What do you beleive happens when you die?

[JBroll]

Black is the new thread derailment that signals the unnecessary prolongation of a thread's demise.

Jeff

[Daemoniac]

nonsense. Its just a colour.

[JBroll]

I am Jack's neverending self-reference.

Jeff

[arktan]

?

[DDDorian]

Tell ya what - FlyingBanana's disappeared, so I'll give y'all one more page (that's ten posts, for those playing along at home) to turn this thread back towards serious discussion. If you can keep from postwhoring and neg-repping each other, it'll stay open, for now at least. Fair?

[Daemoniac]

Cheers

Ok, so back to serious discussion: i actually find the buddhist philosophy kind of disturbing... nothingness is the ultimate goal. I quite simply unable to comprehend being 'nothing'...

[JBroll]

I always liked "If you see the Buddha on the road, kill him."

Jeff

[Harry]

Originally Posted by Naren

That's called "living in fear" and results in a "I believe in God and Jesus because I'm afraid that I will go to hell if I die and don't believe in God" mentality. And I grew up in a VERY strongly Christian home, went to church every week, went to a Christian junior high and high school, and know the Bible inside and out, but I have zero reason to believe in God.

I don't believe in something simply because I want to. I believe in something because I have a reason to believe in it. If "God" came and spoke to me, then I would believe in him, but he's never done that (Why? I think he hasn't done so because there IS no "he").

You're suggesting living a lifestyle worshipping God and Jesus, even though you don't believe he exists (I don't). I cannot believe that there could be a God so cruel and sick that he could create people simply to send them to an eternity of suffering and pain in Hell without once telling them that their ridiculously short existance on Earth was a game or telling them the rules to this game ("You have to believe in me and my son to win, but I'm not going to reveal myself to you. I'm only going to show myself to the Jews and then later the Europeans -- and make most of the people high up in the religion corrupt"). So, you end up dying having never heard of God and, even though you lived a better life than most Christians, you are doomed to an eternity in Hell for not knowing the rules to the game or the goal.

I believed in God when I was a kid because it's what my parents told me, but when I started thinking "How could God send 99.9% of that country's population to Hell?" when I was in junior high (as an example: less than 0.1% of Japan's population is Christian/Catholic) and I had two choices to believe: God is either evil or God doesn't exist. And I can't believe in an evil God. As I studied astronomy, logic, and other such fields, I found zero reasons to point to God or an afterlife.

I find it condescending how you act like anyone who doesn't believe in God/Jesus is being manipulated by "the devil" and the idea that you should just believe in God and follow Jesus in case there IS a Heaven and Hell. Hey. Either you believe it or you don't. It's not something I CHOOSE to believe in. I believe what seems logical and real to me.

I figured i'd bump this post for people that missed it.
I found myself reading this post again and again, just a really great post

[Daemoniac]

^ That it is. Its a hard thing finding any form of faith i think, in some ways i look at it as a cop out; 'you dont have the strength to face your fears, so you turn to religion', but at the same time i think it takes more strength to put all your faith in something that cannot be proven.

Dunno what it would take to convert me to anything i mean, theres been some fair shit times so far and im still not convinced Ill probably end up one of those death-bed repenters...

[hairychris]

Originally Posted by Demoniac

Cheers

Ok, so back to serious discussion: i actually find the buddhist philosophy kind of disturbing... nothingness is the ultimate goal. I quite simply unable to comprehend being 'nothing'...

Actually, if you look at it as complete acceptance of death as a natural process it's quite a good description. If you accept nothingness you accept that death, which leads to nothingness, is the ultimate destination in our lives.

Doesn't mean you shouldn't do good stuff on the way, or try to hurry your way there, btw.

Originally Posted by HughesJB4

I figured i'd bump this post for people that missed it.
I found myself reading this post again and again, just a really great post

Naren's posted some very good stuff.

