Afterlife?

[Constable Hogweed]

How many people out there ( Religious, Athiest or Agnostic ) believe in an afterlife and why? Personally i believe in an existence beyond this mortal coil because of certain experiences i have had. These experiences have been of a true revelation to me, although i'm sure if i were to share them here, you would all think i had gone raving bonkers ( Pleassse don't say, too late for that  ) So do anyone else believe that we are all headed somewhere beyond the cemetery?

[kmorse]

I believe in one.

[kmorse]

And with that, i've worked my way up from "peon" to "peasant" status. Woo-hoo!

[Peter]

I believe in one.

Oh my, not even in yourself?

[kmorse]

clarification: I believe in an afterlife. sometimes my written replies lack precision. And English is my native language! 

[Mark Jan]

I believe in an afterlife. I'm not very religious, don't visit a church but I believe in a god. I don't care whether it's the christian God, or Allah (they're all the same in my point of view). And I believe that our existence isn't limited to about 80 years here on earth. We'll see when my time has come! 

[Appelmoes??]

I believe in one.

I believe in the 'One' So also in an afterlife.

[gelert]

Confused Of Bicester Writes:
"Isn't this forum, the heavenly "afterlife" that we've all been allegedly promised...?
I didn't tread on an ant once...!"

[Simtere]

"not so much of an afterlife.... more of an apres vie" ..... they just don't write them like that any more.

For myself, I'm sad to say I cannot find it within myself to believe in one.  I get very analytical about such things and tend to think that it's an invention inherited by all developed societies to offset the natural fear of death.  I hope to be proved wrong when the time comes.

[Xanxtuary]

I believe that this life in which we find ourselves is merely one stage of our existence, a preparation perhaps for what is to follow.  I think that once we leave our physical bodies behind, we evolve into a higher state of consciousness, life forms of pure energy and thought patterns.  Much of my belief system stems from the theories of Karl Gustav Jung, the collective unconsciousness, etc. 

I definitely don't believe in the somewhat simplistic vision of heaven and hell as represented in theological works of literature, life and how we live it is not so easily classified into neat little boxes of "good guy", "bad guy" etc.  In practical experience of everyday life, there are way too many grey areas for tidy taxonomic classification.

(Been watching too much sci-fi again, no apologies!)

[Mark Jan]

I definitely don't believe in the somewhat simplistic vision of heaven and hell as represented in theological works of literature, life and how we live it is not so easily classified into neat little boxes of "good guy", "bad guy" etc.  In practical experience of everyday life, there are way too many grey areas for tidy taxonomic classification.

(Been watching too much sci-fi again, no apologies!)

The theorie of heaven and hell is a bit obsolete in these days, I think. I don't know many people who still believe in that. When you definitely believe in heaven and hell you'll have a difficult life. Too many errors and you're doomed!

[Appelmoes??]

Too many errors and you're doomed!

Well, there are somethings called 'forgiveness' and 'grace'.

[gelert]

Too many errors and you're doomed!

Hah...!

It hasn't stopped MicroSoft so far....

[Mark Jan]

Hah...!

It hasn't stopped MicroSoft so far....

  That's a good one! 

And it hasn't stopped president Bush. mmmmmhhh, although he's a conservative christian  It looks very bad for him now! 

[kmorse]

ah, there're more of us who believe in heaven and hell than you might think.

And, Microsoft and Bush notwithstanding, forgiveness and grace live on.

[Mark Jan]

And, Microsoft and Bush notwithstanding, forgiveness and grace live on.

Just kidding about Bush  Dont't like the guy and his policy. Yes, forgiveness and grace are the cornerstones of our democracies (could have been part of the State of the Union, or Bush' inaugurationspeech  ) so we fight with words, not with guns! 

[Simtere]

I believe that this life in which we find ourselves is merely one stage of our existence, a preparation perhaps for what is to follow.  I think that once we leave our physical bodies behind, we evolve into a higher state of consciousness, life forms of pure energy and thought patterns.  Much of my belief system stems from the theories of Karl Gustav Jung, the collective unconsciousness, etc. 

