The assumption is that there is no afterlife. Neither heaven nor hell. Debate the validity and testability of this assumption at another time please.
Is afterlife essential to the belief in God? IS it possible to have a God if he/she doesn't promise life after death? Would religion and the idea of God cease to exist?
2006-07-25 08:24:51 · 23 answers · asked by Ann Tykreist 3 in Arts & Humanities ➔ Philosophy
I think that the entire basis of a belief in God is an afterlife (eternity is His holy kingdom). Personally, while I don't have a definitive belief in a "God", I do live my life in a "good" way hoping for an afterlife reward. Is this belief essential to a belief in God? I don't necessarily think so, although an afterlife of ANY kind is the supposed reward for living a Godly life. For many of us, the simple fact that we will be remembered as good, god-fearing people is enough to make us lead a good and "holy" life.
And, even without a direct afterlife, there is still the idea that our life on Earth has purpose and direction and can be led by God.
I guess my point is that belief in an afterlife is not the only reason for believing in a God.
2006-07-25 08:35:58 · answer #1 · answered by Goose&Tonic 6 · 1⤊ 1⤋
If there's no afterlife, there's no afterlife. Consciousness isn't preserved after death, and that's that. If we want to use some science like "preservation of energy and mass" rule than that consciousness that is lost has to be transformed into something else, rather than being destroyed entirely...
The afterlife isn't really essential to the belief in god. People can believe in god to believe in purpose to life. After all, I think most people assume that the afterlife is essentially just life in a paradise of some sort, so if existing for eternity in paradise can have a point, why couldn't existing temporarily on earth have a point? The afterlife is mostly there so that we're not afraid of ceasing to exist. For the ancient egyptians, to cease to exist was the equivalence of hell. I'm not sure how many people would prefer to cease to exist rather than go to hell; I'd prefer the former, but I don't believe in the latter anyway, at least not as portrayed in popular religion.
2006-07-25 08:30:45 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Don't make no difference nohow! Regardless of our belief system when our bodies die and we our loose consciousness we are 'processed by the machinery of the Heavens'. Whether the Baptists vision of heaven or hell or nothing, it does not require our knowledge or consent for it to happen. Past lives? ,. , , maybe. Nothing at all? . . . perhaps. But whatever it is it will happen anyway. We are organic like on earth and only partially conscious of our inner and outer worlds. And Laws.
Nobody has ever died and lived to tell about it.
2006-07-25 12:46:03 · answer #3 · answered by Freesumpin 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I'm sure, if you believe in God, then I'm pretty sure accepting him, will bring you to the golden gate,
but like, if you believe in God, and there is no afterlife, then i think we are believing in a religion, that, yeah, pretty much as you said it, doesn't really exist if they didn't promise us if we believed or not, we would go here or here...
very good question by the way :]
2006-07-25 08:32:15 · answer #4 · answered by acute_angle12245 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
If afterlife doesn't exist?
Well then, I guess we have to enjoy life to the fullest! I'm serious. You can spend a few minutes or even half of your life wondering about afterlife and other related questions and miss out on life all together! This is simply my personal opinion so please don't feel offended.
2006-07-25 08:35:28 · answer #5 · answered by m 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
i think of it is an rather interesting theory, to declare the least. It is wise that interior an identical way human beings's outlooks on life are replaced as a effect of close to loss of life stories, a hallucinogenic drug, which oftentimes would briefly effect interior the guy dropping a feeling of actuality, what's real and what isn't, would be very much laid low together with his/her state of strategies on the time of his/her loss of life. the reason at the back of the completed "going in direction of the sunshine" element must be because of actual undeniable fact that the heaven/hell theory became surgically implanted into lots of our brains as young ones.
2016-12-10 15:28:09 · answer #6 · answered by hayakawa 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I Think of God (in this case) like a broke father he created the world you live now and gave you instructions how to live your life ... you choose to live it your way or following his instructions .. he told you these things are better to do they gonna fix your life and others life .. but he don't promise you with any fortune any respect in society what you are going to do ?? if you love him you will do even you know he is broke he can't give you anything more what he gave ... otherwise you won't follow him and what ever will happen going to happen ...
2006-07-25 08:38:51 · answer #7 · answered by Phy-1 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
You aren't alive before your birth or after your death, so just worry about the time in between. If you are a transhumanist and believe humanity is evolving into God, then there is no problem.
2006-07-25 08:31:38 · answer #8 · answered by The null set 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Depends on your definition of religion. There are many beliefs that do not include/postulate/specify an afterlife. I suggest "Religion Explained" by Pascal Boyer.
2006-07-25 17:01:17 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
'NO AFTER-LIFE'
hmm... Sounds Adventurous to me..
Well.. they say the world as we know of started from 'Adam and Eve' - 2 Souls.. and considering the world strata, the population has been ever increasing..
Where do you think all these souls come from.. of course the so called power - GOD does have a souls factory hidden somewhere in another galaxy perhaps.. I believe that after our death he takes our soul there to produce more since we know the procedure of SEX and re-production..
Can you think of a better reason?
2006-07-25 09:01:44 · answer #10 · answered by mk_single 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