Christians (and all who believe in Eternal Life), I ask you to consider this....?

Question

Often, I "hear" on this site Christians or others making the comment that, without belief in eternal life, the lives of atheists must be terribly boring and without meaning. I ask you to consider this:

With the thought of immortality, doesnt this remove all meaning from life?? Without the finality of death, what meaning is there to life?

I find far more meaning in my short existence upon this rock, than I would if I believed I were to live forever...

Please discuss. WITH RESPECT.

Birdsflies: "You are wrong." My, how respectful. Of course, it could never be that YOU are wrong, could it?

Kumi - youre not a very bright atheist are you?? I AM AN ATHEIST. If you read what I said, I said that I often hear OTHERS saying that atheists must lead boring lives. Please - PAY ATTENTION.

8-track mind - THANKS!

Whitehorse456 - its responses such as that which remind me why we are friends :) Very well said, my friend!

Answer 1

Hey my good friend So-crates...I think you just aren't pushing your imagination enough. (Maybe that's what happens when you work for the government...hehe - inside joke of course). But seriously, think about the things in life that you have discovered as you have gotten older. Before you rode a bicycle and couldn't imagine the thrill of riding a motorcylce, but then you did for the first time. You never knew what it was like to make love to a girl, then you did. You used to play video games on your Atari 2600, now XBOX blows that away. These are just SMALL things I am talking about. And aren't you glad you had an opportunity to experience these things. Did life lose its meaning when you became a teenager or turned 21? Imagine a whole new world you have never known before...and then imagine that the possibilities are endless and you have eternity to explore them. WOW....think about how big the universe is around us - that is just a small reflection of how much life there is to discover. And even more than that, think about the most memorable experiences in your life. I am willing to bet they have something to do with loving someone...for most people it is a wedding day, a first child being born, etc. Now imagine meeting the "author of love" and becoming a son of God and having eternal fellowship with the body of believers that, as God told Abraham is greater in number than the stars you see in the sky. Doesn't get any better than that. I hope it never ends.

Answer 2

I have seen some Christians/believers ask this, but I personally never thought that about Atheists. In fact, Atheists usually say that this is the only life they have, so they're going to life it to the fullest, which makes sense.

As a Christian, my life has great purpose. I have a wonderful husband and family, a good job, lots of fun with my friends. I would even suggest that believers and non-believers have much in common. We all follow the laws of the land, have similar morals; we just disagree on the idea of God, His laws, and the afterlife.

Answer 3

what i want to know is why anyone would WANT eternal life? I don't. it seems kind of unfair that i would be destined/doomed to eternal life in heaven or hell w/out being given a choice on the subject. does my free will still count if i choose neither? and is it wrong of me to be fine with the idea that my life really has no meaning? i'm not pompous enough to believe that it does. i've never understood why people always seek a meaning in things.

Answer 4

The decisions and actions you do in your real life reflect on the health of your soul, just as decisions you make in life in the flesh determines your body's health.

For example, If you smoke cigarettes that's a choice you make knowing the detrimental effects it'll have on your health. The same goes with your soul, by neglecting it and doing actions that harm it will damage the health of your soul.

That's why this life in the flesh is just as important because when it's all said and done and your flesh passes away. Depending on how healthy your soul (spirit) is determines eternal life.

Answer 5

I believe that Atheists are spiritual and I don't knock what other people believe. I believe that life is a circle with no beginning and no end. We live, die, and are reborn over and over. Death is not the end but simply the beginning. The spirit never dies, only the body dies.

Answer 6

My faith includes a certainty of non-negotiable reincarnation. Whether, or not to reincarnate isn't a matter of choice.

The faith that it's going to happen does give a great deal of meaning to my life in the sense there's a lot about this life I don't care to experience again. There's only one way I can escape experiencing it again, so the stakes are high. A lot higher for me than threats of hell or rewards in heaven.

Just my perspective.

Answer 7

I don't think I have ever heard anyone say that someones life must be boring because they don't believe in God. When I was atheist or agnostic, whatever you want to call it, I had a very exciting life.

My life now is way, way better. Sure, I don't have cars or motorcycles that are as kewl as the ones I had when I was a bad guy, or as much money to play around with, but, I still have a lot better life.

I would say that the quality of my life has improved dramatically since I became a Christian.

I expect that improvement in quality to continue forever.

Apparently you don't. That is sad.

Answer 8

You are definitely right. If I lived forever, then why worry about what is going on around me. It would take the fun and excitement out of life. Knowing that any breath you take might just be your last makes you appreciate your life a little more.

