Heaven vs hell: How are they different?

Religion

Heaven

Hell

Christianity

• Heaven is a place of eternal joy.
• Only believers in Christ will enter heaven.
• Christians who do good on earth can expect rewards in heaven, as written in James 1:12.
• It is filled with happy people singing praises to God.
• God’s presence is always there.
• God lights up heaven with His glory.
• There are spiritual beings in heaven known as angels.
• In heaven, all things are made new, as it is written in 2^nd Corinthians 5:17.
• That means God has forgiven you and forgotten all your past transgressions.

• Hell is a place of eternal pain.
• Sinners who die without repenting will go to hell.
• There are no rewards for sinners in hell. They are condemned to a life of suffering, as illustrated in Mark 9:43.
• The people in hell are always wailing and gnashing their teeth.
• The place is desolate and away from the presence of God.
• Hell is dark and miserable.
• Apart from the Devil, hell has spiritual beings known as demons.
• In hell, sinners spend a lifetime of regret, thinking about everything they could have done right but didn’t. Jesus gives a great example of this in Luke 16:19-23.

Judaism

• Judaism views heaven as God’s home.
• Jews do not believe that good people necessarily go to heaven. Instead, Judaism teaches about the “new earth,” a place meant for good people after the resurrection. They also call it Eden.
• According to Jewish mysticism, there are seven heavens governed by various angels.
• The seven heavens include Shamayim, Raquia, Shehaqim, Machonon, Zebul, and Araboth.

• Instead of hell, Jews have Gehenna, which is their version of purgatory.
• After death, people go to Gehenna. This is where their souls are judged and purified.
• Another Jewish concept that is close to hell is “Gehinom .”This is when a person’s life is very far from the will of God.
• A sect of Jews known as the Samaritans believe in Sheol.

Hinduism

• Hindus do not focus on heaven that much.
• Hindus refer to heaven as Swarga loka, and their God is Lord Ishwara.
• However, Lord Ishwara is not the ruler of heaven. Hindus teach that Indra.
• For the afterlife, Hindus subscribe to the theory of reincarnation.
• Instead of heaven, they aspire to achieve Moksha, which is the emancipation of the soul from the sequence of life and death.
• They propose that there is a lord of death known as Yama, who determines if one goes to Swarga Loka or not.
• This being is aided by an accountant known as Chitragupta. This being is responsible for recording the good and bad things that people do in throughout their lives.
• In Hinduism, you can enter heaven based on your actions, regardless of your religion.
• Hindus believe that good people will enjoy the fruits of their actions in Swarga loka.

• Hindus call hell Narak.
• The Hindu religion is vast, and not all groups agree on the notion of hell.
• Some believe that hell is a state of consciousness, as explained earlier.
• The Mahabharat teaches that hell is a place where sinners are punished.
• According to Garuda, Purana gives vivid descriptions of hell and the different punishments that sinners can expect.
• Since Yama is the God of death, he is the king of hell.
• Hindu doctrine teaches that sinners gather in Yama’s court, and Chitragupta reads their sins out loud.
• Yama then shells out the punishments as he sees fit.
• Some punishments in Hindu hell include physical torture, being tossed in boiling oil, and burning in fire.
• Hindus believe that once a person finishes their allocated punishment, they are reborn based on their karma.

Islam

• Islam doctrine teaches that heaven is a garden where good people will spend eternity. They call this heavenly garden Jannah.
• According to Islam doctrine, Janna, or heaven, has 8 gates.
• These include Baab As-Salaat, Baab Al-Jihad, Baab As Sadaqah, Baab Ar-Rayyaan, Baab AI-Hajj,Baab AI-Kaazimeen Ai-Ghiz Wal Aafina Anin Naas, Baab Al-Maan and Baab Ai-Dhikr.
• The righteous enter these gates based on their deeds when they were alive. For example, Baab As-Sadaqah is the gate for generous people who participated in charity work.
• The Quran teaches that heaven is the eternal home of righteous people.
• Muslims do not subscribe to the idea of original sin. They teach that it is human nature for every person to turn to God.
• Therefore, small children go to heaven regardless of their parent’s religion.
• Muslims teach that the highest level of heaven is known as Firdaws.
• This is the home of saints, martyrs, and prophets.
• In heaven, rivers are flowing and bringing good things to the righteous.

• Islam theology talks about Jahannam, which is their version of hell.
• The Quran describes hell as a fiery place full of pain.
• There are different levels of hell in Islam. Each level represents a different level of sin and subsequent punishment.
• Hell is mentioned in the exact number of times heaven is mentioned in the Quran.
• Muslims do not believe that the Devil is the ruler of hell. They teach that Satan is merely one of the souls suffering in Jahannam.
• According to Islam,
• Maalik or Zabaaniyah is the being responsible for manning the gates of hell.
• Muslims are taught that hell uses the bodies of sinners and rocks to fuel the fire.
• Islam has many other names that mean hell. The names are based on Quranic Hadith.
• These names include Jaim, Hutamah, Jahannam, Lazda, Hawiah, Saqor, Sae’er, Sijin and Zamhareer.

Buddhism

• Buddhist believe in many heavens where the gods live with other celestial beings.
• This religion teaches that Buddha went to the heavens to liaise with the gods.
• Buddhists suggest that gods and other heavenly creatures are not immortal.
• Buddhist gods are subject to change. The religion trusts that gods can transition from one heaven to another.
• Buddhist trust that the heavens are the homes of 33 gods.

• Opinions on hell or Naraka vary among different sects of Buddhism.
• The Mahayana, Theravada, and Vajrayana subscribe to the theory of several hells,
• Evil people go to these hells based on the degree of their sins.
• Examples of Buddhist hells include hot hells and unbearably cold hells.
• If you have bad karma, you will end up in Naraka.
• One may also be reborn in other versions of hell in the realms of animals, devas, Asuras, or the world of hungry ghosts.
• Contemporary Buddhist propose that hell can occur mentally. For instance, if you are going through severe depression, that is a form of hell.

Heaven

Hell

• It is bright and lively.
• Heaven is located above the earth, beyond the sky.
• In heaven, there are angels.
• Heaven is governed by God, Jesus, or Allah.
• There is peace and joy.
• The environment is balanced and comfortable for every creature.

• It is dark and desolate.
• Located below the earth.
• Hell has demons.
• Hell is ruled by the Devil.
• There is punishment and pain.
• The Environment is hot, dark, and uncomfortable.