Do you REALLY want to live forever?

Question

Why are the religious so scared of dying? Why be bribed to do good things in exchange for eternal life?
Can't one just live in the moment and enjoy life now? Is your life that bad, that you have to wait for the afterworld? Do good things because it's the right thing to do. Shouldn't that just be the case?
I'm not trying to instigate, im just curious.

Clarification: Dying means CEASE TO EXIST. You're not going anywhere else when you die on earth. ( NO HEAVEN OR HELL)

P.S. I'm not atheist.

Answer 1

What makes you think that religious people are so scared of dying? Actually most I've encountered are totally at peace with death because they have faith they will go to heaven and be happy for ever and ever!


I just want to know where you get your second question from? ("Why are the religious so scared fo dying?")

Answer 2

If you had perfect life, stayed young, never had to grow old and get sick; also a life with no more food shortages, diseases, pollution, every conceivable problem that burden us now...I don't think anyoe would mind living forever. There would be so much to learn about everything. For example they say that 80% of the animals in the ocean haven't even been discovered yet. The possibilities are endless. The Bible teaches that the dead are conscious of nothing at all at Ecc.9:5,10, so they cease to exist when they die and have no feelings and are not watching over us. So a person should enjoy life now, definitely! The Bible also teaches that there will be resurrection of the dead on earth and not in some afterworld, and that only a few go to heaven - not all. We were made to live in happiness forever in a paradise earth and God will fulfill his purpose in the near future. John 5:29, Rev. 14:1.

Answer 3

Well the whole point of living forever is to simply enjoy the living. It would be a very bad thing if there were only a limited amount of things to experience in this universe. However, if there were an infinite number of things to experience which you could never reach the end of then it would be a very good thing. I of course opt for living forever but I'm not particularly religious and I don't spend every waking moment obsessing about how to achieve eternal life.

Answer 4

I think that some stress would be lifted if I thought I would live forever. I would make different decisions and my life would not just be longer, but drastically changed. Sometimes I worry about cancer and AIDS and asteroids hitting the planet, I think that religion offers an alternative to this kind of worry, an antidote if you will. But the promise of eternal life has it's downside... The believer of this promise is also required to believe other parts of the promise giver's set of ideas. Religions born from Mesopotamia are alot like the stories of vampires (which also come from these religions)...with the promise of eternal life comes some pretty nasty alterations to every aspect of that life.
I'd be a vampire though if I had the choice, unfortunately there is no god or devil to make that deal with.

Answer 5

I can't help notice, and be annoyed by how many atheists take such a simplistic view of theists. I think they think they're intellectually superior and therefore "get" believers and everything there is to know about them. On the other hand, perhaps they once "believed" but their own faith was as shallow as what they perceive everyone else's to be so that's why they abandoned it in the first place.

Contrary to the popular view of atheists, the promise of an afterlife is not the sole motivation for a belief in God (or a gods, as the case may be). Religion and following a handed down moral code is for this life and today. I personally am motivated to believe not to avoid hell in the next life, but to avoid hell here.

Answer 6

Where did you get that religious people (as you call them) are afraid of dieing? Although the after world is something great to look forward to, I am quite occupied and happy with my life now.
Doing good comes from a heart of love. Anyone who does good because they think they will end up in hell if they don't, is living with false hope.
A christian is suppose to have joy and love and peace which promotes them to do good. And if people do good but don't have love in their heart, it's phony.
And yes, I do want to live forever. According to descriptions of Heaven between the bible and death experiences of others who have talked about it ... loud music of all styles, indescribable colors, assignments, the best tasting wine and foods, living in a big mansion, having my own mystic garden of flowers with real fairies that actually exist, having a big wardrobe, being able to fly, having the power to create, being like God and with God, playing all kinds of games, exploring universes, having the pleasure of meeting the man who died on the cross for my sins face to face, being eternally beautiful and young, living eternally surrounded by love and family, peace and joy ... YES! I want to live forever.
What fool would want to be eternally dead when there's so much more out there?

Answer 7

We believe you're going to live forever regardless, the question is where. I'm in no rush to get to heaven though, there is plenty to do and a lot of good things in this life. I guess some of my brothers and sisters are anxious for what comes next, but not all of us are. To me, this rush to get there is like the rush some children feel to become adults instead of enjoying a very special time in their lives that will never come back.

And I truly hope I would be doing good things even if this life was all there was, but there's really no way to know.

Answer 8

I dont think a real religious person is scared of dying, just because ther are promised a better life in the here after.. I believe a REAL religious person looks forwould to it...As for being nice and good in this life.. ..WOW sweetheart what would this world be like if there were no nice people in it..I would'nt want to be here..For me its not a religious thing, I just get a good feeling out of being nice to people.. I love doing good and trying to help people, makes my life worth something..If all this helps me find peace in the hereafter thats wonderfull, but its not the only reason I'am......LOL ROB

Answer 9

I am not at all afraid of dying. I don't consider salvation a bribe, but an incredible gift. I look forward to seeing my friends and relatives that are believers, that have already passed. I agree that we should do good just because it is right. God said it was right, didn't He? Ask Him sincerely to show you, He really will show you. When I was young and had no relationship with God, I could not understand what the big deal was; now, I find it very hard to understand why anyone would reject the love of God.

Answer 10

Yes, I really want to live forever. But not how I am now, imperfect and contaminated by sin as we all are. In the Bible God promises that he will end all wickedness and destroy Satan and his demons. By means of his Kingdom, he will bring obediant mankind back to perfection and eternal life in a paradise with peace and happiness as he originally intended. Doesn't that sound wonderful? Read Rev. 21:3, 4 where it says that God will wipe out death and sorrow. But we can't attain this by just doing good, although that is a good goal to have. We have to worship the only true God, Jehovah, which means loving him and obeying his commandments no matter what.

Answer 11

I want to know what exactly the picture of eternal life is...think about it

You're supposed to be good to get into heaven, do you have to still have to be good when in heaven? I think heaven would kinda suck then. Plus, I'd like to have all my friends with me in heaven. What if some of them go to hell? That would diminish heaven for me, therefore not making it heaven. Maybe I have the wrong idea about what heaven is..I don't really know what exactly the Bible says, but it seems like you would have to forget who you were in order to stay there, which wouldn't be fun.

I like your other point. Being an atheist myself, I give alot to those in need, because I feel bad for them and I like to do a good deeds for people that need them. A lot of my Christian friends though are very uptight and not as generous as I am, and I find it pretty funny