Originally posted by Storm
I hope that your god doesn' t mind that you believe in it merely in order to gain entrance to heaven.
I wouldn' t consider worshipping a god where a person' s eternal fate is not being decided upon based on their actions, but merely on their decision to believe.
That isnt true with all religions
In many faiths as well as christinaity, one is not punished for his beliefs if he doesnt have the knowledge or awareness of these religions. However, denial of his existence under the circumstances of knowing about religion, is punishable as far as we know or believe.
My question is does it really matter if you believe that no god exists. Its never goign to get you anywhere, you may feel quite dandy thinkign that you know the truth, but as far as an afterlife is concerned according to my faith it could condemn u to the deep south or maybe purgatory. So what if theres a small chance god exists, you might as well live life trying to practice some sort of faith, rather than assuming that therecoudlnt be a god because he defies logic and science.
Originally posted by gordomuchacho
That isnt true with all religionsIn many faiths as well as christinaity, one is not punished for his beliefs if he doesnt have the knowledge or awareness of these religions. However, denial of his existence under the circumstances of knowing about religion, is punishable as far as we know or believe.
Originally posted by gordomuchacho
My question is does it really matter if you believe that no god exists. Its never goign to get you anywhere, you may feel quite dandy thinkign that you know the truth, but as far as an afterlife is concerned according to my faith it could condemn u to the deep south or maybe purgatory. So what if theres a small chance god exists, you might as well live life trying to practice some sort of faith, rather than assuming that therecoudlnt be a god because he defies logic and science.
Obviosuly you do not know much abotu religion because actions do matter, protestants are the ones that believe in being saved by grace, not catholics nor mormons. If you have read the bible, accordign to that he does punish people for there actions if they are not sorry for them and do not repent. Do you feel empowered that your not restricted to worshipping a religion? I don't understand why you would care more about the idea of no afterlife and lying in dust forever. Storm I really woudl liek you to respond to me on this.
Originally posted by Storm
Which god should we believe in, which religion should we follow?If you actaully knew anything about christianity, it does state that you will nto be punished for lack of knowledge, so if your not convinced it doesnt mean your goign to hell, according to I believe majority of christian belief
.
Do we live on after death, continuing to experience things in new realms? Do we have a immaterial soul which is actually the origin of our minds and consciousness now? Does this soul continue on after our death, migrating to some sort of heaven or higher dimension? People have always wondered what if anything lies beyond the grave. Is death the end of existence, an entry into eternity or an intermission between earthly lives? I don' t know, I can' t know, I can only wonder.
Currently, I join in the speculation that any and all consciousness ceases to exist at death and that death itself is ultimately the exact same experience as prior to conception. The world we live in is my heaven. An imperfect heaven, but heaven nonetheless. I wake up each morning and am glad to be alive. I have a heightened appreciation for life. As far as I' m concerned, it can' t get any better. I don' t fear death, or what might come after death.
Originally posted by Storm
I refuse to pretend and to be a person who decides to believe in a god because it is the choice that offers the most benefits and least dangers.
2 questions...
1. Why do you see that as "pretending" and not an honest choice for someone?
2. If it was an honest choice for someone, what's wrong with choosing in favor of benefits when there's no other criteria (ie, no "proof"😉 upon which to base a choice?
Just curious.
Originally posted by Storm
Do we live on after death, continuing to experience things in new realms? Do we have a immaterial soul which is actually the origin of our minds and consciousness now? Does this soul continue on after our death, migrating to some sort of heaven or higher dimension? People have always wondered what if anything lies beyond the grave. Is death the end of existence, an entry into eternity or an intermission between earthly lives? I don' t know, I can' t know, I can only wonder.Currently, I join in the speculation that any and all consciousness ceases to exist at death and that death itself is ultimately the exact same experience as prior to conception. The world we live in is my heaven. An imperfect heaven, but heaven nonetheless. I wake up each morning and am glad to be alive. I have a heightened appreciation for life. As far as I' m concerned, it can' t get any better. I don' t fear death, or what might come after death.
