2007-06-18 08:05:58 · 22 answers · asked by Graciela, RIRS 6 in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
Laur, I didn't mean everyone, just some. Sorry to generalize.
2007-06-18 08:11:15 · update #1
Not Laur, but Bella Donna. Oops.
2007-06-18 08:11:47 · update #2
imasis2, the reality of death and having only a finite amount of time makes me want to make the most of every moment. I do waste time, like anyone else, but time means a lot to me.
2007-06-18 08:19:58 · update #3
Good question. They can't. If you are always worried about "what god wants" and not what you want then you are not enjoying life to its potential. If god loves us like people claim he does than wouldn't he understand when you want to go and play instead of go to church. Like your parents when you hit that age where you don't want to go to the movies with them so much as your friends. The really kicker of the whole thing is they really don't know if there really is an afterlife.
2007-06-18 08:12:20 · answer #1 · answered by joe d 4 · 3⤊ 3⤋
I'm a free spirit,attracted to all kinds of mysticism from religions all over the world. Although I am not a deist - I left organised religion behind a long time ago - I do believe there is some kind of an afterlife. I also sense that we existed long before being incarnated in these bodies. I don't think that belief in an afterlife means anybody - of whatever religion or spiritual direction - just sits around and waits for it. It wouldn't make any sense. According to most religious theories or doctrines,the content of the afterlife is based on how much love you brought into the world in your mortal manifestation. I feel that is probably the case. So I live my life with no thought other than to bring no harm to anyone or anything and,ideally,to enter as much tenderness and love into this world as I can without making any conscious effort,but just by being who I really am. I am certainly not wishing my life away; I'm living it - not as fully as I would like,but to the best of my ability. An afterlife will I assume be based on this life in the here and now.
2007-06-18 15:22:47 · answer #2 · answered by Maya 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Who is wishing their life away??? Everyone I know loves and appreciates life, including myself. God has blessed with loving parents, I have a wonderful husband who I'm looking forward to spending another 40 or 50 years with. I have a great life. When God decides it's time, then I'll go to an even better place where there will be no sadness, war, hate, etc.
The only people who may wish their life away are probably depressed/suicidal and should get some counseling.
2007-06-18 15:20:23 · answer #3 · answered by kaz716 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I believe George Whitefield answer this question very eloquently when asked about assurance of salvation. See, Whitefield was truly Calvinist---he believed that no one could know they were one of the "elect". Yet he wrote that rather he was saved or not wasn't the issue--the issue was serving God because God is God. He, nor the large number of people of faith, was wishing away his life. Rather he lived his life to the fullest, travelling further than almost anyone else of his day.
Oh, and Whitefield would have been considered fundamentalists by today's standards.
2007-06-18 15:34:48 · answer #4 · answered by Jackie L 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
It is an awful state of being, to believe that the best times are coming to you after your death. It explains why so many Theists tend to not care about Climate Change, let alone simple recycling.
They are banking on a fantasy life on a cloud with wings and a harp. Sounds terminally boring and completely pointless to me.
2007-06-18 15:24:29 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
I think we enjoy it very fully. Christ said He came that we might have life, and that we might have it more abundantly. My life is much richer as a Christian than it was before. The saddest existence to me is when the meaning of life is no meaning. You probably think we're missing out on something that you think is important but I lived in sin. I've experienced what it had to offer and it wasn't so great in my book. Most of the Christians I know live very fulfilling lives filled with family, friends, church and giving of themselves. We are preparing our souls for an afterlife, but that too is better than waiting to die and then nothing. Even though everyone has eternal life of one type or another, weather they believe it or not.
Nonenzeder Who are these depressed Christians? I'm not saying that no Christian was ever depressed, but you have to know that on a whole non Christians have more depression than Christians. Seriously! I know I was much more depressed before I became a Christian than I am now.
God bless!!
2007-06-18 15:16:03 · answer #6 · answered by BERT 6 · 2⤊ 1⤋
Jesus said, ---- He who loves his life will lose it, and he who hates his life will gain it.
He does not mean that we should hate ourselves, but that we should choose to die to the manners and ways of this world and live a life of sacrifice and love IN Jesus. It is like we are dead because His life and ways rule hour hearts and minds and takes over. We become new creatures. Now, when we become new creatures, we began to see sin for what it is and our consciences torment us when we are tempted to do wrong. Now, our spirit is fighting with our flesh. The more we draw closer to Jesus in spirit, the more we want to be with Him, and do not wish to be in this world any longer. You do not feel this way until you are truly converted and can sense a spiritual battle going on for your mind. You want to leave this world when you began to be uncomfortable around your own sinful nature and the sins all around. It's not easy any more to be comfortable once you have heard of another world and of another order. And when you know that Jesus will return to take you home. Everything here becomes all of sudden blazee.
2007-06-18 15:28:27 · answer #7 · answered by Leo 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Don't "wish it away waiting for an afterlife"...aggressively pursue greatness in the age to come while you are on this side of eternity. Jesus taught us how to be great in His Kingdom (or the "afterlife" as you put it). But the first step is to humble yourself and accept the free gift of salvation that He is offering you. Because without that, how you live in this vapor called life will be the least of your worries.
You are going to spend eternity somewhere. The One who made you wants you to be with Him. But apart from the righteousness that is in Christ, you cannot come near Him because of the sin that separates you from Him. That is why He sent His son, that is why we have to believe in Him. But God will not force Himself upon you, He is a Gentleman and respects your free will.
I pray that you will listen to Him as He calls out to you and enter into the fullness of your destiny...not just living it up in this life hoping that there are no consequences for your actions. He is ravished over you and is after your heart.
2007-06-18 15:44:22 · answer #8 · answered by DB 3 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Well, that is not even true. People who believe in an afterlife have been given said life by a creator that wants you to do the most with your life as you possibly can.
2007-06-18 15:10:26 · answer #9 · answered by Lauren. 4 · 5⤊ 0⤋
Joe D, I completely agree.
God is said to be an all-loving, all-forgiving father to us all. I think if that's true, then he will understand that we want to enjoy our short time here on Earth as much as we can.
Preparation for a theoretical after-life shouldn't take a lifetime. And if it does take a lifetime then honestly, what is the point in us being here to begin with?
2007-06-18 15:19:09 · answer #10 · answered by Prochoice 2 · 1⤊ 1⤋