Is There Life After Death?

[valis23]

You misunderstand the use of the word "argument". In classical logic, your statement "Just as not a single religious individual can prove beyond a doubt that there is life after death, no atheist can prove beyond a doubt that there isn't." constitutes an argument. In fact, it constitutes an argument used constantly by the religious to "justify" their beliefs. It's used in lots of situations, but the religious seem especially fond of it.

 

[StlKj]

You misunderstand the use of the word "argument". In classical logic, your statement "Just as not a single religious individual can prove beyond a doubt that there is life after death, no atheist can prove beyond a doubt that there isn't." constitutes an argument. In fact, it constitutes an argument used constantly by the religious to "justify" their beliefs. It's used in lots of situations, but the religious seem especially fond of it.

Well, I'm not religious. And my statement is no different than anyone else on here who has said there is no way of knowing until we get there. So, valis, if you're reading into it any more than what I already explained, that's up to you.

I'm just really tired of the recent trend on here of making others out to be morons just because they choose to believe something different. There is such a lack of respect shown for people of any kind of faith on these boards--it's ridiculous.

 

[valis23]

I wasn't attacking belief in an afterlife any more than you were.

 

[StlKj]

I wasn't attacking belief in an afterlife any more than you were.

Never said that you did. If you read others' responses in here, you may find one or two who did.

Got no beef with you.

 

[RobbyIsTehCool]

I'm a rabid Aetheist and a rabid mystic, so you can figure out how that works.

Is their a life after death? Well, in all likelihood, frankly, no. That doesn't mean it isn't so of course. However, probably not. If it is in fact the case, however slim, then I suspect it is like nothing we are capable of imagining. Without the systems installed in our hardware that allow us to percieve and translate the world into human terms... well, clearly it would be impossible for us to construct this afterlife in any logical way.

My grandfather, whom lived to ninety five and was an aetheist on his death bed, would often tell me he was looking forward to the "great silence." He was quite a poetic old man whom spent his entire life refering to me as the "ugly one" ;P. A dear little old man whom I loved dearly, and whose glasses I still keep in the distant hope that one day I'll be able to garner from them just a shred of his wisdom, which is of course impossible even according to him.

A teacher of mine was a Christian Scientist whom I argued on topics such as this with constantly. She was also intensely kind, a history teacher of incredible skill, and simply a splendid person. She died of treatable breast cancer at the age of forty three, and was happy to go because she knew eternal rewards awaited her.

I have considered these two lives often, compared them to the best of my ability. I've come to the only logical conclusion I am capable of.

She would have done more good in this life, for me and for others, if she had lived.

So, if you want to believe their is an afterlife, go right ahead. But please, focus on this one for the moment.


*PS - I read God is Not Great. A very good book, though I still prefer The End of Faith by Sam Harris which is chalked full of wonderful statistics.