Does the "Believer's Dilemma" have too much impact on Christians?

Question

Is it appropriate for Christians to base so much of their beliefs on the “afterlife”?

A belief should be based on “any cognitive content held as true” (http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&rls=GGIH,GGIH:2006-50,GGIH:en&defl=en&q=define:belief&sa=X&oi=glossary_definition&ct=title), not “what’s in it for me”. Sometimes I wonder how big of a business church would be if the topic of afterlife was not addressed.

Answer 1

That is the "Protestant Ethic". Since the original Protestants generally were not wealthy and often were peasants with no hope of rising above their stations in this life, their religious mentors encouraged them to live the moral life in this world, working diligently with the promise of Heaven as reward in the afterlife. Such a system, based upon fear to a great extent, offering hell as the dreaded alternative, tended to keep the "flocks" in the "fold" where the church's influence was strongest...

Answer 2

I don't understand, my belief is not based on where I'm going, but where I am right now. Going to Heaven is what happens when I'm dead, but I've got over 40 years so far on this earth that prove to me my faith is based in truth.

My life so far, all the times God has helped me, how following Scripture has changed my life for the better, all these things are what I base my faith upon. The mercy and grace God has shown me, not grace for going to Heaven, but grace to rise above my own shameful ways and live such a good life ... as all Christians can testify, this is the basis of our faith, not the fact we are going to Heaven.

I don't get it, why that is a dilemma?

Answer 3

We live our daily lives with the love support and companionship of Jesus. Who really spends so much time thinking about the afterlife once you get out of school? Life is now and there is plenty to do that need doing in the near future.

Answer 4

There are also people like me out there. I didn't find the threat of hell to be a very compelling argument to believe in God because I had to understand God's love before I could believe. So I don't think the promise of heaven or threat of hell is the motivating factor for everybody.

Answer 5

But since Jesus addressed the afterlife, your attempt to rewrite the Bible is a waste. Jesus is God and expected worship, and He said to prepare for the afterlife. If you choose not to, that's a problem for you. You can change your mind anytime.

Answer 6

Most of my beliefs are focused on What will improve the world in a practical sense. Afterlife will sort itself out.

Answer 7

The Saducees ( similar to the Pharisees) didn't believe in the after life, they simply worshiped God because of who He is. (There is something to learn from them.) However, one of the reasons the Bible was written was to give the believer the assurance of what is to come. While this shouldn't be the basis of our worship, it does give us the assurance to persevere!

1 John 5:13 (KJV)
These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God.

Answer 8

that is the basis of the gospel is the fact that jesus rose from the dead, that is the afterlife. if jesus did not rise from the dead all preaching would be vain and we would just die. everything we do in life today should be foreshadowing what is to come in eternity.

Answer 9

The idea of afterlife just brings about urgency (I still believe in it). But, I think if Christians would focus on "we devote ourselves to God because of how big and vast he is and because he's God" we would be closer to getting it right.

Answer 10

I agree. Ancient Christians would have frowned on the idea of worhipping God/Christ as a way to secure salvation. Salvation shouldn't be the goal, it should be the gift afterwards, and faith and worship the goal.