Interesting question, Aresthena, and my answer is "neither."

Since I believe that my eternal fate is secure and that is I'm heaven bound, I am free now to live my life for the God-glory. I have no need to work to earn a place in heaven as that has already been won for me by the Christ-cross.

 I live to live life as fully as possible: that's what my Christian faith gives me.

Neither, I live for God, through the adoption made possible in Christ.

Bolt

Hi Aresthena,

I live to show my gratitude to the one who gave me life.

I don't live to go to Heaven because I don't have the power to access Heaven.  If I enjoy heaven it will be because of grace given to me not because I have earned it.

I don't live to evade Hell because Hell is the natural consequence of my not being perfect.  Hell is what I deserve.  If I am not to experience Hell it will be because of grace given to me not because I do not deserve punishment.

Until such time as that fate is made known to me I live to show my gratitude to the one who has given me life and called me to service.

Grace and peace to you.

John

I try to live as much as possible in the heaven that is here and now.  What will happen when I cease breathing is one of many mysteries.

Neither one.

Whoa, I don't mean too but in hear but that's a pretty cool question : o I would like to hear an answer from this question from some of the uber conservative Christians on the planet.

But, I'll get out of your thread, I know where I'm not wanted! T-T (just kiddin' ~_^)

Peace

Views on heaven and hell have been discussed many times on the Cafe - but that is not a reason why they cannot be discussed again. 

Your question is worded as an 'either / or', but I don't think it can be answered that way, because for me and many other Christians on this site the answer is "Neither".  We live life to the fullest here and now.  The kingdom is among us, growing as a mustard seed in the soil, like yeast in bread.  It is not 'pie in the sky when you die', nor is it 'burning in hell'. 

Because I am concerned about living life here today, I don't think much about whether there is an afterlife or what it might be like.  I'll leave that as the big surprise when I die - which I hope isn't for a long time yet.  I love life too much to want to leave it.

what seeler said

yes, thanks Seeler!!!  You said what I would have liked to say.

Maybe I would add that I have hope re an afterlife, but it is not central to my life as a person of faith.

I'm another one who agrees with seeler.  And revjohn, because everything that comes out of that man's mouth (and keyboard) is wisdom beyond what I'm used to.

I think that life is a chance for us to create a heaven or hell on earth; whether or not either one lies in our future after death, I agree with revjohn that we can't really have much of a say on that.  We'll be judged based on the kernel of who we are - all we can do while we're alive is be true to ourselves and strive for a living heaven.

I live to bring glory to God. Sometimes I do not do a very good job, but that is why I am thankful for God's grace. He saved a sinner such as myself, and words cannot express how I feel. All glory belongs to Jesus.

I guess we heathens are supposed to stay out of this thread . However, it doesn't hurt to get a non-Christian position on the table, I suppose.

I don't worry about either heaven or hell because I'm more or less agnostic about the afterlife. What happens will happen and most likely I will become one with the Universe and give my life back to that which gave it to me. IOW, I'll rot away and my component atoms and molecules will go back into the Earth. Heaven and Hell are what we can make of our lives and our world depending how we live in Creation.

Mendalla

You're an agnostic Creationist?

I use the term Creation as a synonym for "The Universe" in my more spiritual moods, but I am not a Creationist in the sense that I think you mean, aquaman. I am very much a follower of the scientific theories of creation (Big Bang, Evolution, etc.) and even did a sermon on the topic at my UU church a week ago.

Mendalla

Mendalla, are strangers to the UU invited to your church? Or are lookee lous not needed?

I have no belief in hell.

Heaven sounds nice, but I have no idea what it really means. Nor can any of us.

I don't believe that either has any necessary connection to how we live on earth.

I follow Christian precepts because they make sense, and they help me to understand how I should live, and why I should live that way.

Anyone is welcome, even lookee lous :). We do try to live up to the name "fellowship". We even have time in the service to welcome newcomers.

Mendalla

Great answers everyone!

I suppose the "fear factor" came into play here, because as someone mentioned on another thread, some religions are based upon fear. (ex: fear of Hell/Satan) There are a few people I know that have the latter question as their answer.

And you know a really strange fact? I read Dante's Inferno some time ago, and I did not "learn to fear hell." Instead I thought, Hmm... this is interesting. 

Speaking of fear.... oh never mind, this is a topic for another post.

"Ta! Come visit again! Or I'll pluck out your eyes!" ~ Sheogorath

Did you hear they are making a video game loosely based on Dante's Inferno.

...called...you guessed it; Dante's Inferno.

Heavily twisted story line though.

As-salaamu alaikum

-Omni

Yes actually, I have even followed the progress of the game since... I don't know, 4 months already?

The story line seems interesting. EA has a very cool option on Dante's Inferno website where you can "explore" the 9 circles of Hell. Very imaginative.

However I'm still debating about whether or not I want to buy it after it comes out.

Like others, I am more interested in the here and now.  I believe I am going to heaven, but my decision to call myself a Christian is based more on how I wish to see my life here and now then what, hopefully, will be years from now.