Do we still have our Earthly memories in Heaven?

[thistle]

This is something I just assumed and that is we do still have our earthly memories when we go to heaven. Today someone mentioned that Protestants believe when we go to Heaven all our earthly memories are wiped away and we become a new person and nobody knows anybody. To me that makes no sense! That would mean, for example, when the Apostles went to Heaven they would have no recollection of being with Jesus when he was on earth.

 

[Todd_Easton]

This isn’t exactly talking about life in heaven but in Luke 16:19-31 Jesus tells us a little about the afterlife of a poor man named Lazarus and an unnamed rich man. When Lazarus died angels carried him to the comfort of Abraham’s bosom (where those who died in God’s friendship went before Jesus opened heaven for them); when the rich man died he went to the fiery torments of Hades. The rich man recognized Lazarus from afar. The rich man also remembered his living brothers and tried to get Abraham to send Lazarus to them from the dead so they wouldn’t end up in Hades as well.

Now if the rich man in the torments of Hades still has his earthly memories, I see no reason to suppose that the blessed souls in heaven would not also still have their earthly memories.

In the story of the martyrdom of a mother and her seven sons in 2 Maccabees 7:1-42, the mother expected to see and recognize her dead sons again in the resurrection of the just, saying to her youngest son: “Do not be afraid of this executioner, but be worthy of your brothers and accept death, so that in the time of mercy I may receive you again with them.” (2 Mac 7:29)

 

[jjwilkman]

if you didn’t remember the past, you wouldnt be you. what would even be the point of heaven?

 

[Magicsilence]

But, if we did remember the past we would know that some of our friends/family wouldnt have made it, and would thus cause us anguish, which is impossible in heaven, right?

 

[Zooey]

This is something I just assumed and that is we do still have our earthly memories when we go to heaven. Today someone mentioned that Protestants believe when we go to Heaven all our earthly memories are wiped away and we become a new person and nobody knows anybody.

I have never heard that in my life, and I am protestant–Methodist. Do you know what group was saying this, because it sounds like maybe some little sect of some kind. It certainly isn’t mainstream in any protestant churches that I am familiar.
Why would we be dumber in Heaven than we are on earth? Isn’t that kind of backwards???
Anyhow, I don’t believe it for one second. It’s not only not sensible, it’s not Biblical…
And frankly, it sounds about as opposite to what Heaven is supposed to be, as I can ever imagine!!

 

[thistle]

Hi Zooey. No I don’t know which church. I’ll try to find out. It certainly is not the Methodist Church. I was a Methodist from birth but became a Catholic in 1991.

 

[Madia]

Well, if I’m remembering correctly, on judgement day *everything *will be revealed to us. The only thing we won’t comprehend is God as He comprehends Himself since we’d have to be God to do that.

Now, it seems irrational to me to believe that you know longer know who you are once you die. Does your friend honestly believe Mary no longer knows that she is the Mother of God?

Now, I believe it was Archbishop Fulton Sheen who described God as having two pictures of us: one picture was who we are and the other picture is who God intends us to be. Mary is so special because the two pictures were always the same. While we don’t know exactly who God intends us to be we must strive to do His will so that the two pictures begin to match. On judgement day, we’ll see how closely the pictures match.

 

[snowman10]

I was Methodist and was taught that we won’t know anyone in Heaven and such…hmmm…

DU

 

[puzzleannie]

we have all of our intellect, memory and understanding, perfected and able to comprehend everything about God and the heavenly mysteries that would have been obscured if we were still limited by our earthly senses, and our mind and soul still clouded by sin. We will have the full knowledge that we need to truly know Him, and will have everything we need to adore God perpetually, and to be happy with Him.

 

[cardenio]

I s’pose we could just wait and find out. And just in case, don’t do anything that you’re not going to want to remember.

 

[Verbum]

Hi Thisle,

We are not only what we were on our birthday, but we are what our life experiences have made us. If we went into the other world without our memories, we would not be there with our full personality.

It is we who will resurrect, not some blank slate.

