“Letters from Canada 28 – Heaven & Quantum Mechanics”
On the worst days of our lives, during consoling grieving souls after funerals and human tragedies, Susan alongside of me would internalize the suffering and pain. On one such occasion after we departed from public view, Susan in anger and frustration, blurred out “how can you tell people that after we die we will be happy in heaven with God and our love ones”! She continued: “Right now we are also with God, but feeling like we are in hell”. Feeling horrible myself, I did not have an answer.
Today I only have a partial answer about heaven and about to share it with Susan. With a sad face, my reply began with a reference to our participation in the “University Think Tank (Letters 17)” gatherings.
“Susan, do you remember me introducing you to my close friend Greg a Physicist we met at the University Think Tank meetings. He was raised Catholic, but as an adult became a Humanist and joined the Unitarian Church. As a Humanist he believes that being a good moral Human Being does not require faith in the Supernatural Being”.
"Over lunches at our favorite Vietnamese restaurant we engaged in dynamic dialog.
He challenged me on what it would take for me not to believe in God. I returned the challenge. What would it take for Him to believe in God. He went first. Greg told me that He could not think of anything because if he saw unnatural phenomenon like a huge grandfatherly face in the heavens talking to him, he would consider it a hallucination and a warning to stay off drugs. For me not to believe in God would require me not to exist, not to be here talking to him and enjoying our Vietnamese lunch. I told Greg you may not need to acknowledge God to be a good moral person, but you need God to exist".
“How does this tie in with Heaven”, asked Susan? I continued by revealing my occasional attendance at the Unitarian Church as Greg’s guest. “Importance to me was that some of the meetings included discussions on Cosmology and Quantum mechanics by member scientists in those fields. Because I did not proselytize my present was tolerated and in fact I made some new friends”.
“One thing remarkable about this Unitarian Church was that it’s members would practice Christian virtues without Jesus in the picture. The meetings would begin with a review of current activities like helping out in food pantries and homeless shelters. My friend Greg was organizing outings for the young adults to visit a Catholic Church, a Jewish Temple, a Hindu Temple, and a Muslim Mosque. Purpose was for the young to be acquainted and exposed to different religious traditions. In the future these young adults can make up their own minds about religion. The Church meetings would end when one of members would share something about their profession or interest. This is how I learned a little about Quantum Mechanics”.
“But on one occasion I was invited to attend and participate in their discussions. I was invited at the request of Jason a 52 years old respected and accomplished physicist of the group who was diagnosed with terminal pancreatic cancer”.
“The chairs in the Church were arranged in semi circles with Jason, his wife and a select few of Jason students in front. Jason began this particular session with the sad news of his prognoses. With a brave face, he was determined to use his remaining time to continue inspiring, encouraging, influencing everyone in his path to follow their dreams, develop a good and optimistic attitude, live life to the fullest. He shared personal examples of how he strive to achieved a good moral life and be a positive influence for family, friends and students”.
“After Jason’s peers recounted some of Jason’s contributions to his physics profession and expressed their gratitude for a wonderful colleague and friend, Jason invited me to come up to the front and sit by him. In a rhetorical tone he asked me: “You believe in an afterlife” followed by a “why and where is heaven””?
An eerie silence descended on everyone as I gathered and composed my thoughts. Facing Jason, I started my narrative with: “I am going to answer your question using the language of Quantum Mechanics that you and your colleagues have taught me”.
“Let’s start with what we refer to as the “Big Bang” (Higgs Boson 3), the creation of our time, space, matter and energy. First there were Quantum Fields (Higgs Boson 5). Fields are NOT made of anything and are Everywhere in our universe”. I continued with: “Following the Big Bang, interactions and vibration of Quantum Fields, the Higgs Boson and symmetry breaking, matter and antimatter annihilation, came forth fundamental particles, quarks, electrons, proton, neutrons, then atoms, elements, molecules, and finally Stars and planets and Humanity”.
“When we discuss the Big Bang, there is always the obvious question: what was there before the Big Bang event? To me and many people the answer is God. The Big Bang creation event occurred 13.7 billion years ago in God/Heaven. Just like Bosons particles occupy the same Quantum State, Heaven and God are the same entity”.
“Like Quantum Fields God/Heaven is Not made from anything and is Everywhere in and outside the Big Bang Universe. But unlike our Universe that originated in the Big Bang and will end when all the Stars burn out and die, God and our Spiritual Souls will infinitely exist because they are not made of Atoms that only exist temporary.”
