Poll: Afterlife

[Poketom]

I wasn't going to post until I saw the majority of people had said yes. It seems to me that people who believe there IS an afterlife and that there could not possibly be another option are people who are scared to die. I'm not saying i'm not, but these kind of people can't handle the fact that once your dead that might be it. It seems to me that the only reason for any religion is to keep people from going crazy or being scared. If people could just work this out for themselves the world would be a much more peaceful place.

 

[theultimateend]

Steven Hawkins is a Christian, he believes in God AND science, in A Brief Hstory of Time, he specifically says there is a point at which science can no longer explain things and must go to "god did it" (I think. My mind shuts down trying to comprehend half the stuff he writes about - a lot of my understanding of the words on the paper comes from a bunch of professors I had in uni) but no, I'm sure you're smarter and more logical than him.

I think that afterlife works the way people want it to - atheists get nothing, christians get heaven, suicide bombers get to play in a 73-man Magic:The Gathering tournament... Personally, as much of a Christian as I am, I like the idea of Valhalla.

That's cute. I like that thing you just did. Where you quote someone, then you admit you don't even know what he is saying, then you go after me for acting like a 'smarty pants'.

Sir Issac Newton was and is, as nearly every scientist ever interviewed has said, the smartest man who ever lived. He developed his own mathematics as if it were no more difficult than setting the heat for his toast.

For almost his entire life he had no trouble examining issues and discovering amazing new things that utterly flabbergasted the scientific community as a whole. He was, in the scientific community, one of the ultimate examples of thought incarnate.

Then one day while pawing over some simple function, I believe it was the orbit of the planets. He couldn't immediately figure out why the planets hadn't already all collided with one another.

So what did he do?

He attributed it to go.

He ceased at this point in discovering. In fact the answer to that problem would be found some time later by a guy using math less complicated than calculus (the math Newton himself created). You know how that guy figured it out? He refused to accept god as an answer and he did that extra 5 hours of work (exaggeration I'm sure but you get my point on how it just takes a little extra).

Throughout history discovery after discovery were for years, decades, centuries, and in a few cases for millenia attributed to god. What ended up happening? Someone finally refused to accept god as the answer and they figured it out.

The arab world was the astronomy and science leaders, so much so that many stars have arabic names and in fact we even use arabic numerals. They were the commerce center as well (where science goes the money goes). What happened once it was dictated that mathematics was the work of the devil (a line I'm not making up btw), they stopped discovering anything and in fact STILL haven't recovered in almost all regions. It is a vast desert of conflicts over simple literary disagreements that will likely never see another enlightement.

Regardless. I am by no means the worlds smartest man and certainly in the world of physics I'm sure that Hawkins has my ass beat. But I never stated I was the worlds smartest man. I just know that historically everytime someone points to god, someone else lifts the torch and discovers the true mechanic.

Every single thing Hawkins never discovers will be discovered by someone, and given the past, it'll likely be discovered by someone who isn't even as brilliant as him. Just someone less willing to fold.

God is the easy answer. I would hope for the advancement of human kind we won't take the easy out.

Note: For evidence of my silliness note that I am discussing something like this on a video game forum with an asshole. Technology isn't always a good thing I suppose . (I'm guessing you are an asshole given your smarmy comment, my apologies if I'm wrong)

You just quite literally cannot accept both without being a hypocrit. Because at least in the direction of science, if science exists, god cannot. Because absolutely nothing in the realm of science points towards such a conclusion. If you accept that god exists you also accept that science is fruitless because everything can merely exist because you want it to, not because of any form of evidence or method.

 

[JenXXXJen]

I really really hope there is, but I try and live my life as though there are no second chances, just incase.

 

[Klarinette]

I have a really crazy assumption of what happens when you die. But i can explain it pretty well.
Let's assume i get shot in the head right at this instant, since i believe in the multiple dimension theory, i think i would simply resume life not remembering death in some alternate dimension that is almost the same as this one or my memory's are altered to fit it. It's a bit far fetched but i think thats what happens.
It's either that or reincarnation in my opinion.

Right I've been thinking about this as well. It's technically not afterlife, you just keep on living. I believed Terry Pratchett called it the Trousers of Time; for any possible outcome it grows another pipe. In some of those you will get shot, and in some you won't.

But assuming this, do you think there is an universe where you NEVER die?

I don't know about the never dying part, but I've been tossing around the idea that I will just sort of reset to zero, having no previous memory of the life before. When I was younger, I used to believe in a sort of customized version of Heaven for each person. Having grown up and found Paganism, I am going to Summerland, failing the reset option.

