Do you get the feeling there is no afterlife ?

Question

It seems that after all of this time has gone by, humans would see some scientific proof of an afterlife.

Do you think the church feels it necessary to convert people from early childhood because they are not able to offer solid proof of an afterlife, or is the church's motivation based in a legacy of belief that was passed down to them, and they don't question it ?

Answer 1

Most definitely!... the only evidence that people can discuss rationally about religion is persecution, believe or die (in this life and in some next life), and give us your money. Most of their leaders become embroiled in illegal or hypocritical activities.

I definitely get the feeling there is no afterlife.

Answer 2

For me, I just don't like the idea of not existing. I feel like the life span of a human is not even near enough time for me to feel content with not existing. I don't care how great my life was, or what I've accomplished, I don't like the idea of not existing and not being able to experience "existence". It's a HORRIBLE and TERRIFYING thought in my opinion. Sometimes, I think about things that I'd LOVE to do in life, such as live on a beautiful beach... But it just wouldn't last forever because of death... It makes everything seem so much less meaningful in my opinion. Knowing that you can just blink away from existence at any time, even at a time when someone needs you the most. This becomes even more depressing when you have a close one who dies at a horrible time. Or the fact that you may be finally accomplishing your goals, and then you just die, and fade from existence. This universe is a very cruel and cold place. Sure, there are positive things, but the negative far outweigh the positive in my opinion. You can never be assured a good life, yet you are ASSURED death at any given time. I think we deserve an afterlife. I hope that somehow the "spirit" is eternal, and we can exist forever in one shape or form.

Perhaps this is why so many religions created stories of an "afterlife". Because they realized how scary and mysterious death is.

Answer 3

I had rather live my life as if there is a GOD and an AFTERLIFE and then die, only to discover there wasn't...than to live my life as if there wasn't a God or an Afterlife...and then to die, only to discover there IS God/Afterlife. The point being...it is much more rewarding and you'll be happier to live as if God Exists, so you will be a God-fearing individual...more likely to do GOOD and behave and have a GOOD family, etc. which is better than to not care and get yourself involved in bad things and leave a legacy of sin and evilness in this world. Nobody's perfect and we all make mistakes...we all sin, like sometimes good people have cheated on a spouse, etc...but if they sincerely regret it and try their best not to do it again...then that is forgiveable and the same with someone who has had an abortion. What if they did this at a young and irresponsible/irrational age and they were scared and felt this was their only choice ? What if they felt guilty for many years after but never had another abortion. What if they went on to have children, somehow realizing that maybe they had been forgiven for their mistake in the past ? So, we're all imperfect but as long as we're not habitual offenders and constantly contributing to the downfall of the world...then that's how we should be...living as if there is a GOD.

Answer 4

Primitive peoples have always believed that there must be some life after death. Unfortunately there is no evidence whatsoever that this is fact. It's just wishful thinking. Emotionally mature and mentally stable human beings can do better - they can choose to live this present life as if it's all the life they will ever experience, so they will live it as fully as they can. The merry-go-round goes on and on but sooner or later the music stops, as it always has, and until then you have just this present chance to go for the brass ring. So quit worrying, and quit hoping, about some imagined afterlife, and focus on living with class and dignity in the one life we know for sure is real - this present life. And guess what - you may find it's enough.

Answer 5

Loyd,

I am 33 with a strong Baptist upbringing. Only now as an adult have I begun to question all the things I believed up to this point. While I obviously don't have a definitive answer here are my issues.
Every belief a Christian has is founded on the Bible. What if the Bible is not the word of God. Why should we believe the bible to be correct and the Koran just another book.
Another thing, remember when you were in school and you studied Greek and Roman Mythology. We all think those stories are crazy. Now think about some of the stories you have studied in the Bible. Are they any less unbelievable.
I have come to believe that we as humans long for an understanding on everything in life. To this point there are some things that we just cant figure out....like why do bad things happen to good people. Religion kinda fills in the gaps of things we dint know or our out of our control. We would much rather believe that "God did that" rather than admit that we have no control over certain aspects of life.
My problem is that while I find it harder and harder to believe in religion, I still need God as much as anyone.
So which is more vital...the need to be right or the need to have God?

Answer 6

I know there is an afterlife...and at a minimum, here it is.

What we leave behind when we die with regards to the impact we have made on the lives of the people we have touched and encountered in our lives. A positive impact cascades to that person making subsequent, sometimes lifelong postive changes or positive impacts on others. A negative impact has the opposite affect.

If the positive far outweigh the negative, your afterlife (what is behind when you are gone) is positive - Heaven. You win, you have positively impacted humanity, WOW!

If the negative far outweigh the positive, your afterlife is negative - Hell. You lose, you have negatively impacted humanity, BUMMER!

To me, that is ALL that matters. What happens to my corporeal body is irrelevant, of course. Moreover, and MOST important, what happens to my soul is irrelevant. Because what happens to me when I am no longer interacting with people on earth - that is a SELFISH thing to care about or reflect on. Who cares where you are...what matters is what you have left behind, and how you have impacted others. Seriously, think about it. Millions, no, Billions of people on this earth are doing positive things on earth to avoid going to hell. They are doing good for their own selfish ends. Any religion that inspires that is just WAY off the mark from my perspective.

Answer 7

Well, there is no way to ever know if there's an afterlife because no one has died and came back. And I don't mean near death experiences, I mean DIE and came back from the death. I take death as a theory, also the thing about religion is that it tries to answer the unanswerable questions about their beginnings, and end.

Answer 8

The church trys to convert people so they will enjoy their afterlife in Heaven.

Answer 9

The Bible says that there is an afterlife and they believe it. And not only the church believes it, many other religjons believe that too.

Answer 10

You should watch The Seventh Seal by Ingmar Bergman.