. . . LIFE . . .???. . .
Seems that in our reality, there is NO opposite. . .
which, when removed from 'religious dogma',
allows that, EVEN an atheist
can be permitted belief in ETERNAL LIFE. . .?
2006-08-20 04:34:50 · 36 answers · asked by Anonymous in Arts & Humanities ➔ Philosophy
Sorry to see that some of you feel 'threatened' by this question? Please notice that this entry begins with "IF", meaning to imply --- you are FREE to accept/reject/ignore this concept ---
AND this site is FOR exchange of ideas?
Not just releasing anger and vileness...
2006-08-20 04:59:42 · update #1
Birth and Death are each transitional moments in life (beginning and end), so it is very logical to consider death to be the opposite of birth. Whereas, life is a condition and does not compare with the moment of birth or of death. Death - the last moment of life - is not life's opposite at all. I must agree with you there, Gravefinder.
The argument that life is the opposite of "no life" is not a definition or a description - it just doesn't compute. Some even mention that the opposite of life is "no existence", which is absurd. A dead body still exists. I kissed the forehead of my son's dead body. His physical form still existed after life left him (dust to dust as they say).
A defining characteristic of life is "capability of self-replication". A partial definition of life is having the capacity for self-replication, so that the opposite of that partial definition becomes the lack of ability to self-replicate. However, that self-replication requires energy, so there exists an energy of life.
From a chemist's point of view, there is a bonding energy as the chemicals of life replicate. Let me posit that there is more than a purely chemical bonding energy. Perhaps there is an actual spiritual energy that permeates all of life, not simply confined within the organism that happens at the moment to be in that time between birth and death - the epoch called "life".
It seems that we do not understand what truly and concisely defines life. Most answering seem to be thinking ONLY in terms of human life, or at least intelligent life. Maybe that's why our planet is so abused? What hubris we humans have! Is human life different from life in an oak tree, or in a penguin?
To define the opposite of life, one must first comprehend the true definition of life. It seems such an understanding - at least in consensus - is not available. So, I have no answer to what might be the opposite of life, and doubt that anyone else here has presented the answer.
What an awesome question you have asked, Gravefinder!
2006-08-20 05:10:54 · answer #1 · answered by widowmate 6 · 3⤊ 1⤋
Getting at being by way of analogy is a sloppy method.
1st, there is an "opposite" to life. You only assume it is not death, that one term cannot have any ambiguity, and so is fixed in opposition to the one specified, but not to the other. That's a quite crazy supposition.
2nd, Eternal life is not in dichotomy to life. That is just more of the same, i.e. there is no opposition in your postulation.
3rd, this analogy business does not have any convincing hold on a rational person. The negative of birth is not death, but non-birth. That's a logical error. You have to do much more work to substantiate this putative opposition.
4th, there need not be a natural opposite to every phenomenon. This is in conjunction with the 3rd view above. The opposite of a particular chair is a non-chair.. there does not exist something such that it is a clear demonstration of the opposite essential valence of chairness. My hand or the computer monitor are just as opposite from the chair as anything else that is not a chair.
2006-08-20 08:00:16 · answer #2 · answered by -.- 6 · 0⤊ 2⤋
The opposite of life (and of existence in any form) is extinction or annihilation - a state (if it could be called that) of non-being. If we are wiped out at the moment of death then that's it, call it what you like, zappo! zilch!
Although, if you get to argue the point after death keep the conversation going just in case whoever you're talking to is only interested in keeping you in existence for as long as you can protest the unreasonableness of being extinguished since you have no word for it.
Atheists may believe in eternal life. There are those (not necessarily atheists) who believe that by living in a certain way (positive mental attitude, special diet, etc.) they can, barring accidents, prolong their lives indefinitely - it's not exactly eternal life but what's to stop someone believing that they can go on eternally?
What atheists don't believe in is god.
2006-08-20 05:05:15 · answer #3 · answered by jayelthefirst 3 · 0⤊ 2⤋
life itself has many, opposite forms. Like physical life (on earth) and spiritual life (in heaven, hell, past the river Styx, whatever you like).
Life is too wide and too abstract to be categorized so easily. Eternal life is no different than "simple" life, because time doesn't matter. Everything just keeps going in a circle, because there in no real end. So there is no end to life, therefore all life is eternal, only it keeps changing forms. There is no opposite to life, but there are opposite forms of life.
2006-08-20 08:03:50 · answer #4 · answered by lucantropeea 2 · 2⤊ 0⤋
Not a threat at all. You see, the opposite of Physical Life is Spiritual Life.
Physical life on earth....Spiritual Life in Heaven.
The opposite of Spiritual Eternal Life in Heaven is Eternal Non-existence (destruction, no hope for resurrection). Just like before you were born, you were non-existant...same will occur for those who do not believe in Jesus' Ransom Sacrafice and His Resurrection.
So, there is definately an opposite!
2006-08-20 05:35:35 · answer #5 · answered by Author Al 4 · 0⤊ 2⤋
The opposite of life is inanimate. There are entities with life, which is eternal and there are inanimate object that have no life -- tables, chairs, computers, etc.
In a higher sense though, you are correct to say there is no opposite to life because in a higher sense everything is alive. Pervading all material elements and objects is the Lord as Paramatma (Supersoul) and it is His energy that holds the constituents of the atoms together so that inanimate objects hold their shape. The same principle is at work in space, the Lord's energy is holding the planets in their respective orbits.
2006-08-20 06:26:03 · answer #6 · answered by Jagatkarta 3 · 0⤊ 2⤋
A mere technicality won't get you that far, sorry. Life can be considered synonymous with birth in certain contexts, so you can accept death as its opposite, in other contexts life can be seen as existence, in which case it's opposite will be non-existence, death; and that is removed from any religious context by the way.
2006-08-20 04:47:16 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 2⤋
Good question, but seems there is a word play hidden here. DEATH is opposite to LIFE, not to birth. Dying (meaning the moment of dying) could be opposite to birth (meaning the moment we are born).
2006-08-20 07:37:32 · answer #8 · answered by Aurora 4 · 0⤊ 2⤋
Dying is the opposite of Birth. Death is the opposite of life. And your reality is different from somone else's. Everyone's reality is a choice and it is an individual one.
2006-08-20 04:42:16 · answer #9 · answered by Shawn 4 · 1⤊ 2⤋
Birth is giving life... the opposite of life is death
you have way too much time on your hands if you're trying think up things like that...
2006-08-20 04:40:53 · answer #10 · answered by * 4 · 0⤊ 2⤋