Is there a Heaven? A Hell? Who goes where?

You may have heard about our happy hour Bible study. We call it "Bibles and Beer." We meet at 5:30 each Monday evening at Uncle Charlie's. We have enjoyed the company of a wide range of folks. One is in her 80's, another in his 20's and everything between. One is an atheist, one a Buddhist, there are liberal and conservative Christians and agnostics. We do not permit debate and have created a safe place to ask questions and offer independent thoughts about faith and beliefs.

We have been focused on Rob Bell's controversial book Love Wins. The book discusses concepts of Heaven and Hell. The discussion has allowed participants to go deeper in their thinking about these concepts and the rules that land you in one place or the other.

Today's blog is an invitation to join us on Mondays. It is also a survey. How do you see Heaven and Hell? Is there an afterlife? Is there an afterlife of eternal burning fire for those who live badly? Is there a place in the sky of mansions and golden streets for those who live good lives? What is a bad life? A good life? What are the rules and who gets to make them? Does the acknowledgement of one interpretation of God determine your afterlife? How do the choices we make determine the afterlife for others?

All of us think about those things. We don't very often get the opportunity to listen to others and share out ideas and to think more critically about faith. "Bibles and Beer" affords that time. Give it a try.