Heaven

John Lennon once wrote "Imagine there's no heaven..." When I was a child I imagined Heaven was above on the 3rd floor in our 3 family house. We lived on the 2nd floor and I can remember being a bit in awe of the back stairs. I cannot say why I thought this just that I did. I can't remember anyone suggesting it to me. I can accurately say that when we moved to our own home (I was about 4 1/2 or 5) I ceased to think this. The belief that Heaven was above the clouds took hold at this point. As I grew older and more aware of scientific fact that clashed with my religious belief I started to make excuses and exceptions for religion. If we know the earth is just one of many objects within our solar system that is within our galaxy within the universe, then where do I place Heaven? Well first "above" and then "outside" the universe. I know they seem the same but for my purposes they are/were not. "Above the universe" was literally that above: on top of. It was later(junior high/high school) when I needed to reconfigure again and "outside the universe" became my accepted view. I can best explain "outside" this way. If the universe were a box it would be inside heaven - heaven being of unknown/indeterminate size surrounding it. As of this writing I don't believe in heaven as a place anymore. By the way I should clarify why in the beginning I've capitalized the word heaven and now I'm not. When I type "Heaven" I refer also to a mindset (a religious/Catholic one) that existed for me at those times, an idealized standing as it were. "heaven" as I think now has no special constructs. I do not believe in its existence at this juncture in my life.