Are you a Van Der Graaf Generator fan (or is Hammill a follower of Jung) ?  That opening line seems to come straight out of the song "ChildLike Faith In Childhoods End":

Existence is a stage on which we pass
a sleepwalk trick for mind and heart:
it's hopeless, I know,
but onward I must go
and try to make a start
at seeing something more than day to day
survival, chased by final death
if I believed this the sum
of the life to which we've come,
I wouldn't waste my breath

[gelert]

In other words, Simtere....

Youth is wasted on the young....


<insert "Zimmer-Frame" smiley>

[Xanxtuary]

Are you a Van Der Graaf Generator fan (or is Hammill a follower of Jung) ?  That opening line seems to come straight out of the song "ChildLike Faith In Childhoods End":

Existence is a stage on which we pass
a sleepwalk trick for mind and heart:
it's hopeless, I know,
but onward I must go
and try to make a start
at seeing something more than day to day
survival, chased by final death
if I believed this the sum
of the life to which we've come,
I wouldn't waste my breath

Cool quote but I've never really gotten into Van der Graaf Generator.  I guess that the lyricist must have Jungian aspirations (and inspirations) but I have found that many progressive lyricists have tendencies in that direction.  A lot of Threshold's lyrics explore similar themes, and I'm  sure if my memory served me better, I could come up with other examples.

My favourite author, Orson Scott Card, explores many existential questions, such as free will, sentience, fate, etc.  All very thought-provoking stuff ... am I always this philosophical on a Sunday?

[Peter]

... am I always this philosophical on a Sunday?

Well, yes... at least as far as we can tell here. You are mostly philosophical when show up and post, which is mostly on Sundays, so that conclusion could be made... You seem to be very advanced in terms of self-awareness.

Ugh, kind of a miserable try to keep up with your philosophicalisms

[The Fury]

I wanted to get into this topic since the beginning, but didn't really know what to add 
Well just my views then :-)
I think this life is all there is and all that we'll ever get. Consciousness is a very difficult thing and yes, it's almost impossible to believe that this will all of a sudden come to an end one day. Just the very thought of not existing anymore sometimes seems crazy to me. But yet, that's what I 'believe'. So no afterlife, no reincarnation and no god(s), I'm afraid. Though I would like to be proven wrong of course, in a positive way that is 

[Gollum]

As some comic character said: "I don't even believe in penicillin"
(I guess that's the correct translation for "No creo ni en la penicilina )

Anyway, I agree with The Fury, when he says that it's hard to get such an idea inside our heads... An afterlife may be hard to imagine as well, but it's probably easier since we can relate to our <<standard>> life (maybe we could call "beforelife" this one? ).

[Melo]

I do not believe in god; finding it hard to believe in an omni-potent and omniescent being that will reward me for following him/her. All religions claim their way is the only way and all religions are similar in the intolerance they show to others. Further, all organised religions sem to base themselves on the patriarchal system of society leaving women with few if any rights at all.

The word religion is defined thus in the Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary: “Belief in the existence of a god/gods. Who has/have created the universe and given man a spiritual nature which continues to exist after the death of the body. A controlling influence on one’s life.� The etymology of the words religion according to the Merriam Webster Online Dictionary stems from: "Middle English religioun, from Latin religion-, religio supernatural constraint, sanction, religious practice, perhaps from religare to restrain, tie back."

[Appelmoes??]

Further, all organised religions sem to base themselves on the patriarchal system of society leaving women with few if any rights at all.

That simply isn't true, not in christian religion and not in muslim religion. The fanatics seem to think that the women have no rights. The 'normal' religious people have changed with the masses, when the whole world came to understand women have more rights... Maybe a couple of years later, but they changed.

And ofcourse every religion says 'theirs' is the one, if they didn't, who would take their religion seriously?

[Melo]

That simply isn't true, not in christian religion and not in muslim religion. The fanatics seem to think that the women have no rights.

I disagree with you. The scriptures contain verses which place women in a subserviant role. In fact the Quran 4:34  says men are given authority over women because Allah has made one superior to the other. Men are advised to beat their women if they do not obey.

And ofcourse every religion says 'theirs' is the one, if they didn't, who would take their religion seriously?

Well, my question is who is right? Is it the Christians, the Muslims, the Jews or the Hindus? All cannot be right for each of them precludes all other religions.

It is my opinion that religion stemmed from the need to establish some kind of moral authority and law; also to deal with the fear of the unknown - in other words death.