On July 6, 2012, ABC aired this “20/20” special featuring Barbara Walters. It was reported that nine out of ten people believe in Heaven. One speaker said that he believes that Heaven is the true prize that awaits us after our journey on Earth. Many people believe this. In less popular terms, they truly believe that “life is a dress rehearsal” for the after life. Oddly, many of them further maintain that such a belief actually gives meaning to their lives on Earth.
This kind of discussion is great for television ratings. The less skepticism involved, the higher the ratings. Moreover, it is best to focus only on the supposed positive effects of believing in an afterlife.
However, a belief in Heaven is a perfect tool for mind control. Many people will tolerate all kinds of injustice as long as they believe that they will be rewarded in an after life for their patience. Not surprisingly, this inconvenient truth was not approached on this program.
The Reverend Calvin Butts of New York City told Waters that his dead grandmother spoke to him. However, many people maintain that only the soul goes to Heaven, while the body disintegrates. If this is true, it raises the question: How could Butts’ grandmother have spoken to him without vocal chords? How could she have recognized him without eyes and ears? How could she have remembered him without a brain (housing the mind?)
Another minister on the program expressed the idea that the body goes to Heaven. He and other people believe that they will inherit the bodies they had when they were young. Some Christians believe they will have the bodies of people around the age of 30. However, what if they died when they were infants, toddlers or pre-teens? Will they advance straight to 30 when they get to Heaven?
One minister on the program said that there will be servants in Heaven. However, would a life of servitude actually be a heavenly existence for the servants? Would they be smiling, happy-go-lucky slaves?
The program also skipped over the fact that a belief in Heaven generates billions of dollars for houses of worship. People will give lots of money if they believe they will be heavily rewarded after they die. The problem is that giving to houses of worship keeps many of them poor on Earth.
It was pointed out that a belief in Heaven gives many people comfort. However, the program did not go into the psychological damage done by a belief in Hell. Children are especially harmed by this utterly irrational belief. Robert Ingersoll pointed out: “All the meanness of which the human heart is capable is summed up in that one word—Hell.” Indeed, the belief in infinite punishment for finite crimes is downright monstrous.
A belief in Hell also keeps people in line. People will tolerate all forms of injustice if they believe they will be punished for fighting for their rights. For example, the book of Romans teaches that the powers that be are ordained by God. History is full of examples of enslaved people content to wait until after they died to attain their freedom.
What is worst about a belief in Hell and demons is that it encourages persecution and violence against innocent human beings. In Africa, India and other parts of the world, religious fanatics harass, torture and kill alleged witches and warlocks. Certainly the world would be much better off without these kinds of backward, superstitious ideas.
Some people believe in Heaven, but not Hell. However, in life, there are always winners and losers. Why would it be different in an after life? If the winners go to Heaven, wouldn’t the losers go to Hell? Of course, some people believe that those that do not make it into Heaven will simply die a peaceful spiritual death. But would not their loved ones in Heaven be miserable without them?
After all, as was pointed out in the program, many people want to go to Heaven to be reunited with their loved ones.
What is so amazing is that of those that believe in Heaven, practically all of them believe they will make it. However, if it is true that “sinners” will not make it into Heaven, what accounts for this misplaced confidence? People are expected to have the right religion, pray, tithe, make pilgrimages to holy sites, read their holy books, get baptized, keep commandments, wear certain clothing, abstain from sex for long periods of time, abstain from alcohol and other drugs, etc. Indeed, it would seem that those biblical literalists that believe only a small number of people will make it into Heaven are closest to the truth. As the great soul singer Curtis Mayfield cynically noted: “If there’s a hell below, we’re all gonna go.”
It would have been great to learn what those who believe in Heaven think about euthanasia. Do those who end their lives because they can no longer stand the pain go to Heaven? Do they go to Hell? Are they stuck in Limbo—a belief that has apparently been kicked to the curb by the Catholic Church?
There were a few obligatory token skeptics thrown into the two-hour program for good measure. Susan Blackmore gave an excellent plausible, naturalistic explanation for Out-of-Body Experiences (OBEs) and Near Death Experiences (NDEs). She pointed out that the brain experiences over activity thereby releasing dormant images and memories.
However, these kinds of explanations do not move those that simply want to believe in something supernatural. Someone early in the program raised the question regarding a supposedly spiritual phenomenon: “How does science explain that?” For many people, this is nothing more than a rhetorical question. Still, even when science cannot explain a phenomenon, why is it wise to simply believe that the phenomenon is supernatural? Why are people so ashamed to simply admit that they do not know? Why is it so hard to acknowledge that there is probably a good naturalistic explanation of which we are simply unaware?
This program, as is usually the case, was a complete waste of time. However, it probably gave many theists a lot of false hope. Most importantly, it probably made for high ratings and a lot of money for ABC.