Is Heaven Real or a Tool to Control the Masses?

There are many different versions of heaven, and they all have their promises. In a post called How to Manipulate the Public so You Can Rule the World I wrote, “tell them they will receive their rewards after they die. (Another reason why inventing an afterlife will come in handy) You can promise them things they wish they had such as a mansion made of gold, beautiful women, a new attractive body with six pack abs, or even the ruler of their own planet, feel free to get as creative as you’d like on this one just make sure it is something they cannot refuse.” There are many different claims made about heaven, and many religious leaders claim they know the correct way to get there and are eager to let us in on the truth that everyone else has wrong.

The most common way taught to get to heaven is basically by believing in the god which a religion teaches and accepting him into one's life. But if the only way into heaven is to believe and by just believing even a child molester or murderer can get in - then is it really a place one would want to spend all eternity? What does that say about the morality of that God? If being a nice and caring person your whole life isn't a quality heaven is looking for - then it’s not a heaven one should want to go to.

Why would a god demand that the only way into heaven is by allowing other people to control our mind? If Satan were a real figure, this is exactly the same tactic he would use. In general, we are all against the idea of mind control, but when heaven is on the line - it seems most of us prefer it.

If heaven is real, then why does it need an ancient security system such as gates to protect it? Does God have a problem with people breaking in and trying to steal things or is this evidence that ancient men who at the time used big walls and gates to protect their cities came up with the idea of heaven?

It should be obvious to any rational person that heaven is a mythical place used to control people. If religion can promise a better place after death by obeying them today, then they have the ability to control the lives of others. Just as someone can control a mule by dangling a carrot on a stick just beyond its reach, religion dangles heaven in front of wishful thinkers in an attempt to control lives - then scares them with thoughts of hell so they are too fearful to question it.

Not all religious figures are out to deliberately manipulate the masses; many of them have just been manipulated by men themselves who were also manipulated. However, there are many figures that know that what they are teaching is false but it is either too profitable for them to stop or they can’t find a way out (see The Clergy Project).

Let’s find the courage to think for ourselves and challenge our beliefs by asking the tough questions about god/religion. Because if God exists, then there is nothing to fear by asking these questions, and if we find no evidence to support the claims of god, then we'll have a better understanding of the world and our place in it.

If we only get one life, we should strive to live it wanting to know as many true things and as little false things as possible. Because when we believe things which are false, it allows others to easily manipulate us into doing harm.

Religion is often defended by saying it gives people hope, but often it is the harm of religion that causes people to seek hope. And because religion can be used to justify harmful acts, it is important to fight the harmful ideas of religion not with violence but with the power of our arguments, because those with poor arguments are not afraid to use violence.