I can't understand that philosophy becasue I don't ever think I coudl think that way, but I respect that if thats the way you feel. It seems more of a pessimistic view of death with no hope, and I'm a person that thrives on hope.
Originally posted by MindshipI replied from my point of view and for myself to the situation gordomuchacho presented.
2 questions...1. Why do you see that as "pretending" and not an honest choice for someone?
2. If it was an honest choice for someone, what's wrong with choosing in favor of benefits when there's no other criteria (ie, no "proof"😉 upon which to base a choice?Just curious.
Originally posted by gordomuchacho
So what if theres a small chance god exists, you might as well live life trying to practice some sort of faith, rather than assuming that therecoudlnt be a god because he defies logic and science.
Originally posted by gordomuchacho
I can't understand that philosophy becasue I don't ever think I coudl think that way, but I respect that if thats the way you feel. It seems more of a pessimistic view of death with no hope, and I'm a person that thrives on hope.
Yes. I would agree. I find pro-faith advocates who try to convert with such tactics thoroughly wrong.
Ultimately I have found that a person does not need religion to have hope, to be a good person, to be happy, to live a full life. I know, as I do not have religion, and my life seems to be just as good as any person of faith. We are responsible for ourselves, and it is up to us to make our lives meaningful and joyous.
That there *might* be an after life does not really enter into. Without proof I would find it hard to just "believe" - and I would feel the hypocrite to pretend to believe on the of chance something might happen. This is reinforced even more when it comes to certain religions whose stances strike me as wrong. Thus I will accept responsibility for my own life. My successes belong to me and me alone - not any God. And my failures are also mine, not any God.
Originally posted by Storm
This is one of the arguments often used for an afterlife. It seems to flow from the idea that life is too sad and contradictory and that mankind therefore needs an afterlife where the soul can be at rest and content in the warm glow of an all good existence. In and of itself this life, this reality we live in, already contains all the goodness and all the reasons for hope that we humans need. There is wonder and excitement and glorious moments of triumph when one overcomes disabilities and setbacks to achieve an important aim in life. The good afterlife is already a real possibility here, in this life. Many among us are so busy in arguing about these matters that we miss most, if not all of the heaven that we may experience here, in this life.
Thats not it at all, the afterlife is supposed to be a paradise, the world is not perfect, however, in paradise its supposed to be perfect. I never said that life on earth was crappy and I don't think its to seem crappy by the church at all. I think life is fantatsic and I look forward to living each and every day I can. Your talking about life as we speak and not life after death. There is a lot fo hope and so many great thigns you can do in this life, my point is the idea of finishing a short life ( life is way too short) with idea of goign into the groudn to be consummed by bugs and animals is depressing. If you satisfied living 80 years and then nothign forever after that then thats cool, but I wish to believe there is somethign more in store for me beyodn this life.
Well, even if there is an afterlife your body will still be in the ground (or cremated.)
And I have always wondered. Paradise after death. But what can a person achieve in the Christian afterlife? By all accounts if you are saved when you die you go to heaven and.... are just there. For all eternity. The things a person can achieve in life - respect, loyalty, artistic/philosophical achievement, love, children and so on.... what parallels exist in heaven? Our mortal life can be full of the most amazing highs and, granted, the most terrible lows - what does the Christian afterlife offer, other then "eternal paradise" that could be as potent?
Paradise though is believed to be so perfect and amazing that its inconceivable to us now, its so great that you woudl want to spend eternity there. Its greatness is more potent than anything on earth. accordign to christian belief, not comparable at all to anythign great here. All of those thigns u mentioned above are fantastic and wonderful thigns, I'm just sayign that heaven is much better than all those thigns.
Originally posted by gordomuchacho
Paradise though is believed to be so perfect and amazing that its inconceivable to us now, its so great that you woudl want to spend eternity there. Its greatness is more potent than anything on earth. accordign to christian belief, not comparable at all to anythign great here. All of those thigns u mentioned above are fantastic and wonderful thigns, I'm just sayign that heaven is much better than all those thigns.
This is heaven and or paradise. The idea that it is something after death, is just fantasy.