is spirituality selfish?

Question

ive been soul searching for a few years now and have come upon an interesting question. why do alot of humans feel the need to live on after death? it seems to me like it might be instinctual, or even cultural. however i am not closed off to the idea of it. what do you think?

Answer 1

Yeah, you perform whatever function you reserve for spirituality for yourself. That's a selfish trait. And unlike what a lot of other answers here state, being "selfish" is hardly negative in the absolute. You do selfish things all the time, like eat food, dispel bodily waste (hey, it makes you feel better), have sex, whatever...it's largely selfish. Is that bad? No. Spirituality is almost a required trait in most humans and those who don't possess some form of it are kind of dead in their own right.

Answer 2

All forms of spirituality are based upon internalisation to a greater or lessor extent. Even Buddhism, while it has a disdain for the ego, is still based upon spiritual enhancement through internal transformation.

Whether life after death or personal affirmation, spirituality is by nature self-centered and solopsistic.

Selflessness is simply an outward behaviour, a decision based upon a desire to put the needs of other ahead of your own. It used to be placed on a pedastal in this society because selfless people make willing, and thus inexpensive slaves. Cultural revolution has returned the general population to their selfish state, but they haven't necessarily become more introspective.

Human need to live on after death is more of an instinct, life seeking the sustenance of life, cold hard survival in the wild. Basic consciousness doesn't contemplate death, and sentience cannot cope with the mental absurdity of nonexistence - the all encompassing void. As we live, all we understand is life, form, function. We cannot think about what doesn't exist, hence, we cannot think about death, because it doesn't exist. Ironically, it represents the ultimate nonexistence.

At the same time, human self is merely a cog in this machine, finite, with a specific beginning and end. The self wants to expand, but it cannot. So all it has left to do is imagine itself as something greater than it really is.

Answer 3

Think about that question a long minute? This cannot be answered, in a most people, it must be answered individually. Therefore it would take forever to take a popular vote?
Selfish is not applicable to wanting to live at all. Whether it be after death or just survival of cancer? After life to most Christians is faith that we go to one of God's kingdoms and placed by his son Jesus. So a person with cancer does a lot of soul searching and they are not being selfish are they? Okay then. After life is a subject for metaphysics, go to www.rosicrucians.com or www.amorc.com there you will find more than enough studies on the after life mysteries and the metaphysical approach to help you through your personal spirituality adventure. Death is always and forever, and nothing else, Life is Forever and Always and they are a passing ship through the time journey. Infinity is the answer, and there is no eternal, or everlasting, Just infinity. infinitive space and time in the realm of Death for Death is life and visa versa. Amen brother

Answer 4

In my own life, I treat spirituality as a personal thing. I do that because I don't try to influence anyone to change their own views of it because everyone has an opinion to agree or disagree. I don't think spirituality is selfish. I think it's stabilizing to an individual's way of treating others and of one's self. I don't judge, I accept what is. As for the afterlife, that is a personal choice for each person to decide for themselves. There are many beliefs. But, I don't think it's selfish to believe in something better than this world. I would hope that this is not all we've been given.

Answer 5

Is There Life After Death?
- Do You Have an Immortal Spirit ? ... http://watchtower.org/e/20010715/article_01.htm

Death--Can We Understand It? :
- Death's Devastating Effects
- "Death Is Swallowed Up Forever"
http://watchtower.org/e/20050815/article_01.htm

Should You Be Afraid of Death? :
- What Is Your View of Death?
- - Baffled, or Alienated by Death?
- - A Subject to Ponder
- A Closer Look at Some Myths About Death
- - Myth 1: Death is the natural end of life.
- - Myth 2: God takes people in death to be with him.
- - Myth 3: God takes little children to become angels.
- - Myth 4: Some people are tormented after death.
- - Myth 5: Death means the permanent end of our existence.
- - Compare Some Common Myths with What Scriptures Say
- - Be Free From Fear
http://watchtower.org/e/20020601/article_01.htm

Will the Dead Live Again? ...
- The Resurrection--A Glorious Prospect
- - - Confusion About the Teaching of the Resurrection
- - - "Women Received Their Dead by Resurrection"
- - - Resurrections During Jesus’ Ministry
- - - Reunion With Dead Loved Ones--A Glorious Prospect
http://watchtower.org/e/20050501/article_01.htm

The Hereafter--Where Will It Be?:
- Is Earth Just a Testing Ground?
- Eternal Happiness--In Heaven or on Earth?
http://watchtower.org/e/20001001/article_01.htm

How to Find Real Happiness
> Think of Your Spiritual Needs
- Keep Your Life Simple
- Happiness and Self-Worth
- Hope--Vital to Happiness
http://www.watchtower.org/library/w/2001/3/1/article_02.htm

Why Care About Spiritual Things? :
- Spirituality and Your Well-Being
- A Positive Link ...
http://watchtower.org/e/20040201/article_01.htm

Humans--Just Higher Animals? :
- [Or Spiritual Beings?]
http://www.watchtower.org/e/19980622/article_01.htm

I'm sharing these articles with you because I'm in total agreement with the explanations & reasoning in them. When I was young, the church where my folks took me taught that the dead go to heaven, but no one there could answer my question of Why. Also, the pictures they painted of what heaven is supposedly like was very unimpressive to me. When I learned what death really is, what life is really meant to be, & that the original purpose for the earth & mankind has not been abandoned by God, I embraced it wholeheartedly, as it matched what I yearned for ...

"He has made everything beautiful in its time.
He has also set eternity in their hearts ... "
Ecclesiastes 3:11
http://www.watchtower.org/library/dg/article_10.htm
http://www.watchtower.org/e/20041001/article_01.htm

Is it that people want to live on After death, or,
that they just Don't want to die?
It being unavoidable that death is inevitable as things are,
the idea of life after death took wing ...

Answer 6

Humans feel that need because they want more than a life on this earth has to offer. Spirituality is naturally selfish because you, in being spiritual, are trying to discover the true self.

I should say that being truly spirituality means seeking the truth despite what your family, friends and traditions have taught you to belive. If that means selfish to them, so be it.

Answer 7

To be perfect, a person needs to be trained 1) Mentally 2) Spiritually and 3) Physically and then only he will be in a position to do much for others and when it comes to "do for others", how can spirituality be selfish?

Answer 8

there are reasons stated why a person has a choice of where to spend eternity. we know that hell is a most undesirable environment to end up in for eternity. if you need clarification then you need to read what is called the holy bible.

William Shakespeare wrote "there is more things in heaven and earth than are dreamt of in you philosophy". by the same token, nobody has yet described heaven. our perception of heaven is not important. what is important is that you make the right preparations for your soul to arrive at the proper destination.

Answer 9

Its just in our nature. The same reason why we want to have kids, or leave lots of money behind. I always felt that if you live a very good life and change things around you in a positive way, it could have a domino effect and your life may resonate through ages to come, whether your name is remembered or not.

Answer 10

the best hope you can find is in the bible....if Adam and eve did not sin and die we would not die ourselves.....truth is we were made with forever etched into our minds (, 'cause we were meant to live forever, and the only way for some to fulfill it is by creating an afterlife.....Hopefully this is a serious question to you, and it deserves a serious answer. if you want an explanation look up ecc. 3:11....