Heaven and hell contradict each other. If sinners go to hell, wouldn't hell be a kick ass place to be? Drinking, smoking, wife coveting, etc. That said, woudn't heaven be boring and REALLY uptight?
Like creation myths, many people have tried to predict the afterlife. In my opinion the creation of life and the afterlife was invented to give people direction in their lives. Be a good person, obey the laws and boom! Destination Heaven. (Rose Nylund is all over the ledge today
) Howevah, screw up and you're going straight to hell. Teaching through fear is a pretty effective tactic. Obviously, since it's been working for thousands of years. Have you ever read
Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God? Scary stuff...
Still I'd like to think that there is some kind of existence after your body dies. Reincarnation? I dunno...it seems pretty unfair if we all have to come back with no knowledge of our past lives and Shirley Maclaine gets to remember everything.