I’ve heard people assert that an afterlife gives meaning to human life. They argue that if there is no afterlife, then humans have no possible direction or purpose for living, no goal. That view always strikes me as practically Pavlovian.
In stark contrast, I present that the absence of an afterlife is truly what gives this life meaning. Knowing that a limited time to develop loving relationships, morality, conviction, etc. exists is motivation to make the most of the present, isn’t it?
I’ve heard people assert that an afterlife gives meaning to human life. They argue that if there is no afterlife, then humans have no possible direction or purpose for living, no goal. That view always strikes me as practically Pavlovian.
In stark contrast, I present that the absence of an afterlife is truly what gives this life meaning. Knowing that a limited time to develop loving relationships, morality, conviction, etc. exists is motivation to make the most of the present, isn’t it?
[quote author="lotus"]I’ve heard people assert that an afterlife gives meaning to human life. They argue that if there is no afterlife, then humans have no possible direction or purpose for living, no goal. That view always strikes me as practically Pavlovian.
In stark contrast, I present that the absence of an afterlife is truly what gives this life meaning. Knowing that a limited time to develop loving relationships, morality, conviction, etc. exists is motivation to make the most of the present, isn’t it?
Exactly. Indeed, fantasies of the afterlife lead people to do insane things like blow themselves up in restaurants ... because they believe that by doing so they will get themselves into some sort of brothel in the clouds ...
... or they leads people to torture innocents to “save” them from fantasies of fire and brimstone.
Leaving those fantasies aside allows us to focus on what’s really important: this life.
Afterlife?? I have recently wondered, “Why does it matter, if there is an afterlife?”
Now before you beat me soundly about the head, consider this. Since we will almost certainly never know if there is an afterlife in this life, why does it matter? Maybe this is heaven and every 10,000 years we get to become mortal for a short lifetime before we have to go back to being an energy being.
An afterlife can have many different meanings to different people. Many who believe there is no afterlife find themselves isolated and afraid to the point of being suicidal.
From a Godly peace loving perspective an afterlife is purpose of ministry.
From a unGod peace loving perspective there just IS.....
[quote author="CoyoteSon"]An afterlife can have many different meanings to different people..
From a Godly peace loving perspective an afterlife is purpose of ministry.
From a unGod peace loving perspective there just IS.....
CoyoteSon,
It is true that most religions are death oriented. However, the “no-God” religions are not. The “no-God” religions are focused on man and what can be done to make human life better. I have heard this called “A ministry to man”.
Bob
I Know how confusing it must be to get christians, some are quite fanatical. I can assure you however if you were to pick up a copy of The Urantia Book and read for yourself what’s in store for everyone, you may be surprised!
I Know how confusing it must be to get christians, some are quite fanatical. I can assure you however if you were to pick up a copy of The Urantia Book and read for yourself what’s in store for everyone, you may be surprised!
The Urantia Book is something I read several times. The Urantia Book was written by Atheists in an attempt to bring forth epocal revelation. The Book in public domain status, copyrights denied 2001.
No, I haven’t read it, although I have read Martin Gardner’s debunking of it as well as the Skeptic’s Dictionary piece I cited.
So I take it you don’t believe this book was “channeled” from aliens, spirits or god?
And explain what insights it contains about “astronomical-cosmological organization of the universe unknown to modern science” that Carroll mentions ... Where does the Urantia author get evidence for that, since it appears to have no input from any astrophysicist, and was written in the 1920s.
(So I take it you don’t believe this book was “channeled” from aliens, spirits or god?)
Yes, that’s correct. The first time I read the book I was in complete awe, and throughly enlightened. Today I’m reading it for the third time and really having fun with it.
(And explain what insights it contains about “astronomical-cosmological organization of the universe unknown to modern science)
I’ve only been to outer space in my dreams. The Book does paint a clever portrait of a huge celestial infrastructure which all mortals translate into upon expiration of the flesh. Naturally it’s authors demand a certain amount of faith from it’s readers in order to make it seem credible. It is entertaining however and many scientist have been inspired by The Book even though they’ll not admit ever having read it.
[quote author="CoyoteSon"]The Book does paint a clever portrait of a huge celestial infrastructure which all mortals translate into upon expiration of the flesh. Naturally it’s authors demand a certain amount of faith from it’s readers in order to make it seem credible. It is entertaining however and many scientist have been inspired by The Book even though they’ll not admit ever having read it.
Not sure which scientists you’re talking about. Taking a quick look at the contents here , it looks like a huge work of lunatic fantasy, along the lines of works by Madame Blavatsky and Rudolf Steiner . I can see that someone might find it enjoyable to read through the thing like one would Tolkein, but for me this sort of fiction-pretending-to-be-truth is just too tedious for words.
I prefer to stick to facts and leave the fantasies for the fiction section.
[quote author="CoyoteSon"]Have you heard of Edgar Cayce?
You mean this Edgar Cayce ? Yes, I am familiar with him. He was a very famous charlatain of the Uri Geller sort. What about him?
The Book explains how the narratives originated from a sleeping subject whose name was concealed. I believe Edgar Cayce and this sleeping subject are the same man.
Aren’t you curious enough to read The Book… afterall it was written by atheists.
I am not going to waste my time trying to read more of the Urantia than was quoted in the skepdic site because that new age style of writing gives me a head ache.
Like all religious pronouncments, it claims to have special knowledge (from on high) yet does not contain even one prediction of a scientific nature or shed new light on a recent scientific or mathematical discovery.
To be more specific, the christian bible, which christians claim is the voice of prophecy, failed to predict any scientific discovery and, where it bumps up against the real world, is in error. If the bible was written by god, why doesn’t the creation story end with a description of the cosmic background microwave radiation? or—instead of saying that god “put my bow in the sky as a reminder” that he promised to never use water to destroy man again—a description of refraction making the rainbow would have made the bible truely prophetic.