Answer 9

Not at all. If I thought all there was going to be for me was 80 years or so than I would have no purpose. But since I know what my purpose is now and I know that I will have a new purpose in the future it makes life very much worth living

Answer 10

But I would ask YOU a question -

If it's true that we do not exist beyond this mortal life, then is there no "ultimate" justice? Do people like Hitler, Stalin, Musilini, etc leave their permanent stain on mankind with no justice or retribution? When your life on earth is done, what difference does it make whether you have done good or bad? In the grave you will not be affected by either praise or curses against your name. All the toils under the sun that you've done will not benefit you one bit, and another will receive what you labored for without working for it or earning it.

The book of Ecclesiastes in the Bible addresses this issue, and Solomon (considered to be one of the wisest, if not THE wisest man who ever lived) concluded with these words: "Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man."
(Ecc 12:13 KJVR)

So, where is the meaning to life when "Vanity, vanity. All is vanity"

Here are a few excerpts:

Ecc 1:2-11 KJVR Vanity of vanities, saith the Preacher, vanity of vanities; all is vanity. (3) What profit hath a man of all his labor which he taketh under the sun? (4) One generation passeth away, and another generation cometh: but the earth abideth forever. (5) The sun also ariseth, and the sun goeth down, and hasteth to his place where he arose. (6) The wind goeth toward the south, and turneth about unto the north; it whirleth about continually, and the wind returneth again according to his circuits. (7) All the rivers run into the sea; yet the sea is not full; unto the place from whence the rivers come, thither they return again. (8) All things are full of labor; man cannot utter it: the eye is not satisfied with seeing, nor the ear filled with hearing. (9) The thing that hath been, it is that which shall be; and that which is done is that which shall be done: and there is no new thing under the sun. (10) Is there any thing whereof it may be said, See, this is new? it hath been already of old time, which was before us. (11) There is no remembrance of former things; neither shall there be any remembrance of things that are to come with those that shall come after.

Ecc 3:19-20 KJVR For that which befalleth the sons of men befalleth beasts; even one thing befalleth them: as the one dieth, so dieth the other; yea, they have all one breath; so that a man hath no preeminence above a beast: for all is vanity. (20) All go unto one place; all are of the dust, and all turn to dust again.

Ecc 4:1-3 KJVR So I returned, and considered all the oppressions that are done under the sun: and behold the tears of such as were oppressed, and they had no comforter; and on the side of their oppressors there was power; but they had no comforter. (2) Wherefore I praised the dead which are already dead more than the living which are yet alive. (3) Yea, better is he than both they, which hath not yet been, who hath not seen the evil work that is done under the sun.

Ecc 5:13-16 KJVR There is a sore evil which I have seen under the sun, namely, riches kept for the owners thereof to their hurt. (14) But those riches perish by evil travail: and he begetteth a son, and there is nothing in his hand. (15) As he came forth of his mother's womb, naked shall he return to go as he came, and shall take nothing of his labor, which he may carry way in his hand. (16) And this also is a sore evil, that in all points as he came, so shall he go: and what profit hath he that hath labored for the wind?

Ecc 9:2-6 KJVR All things come alike to all: there is one event to the righteous, and to the wicked; to the good and to the clean, and to the unclean; to him that sacrificeth, and to him that sacrificeth not: as is the good, so is the sinner; and he that sweareth, as he that feareth an oath. (3) This is an evil among all things that are done under the sun, that there is one event unto all: yea, also the heart of the sons of men is full of evil, and madness is in their heart while they live, and after that they go to the dead. (4) For to him that is joined to all the living there is hope: for a living dog is better than a dead lion. (5) For the living know that they shall die: but the dead know not any thing, neither have they any more a reward; for the memory of them is forgotten. (6) Also their love, and their hatred, and their envy, is now perished; neither have they any more a portion forever in any thing that is done under the sun.

Ecc 9:11-12 KJVR I returned, and saw under the sun, that the race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong, neither yet bread to the wise, nor yet riches to men of understanding, nor yet favor to men of skill; but time and chance happeneth to them all. (12) For man also knoweth not his time: as the fishes that are taken in an evil net, and as the birds that are caught in the snare; so are the sons of men snared in an evil time, when it falleth suddenly upon them.

So, I put it to you - what's the worth of your life while you are living, if it's worth less than nothing after you are dead?

Again, I say to you, "Vanity of vanities. All is vanity."

Solomon missed the mark because he thought the same as you do, and you see his misery. Wisdom cries out in the streets. If you truly think that this life is all there is, then you havejoined Solomon in his sorrow!