I have an atheist friend, and even she believes in a nothingness after death; not an emptiness, but rather non-existence. So, even if there is nothing after death, there is something, whatever your spiritual viewpoint.
Do you find this in any way humbling?
Thanks!
2007-03-15 01:39:37 · 19 answers · asked by Horatio 1 in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
Huh? If there s nothing after death, there is NOTHING AFTER DEATH. NOTHING. Not SOMETHING. That's what NOTHING means.
So, to answer yor question, our mortal lives are infinitely more significant.
2007-03-15 01:43:02 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 3⤊ 0⤋
First of all may I say that I'm a Christian so I will answer as a Christian (not asking anyone to agree, just answering the question).
Obviously as a Christian I do believe that there is a life after death, a life that stretches into this uncomprehendabable eternity.
I believe ultimately the choices we make in this life, which may seem long, determine where we will spend eternity.
Obviously some people believe that there is nothing after death, like your friend, but I would guess that most people believe in some kind of life after death...
Many people today will save money, take out a private pension etc. to prepare them for a few short years of retirement, yet give little thought to what comes next.
Depending on what age you are, you could maybe look back to your school days which at the time seemed to last forever yet now they seem to have passed by in no time at all, but for most of us it set us on the path for our life.
If as I believe there is an eternal life, then thousands of years from now, how brief is this earthly life going to seem to us, and we will either be glad or regret the choices we made, sadly there are no second chances after death, unlike school where we can go back, change direction and career and so on.
So I believe in this very brief life we need to give it our priority to prepare for what comes after, it is supremely significant because it will only be for a brief moment when compared to eternity.
As I said I am not asking anyone to agree, just simply answering the question and stating what I believe.
JB
2007-03-15 03:17:16 · answer #2 · answered by J B 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
As we don't know what lies beyond death - it's a matter of faith if we believe there's anything or nothing - we can only live this lifetime and indeed this moment to the full. We can only do this by cultivating being truly present which in turn is only possible through cultivating the quality of presence through mental discipline - meditation, for example.
When we do this there is something revealed about life as a whole that eludes our normal everyday awareness.
This is not a matter of faith but experience.
I can tell you I have found this to be very true but that's no good to you unless you do it yourself!
When you have this is experience it is certainly humbling but also exalting because you go past the narrow confines of individual self.
Try it and see. Or ignore it! The only way to understand anything at all in life is to experience it.
As George Harrison wrote about the art of dying, 'When you have it, there's no need for it.' Until we have though, we desperatly need it in order to make sense of both life and death.
The good thing about it is, you can experiment and try different ways, though you have to give each a fair crack.
2007-03-15 02:02:09 · answer #3 · answered by Roger M 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
How can you describe nothing as something?
If you have no soul or do not go onto some other life but are simply snuffed out all that is left is the body. The gradually atrophies until it is absorbed back into the earth completely so all that would remain is dispersed molecules.
So it is not humbling. Instead it should really be telling everyone to get on and live the life they have got whilst they still have it!!!
2007-03-15 02:52:39 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Perhaps the priority is to leave talk about nothingness and focus on the evidence for life after death. A mistake with this life is sad, a mistake with eternity is a disaster. Your first question is the key. If you believe that Jesus came back from death - you don't say - then the urgent need is to help your friend consider the evidence for the resurrection fairly. Examples include: no body was found even by His enemies; He appeared to a variety of people; He appeared several times; He ate in His disciples' presence; the disciples moved their worship day from Saturday to Sunday just because it was the resurrection day.
It's good to be touched by the views of others. But if you care for your friend, the priority is to show her the truth and help her see the consequences. Her eternity depends on it.
2007-03-15 02:31:58 · answer #5 · answered by Andrew G 2 · 0⤊ 1⤋
I find it interesting, perhaps its the energy resonance of that person that goes back into the energy of the universe. But what happens with consciousness I don't have a clue!
Perhaps the nothingness that is something is what the conscious part of the energy/soul/spirit/mana/whatevery experiences.
But i'd like to think anyone who loved me in life will be there for me when I die, and give me a big hug.
hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm ponderous now, ahh well I dont wanna find out exactly what happens just yet would like to wait til im 80 cheers.
Good Q tho :O)
2007-03-15 02:18:10 · answer #6 · answered by faerie_rachie 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I don't really know the answer to that.
I do believe in life after death myself and just say to people who don't to remember if they can still think after the body dies regardless of if they can see anything (supposedly you experience what you believe) know that if you are still thinking there must be a life after death, at this realisation hopefully the mind will open enough to allow whatever will happen.
2007-03-15 01:50:43 · answer #7 · answered by Jewel 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
How backward can you take it?
You are clearly trying to express things in an ironically inverse manner.... "An emptiness" is far more "something" than "non-existence" is. The Nihil does not exist as a "thing"... it is what is not.... what is left when all is taken away and never was.
In any case... our mortal lives and what lies beyond death are both completely equal in their absolute irrelevance. Everything is objectively irrelevant.... You might as well just forget thinking about it any further. "Purpose" and "value" are purely fallacious human concepts and do not apply to things not humanely made...
2007-03-15 01:45:36 · answer #8 · answered by Nihilist Templar 4 · 1⤊ 1⤋
Our mortal lives are very important. How we live our moral lives will depands on our eternal life. I believe having a personal relationship with Jesus is the ONLY way to heaven.
2007-03-15 05:57:30 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
i do not try to imagine what it will be like when you die because it is impossible to contemplate not contemplating, what I'm saying is that even by trying to imagine what it would be like after death you are defying what it is to be dead,
i do not believe in an afterlife of any kind, i would like to(not necessarily a religious afterlife) but i cant get my head round it.
however i do not fear death as i know once i am dead i will be emotionless and thoughtless and not even know it.
2007-03-15 07:50:36 · answer #10 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