Is there a heaven?

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I was asked by my Confirmation Group,how do we know there is a heaven because you can’t come back from the dead? I am not sure how to answer.
 
One place to start is the Our Father - we heard the word heaven from His own mouth.

We heard it again when He gave Peter the keys.

We know there is a hell.

Those who die in God’s grace and friendship and are perfectly purified live for ever with Christ. They are like God for ever, for they “see him as he is,” face to face: 1 Jn 3:2; cf. 1 Cor 13:12; Rev 22:4.
 
When Christ spoke of the wheat and the tares, he was discussing that our actions in life echo into our eternal life. In other words if we were born only to return to nothingness, what would have been the point? i.e. there are consequences to our actions that only He can take away!
 
aficker said:
I was asked by my Confirmation Group,how do we know there is a heaven because you can’t come back from the dead? I am not sure how to answer.
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You might want to read C.S. Lewis’ Surprised by Joy. Also, he has an argument for God that involves this (I think it’s in Surprised by Joy too, but I’m not sure); basically, it works like this:
  1. According to human experience, all desires that humans have are capeable of being filled.
  2. Humans have a desire for immortality and infinite happiness.
  3. Therefore, it is possible to have your desires for immortality and infinite happiness filled.
  4. However, we don’t have any evidence of anyone having these desires filled in this life.
  5. Therefore, a place must exist after death where we can have immortality and infinite happiness.
  6. This place we call Heaven.
It’s a valid argument, though obviously the first premise can only be arrived at inductivelly. The argument can be made anecdotally, too: remember a time when you were really, truly happy. Didn’t you have the feeling that that was only the start of something and that whatever came next would last forever?

None of this is certain, obviously, but some people find it persuasive.
 
Jesus was either telling the truth of he was lying. I believe he was telling the truth!

Peace,

Ryan 🙂
 
You are working with young people. Consider getting ahold of some life after death tapes/stories. (There is a Catholic priest - still living - who had one, and his story is powerful. It’s Fr. Steven ??? - can’t remember his last name, so would someone please help. There are also a couple of books, Life after Death, Life after Life. I think they were written by a medical doctor.) Check out the saints who have had mystical experiences. (Padre Pio; St. Margaret Mary Alquoque; St. Joseph Copertino, …). Sometimes, theology and philosophy have to “fleshed” out with real life experiences to capture the attention and interest!

Edit note:
I found “Fr. Steven???” on the internet!!! frtommylane.com/homilies/year_c/lent3.htm#fr_steven_scheier
 
The question reveals a common misconception of “The kingdom of Heaven” of which Jesus taught. This misconception is the idea that you have to die to get there.

The kingdom of Heaven (AKA the reign of God) is like the whole-life insurance that one company used to advertise: “you don’t have to die to collect”

We live in God’s kingdom when we listen to God’s voice and keep God’s commandments. It starts the moment we commit to doing that. We are meant to live in heaven now as well as later. Death is not the entry into heaven but simply the continued “living” in God’s kingdom. Only we have very limited ability to do good or harm with our actions any more. All the more reason to make the most of the time we do have.

You have a challenging position. Good luck

Jim
 
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