I ask you because the vast majority of Atheists have no belief in an after life. Given such a perspective, it seems that our life is the longest experience we can have. Is the idea that life is short a product of the attempt to see things from the perspective of eternity?
2007-10-31 09:58:48 · 22 answers · asked by neil s 7 in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
At what lifespan does life cease to be short? If we lived to a thousand, would we not still think that to be too short?
You nailed it. It's in comparison to eternity. It's simply that since we live only for a definitive time that we say, "It's too short."
2007-10-31 10:12:08 · answer #1 · answered by James 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Life is LIMITED, so however long it is, it's got to be valued. This is our glimpse of eternity. It's a privilige to be alive.
As a historian I'd like to live to about 500, but no more. That would give an interesting perspective on history. After that I think things would get samey and possibly depressing.
But I'll take what I've got.
2007-10-31 17:05:18 · answer #2 · answered by Bad Liberal 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
"Is the idea that life is short a product of the attempt to see things from the perspective of eternity?"
Yes, that makes sense.
2007-10-31 17:02:12 · answer #3 · answered by Dark-River 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I don't believe in an afterlife, but neither do I think I will ever know I'm dead. You can't think when you're dead so as far as I'm concerned, I will always be alive. It doesn't matter if I die from your perspective. I won't know about it.
That said, I think we'll hit the "singularity" and end up essentially living as long as we want. Medicine will become so good in the next 50 years that death will not be inevitable.
2007-10-31 17:04:49 · answer #4 · answered by Meat Bot 3 · 2⤊ 0⤋
I'm not an Atheist. I'm closer to being an atheist, small 'a'. I think it's too short which makes life and every day special and precious. I think it seems short when we realize our own potential and that we can only achieve a small portion of what we can envision.
2007-10-31 17:03:13 · answer #5 · answered by Demetri w 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I think it depends on your perspective. Take my POV for instance. If I were paralyzed from the neck down I don't want to be here. Kill me. I do not want to be just a bobbing head hooked to machines for the next 6 years while I wait for my organs to degenerate to the point of natural death.
2007-10-31 17:03:26 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Yep, life is short.. If feels as though with every year that passes the next one goes by faster.. Hopefully, life extension technologies will push through before it is to late for most of us.
2007-10-31 17:02:07 · answer #7 · answered by Green 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
you say life is short, i ask, have we done anything longer?
here is an interesting perspective on eternity
The theory of eternal recurrence
because matter is not created or destroyed, there is a set amount of matter, there fore a set amount of possible uses of this matter. So over a Very long time, the same outcome will occur.. Therefore, EVERYTHING REPEATS AND HAS REPEATED OVER AND OVER. our lives will repeat... my keystrokes will repeat. everything.
just a thought
2007-10-31 17:01:51 · answer #8 · answered by Atomic New Theory 5 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Life is short. That is why people want to believe in the afterlife. They have a crappy and short life and it makes perfect sense to them that there has to be some sort of compensation. Of course in reality, you just have to learn to deal with it instead of getting lost in childish fantasies.
2007-10-31 17:05:55 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
That is an entirely subjective judgment. I've met people who actually don't want to live to 80... they think they'd be bored stiff by then.
I'd prefer to choose when I die... but I sure as heck wouldn't want to be forced to live eternally... what a nightmare.
All in all, yes I find it short... too short for my taste.
2007-10-31 17:03:52 · answer #10 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