 

[Aqualung]

Sure! Reincarnation is also very cool. Although I wouldn't spend my whole life worrying about an afterlife.

 

[Superbeast]

Nope.

When I die, I expect to start to rot. The brains electrical energy is transferred into chemical energy as the body decomposes, which is absorbed by bacteria and fungi which in turn power the cycle of life (in that all we are made of returns to the earth).

If there is an afterlife then that's just dandy - as long as it's not controlled by an Abrahammic deity (the blatant contradiction between an all-forgiving father no matter your sins and burning in hell for eternity for your sins aside) for reasons given elsewhere on this site. In brief:

I lead a "good life" - I do my best to help others and avoid being greedy, and when I am in a situation conducive to doing so, I intend to do several charity work projects. To think that I would be refused entry to a "heaven" by an "all-loving father" simply because I did not believe in "him" on earth (since we supposedly have pre-destination from an all-knowing being how is this my own fault?); yet a mass-murderer who honestly atones for his deeds and "accepts the Lord" would be let in by virtue of the very basis of Christianity and an "all-merciful father", then such an almighty being is incredibly petty, contradictory and vindictive that I would rather suffer in torment and have my atheistic/agnostic beliefs vindicated than sit alongside "him" for eternity.

Plus I don't see how "hell" can actually effect the soul, given what I've been led to believe the soul, if such a thing exists, is. And nice philosophical theories such as the "armour of contempt" that give an interesting spin on "eternity" and "fiery torment".

But I've really weird religious views, it's far easier to say I'm an agnostic atheist - I highly doubt in an afterlife but if there is then great - I'll find out when I die - I'm not out to prove religions *wrong* like a true-atheist.

 

[Dreey]

It will be the same as before you were born.

 

[TMAN10112]

Personally, I pretty much believe in reincarnation.

Spoiler: Anyways, Here's a good song this thread reminded me of

 

[Troublesome Lagomorph]

Yes, because I am Roman Catholic. I will not go into detail, as it most likely will kill this thread.

 

[theultimateend]

I do believe in an afterlife both a 'heaven' and a 'hell'. The good afterlife, 'heaven', I envision as a place with eternal parties complete with every alcohol and drug known to man (if you want to use them)video game tournaments, movie premiers. A place where you can visit beaches or forests or spend hours/days visiting with loved ones(also in 'heaven) or people you admired. Basically a combination of all the 'heaven' afterlives from all religions past, present or future.
And 'Hell', which is resigned for truly evil people, is spending an eternity pushing a long row of burning hot metal carts across a never-ending Wal-mart/K-mart/Target/etc. parking lot in extreme weather alternating from 120+ degree f. heat waves, to -120 degree f. blizzards, to cat. 5 hurricanes with rain and hailstorms.

Sounds like you'd fit right in to Greek Mythology.

Well at least with your hell, sounds a bit like the punishments for some of the folks in Tartarus .

I am a fan of Greek mythology, it is my favorite of the ancient mythologies.

Of all the faiths it is easily my favorite.

The gods were infatuated with the machinations of man and man was fascinated with the machinations of gods.

Likewise Zeus was very likable and relate able. Even with his supposed infinite power he wasn't even strong enough to fully eliminate something as weak and feeble as humanity (and not for lack of trying!)

Of all the courses I took on psychology, philosophy, and mythology...I must say the few on Greek Mythology were easily the most fruitful in terms of 'doing it right'.

It will be the same as before you were born.

I'm going to be swimming around in my father's scrotum!!!

Sweet Gravy this sounds terrible!

 

[Cliff_m85]

I've died. There's nothing.

 

[quack35]

Don't know. I haven't died yet.

I'll get back to you on that...

 

[historybuff]

Yeah, cause I'm a Christian, so I believe that when I die, my soul will go up to heaven, I'll see my loved ones, etc. etc.

I'm just hoping we all get our own little version of heaven. I've always pictured a house for everyone, the size they want it to be, and it has whatever they want inside it. There would be some awesome COD4 tournaments up there, if it were up to me.

I want to high-five you.

 

[gamefreakbsp]

I think people believe in the afterlife because people don't want to think of the alternative.