“Jason, the answer to your question of where is heaven: We are already in Heaven with God. The moments of joy and happiness that we experience is because we are already in Heaven. The sorrow and grief we suffer is because we are getting a taste of Hell which also a part of Heaven. When we die, our existence as beings made of corruptible and temporary Atoms ends but we continue to spiritual exist in heaven but outside the Big Bang Universe. Depending on whether the totality of our Mortal existence was morally good or morally evil we will either continue to exist in a loving and wonderful Heaven with God or find ourselves suffering in the state of Hell”.
Before I could continue, Jason interrupted with: “I don’t believe in God or Heaven, but I did my best to live a good moral life, loving and helping others. Where do people like me end up after we die”?
I responded to the Jason query with a 1993 movie called Groundhog Day. “The movie starting Bill Murray is about a weatherman Phil Connors, a cynical, selfish, mean individual with contempt for his job, his co-workers, and pretty much everyone else”.
“In the movie, Phil wakes up in the morning to find out that his next day is a repeat of the previous day. There is no tomorrow for he is constantly repeating and reliving the same day. In the beginning he takes advantage of his situation by continuing to be his selfish contemptible self. But at some point, during the repeating days, he starts to get it right by correcting his attitude and behavior. Gradually Phil transforms to a good, kind, generous, and helpful individual and the repeating days come to an end. Just like the example in this story, God gives us many chances by repeating opportunities to get it right and transform to good, kind, generous, nice, loving people”.
“Jason, you got it right by using talents and abilities first to be personally successful and then bring others along. Your example of being a kind, generous, compassionate, and helpful person is an inspiration to your wife and children, students, and friends that will guide them during their earthly journey. You next stop is with God in Heaven”.
“I was one of four people that delivered a eulogy at Jason’s memorial service at the Unitarian Church. Mine was unique because it included a prayer to God for Jason, his family, and friends”.
“Susan, with each day I understand a little more about God and Heaven. I am sure of three things that are eternal: God, our souls, and love. No matter what happens in our earthy life span, the love between you and me will eternally continue”.
“I am going to share the substance of this get together with Bishop Cornelius. I suggest you do the same with Tom”.
In a subdued voice, Susan asked: “If Tom and I decide to get married, will you marry us”? “Yes”, was my answer.
Before we left our friends house, we checked our calendars for a possible day we can meet with Linda and Tom and plan our next steps in our search for Mary.
On the worst days of our lives, during consoling grieving souls after funerals and human tragedies, Susan alongside of me would internalize the suffering and pain. On one such occasion after we departed from public view, Susan in anger and frustration, blurred out “how can you tell people that after we die we will be happy in heaven with God and our love ones”! She continued: “Right now we are also with God, but feeling like we are in hell”. Feeling horrible myself, I did not have an answer.
Today I only have a partial answer about heaven and about to share it with Susan. With a sad face, my reply began with a reference to our participation in the “University Think Tank (Letters 17)” gatherings.
“Susan, do you remember me introducing you to my close friend Greg a Physicist we met at the University Think Tank meetings. He was raised Catholic, but as an adult became a Humanist and joined the Unitarian Church. As a Humanist he believes that being a good moral Human Being does not require faith in the Supernatural Being”.
"Over lunches at our favorite Vietnamese restaurant we engaged in dynamic dialog.
He challenged me on what it would take for me not to believe in God. I returned the challenge. What would it take for Him to believe in God. He went first. Greg told me that He could not think of anything because if he saw unnatural phenomenon like a huge grandfatherly face in the heavens talking to him, he would consider it a hallucination and a warning to stay off drugs. For me not to believe in God would require me not to exist, not to be here talking to him and enjoying our Vietnamese lunch. I told Greg you may not need to acknowledge God to be a good moral person, but you need God to exist".
“How does this tie in with Heaven”, asked Susan? I continued by revealing my occasional attendance at the Unitarian Church as Greg’s guest. “Importance to me was that some of the meetings included discussions on Cosmology and Quantum mechanics by member scientists in those fields. Because I did not proselytize my present was tolerated and in fact I made some new friends”.
“One thing remarkable about this Unitarian Church was that it’s members would practice Christian virtues without Jesus in the picture. The meetings would begin with a review of current activities like helping out in food pantries and homeless shelters. My friend Greg was organizing outings for the young adults to visit a Catholic Church, a Jewish Temple, a Hindu Temple, and a Muslim Mosque. Purpose was for the young to be acquainted and exposed to different religious traditions. In the future these young adults can make up their own minds about religion. The Church meetings would end when one of members would share something about their profession or interest. This is how I learned a little about Quantum Mechanics”.
