Afterlife

General question.

I can't imagine a religious afterlife due to religion, to me a religious afterlife is far to man made and comes across as fake, raised a catholic I deem the restrictions to get there being to harsh and unrealistic.

Im quite a fan of the simulation theory http://www.simulation-argument.com/ which imo is quite compelling and would indicate a possible life after, obviously it has a number of assumptions.

Having said that, the universe is a bit of a mystery. Currently I live my life in the belief that this is the little time I have as a conscious being and Im very lucky indeed to be granted the ability to think considering my atoms may as well amounted to a catus.

Any thoughts?

It's the best nightclub on Omega, for surexaos

[QUOTE="xaos"]It's the best nightclub on Omega, for sureGazaAli

How much I hate the line "as an atheist who has been raised Catholic/Christian/Religious".GazaAli

As for the topic, I never once believed in an afterlife, i see it as man's primitive creation in fear of death. He desired a world better than the one he lived in as well, and what better way to make death seem more acceptable than a promise of eternal life in heaven?

[QUOTE="GazaAli"]How much I hate the line "as an atheist who has been raised Catholic/Christian/Religious".wis3boi

[QUOTE="wis3boi"][QUOTE="GazaAli"]How much I hate the line "as an atheist who has been raised Catholic/Christian/Religious".GazaAli

[QUOTE="wis3boi"][QUOTE="GazaAli"]How much I hate the line "as an atheist who has been raised Catholic/Christian/Religious".GazaAli

I did not mean it that way, I grew up in Ireland, I went to church every sunday, I was very familiar with the church, as everyone at the time was.

That's certainly one way to look at it yes, but sometimes people put it in a "I'm too good for religion now" way. It works both way I guess.GazaAli

www.simulation-argument.com/simulation.html

No idea why I cant make this alink but its worth reading

I'd like to think there was an afterlife, I wouldn't want to think we lived through a load of crap to just end like that... But I'm not religious, so I don't know what I'm supposed to believe.meconate

Its fine to think there is an afterlife and not believe in religion.

I find the idea of an afterlife to be very selfish. Our mortality is supposed to teach us to live our lives to their fullest and appreciate what time we have. Having a "place to go" after we die devalues our lives led here on Earth.foxhound_fox

[QUOTE="foxhound_fox"]I find the idea of an afterlife to be very selfish. Our mortality is supposed to teach us to live our lives to their fullest and appreciate what time we have. Having a "place to go" after we die devalues our lives led here on Earth.GazaAli

Most religions ask people to put aside their natural urges and beliefs in order to get to heavan, so id have to say i disagree with you.

Most religions state that you have to lead a rather depressing life in order to gain entry to paradice. Bit unfair in my opinion.

People who believe in Heaven/Hell go to which ever.

People that are atheists stay in the ground like they say they do. Kno wut I mean?

I believe in a God but I don't think that are Atheists are going to hell. Now, if you love Satan you'll go to hell. Makes no sense I know. But... Everybody gets what they want. Right?

That is an extremely one sided point of view. Most religions do ask people to fight their natural urges in order to go to heaven, but they also strictly stress on values like kindness, mercy, unselfishness, giving, caring, forgiving, honesty, devotion, sacrifice...etcGazaAli

All of the values you list are essential to survival in a tribal community. Going back 40,000 thousand years, nothing new here.

[QUOTE="GazaAli"]That is an extremely one sided point of view. Most religions do ask people to fight their natural urges in order to go to heaven, but they also strictly stress on values like kindness, mercy, unselfishness, giving, caring, forgiving, honesty, devotion, sacrifice...etctenaka2

All of the values you list are essential to survival in a tribal community. Going back 40,000 thousand years, nothing new here.

[QUOTE="foxhound_fox"]I find the idea of an afterlife to be very selfish. Our mortality is supposed to teach us to live our lives to their fullest and appreciate what time we have. Having a "place to go" after we die devalues our lives led here on Earth.GazaAli

In that case just because one of their key features may aim in selflessness doesnt mean that another key feature of them wont somehow go "against" this.

Also there's the difference between what we may think a religion aims in with its teaching and what it actually achieves. I think foxhound is talking about what it achieves, ie how people are affected by the notions it introduces, such as the afterlife.

That is an extremely one sided point of view. Most religions do ask people to fight their natural urges in order to go to heaven, but they also strictly stress on values like kindness, mercy, unselfishness, giving, caring, forgiving, honesty, devotion, sacrifice...etcGazaAli

[QUOTE="tenaka2"]

[QUOTE="GazaAli"]That is an extremely one sided point of view. Most religions do ask people to fight their natural urges in order to go to heaven, but they also strictly stress on values like kindness, mercy, unselfishness, giving, caring, forgiving, honesty, devotion, sacrifice...etcGazaAli

All of the values you list are essential to survival in a tribal community. Going back 40,000 thousand years, nothing new here.

:| Of course he is serious.. A society can not run with out certain rules and ideals to manifest.. Thats what the whole Social Contract theory is all about..

