Heaven

[Kritter]

My daughter, Rebecca's, best friend, Cynthia Allenger (age 8 soon to be 9) was kidnapped on July 4th, 1996 near Tacoma, Washington.  She was tortured, raped, and walked to a field where she was murdered. Rebecca could not be in the dark after that and she could not be alone ever for nearly ten years. Cynthia's parents were asked by the prosecution if they wanted the death penalty or life in prison without the possibility of parole.  (This was in Washington state so the death penalty was an option.)  They opted to ask for life in prison which the judge granted.  That man has a long time to think about what he did.  If he repents and truly asks for forgiveness I would not be mad that he made it to heaven.  I don't expect that I'd run up and give him a hug.  If he doesn't repent, Hell would be a lovely place for him to go.  I don't think it is my decision in spite of what he did to my daughter.  I forgave the murderer years ago for my own good.  The poisonous hatred I was carrying didn't hurt him at all, and it was screwing me up.  I feel better now.

I figured to quote what chuckhart said so it won't be confused to rachael's post.

I personally believe if a rapist, serial murderer, abuser, criminal, etc can be forgiven and go to heaven. Course the only person who can decide on that is God/Jesus (depends how one sees it). When one ask for forgiveness and truely meant it, he/she will have a clean slate to eyes of God. The people on earth may not forgive the person so easily but it is NOT their decision because they are not God. Course I can understand for a person to go to the people/person who were hurt from his/her action and want forgiveness from them before God. But how I see it, if the people/person decides not forgive the person but God did, then I don't think their opinion doesn't matter too much because the person is now having a new life (clean slate). And when he/she dies, the person will enter the kingdom of heaven.
Eh, I hope I made sense there. Kinda hard to explain it into words.

[Oni]

"Oh heaven is a place on earth, they say that in heave love comes first. Who made heave a place on earth"

[Eternimus]

The Norse reject no one. There are just as many needs for healers and those to raise spirits as there are needs for those to charge into battle. We believe that no one should be turned away. That everyone can become better than they are. It doesn't matter your race. It doesn't matter your belief. We all live with nature, we are all part of it, and when we perish we will become part of it again. We are all parts of the gods, just as they are parts of us. Most women are naturally gentle anyway. It's your nature. Just as most men are fierce. It's our nature.

But in response to Oni's post, what happens when you are punished with us? First, unless you want to be banished, you have to make peace with the family. There is no savior. no one to confess your sins to. We are taught to forgive, but in the case of chuckhart's post, that is not something I will just up and forgive. Because that is probably my most favorite feature of Asatru. There is no "politically correct" way to live it. We are told we are completely free. Mind, Body, and Soul. That SOB will have to work awfully damn hard to get my forgiveness for such an atrocity. Good and Evil deeds are not judged by the gods, but by the community. Most of our punishment comes from what we do to you in this life. And we can be vindictive.

[Rachael]

Awww, that's nice.  The more religions that say they have a place for me in the afterlife, the less frantic I feel.  Also, your explanations helped me understand that Asatru is more than just a religion of war and fighting.  Thanks!

In response to the bit about Jesus saying not to resist an evildoer, I think it would be worth everyone's while--and I completely know where you're coming from if you don't have the time, so I won't be offended if no one reads it--to check out an article I read called "Can Love Save the World?"  It's written by a man named Walter Wink, and it's available online:

http://www.yesmagazine.org/article.asp?ID=485

Hope you enjoy!

[Oni]

Well to continue this topic kinda.

What do you do if you get into heave and it is not in your liking?

Or what if you missed getting into heaven because you steped on a butterfly one to many times?

Or if  you thought what you were doing was right, but in actuallity it was wrong?