Life after Death? The mechanics of it?

[daemon]

Ok, so all religions have this notion of life after death, but has anyone really thought through how that might work?

So, God has set out all these instructions in the old and new testaments, only some of which we have to follow - for example, we dont really have to follow the not working on a sunday one, because if we did we'd have to kill everyone who did, and if anyone commits adultery they have to be stoned to death, but the ones like "be nice to people" we have to keep. And probably not the "not being rich" one because everyone knows you having to slum it in a 3 year old merc isnt really the same as all those people starving in africa with no money to buy food.

So, anyways, you get to heaven. Jesus says it ok for you to go on in, because he has had a look at your entire life and you seemed to be a Nice Person.

So, you get in there and theres Aunt Mabel who smelt of wee, and cousin George who you couldnt stand because he was boring, etc, etc but everyone has to be really nice to everyone because its heaven.

And then theres the whole "everyone gets a mansion" thing. Surely the whole point of having a mansion is because noone else has? And whos going to clean it? Are there cleaners in heaven?

And do you work, and if not, what do you do all day? I get bored after a fortnight off.

Is there SKY movies to watch, or games consoles?

I take it there are no cars?

Does everyone sit around and read extracts from the bible and look solemn?

Just cant say i'm really sold on the whole eternal life thing. Just seems to unravel a bit when you start to think about it.

[Hugo a Gogo]

pretty sure the bible only says that at some point we'll have the end of the world, then all the dead and living will be pulled up for a 'this is your life' trial, then the goodies will have eternal life, and the bad'uns will go to the bad fire

the idea that late Auntie Mabel is watching over us now isn't really from the bible

[Timmy40]

The Viking idea of heaven was much more specific, you'd die and find yourself in a huge pub fighting all day and permanently be drunk. Effectively you'd spend eternity in Glasgow.

[Amused2death]

You're basing your thoughts on an afterlife where we have all the physical possessions we have now. If it exists who's to say whether that form is a physical or spiritual entity?

[NRS]

Hugo a Gogo said:

pretty sure the bible only says that at some point we'll have the end of the world, then all the dead and living will be pulled up for a 'this is your life' trial, then the goodies will have eternal life, and the bad'uns will go to the bad fire

the idea that late Auntie Mabel is watching over us now isn't really from the bible

It's also not from the bible that good people go to heaven. It's that everyone is not good enough to get to heaven anyway, so they need to trust in Jesus. The being good is just supposed to be because you want to please God, not that it will get you to heaven.

[ewenm]

We live on after death in the memories of our friends and relatives and in the ongoing results of our actions when alive.

Genuine consciousness existing elsewhere? Maintained/sustained how? The spiritual idea of "afterlife" is a nice story, but is it any more than that? I don't think so.

[gus607]

OP, I really feel sorry for you.


I will pray for you. !

[EskimoArapaho]

And what happens if you want to leave heaven ... is it like Hotel California?

[Timmy40]

EskimoArapaho said:

And what happens if you want to leave heaven ... is it like Hotel California?

It's Heaven, you'd never want to leave it. That's the whole point.

[Prof Prolapse]

I agree, the more I question it, the less sense it makes. It's very strange.

It's almost like it was just made up by some ignorant sheep farmers in one of the most remote areas of the world thousands of years ago, then was perpetuated and mistranslated, by tyrants, racists, bigots, pedophiles, and miscreants to maintain power over the even more ignorant masses by taking advantage of their most basic fear of death. A fear that all people must endure.

Thank goodness I have a faith though, and a knowledge that god likes to make it as difficult as possible for intelligent people to maintain it.

[CrutyRammers]

Prof Prolapse said:

I agree, the more I question it, the less sense it makes. It's very strange.

It's almost like it was just made up by some ignorant sheep farmers in one of the most remote areas of the world thousands of years ago, then was perpetuated and mistranslated, by tyrants, racists, bigots, pedophiles, and miscreants to maintain power over the even more ignorant masses by taking advantage of their most basic fear of death. A fear that all people must endure.

Thank goodness I have a faith though, and a knowledge that god likes to make it as difficult as possible for intelligent people to maintain it.

Oooof

[EskimoArapaho]

Timmy40 said:

It's Heaven, you'd never want to leave it. That's the whole point.