[QUOTE="tenaka2"]

[QUOTE="GazaAli"]That is an extremely one sided point of view. Most religions do ask people to fight their natural urges in order to go to heaven, but they also strictly stress on values like kindness, mercy, unselfishness, giving, caring, forgiving, honesty, devotion, sacrifice...etcGazaAli

All of the values you list are essential to survival in a tribal community. Going back 40,000 thousand years, nothing new here.

Totally serious, there a tribes that still exist outside of any other human contact, if they didnt have all the so callled gods gifts above they would not have survived for the last 5000 years?

Obviously, being reformed Baptist I believe in an afterlife. I think it is irrational to think otherwise. maheo30

[QUOTE="maheo30"]Obviously, being reformed Baptist I believe in an afterlife. I think it is irrational to think otherwise. toast_burner

[QUOTE="toast_burner"]

[QUOTE="maheo30"]Obviously, being reformed Baptist I believe in an afterlife. I think it is irrational to think otherwise. maheo30

[QUOTE="maheo30"][QUOTE="toast_burner"]It's irrational to not believe in something that has no evidence at all?

toast_burner

I dont you should worry about the magic pixie people.

[QUOTE="toast_burner"]

[QUOTE="maheo30"] Says the philosophical materialist. Am I suppsoed to take that seriously. tenaka2

I dont you should worry about the magic pixie people.

Well, knowing that almost all religions demand from their followers to live according to the most strict moral codes and achieve the most on earth in order to get to the place to go, I don't see your point at all.GazaAli

There is no afterlife, you just die

Its naive to think that there is magical fairy land waiting for you when you die

I do believe in an afterlife, but of which nature i am not totally 100% certain.There is Heaven and Hell, only discriptions i know are rivers of honey, and that hell has fire in it. but i sometimes wonder if these are just allusions to a state of mind the person's concious is in. In the years of the Islamic education and then my subsequent meeting with Americans and others, i've heard so many stories about how one gets to Heaven or how one gets to Hell. that it seemed like a crap-shoot.

But for the time being i am the person i am on this Earth, in this dimension and reality. i'll live it as best i can.

death will come one way or another, am in no hurry to die, but i'm certainly not all that afraid of it. Granted i'm gonna be very sad about the things i haven't experienced (that i wanted to) yet or never having or seeing kids grow up. but death in and of itself in relation to only me. not that bad. I view it as a light switch.

You just go out and it's done.

Be it Heaven, Hell or even Oblivion.

I am oddly, not that concerned about it. Stopped worrying about it years ago.

and for all i know i could die tomorrow. :|

I just view it as another stage of existence, but i do hate it when i hear Muslims or Christians talk as though this life is nothing more then a bus stop.

[QUOTE="GazaAli"]Well, knowing that almost all religions demand from their followers to live according to the most strict moral codes and achieve the most on earth in order to get to the place to go, I don't see your point at all.foxhound_fox

I believe in an afterlife, in Heaven, and I believe I am going there when I die.

Im very lucky indeed to be granted the ability to think considering my atoms may as well amounted to a catus.

Any thoughts?

tenaka2

[QUOTE="wis3boi"][QUOTE="mindstorm"]I believe the Christian Scriptures to be true - that Jesus will one day return and raise his followers from the dead. As Jesus was raised, so shall we who are in him. Rather than believing that I'll be floating in the clouds in the sky as is commonly portrayed, I believe that God through Jesus will recreate this fallen world.mindstorm

have fun with that...:P

[QUOTE="wis3boi"][QUOTE="GazaAli"]How much I hate the line "as an atheist who has been raised Catholic/Christian/Religious".GazaAli

or it could just mean: "hey, I know that perspective, I've got less of a bias then you might think."

[QUOTE="mindstorm"][QUOTE="wis3boi"] Left 4 Dead anyone?wis3boi

have fun with that...:P

The thing that makes heaven well... heavenly is that your with God. Thats the whole point of heaven. At least from a Christian standpoint. When your in heaven you won't care who your not with and who your missing, when your with God, its pure perfection. TheStarM4n

is there anything that sounds odd about that to you?

[QUOTE="GazaAli"][QUOTE="foxhound_fox"]I find the idea of an afterlife to be very selfish. Our mortality is supposed to teach us to live our lives to their fullest and appreciate what time we have. Having a "place to go" after we die devalues our lives led here on Earth.tenaka2

Most religions ask people to put aside their natural urges and beliefs in order to get to heavan, so id have to say i disagree with you.

Most religions state that you have to lead a rather depressing life in order to gain entry to paradice. Bit unfair in my opinion.

[QUOTE="tenaka2"]

[QUOTE="GazaAli"] Well, knowing that almost all religions demand from their followers to live according to the most strict moral codes and achieve the most on earth in order to get to the place to go, I don't see your point at all.tocool340

Most religions ask people to put aside their natural urges and beliefs in order to get to heavan, so id have to say i disagree with you.

Most religions state that you have to lead a rather depressing life in order to gain entry to paradice. Bit unfair in my opinion.