Did you believe their stories?

Barbara Walters on believing in heaven

I certainly would like to. I think if you can believe that there is a heaven, it graces your life. If you can believe that when you die, you go to a better place, it certainly makes life more comfortable on earth. Especially if you experience tragedies, and everyone does--deaths, pain, humiliation, whatever. If you believe that you have a near-death experience and you come back, and you can tell it to your children, that's wonderful. I think that these people have a very special grace.

If there is a heaven, is there anyone you'd like to meet there?
Of course, you want to see your family.

One of your guests was talking about having dinner with Ernest Hemingway...
Well, that's the thing about heaven. It must be very crowded, but in heaven, there is no barrier, there is no age, you meet everyone. I also wonder what happens to all these people who were born before the birth of Christ. Where do they go? Are they all in limbo? What happened to all the Egyptians, or the Chinese, or the Greeks? Where did they go?

The person who made the comment about Hemingway was author Anthony DeStefano, who has a very specific vision of what he thinks heaven will look like. Was that common--did other people have ideas about what heaven will actually look like?

Barbara Walters on what happens in heaven

Almost everyone did. The idea of heaven is that it's a place where you're happy. If you're happy because it's a place where you have sex, great. If you're happy because there's beautiful music and rivers of honey, that's wonderful. If you're happy because you're in God's presence, that surpasses any kind of happiness.

Also, what Mitch Albom talked about was the idea of heaven being a place where you meet your loved ones. That's why his book, "The Five People You Meet in Heaven," has been so successful. It is seen as a place where you meet your loved ones, and where, in a sense, you are forgiven. You have no guilt.

You said before that it's more important to you to find heaven on earth. How do you do it?
I am just aware that life is to be cherished. I am grateful, I do have a good life. I don't know how I would feel if I were very ill, or very poor, or if I had a series of tragedies. I might be praying for death and an afterlife.

What do you hope people take away from watching your heaven show?
I hope that they'll be inspired. I hope it will lead them to question their views and listen to other people's views. This [show] is not a lecture. It should be a heavenly two hours.

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