If there was life after death, would life have any more meaning?

Question

When people say there's nothing after death, other people often say, 'But then what's the point of it all?' or 'But it all has to have some meaning!'

Well does it?

And would there be more of a point, more meaning, if there was life after death?

Heywood J: you've completely missed the point of my question.

Acid_Zebra: But even if there was life after death, would that really make you centre of the universe? Why assume that eternity is more caring of things that don't die?

Uncle Thesis: You're right, but what does that have to do with meaning?

Aleema D: I agree that that seems to make sense, but in that case, why are so many people who do believe in life after death so reluctant to die?

I've just realised that my question is ambiguous. I DON'T mean "would life have meaning any more"! I mean "would life be more meaningful".

Answer 1

Although I believe in life after death and once had an extremely compelling experience, I live life in the here and now. Working to bring about the realization of the oneness of humanity and all that implies, making this world just, empowering people to increase and develop their understanding, knowledge, and skill is the focus of my professional and private life. It's not much but I think it is the right focus and it brings me profound joy and confidence. To do a good job, I have to consciously develop my spiritual capacities, and I am aware that these capacities will be what I take with me into the life after this life. Still, I don't much think about that life because this life so far has been so good, though that's not to say it has been easy and without some major issues.

When I take time to think about the next life, like now, I look forward to shedding this restrictive cage, soaring like a bird set free, and excited to learn and experience whatever the next stage is.

Answer 2

Interesting question, and I don't know the answer I'm afraid. But just a few thoughts. As a Christian I have fallen into the trap you mentionned that without life after death their won't be meaning, and on reflection I'm not sure its strictly true.

The meaning of life is to acknowledge, worship and serve King Jesus. So theoretically we wouldn't need to have an afterlife to at least attempt to do that. But the whole reason Jesus is worthy of our submission is because he has defeated our great enemy: death, which God instituted as a curse on us for our sinfulness. He defeated it when he rose again from the dead, having borne (sic?) our sins on the cross- breaking the curse by which Satan condemns us and calls on God to send us to join him in hell.

Sorry this is just me typing down my thought stream so I've changed my mind again- the whole reason we worship God is because he is King over all, including death- making eternal life a possibility.

Answer 3

I think that life after death does mean that life on earth has greater importance. I believe in heaven and hell, and on the one hand can wonder why bother on earth if it is merely a shadow of what awaits those in heaven who follow Jesus. But the more I think about it, the more significance it has for the now. The fact that our actions can influence eternity, well that has far more riding on it than only affecting a couple of years here.

Answer 4

Life would have more meaning, if we had more respect for the reality we live in right now. Overcoming great odds, enduring pain, and hardship, inorder to achieve great things of value to this world, can give one lots of meaning to life. If one knew that, this was the only reality, the one in this universe that counted, and that this was the perfect environment for humans, to get the most out of their human potential. That when we die, we would see more of this reality, through reincarnation. We might take on the challenges, the serious problems in this world represent, so that we would be ready to do the same, even better in the next life. If we all pull together, great goals could be achieved, and life would have a great deal of meaning.

Answer 5

Life after death really only exists in religion. If there was life after death, I think there would be a little more proof of it than a couple of old books.
There isn't more proof of it, because the 'life after death' idea is used by religion to keep it's followers in line. It enforces morality, with the notion that if you don't do what the religion says to do, you'll be punished for it after you're dead, for eternity. It's just another religious concept, that has both particularly good and bad sides to it.
It's great comfort to those who know they're going to die, to believe that there is something after death. That's why so many terminally ill patients and death row inmates find religion. It's not because they 'see' god when they find out they're going to die. It's because 'life after death' means they won't really die.
It's also a form or brainwashing. Fear of eternal damnation is a great way of making people follow the rules, whatever those rules may happen to be and however they came about.
More so, telling a child that if they're bad they're going to burn forever is a form of child abuse. I think that people who do this (priests, nuns, parents etc) should be treated the same as people who beat or molest children. Eternal damnation isn't really a concept that children should ever have to deal with. Unfortunately they do.
It's emotional or psychological abuse.
It's no different to someone threatening to beat, torture, or electrocute a child for breaking the rules, but because it's religion, it's okay.

Life does have meaning. It's simple. Enjoy life. That's the meaning. It's the only one you're going to get.

Answer 6

If there was no life after death, there would be no meaning whatsoever.

But actually, I think you're asking "what is the point of life?"

For a human being, the point of life is to WAKE UP! You think you're awake, you're only in 2nd state. That is, the ordinary state of consciousness. Nature did not complete your "evolution" like it did with animals. Animals are complete. YOU are NOT COMPLETE. First, you HAVE to WAKE UP!!! IF you do, and the chances are extremely slim, you may penetrate the 3rd state of consciousness. No need to talk about the highest state, the 4th state of consciousness. That state is for persons like Buddah, Jesus, Jalal eddin Rumi...where the human mind is raised to a level almost inconceivable.

Answer 7

But what is life? before you can understand the meaning of your question, you must understand what is life. What you call life, could be death to others, we all make our own hell, just as we make our own life.
What if this what we do everyday is death
and when we pass on we are in fact born to life.
The time we have here,is to learn, to understand, where we have gone wrong, and everyone should agree man has make a real mess of things, and still has plenty to learn

Answer 8

I think if there were life after death then lots more people would be willing to die when it's there time to go.

Answer 9

The fact that there is no life after death gives life much more meaning.

Answer 10

there are 6 vibrational levels-
Perspective Intervention Relationship Morality Originality Perception x 4

the times 4 is the filtration variability that goes into the events that occur in the universe

this earth exists in a moral vibrational level and even heaven has a 7th level and beings can use that to avert the tendency to reincarnate given that they suicide

when a ghost is not allowed into heaven it will eventually fall asleep and reach this level anyways and in its dream a being from a vibration one step above ours will ask it if it wants to have its karma altered so it may then exist with them

most dreaming ghosts deny the existence of such beings as non-spirits and resort to accusations of them being from the source and trying to use reverse-psychology to recruit them into being propelled back into this reality

the source is a rotational energy that converts gravity into the conductivity of magnetism through the human spirit's karmic property reversal orientations to choicelessness objectivity