I think the Christian idea is that merely living in the presence and glory of God is precisly what makes Heaven paradise, whether or not "streets of gold" is an analogy. And the seperation from Him, regardless of how literal a "lake of fire" should be taken, is what makes Hell torment.

Now I'm not really sure what popular view is on how paradise and torment actually play out, but I'd agree with LionHarted on this one - we just don't know.

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...and that's my spiel


My Zelda Fanfiction: Legend of the Triforce