“But on one occasion I was invited to attend and participate in their discussions. I was invited at the request of Jason a 52 years old respected and accomplished physicist of the group who was diagnosed with terminal pancreatic cancer”.
“The chairs in the Church were arranged in semi circles with Jason, his wife and a select few of Jason students in front. Jason began this particular session with the sad news of his prognoses. With a brave face, he was determined to use his remaining time to continue inspiring, encouraging, influencing everyone in his path to follow their dreams, develop a good and optimistic attitude, live life to the fullest. He shared personal examples of how he strive to achieved a good moral life and be a positive influence for family, friends and students”.
“After Jason’s peers recounted some of Jason’s contributions to his physics profession and expressed their gratitude for a wonderful colleague and friend, Jason invited me to come up to the front and sit by him. In a rhetorical tone he asked me: “You believe in an afterlife” followed by a “why and where is heaven””?
An eerie silence descended on everyone as I gathered and composed my thoughts. Facing Jason, I started my narrative with: “I am going to answer your question using the language of Quantum Mechanics that you and your colleagues have taught me”.
“Let’s start with what we refer to as the “Big Bang” (Higgs Boson 3), the creation of our time, space, matter and energy. First there were Quantum Fields (Higgs Boson 5). Fields are NOT made of anything and are Everywhere in our universe”. I continued with: “Following the Big Bang, interactions and vibration of Quantum Fields, the Higgs Boson and symmetry breaking, matter and antimatter annihilation, came forth fundamental particles, quarks, electrons, proton, neutrons, then atoms, elements, molecules, and finally Stars and planets and Humanity”.
“When we discuss the Big Bang, there is always the obvious question: what was there before the Big Bang event? To me and many people the answer is God. The Big Bang creation event occurred 13.7 billion years ago in God/Heaven. Just like Bosons particles occupy the same Quantum State, Heaven and God are the same entity”.
“Like Quantum Fields God/Heaven is Not made from anything and is Everywhere in and outside the Big Bang Universe. But unlike our Universe that originated in the Big Bang and will end when all the Stars burn out and die, God and our Spiritual Souls will infinitely exist because they are not made of Atoms that only exist temporary.”
“Jason, the answer to your question of where is heaven: We are already in Heaven with God. The moments of joy and happiness that we experience is because we are already in Heaven. The sorrow and grief we suffer is because we are getting a taste of Hell which also a part of Heaven. When we die, our existence as beings made of corruptible and temporary Atoms ends but we continue to spiritual exist in heaven but outside the Big Bang Universe. Depending on whether the totality of our Mortal existence was morally good or morally evil we will either continue to exist in a loving and wonderful Heaven with God or find ourselves suffering in the state of Hell”.
Before I could continue, Jason interrupted with: “I don’t believe in God or Heaven, but I did my best to live a good moral life, loving and helping others. Where do people like me end up after we die”?
I responded to the Jason query with a 1993 movie called Groundhog Day. “The movie starting Bill Murray is about a weatherman Phil Connors, a cynical, selfish, mean individual with contempt for his job, his co-workers, and pretty much everyone else”.
“In the movie, Phil wakes up in the morning to find out that his next day is a repeat of the previous day. There is no tomorrow for he is constantly repeating and reliving the same day. In the beginning he takes advantage of his situation by continuing to be his selfish contemptible self. But at some point, during the repeating days, he starts to get it right by correcting his attitude and behavior. Gradually Phil transforms to a good, kind, generous, and helpful individual and the repeating days come to an end. Just like the example in this story, God gives us many chances by repeating opportunities to get it right and transform to good, kind, generous, nice, loving people”.
“Jason, you got it right by using talents and abilities first to be personally successful and then bring others along. Your example of being a kind, generous, compassionate, and helpful person is an inspiration to your wife and children, students, and friends that will guide them during their earthly journey. You next stop is with God in Heaven”.
“I was one of four people that delivered a eulogy at Jason’s memorial service at the Unitarian Church. Mine was unique because it included a prayer to God for Jason, his family, and friends”.
“Susan, with each day I understand a little more about God and Heaven. I am sure of three things that are eternal: God, our souls, and love. No matter what happens in our earthy life span, the love between you and me will eternally continue”.
“I am going to share the substance of this get together with Bishop Cornelius. I suggest you do the same with Tom”.
In a subdued voice, Susan asked: “If Tom and I decide to get married, will you marry us”? “Yes”, was my answer.
Before we left our friends house, we checked our calendars for a possible day we can meet with Linda and Tom and plan our next steps in our search for Mary.