Heaven & Hell

As a child I grew up with a haunting image of a hell where the devil plays cards with his fellow demons. Is this the hell that's waiting for us if we don't make it to heaven? Do heaven and hell really exist?

It seems to me that when a living thing dies, it's truly dead. Death is final. We see this occurring around us every day. When cells, bacteria, plants or animals die, they are dead. Why do we have to conjure up a "spirit" that carries on after death? Where did the idea of a "spirit" come from? What scientific evidence is there for life after death?

There have been numerous investigations looking at near death experiences (NDE's) and out-of-body experiences (OBE's). While the evidence is compelling, the case for an afterlife has not yet been made.