Should you feel grief for the dead who go to heaven? - Marginal REVOLUTION
I am not myself religious, but let us consider the possible gulf between behavior and doctrine amongst those who are. It has long struck me as a kind of mini-puzzle why people feel so much grief for the departed, at least for the departed who are supposed to be headed for heaven (and yes there are supposed to be at least a few). It is fine to miss those people after they are gone, but it seems that, in addition, their death is considered a tragic event to be mourned, and also if possible to be postponed. We are crying for them, not just for ourselves. I do not doubt the sincerity of the religious belief that these people are headed to heaven. And I do not doubt the sincerity of the grief and mourning for their departure from this world. So what is going on here? Why can’t you just be happy for them? I believe that people often construct a portfolio of moods when faced with stressful situations. Sometimes they will mix a positive and a negative mood, other times they will mix two di