Well, the only way that explanation makes sense is if we become some floaty hippy blobs of pure love, wanting nothing more than to bask in the light of eternal existence, and - to be frank - that means losing everything that makes us 'us'.

Doesn't sound like heaven at all.

[WinstonWolf]

EskimoArapaho said:

Timmy40 said:

It's Heaven, you'd never want to leave it. That's the whole point.

Well, the only way that explanation makes sense is if we become some floaty hippy blobs of pure love, wanting nothing more than to bask in the light of eternal existence, and - to be frank - that means losing everything that makes us 'us'.

Doesn't sound like heaven at all.

Heaven will be full of god botherers, no thanks...

[TwigtheWonderkid]

Being told I'm not going to heaven by the god squad is about as worrying as being told by a child that Santa won't bring me any presents.

[FredClogs]

daemon said:

Ok, so all religions have this notion of life after death, but has anyone really thought through how that might work?

So, God has set out all these instructions in the old and new testaments, only some of which we have to follow - for example, we dont really have to follow the not working on a sunday one, because if we did we'd have to kill everyone who did, and if anyone commits adultery they have to be stoned to death, but the ones like "be nice to people" we have to keep. And probably not the "not being rich" one because everyone knows you having to slum it in a 3 year old merc isnt really the same as all those people starving in africa with no money to buy food.

So, anyways, you get to heaven. Jesus says it ok for you to go on in, because he has had a look at your entire life and you seemed to be a Nice Person.

So, you get in there and theres Aunt Mabel who smelt of wee, and cousin George who you couldnt stand because he was boring, etc, etc but everyone has to be really nice to everyone because its heaven.

And then theres the whole "everyone gets a mansion" thing. Surely the whole point of having a mansion is because noone else has? And whos going to clean it? Are there cleaners in heaven?

And do you work, and if not, what do you do all day? I get bored after a fortnight off.

Is there SKY movies to watch, or games consoles?

I take it there are no cars?

Does everyone sit around and read extracts from the bible and look solemn?

Just cant say i'm really sold on the whole eternal life thing. Just seems to unravel a bit when you start to think about it.

Seinfeld, is that you?

[Timmy40]

WinstonWolf said:

EskimoArapaho said:

Timmy40 said:

It's Heaven, you'd never want to leave it. That's the whole point.

Well, the only way that explanation makes sense is if we become some floaty hippy blobs of pure love, wanting nothing more than to bask in the light of eternal existence, and - to be frank - that means losing everything that makes us 'us'.

Doesn't sound like heaven at all.

Heaven will be full of god botherers, no thanks...

As said, the Viking version of heaven involved being permanently inebriated and spending all day fighting and singing rude songs, not exactly Sunday school, more like a rowdy night in a rugby club bar.

[jdw100]

On a similar note - I was thinking the other day that more and more information seems to support the notion that the universe is vaster than we thought - billions of galaxies. Also, chuck in multi-verse theory as well and you have a universe/multi-verse that is just incomprehensibly 'big'.

So, assuming that there are many, many lifeforms out there how would any God/Supreme being store all this data?

All this data since the start of life for everyone that has ever lived - every part of their experience, history, memory etc...to be used to see if they have been naughty or nice.

What mechanism is used to store all this?

Is it worth popping down to ask my local vicar?

Edited by jdw100 on Tuesday 5th May 11:34

[eldar]

jdw100 said:

Is it worth popping down to ask my local vicar?

Only for amusement purposes.

[alock]

daemon said:

And do you work, and if not, what do you do all day? I get bored after a fortnight off.

It's the time aspect of eternity that rules out the possibility of an eternal afterlife. Most people just haven't given what 'eternity' means enough thought.

I could imagine living for a thousand years. Maybe a couple of thousand. The thought of living for a million years is a little scary. As for billions or trillions of years... no thanks.

Then it gets truly scary. Do you know what a Googolplex is? Imagine living for that many years. How about Graham's number? I really struggle getting my head around 3???3 let alone 3????3 or g64.

And these numbers are dwarfed by eternity.

An eternal afterlife if the ultimate punishment. The heaven or hell distinction is irrelevant. It is the most frighting concept man has created and the main reason anyone who has given it any thought should dismiss anyone who sells this concept as a good thing.

[jdw100]

eldar said:

Only for amusement purposes.

That's kind of what I had in mind..