Let's explore the "urban legends" in religion

[DazedandConfused66]

I'm no theology scholar, but I'm betting there are a few on here who are.

 

I've heard for years many commonly held beliefs about Christianity, Islam, Mormonism, Scientology, etc. that upon further inspection turn out to be just that...commonly held beliefs with no real basis in theology or scriptural doctrine. This is largely reinforced via Hollywood, but also sometimes from the few occasions many people actually step foot in a church...major holiday's, marry'in and bury'in ceremonies and a handful of others.

 

I'd like to see how many of these we can objectively explore and, where possible, uphold as fact-based or debunk as non-doctrinal. Without, hopefully, turning this into a holy war.

 

I'm just honestly curious if anyone has quick answers.

 

OK, here's a few to start. Most are Christian-based.

 

1) According to every Christian funeral I've ever attended, when I die and IF I make it into heaven, I'm going to be greeted by St. Peter at the Pearly Gates. True or false according to Christian doctrine and scriptural basis?

 

2) Again, when I die, after I get past said Pearly Gates, my loved ones who have gone on before me and obtained entrance to heaven will greet me with open arms, welcoming to my new heavenly home. I've heard many preachers state at funerals things like "I'll recognize them," or "They will recognize me," or other words of comfort that are seemingly meant to provide comfort that I'll see my loved ones again. Is this true or false according to Christian doctrine and scriptural basis?

 

3) Assuming number 2 is true, say that I had tragically lost a son at the age of 3 months old. Will he recognize me and I him? Did he go to heaven? Is he still an infant there? What is the scriptural basis for this belief, in any, in Christian doctrine?

 

4) I've seen in many television and movie portrayals of Islamic believers that when a man dies he will be greeted in heaven by several virgins. Is this true according to Islamic doctrine? What about his own earthly family...will his wife and existing children be subsumed into this new family of a bunch of virgins? Presumably, sexual relations must exist in Islamic views of heaven or I'm not sure why the relevance of them being virgins in the first place. By comparison, I've never heard of any afterlife hanky panky in Christian doctrine, although the Old Testament is quite earthy in several passages when it comes to sex. Sex seems to be reserved for earthly pleasure only in Christianity, but has a place in the afterlife in Muslim views of heaven?

 

Just curious....any other religous "urban legends" out there?

[quankanne]

maybe the 72 virgins has less to do with sex – which man interprets because he's such an earthy creature – and more to do with purity? Besides, I'm curious if it specifically states what gender these 72 virgins are going to be!

 

as for Scriptural basis for the Christian-based questions, you'll have to query Moose or someone better-read in the Bible, because my thought is that those "beliefs" about death and St. Pete and loved ones greeting you in heaven is based on comfort and assurance and familiarity when alluding to death, and that's purely a human invention.

 

my personal belief is that love knows love, on earth and in heaven, and that your spirit immediately recognizes it. Otherwise, a lot of the friendships I've struck up during the years just don't make sense … it's more spiritual recognition than anything else, and I'm pretty sure that exists in heaven. So the babies people have lost and never got a chance to know or meet will "know" their families in heaven; and the relatives long deceased before we ever made our ways into the world will recognize us as well, because it's love recognizing love.

[Green]

I wouldnt consider any of those urban legends. I'm going to Val Hala when I die

[DazedandConfused66]

my personal belief is that love knows love, on earth and in heaven, and that your spirit immediately recognizes it. Otherwise, a lot of the friendships I've struck up during the years just don't make sense … it's more spiritual recognition than anything else, and I'm pretty sure that exists in heaven. So the babies people have lost and never got a chance to know or meet will "know" their families in heaven; and the relatives long deceased before we ever made our ways into the world will recognize us as well, because it's love recognizing love.

 

That's actually a very nice personal belief, and I'm not one to slight it in the least. But I'm curious as to what the various religions have to say about the afterlife and recognizing your family, friends, etc. I think it's a "religious urban myth" with no basis in doctrine or religious texts. But I'm just curious really.

[Storyrider]

Well, in Judaism, there is a collection of loose biblical interpretations called the Midrash. They are stories written by rabbis and passed down that elaborate on the biblical stories. Most of them are not considered literal, but they do add color and detail. For example, I think one of them tells about God and Satan having a long conversation about testing Job. I think they actually make a bet about whether or not he will turn away from God if God visits all these horrible things on him. There is another one about Abraham's father having an idol shop, and Abraham smashing all the idols in his father's shop before he leaves his place of birth.

 

The funny thing is, I'm kind of muddled and confused about whether the above stories are actually in the Torah or whether they are Midrashim. So that is kind of like what you're talking about.

[JamesM]

For example, I think one of them tells about God and Satan having a long conversation about testing Job. I think they actually make a bet about whether or not he will turn away from God if God visits all these horrible things on him.

 

This story is in the Bible, so I am guessing it is in the Torah as well.

http://www.gnpcb.org/esv/search/?q=Job+1

 

There is another one about Abraham's father having an idol shop, and Abraham smashing all the idols in his father's shop before he leaves his place of birth.

 

The funny thing is, I'm kind of muddled and confused about whether the above stories are actually in the Torah or whether they are Midrashim. So that is kind of like what you're talking about.

 

This one is in the Midrash.

http://judaism.about.com/library/3_askrabbi_o/bl_simmons_abrahamidols.htm

 

It is interesting that these stories and traditions `have been passed on over the years. It does make one wonder how much is true or how much is embellished.

[quankanne]

the Church calls this "tradition" (lower-case letter "c") because it's a collected way of living and beliefs that get passed down even though they're not specifically written in the Bible.