What is the choice even un-believers would make?

If you were to go in the streets and ask people, "Would you rather go to Heaven when you die or hell?" most people, in fact I guess all, would say they want to go to Heaven; even though they may not have any idea where or what Heaven is and what happens there. Even atheists, and unbelievers, if pressed to make a choice, would choose going to Heaven. Because no one wants his backside roasted for eternity.

The thing is, Jesus doesn't only reference hell, He describes it in great detail. He says it is a place of eternal torment (Luke 16:23), of unquenchable fire (Mark 9:43), where the worm does not die (Mark 9:48), the fiery furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth (Matthew 13:42).

All very graphic images to frighten the pants off any hard-headed individual.

However, He describes Heaven as "In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. (John 14:2).

A totally different imagery suggesting that Heaven is a physical place with buildings built of bricks and mortar, and rooms, and no doubt all the amenities we would wish.

But is Heaven really so? I doubt it is a physical place since, as Christians believe, when we die our souls go to Heaven; and being spiritual in nature, I doubt that a soul would require a room with a bed and hot and cold running water!

Some Christians, including Catholics, believe that at some stage after we die, our souls would be re-united with our bodies. These will be new bodies with all the imperfections, pains, illnesses, age-related problems and so on taken away.

I ask the question: WHY?

Why do we need new bodies? No one has given me a good answer.

If essentially we are souls inhabiting a fragile body which at some stage deteriorates and is no more; then why should such a soul require a body whether going to Heaven or hell?

I once asked a priest, "if I am to have a new healthy and fit body, will my friends recognise me in Heaven?" He replied, "Don't worry, people will recognise you all right!" (What did he mean?)

Now imagine you are in Heaven and you recognise someone there you do not think should be in Heaven. That person was really really really bad when on earth. What would you do? Challenge Saint Peter and suggest that his computer records on that person are wrong?

What if someone recognises you and thinks you should not be there? How would you defend your position and right to be in Heaven?

My good friend Father Francis Maple in one of his sermons makes a good point about our relationship with God by referring to a leaning tree. Here's what he says:

I think of a life as a tree. If a tree leans in one direction when it dies it will fall in that direction. It is not going to fall in the opposite direction. So, too, with our lives. If all the time we are leaning towards God, very likely, with God's grace we shall fall into His arms when we die. But if our lives never point to God, it is very likely that when we die we shall die in enmity with God.