Personally I believe in reincarnation but that's probably just to ease my mind. My reason why is just insane and probably nobody will believe it but me so i'm not going to say it just in case sombody proves me wrong.
I don't quite fear the state of no conciousness that most athiests believe in. I'll have no fear so I wouldn't care. I would have no bordem so I couldn't care. It's like before you were born so I can't remember what that was like. Nothing bad and nothing good. You will like your end happily or sadly and look forward to the heaven in the sky when you will see your family and friends some day. Before you find dissapointment your conciousness will be wiped out. In a way I consider that as an at least you didn't go to hell. No more suffering.
The concept of heaven scares me a bit more. For a couple of thousand years it would be great but isn't that the same as life? An ever changing world of happiness that is headed by the big man who runs it. Your response would be the same as in life wouldn't it. Bliss makes me think hypnotism. It's no different from being without conciousness. Loving is nothing without hating. A lot of people would say that they don't want to live forever. Heaven seems to be an extended version of life or the same as the nothingness that is in the minds of athiests. The only good point I see is that it's better than hell. That's the only part that would keep you wanting to get there.
The social and physical aspects scare me though. None of us will be remembered if the universe gets to it's heat death. If humanity doesn't create an empire than spans the universe then all we have done will be for nothing. If our names are in the books or make an influence bigger than our own lives then we have nothing to worry about. I feel like I'm missing the point and changing the topic here though. The good you've shared with others and the sacrtifices others have made to make you happy. What does it come to in the end? Will you even be there to thank them?
I don't think the "what doesn't kill you only makes you stronger" is to be feared. Your live is just one big sacrifice to a greater humanity. We were make to make children, to advance our civilisation and, to some, have fun. Yes we are a waste of space but each of us are just a big part of the world that is one day going to die like the rest of us. We're a sacrifice to the human race.
aListers
Personally I believe in reincarnation but that's probably just to ease my mind. My reason why is just insane and probably nobody will believe it but me so i'm not going to say it just in case sombody proves me wrong.
I don't quite fear the state of no conciousness that most athiests believe in. I'll have no fear so I wouldn't care. I would have no bordem so I couldn't care. It's like before you were born so I can't remember what that was like. Nothing bad and nothing good. You will like your end happily or sadly and look forward to the heaven in the sky when you will see your family and friends some day. Before you find dissapointment your conciousness will be wiped out. In a way I consider that as an at least you didn't go to hell. No more suffering.
The concept of heaven scares me a bit more. For a couple of thousand years it would be great but isn't that the same as life? An ever changing world of happiness that is headed by the big man who runs it. Your response would be the same as in life wouldn't it. Bliss makes me think hypnotism. It's no different from being without conciousness. Loving is nothing without hating. A lot of people would say that they don't want to live forever. Heaven seems to be an extended version of life or the same as the nothingness that is in the minds of athiests. The only good point I see is that it's better than hell. That's the only part that would keep you wanting to get there.
The social and physical aspects scare me though. None of us will be remembered if the universe gets to it's heat death. If humanity doesn't create an empire than spans the universe then all we have done will be for nothing. If our names are in the books or make an influence bigger than our own lives then we have nothing to worry about. I feel like I'm missing the point and changing the topic here though. The good you've shared with others and the sacrtifices others have made to make you happy. What does it come to in the end? Will you even be there to thank them?
I don't think the "what doesn't kill you only makes you stronger" is to be feared. Your live is just one big sacrifice to a greater humanity. We were make to make children, to advance our civilisation and, to some, have fun. Yes we are a waste of space but each of us are just a big part of the world that is one day going to die like the rest of us. We're a sacrifice to the human race.
saltovergray
Huh.
That was quite a lot, I'll read this one a couple or times and then try to come up with an appropriate response.