 

[SilentStranger]

I really, REALLY hope there is, but... If we're talking realistically, there's not much pointing to one. If there IS one, I cant decide which type I would even hope. If heaven is real, I expect even the greatest of places will get old in an eternity

 

[CrystalShadow]

I have a really crazy assumption of what happens when you die. But i can explain it pretty well.
Let's assume i get shot in the head right at this instant, since i believe in the multiple dimension theory, i think i would simply resume life not remembering death in some alternate dimension that is almost the same as this one or my memory's are altered to fit it. It's a bit far fetched but i think thats what happens.
It's either that or reincarnation in my opinion.

Right I've been thinking about this as well. It's technically not afterlife, you just keep on living. I believed Terry Pratchett called it the Trousers of Time; for any possible outcome it grows another pipe. In some of those you will get shot, and in some you won't.

But assuming this, do you think there is an universe where you NEVER die?

You know what's fun about the 'Many worlds' interpretation of quantum mechanics?

It basically states: Anything with a quantum probability above 0, will exist somewhere in the multiverse.

(basically, anything that doesn't defy the rules of quantum mechanics and/or mathematics. If you can describe it, it's probably possible.)

This includes a universe were people don't die. Most fictional universes...
And... Boltzman brains...
What is a Boltzman brain? A spontaneously generated consciousness that exists without logical reason.
In fact, if the universe gets old enough, probability suggests 'boltzman brains' will outnumber 'normal' conscious beings by a significant margin.

Now here's another fun one courtesy of the laws of probability:

if the universe continues to exist for a sufficiently long period of time, and given that the probability is not 0 (which it isn't. There's almost nothing with a probability of 0, Plenty of things are almost impossible, but few things are definitely impossible.)

Given these conditions, sooner or later a consciousness will spontaneously come into existence that has the exact memories I had (or technically will have) at the point that I died.

If you then go on to assume consciousness is a purely physical process, this new consciousness will in effect be me, and will be identical to having an afterlife.

Furthermore, the probability of this after-life being in an environment similar to any given idea of heaven or hell is also non-zero, so it will even look like what you expect the afterlife to look like.

Of course, again, the 'many worlds' interpretation implies that all possible ideas happen, which means that if it is correct, people cease to exist, go to hell, go to heaven, come back to life, reincarnate, and every other possible variation all at once, since the probability of each is non-zero, and ALL events with a non-zero probability happen somewhere in the multiverse.

There. A scientific demonstration of the existence of an afterlife, (and ironically, it's non-existence as well.). Of course, it all depends on a lot of assumptions about quantum mechanics, and how you choose to interpret the results behind them.

 

[fuzzball]

I believe i am a soul, and will live on, somehow, even if it is through a flower.

From my rotting corpse a hundred flowers will be born, and that is eternity

 

[Hazy]

No. Don't do religion threads. Ever.
OT: I'll keep my belief to myself. I don't feel like arguing about what I FUCKING BELIEVE.

"DON'T DO IT!" Excuse me? Fuck you. Cry baby. I'll decide what I do or don't do. Nobody demanded your beliefs so shove that attitude back up your ass. Don't wanna respond? You don't have to. *backhands your STUPID beliefs in the face*

Gah. C'mon mate, don't flame.
Fine if you disagree, but let's not go throwing fireballs at each other.


OT: I, personally, think you lose all consciousness. No waking. Physically or mentally.
So no. I do not believe in an afterlife.

 

[zidine100]

Fine if you disagree, but let's not go throwing fireballs at each other.

I CAST FLARE.

ehmmm sorry about that

ot, i neither care one way or the other, either one sounds bad in itself, due to the eternaty of doing the same things over and over again (afterlife), insanity beckons, and well nothingness (no afterlife), but with nothingness we wont care, since well there is nothing and we dont exist anymore, and since everything points to this, i would say this would be the most probable outcome.

 

[lwm3398]

It ends with a big flame war!

Nah nah, I kid. I would love to believe in a place where George Washington's my neighbor and Hercules is my errand runner. The whole thing of an afterlife was made out of human selfishness and loyalty. Loyalty because we wanted the Pharohs to live on, and selfishness because we don't wanna die. I really can't wait to play poker with The Godfather, but I really think it'd be fine if I didn't get to. We don't wanna die, so we create the afterlife. We don't want our friends to die, so we created the afterlife where afterwards we can go live with them. I hope we get one, but I would love to respawn.

On a lighter note, what the fuck did all those people have to do to get reincarnated as ANTS? Like, really, thanks God. I really wanted to be an ant.

If anything, I'm gonna be a Migratory Bird. I'd go all over the place. Bite onto a plane and go where it's going. The traveling migratory bird.