conflict🙂

@Pikachu
Imagine the countless generations in your family line. You love your parents, siblings, spouse, children. They each love numerous other people who also love countless other people. Soon you end up with all of humanity since before the first cave man. Therefore, if everyone was to see their loved ones in paradise the result would be that all of humanity that has ever existed would be in paradise/heaven. Is that possible? Would you really be comfortable meeting your ancestors of 20,000 generations ago? After all, everyone loves someone and wants to see them in paradise/heaven.

IMO, people who believe in paradise/heaven believe in childish beliefs and have never given any serious thought to the matter.

@Diotrephes


I don't see a problem with that. We're talking a supernatural paradise here. I feel like elbow room and social awkwardness would probably not be huge factors lol

@Pikachu
You may want to give that some additional contemplation.

@Diotrephes

Can you give me a reason to?

@Pikachu Imagine Adam & Eve, Cain & Able. Adam Eve loved Cain & Able and Cane & Able loved Adam & Eve. So, they should all look forward to spending eternity together in heaven, right? But, Cain hated Able and killed him. Doesn't that upset the apple cart? Now imagine that dynamic repeated tens of billions of times. Could everyone get into heaven under those conditions?

(Hint: This is a trick question because it is answered in the biblical fairy tale.)

@Diotrephes

People like Cain aren't going to get into heaven...
I'm not sure how this bolsters your notion that heaven is going to be crowded and akward?

@Pikachu
I told you it was a trick question. Your answer shows that you do not know the biblical fairy tale so allow me to bring you up to speed.

On Judgment Day everyone gets resurrected. That includes everyone who has been in death, the sea, or in hell. At that time if a person's name is not found in the Book of Life the person could be tossed into the lake of fire, which is the final solution. However, lots of evil souls are spared and get to exist on the New Earth that has the giant golden cube called "New Jerusalem" on it. The kick is that only those whose names are written in the Book of Life can enter the golden cube. All others must stay outside of the wall (Revelation 21:27). So, who are the souls who are barred from entering the golden cube but have escaped the lake of fire because their names were not written in the Book of Life? (Revelation 20:15)

Revelation 22:14-15 (ERV) gives the answer = "14 “Great blessings belong to those who have washed their robes.[a] They will have the right to eat the food from the tree of life. They can go through the gates into the city. 15 Outside the city are all those who live like dogs—those who do evil magic, those who sin sexually, those who murder, those who worship idols, and those who love to lie and pretend to be good."

@Diotrephes


lol does it?
Cain murdered his brother and then lied to god about it.
He's not getting into heaven...
Not sure how this demonstrates an unfamiliarity with the Bible...

Yup. First the dead in Christ rise and reign (over whom i'm not sure) and then the rest of us will rise and be judged.
Not really a trick question.

Also i'm still unclear as to how this relates to your notion that heaven is going to be crowded and awkward?
Can you answer that one for me? Because now it just seems like we're playing "who knows the Bible better" lol

@Pikachu
The Bible clearly says that "evil" people will be on the planet where "heaven" -- the golden cube called New Jerusalem - - is located. I provided chapter and verse for that. The "evil" people won't be allowed to enter the golden cube but they will see it towering 1,500 miles into the sky behind the tall wall around it. Why else would the cube need a wall around it if all of the bad people had been tossed into the lake of fire?

If you call the golden cube heaven it is sitting on a large planet and it is a golden cube 1,500 miles tall and 1,500 miles per side. Hell was tossed into the lake of fire in Revelation 20:14. So, how should the area outside of the wall be classified? It says that the "saved" can freely pass through the twelve gates. So, that must mean that the "saved" and the "dogs" who are excluded can intermingle. Isn't that wonderful? The "saved" can come out and visit their evil relatives and then return to their golden rooms after eating from the tree of life and drinking the water of life. But what will the excluded eat and drink for eternity since they will never die because Death was also tossed into the lake of fire, Revelation 20:14.

@Diotrephes

lol what is happening?

This is where we started: Would you really be comfortable meeting your ancestors of 20,000 generations ago? After all, everyone loves someone and wants to see them in paradise/heaven.

And i reckoned that such inconveniences would probably not be a huge issue...and i'm just not seeing from your admittedly well constructed descriptions from Revaluation why i should change my mind on that lol