Although nearly three-quarters of U.S. adults say they believe in heaven, former Republican California governor and iconic actor Arnold Schwarzenegger says the idea of people seeing each other again after death is merely a “fantasy.” The 75-year-old actor, who recently debuted the family-friendly Netflix spy series, “FUBAR,” discussed his thoughts on the afterlife during a talk with fellow actor Danny DeVito, which was published in Interview.
Responding to a question from DeVito about whether he thinks humanity will sustain itself, Schwarzenegger remembered a similar question he was asked during an interview with radio personality Howard Stern. Schwarzenegger recalled, “It reminds me of Howard Stern’s question to me: ‘Tell me, governor, what happens to us when we die?’ I said, ‘Nothing. You’re 6 feet under. Anyone that tells you something else is a liar.”
When DeVito pushed back, saying, “You don’t know,” Schwarzenegger explained that he was referring to people and their physical bodies, not their souls. He also clarified that he’s uncomfortable with death and would prefer not to die. He said, “I said, ‘We don’t know what happens with the soul and all this spiritual stuff that I’m not an expert in, but I know that the body as we see each other now, we will never see each other again like that.’”
He added, “Except in some fantasy. When people talk about, ‘I will see them again in heaven,’ it sounds so good, but the reality is that we won’t see each other after we’re gone. That’s the sad part. I know people feel comfortable with death, but I don’t.” Schwarzenegger said he’s not looking forward to dying because he will miss “everything.” He said, “To have fun and to go to the gym and pump up, to ride my bike on the beach, to travel around, to see interesting things all over the world.”
Schwarzenegger grew up in the Catholic Church and spoke about his faith as recently as 2021. “I grew up Catholic, I went to church, went to Catholic school, I learned the Bible and my catechisms,” Schwarzenegger said in a YouTube video. “And from those days, I remember a phrase that is relevant today: A servant’s heart. It means serving something larger than yourself.”
While Schwarzenegger sees reuniting with loved ones in heaven as a “fantasy,” Got Questions Ministries cites biblical evidence stating that this will be a reality for believers in the afterlife. The ministry says, “Our ability to recognize people in the afterlife is suggested in several passages of Scripture. At the transfiguration of Christ, Moses and Elijah made an appearance, and they were recognizable (Matthew 17:3-4).
It continues, “Though they had departed this world centuries prior, Moses and Elijah remained distinct persons who had not lost their identity. In Luke 16:19-31, Abraham, Lazarus, and the rich man are all recognizable after death. Jesus was recognizable after His resurrection, so it stands to reason that we also will be recognizable in our glorified bodies.”
Hopefully, Arnold’s heart can be opened to the genuine hope in Christ that there is far more than just this short life. He may miss his life on earth after death, but life in heaven is one we should all strive for.