Verbum

 

[RobedWithLight]

thistle:

This is something I just assumed and that is we do still have our earthly memories when we go to heaven. Today someone mentioned that Protestants believe when we go to Heaven all our earthly memories are wiped away and we become a new person and nobody knows anybody. To me that makes no sense! That would mean, for example, when the Apostles went to Heaven they would have no recollection of being with Jesus when he was on earth.

To put it another way, it likewise wouldn’t make sense to mind-wipe those who go to Hell since it is irrational to punish souls who no longer remember what exactly they are being punished for, that is, the offenses, the evil life they had led when they were still on earth. The punishment would be incomplete without the full knowledge of their offense.

Hense it is reasonable to assume that those who are rewarded with heaven are likewise not rewarded by being purged of their earthly memories, their struggles, their sacrifices, their martyrdoms…

Gerry

 

[Cleb_Calimutan]

Our soul can posses the "truth " and the truth remains forever it cannot perish…

Our knowledge therefore during our erthly life cannot perish…

Our communication of the Saints in heaven still remains as the Catholic Church teaches… God Bless us

 

[puzzleannie]

thistle:

. Today someone mentioned that Protestants believe when we go to Heaven all our earthly memories are wiped away and we become a new person and nobody knows anybody. QUOTE]

one of the most amazing things I have discovered on this forum is the differences between the Catholic understanding of the nature of heaven and that of many protestants. I thought I knew the major areas of disagreement: papal infallibility, the Eucharist and sacramental system, salvation and justification etc. Until a CCD parent told me that her husband’s church teaches our soul sleeps after natural death until the last judgement, I had never heard of the profound difference in our teachings surrounding death, judgement, heaven and hell. these Last Things used to be taught, at least in my Catholic school, but I don’t think many Catholics today have a good grounding. I will surely make it a point to insure this teaching is integral to our CCD and RCIA program.

 

[Madia]

Memories here on earth are limitied by our brain. For example, we can’ t remember every good and/or bad deed we did on a particular day. However, every one of those deeds still counts, whether or not they are forgotten.

In the afterlife, our knowledge will not be limited by our brain. We can see the infinite. Since God is eternally just, it makes sense that we will be shown our entire lifetime during the particular judgement:
newadvent.org/cathen/08550a.htm

 

[Paris_Blues]

Interesting! So would that mean I would remember my Rosary illustrations I did in college?

 

[Matt16_18]

thistle:

This is something I just assumed and that is we do still have our earthly memories when we go to heaven. Today someone mentioned that Protestants believe when we go to Heaven all our earthly memories are wiped away and we become a new person and nobody knows anybody. To me that makes no sense!

We won’t have all our memories wiped away, but we certainly will have some our memories wiped away.

Adam and Eve had the preternatural gift of Holy Innocence in the terrestrial Paradise. Before they fell, they didn’t know how to abuse the good because they had knowledge of the good alone, and no knowledge at all of evil.

After the Final Judgement, creation will be restored, and the blessed will once again dwell in the restored creation with the gift of Holy Innocence – but it will be a Holy Innocence that is superior to the Holy Innocence that Adam and Eve possessed in the terrestrial Paradise in the state of Original Justice. In the restored creation, the blessed will once again have knowledge of the good alone, and they won’t know how to commit sin, since they will have no knowledge of evil.

 

[Madia]

After the Final Judgement, creation will be restored, and the blessed will once again dwell in the restored creation with the gift of Holy Innocence – but it will be a Holy Innocence that is superior to the Holy Innocence that Adam and Eve possessed in the terrestrial Paradise in the state of Original Justice. In the restored creation, the blessed will once again have knowledge of the good alone, and they won’t know how to commit sin, since they will have no knowledge of evil.

I don’t agree with this. I think that we will still know evil but we won’t be able to chose to do evil because of the beatific vision. It may be paradoxal but it seems that because of original sin we will have an even greater appreciation of God’s love for us.

Who apprecitates a cold drink more? The man who’s never been thirsty or the man who spent two days in the desert without water? How will we be able to appreciate Christ’s great love for us in His Passion and Death if our knowledge of evil is wiped away?