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Post by deikuzutsu on Jan 3, 2010 10:19:49 GMT -5
Do you think it's plausible, beyond the realm of science, etc? Do you wish there was one? Believe in one? Think it's bullshit?
For me, I have an "I don't know and I don't care" attitude. I see an afterlife as sprinkles on ice cream. You don't need it to enjoy life.
But yeah, this is just another one of my fail threads.
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Post by id82 on Jan 3, 2010 12:08:17 GMT -5
The idea of an afterlife is bullshit. It was used to help people deal with crappy times.
Sure all of my family and friends are dying of the plague, and I owe the king all my money in taxes. But in the afterlife well all be together again and be happy forever!
To me the idea of living forever isn't desirable. I just think I would get bored after I've seen and done everything.
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Post by kristine on Jan 3, 2010 12:54:04 GMT -5
Just read a book about this - Ghost Hunters: William James and the Search for Scientific Proof of Life After Death - by Deborah Blum. Interesting study started in the 1870s and continued into the early 1900s. After about 50 years of study they had neither proved or disproved it. What they did find, however, was that all evidence in the positive indicting it is nothing like what is described in any organized religion.
Myself...I'm going to go with Fox Mulder's poster on this one: I want to believe, but I'm still on the fence.
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Post by clockworkgirl21 on Jan 3, 2010 13:00:14 GMT -5
I think there might be an afterlife, but it'll be nothing like any religion has even thought up.
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Post by dharmasatya on Jan 3, 2010 13:00:44 GMT -5
How do I *feel* about it? FEEL?!?!?!? Wow. Just... wow. I don't know... how do you feel about the number three? How do you feel about the word "shovel"? How do you feel about high-energy physics? How do you feel about invisible pink unicorns cavorting in your Rice Krispies?  What I hope you meant to ask was: "What do you THINK about an afterlife?" or perhaps the more grammatically correct: "What are your thoughts on the subject of a possible afterlife?" As for my answer: I have no evidence of any possibility of an afterlife beyond a few hysterical anecdotes from people who were most likely (given all available evidence) suffering from hallucinations due to their brains being starved of oxygen. There is no good reason to have an afterlife, no purpose to such a thing and it makes no sense in the face of our observations of the universe. Here's another interesting question: "Why is the concept of an afterlife usually restricted to humans? " After all, if there *is* an afterlife in a natural, materialistic world then wouldn't it follow that ALL creatures have an afterlife? Would you not expect that these "believers" (I'd prefer to call them "Poor, Delusional Bastards") would be expecting to run into Dinosaurs, Trilobites and such... but they aren't... Not that I expect anyone who holds such silly, superstitious and childish beliefs to make much sense, but for once it would be nice if even one of their ideas had some internal logical consistency. |
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Post by tiado on Jan 3, 2010 13:58:07 GMT -5
I would like to think that there is life after death, or an afterlife, but so far there hasn't been anything to prove or disprove the existence of such.
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Post by kristine on Jan 3, 2010 14:23:26 GMT -5
I have no evidence of any possibility of an afterlife beyond a few hysterical anecdotes from people who were most likely (given all available evidence) suffering from hallucinations due to their brains being starved of oxygen. There is no good reason to have an afterlife, no purpose to such a thing and it makes no sense in the face of our observations of the universe. if you cared to you could do more research - like the book I mentioned which talked about the scientists who did try to research the evidence and not just listen to the first hand stories. More things on Heaven and earth, Horatio... ...not if you believe it has to do with a soul (which only human's have - according to religion)... or if you believe it has to do with the perception ability of death by the viewer, or the motivation to 'come back' of the dead entity. And there are stories of ghost animals - usually domesticated ones like cats and dogs. |
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Post by wackadoodle on Jan 3, 2010 14:25:07 GMT -5
After all, if there *is* an afterlife in a natural, materialistic world then wouldn't it follow that ALL creatures have an afterlife? Would you not expect that these "believers" (I'd prefer to call them "Poor, Delusional Bastards") would be expecting to run into Dinosaurs, Trilobites and such... but they aren't... Not that I expect anyone who holds such silly, superstitious and childish beliefs to make much sense, but for once it would be nice if even one of their ideas had some internal logical consistency. That would be fucking AWESOME if the afterlife contained every single organism to ever die. I'd jump off a building right now if I could spend eternity hunting dinosaurs with Abe Lincoln and Julius Caesar. That's another thing, notice all the religions with a kickass afterlife always have a rule saying you don't get to go their if you commit suicide? I'm sure that's just another of God's divine, eternal, objective, unquestionable mandates and it has absolutely nothing to do with the fact that churches which let you go straight to heaven with a gunshot usually don't have members staying long enough to tithe much. |
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Post by dasfuchs on Jan 3, 2010 14:28:19 GMT -5
meh, I'd like to think there's something after death, but thus far I've seen nothing to make me believe so. That is unless it's like the afterlife fundies claim that'll be full of whoever could hate gays/liberals/other religions/etc the most
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Post by Old Viking on Jan 3, 2010 15:51:08 GMT -5
The concept of an afterlife is the most repugnant and terrifying self-delusion that man has ever foisted onto himself. I would think that anyone who truly considered the idea would, quite literally, go insane with the horror of it.
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Post by Huckster Sam on Jan 3, 2010 15:54:33 GMT -5
How do I *feel* about it? FEEL?!?!?!? Wow. Just... wow. I don't know... how do you feel about the number three? How do you feel about the word "shovel"? How do you feel about high-energy physics? How do you feel about invisible pink unicorns cavorting in your Rice Krispies? What I hope you meant to ask was: "What do you THINK about an afterlife?" or perhaps the more grammatically correct: "What are your thoughts on the subject of a possible afterlife?" Merriam-Webster includes the definition "to be aware of by instinct or inference" as well as believe and think as synonyms. Before you go off on a semantic rant, realize that words have more than one definition, and many of those definitions overlap with other words, especially in the English language. As to the OP, I have no evidence so I can't really say that there is one. I would like there to be. I think it would be interesting in some manner, at least if it's different from the life as we know it. |
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Post by Sandafluffoid on Jan 3, 2010 16:01:21 GMT -5
The only thing that I take from any interpretation of the afterlife that I have heard with any level of approval would be a slightly longer prime, as it is the idea that I will spend most of my life slowly deteriorating from a few years that I will probably waste due to being so socially awkward is rather unappealing. Everything else about projected afterlives scares the fuck out of me. Especially the eternal bliss thing, that's just creepy.
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Post by Jedi Knight on Jan 3, 2010 16:45:20 GMT -5
No, I don't think so. If there is an afterlife, there would have to be something that is "me", but is independent of "my" body. I see no reason to believe in any such thing. When the body shuts down - that's it!
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Post by kristine on Jan 3, 2010 18:23:26 GMT -5
The concept of an afterlife is the most repugnant and terrifying self-delusion that man has ever foisted onto himself. I would think that anyone who truly considered the idea would, quite literally, go insane with the horror of it. why do you feel it's repugnant? or is it just the way it 's described in various religions that is disturbing? |
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Post by Vypernight on Jan 3, 2010 18:46:11 GMT -5
I think there might be an afterlife, but it'll be nothing like any religion has even thought up. I agree with this. I see the possibility that something exists beyond our scope of understanding, but it doesn't follow any religion, and it occurs for everyone and every living thing. |
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