If there is no life after death...

[bunnydrops]

Most here are talking about consciousness as a continuation of the self, but the self includes the body and the existence of the sensations the body brings to it. Consciousness may be like life itself and come in many forms. I once read an analogy that went like this: Consciousness is like a flowing river; there isn't an individual self, but when the river comes to a waterfall (birth), the river divides into many droplets that gain the illusion of self and can see that it is separate from the others, but in the end (death) the droplets reach the bottom and become part of the whole again.

[Cameroni]

1 hour ago, dinsdale said:

What I was saying was it's more rational to think we are not alone in billions of galaxies than to think one almighty being created billions of galaxies and we are alone in billions of galaxies and we are created in God's image. 

 

Why? For all of them there is no evidence whatsoever.

 

All of them could be true or false. There is just no evidence for either case.

 

1 hour ago, dinsdale said:

Which makes more sense to you?

 

It's mere conjecture, in the absence of evidence. How much sense does conjecture make? As Buddha said, not a whole lot.

 

1 hour ago, dinsdale said:

You think God or a God did all this?

 

It could be. There is no evidence against, nor any evidence for.

 

So either case is as valid as the other.

[spidermike007]

It's impossible for me to even fathom the possibility that there isn't life after death, and that reincarnation is not a reality. But there are alot of people who are incredibly limited in their thinking, very conventional minded, need scientific proof, and if there is no proof they just cannot conceive of the possibilities. 

[scorecard]

8 hours ago, fredwiggy said:

 

If there were more than one God we would surely see evidence, as they would be competing for our attention. Especially if there were three or more. God invented us, not the other way around. I don't lose sleep believing. It actually makes life easier knowing I'm a believer, not having to worry as I would if I wasn't.

 

God invented us.... what does that mean / what do you mean?

[save the frogs]

I just asked AI about a concept that came to mind based on a quote from Voltaire. 

----------------------------------------------------------

While the idea of Earth being a destination for rejects or outcasts from other planets is a popular concept, particularly in science fiction, it's not directly attributed to Voltaire. 

 

However, Voltaire did express similar views about the nature of humanity and its place in the universe. He wrote about the idea of Earth being a madhouse or insane asylum for the universe's inhabitants. 

• "If there's life on other planets, then the earth is the Universe's insane asylum."

   

   

[save the frogs]

 

[fredwiggy]

6 hours ago, Lacessit said:

I am pretty confident you won't be coming back to tell me I am wrong.

No, once I get there I'll be enjoying the company of Jesus and my passed friends family and animals, And there's a good likelihood you'll meet God before I do.

[daveAustin]

20 hours ago, SoCal1990 said:

Then, if there is life after death, is it still your own?

Define your?

[Lacessit]

7 minutes ago, fredwiggy said:

No, once I get there I'll be enjoying the company of Jesus and my passed friends family and animals, And there's a good likelihood you'll meet God before I do.

How do you know it won't be 72 virgins?

[fredwiggy]

8 hours ago, dinsdale said:

Nup! When you die that's it mate. Believe what you like but until someone who has died tells me there's a heaven or until God presents himself/herself/itself to the entire population of the world it's all nonsense. Sadly you are one of the billions who have been brainwashed from birth. This is why I say religion is the greatest crime against humanity. It brainwashes children to perpetuate a myth. Absolutely shameful to deny children the right to freedom of choice and thought. Fortunately my mother gave me that freedom. I have lived my life as a rational thinker not bound by religious doctrine.

I could say sadly you're one of the millions that have been brainwashed since birth from non believing parents. Or I could say not everyone is brainwashed and believes because it makes sense to them. Also some that have been brainwashed have reached adulthood and realized for themselves belief makes sense, that this universe couldn't have created itself. 

 

Fortunately my parents allowed me to make my own decisions, after teaching me about God and sending me to Catholic school where I learned more. Afterwards I lived my life as an rational thinker, looking to what makes sense rather than believed others opinions that either hated God because they felt he took someone away from them they loved, or were taught by parents who didn't believe because they were also taught by the same. 

 

Faith takes courage, believing in something you can't see but feel.

[fredwiggy]

1 minute ago, Lacessit said:

How do you know it won't be 72 virgins?

 

1 minute ago, Lacessit said:

How do you know it won't be 72 virgins?

Killing innocents isn't a way to gain favor from God. Thinking it's any virgins has one believe there's an afterlife, and thinking you'll get there by killing innocent people is the epitome of disturbed behavior.

[save the frogs]

11 hours ago, fredwiggy said:

No, once I get there I'll be enjoying the company of Jesus

No you won't.

Jesus wouldn't have the time to hang out with billions of people. 

 

[fredwiggy]

1 minute ago, save the frogs said:

No you won't.

Jesus wouldn't have the time to hang out with billions of people. 

 

In forever, there will be time. We can always sit in small groups every day, and wait for our turn until then.

[save the frogs]

11 hours ago, fredwiggy said:

In forever, there will be time. We can always sit in small groups every day, and wait for our turn until then.

 

Do the math, though.

If Jesus sits with small groups for 15 minutes at a time, rotating all the billions of people who have lived on earth, how many millions of years would you need to wait for Jesus to come around?

Fortunately, there's loads of Harp Music and I'm guessing they don't serve alcohol, but maybe some good Kombucha to keep you entertained while you wait your turn.  

 

[Gottfrid]

22 hours ago, SoCal1990 said:

Then where does our consciousness go after we die?

 

Or are we just pretending not to be afraid of the answer?

Think about it like this. You are burned hot and long enough to make ashes out of your bones. Just use your imagination.

[fredwiggy]

4 minutes ago, save the frogs said:

 

Do the math, though.

If Jesus sits with small groups for 15 minutes at a time, rotating all the billions of people who have lived on earth, how many millions of years would you need to wait for Jesus to come around?

Fortunately, there's loads of Harp Music and I'm guessing they don't serve alcohol, but maybe some good Kombucha to keep you entertained while you wait your turn.  

 

Maybe time in heaven isn't the same as here. And yes, a lot of musicians that were believers are there now, jamming and drinking wine, as Jesus did, and who knows, God made weed and maybe it wasn't just for hemp. Think of all the good food we could eat with no fear of gaining weight. Like Gregg Allman sang, "I know there's a God up in heaven, who must love rock and roll. (Ocean Awash the Gunwale)