[Daemoniac]

Originally Posted by hairychris

Actually, if you look at it as complete acceptance of death as a natural process it's quite a good description. If you accept nothingness you accept that death, which leads to nothingness, is the ultimate destination in our lives.

Doesn't mean you shouldn't do good stuff on the way, or try to hurry your way there, btw.

Oh no, i just personally find it hard to accept, seeing as how i have a complete and total phobia of death...

[hairychris]

Originally Posted by Demoniac

Oh no, i just personally find it hard to accept, seeing as how i have a complete and total phobia of death...

I'm just allergic to it....

[Daemoniac]

I think extremists have it the best so far as a fear (or lack of) death goes, not only are they not afraid of it, they want it... possibly due to naivety, possibly stupidity, but theyre not afraid of it thats for damn sure. I kind of envy that sort of strength.

[hairychris]

Originally Posted by Demoniac

I think extremists have it the best so far as a fear (or lack of) death goes, not only are they not afraid of it, they want it... possibly due to naivety, possibly stupidity, but theyre not afraid of it thats for damn sure. I kind of envy that sort of strength.

No... the reason that extremists want death is that they are convinced that there are infinite rewards on the other side if they die in x cause.

If you thought that a few moments of pain then infinite bliss is cast-iron guaranteed, especially if things are shitty in this life, then it's potentially an attractive proposition.

[7 Dying Trees]

Something along the lines of:

a) Burnt to a crisp, scattered near some memorial bench/plant/bush/mantlepiece

b) Worm food to be dug up as part of an alien archeological find.

[distressed_romeo]

Originally Posted by Demoniac

Cheers

Ok, so back to serious discussion: i actually find the buddhist philosophy kind of disturbing... nothingness is the ultimate goal. I quite simply unable to comprehend being 'nothing'...

Wierd...I've always liked that idea...

[hairychris]

Originally Posted by 7 Dying Trees

Something along the lines of:

a) Burnt to a crisp, scattered near some memorial bench/plant/bush/mantlepiece

I'll aim for off the back of a cross Channel ferry. Sod this memorial nonsense!

[Tomii Sonic]

If you've lived a good life you go to a something like the "Playboy Mansion" version of Guitar Center....with unlimited credit
If you were bad go to a Reggaeton concert.... for Pride week.... in the Arctic

[TonalArchitect]

Originally Posted by Demoniac

Cheers

Ok, so back to serious discussion: i actually find the buddhist philosophy kind of disturbing... nothingness is the ultimate goal. I quite simply unable to comprehend being 'nothing'...

I agree, but (and I'm no expert) I thought that oblivion, the 'nothing,' was the lack of want of desire for things, not necessarily slipping into non-existence.

[FlyingBanana]

Originally Posted by Demoniac

^ That it is. Its a hard thing finding any form of faith i think, in some ways i look at it as a cop out; 'you dont have the strength to face your fears, so you turn to religion', but at the same time i think it takes more strength to put all your faith in something that cannot be proven.

Dunno what it would take to convert me to anything i mean, theres been some fair shit times so far and im still not convinced Ill probably end up one of those death-bed repenters...

Two reasons why people turn to religion are probably an earlier post you made and this one.

People are afraid of there being nothing after death. People naturally want life or their soul to continue after death. They don't want to simply stop existing after all the effort they put into their life.

And for the second reason...people are afraid of letting go. We always have the desire to be in complete control of ourselves, and that's another reason why some find it so difficult to "give themselves" over to a higher power. That takes the control over your life out of your hands to a certain extent. Still, some do it because it gives them a peace inside that makes them feel ok...that something greater and smarter is in charge taking care of them.

[dooredge]

Originally Posted by FlyingBanana

Two reasons why people turn to religion are probably an earlier post you made and this one.

People are afraid of there being nothing after death. People naturally want life or their soul to continue after death. They don't want to simply stop existing after all the effort they put into their life.

And for the second reason...people are afraid of letting go. We always have the desire to be in complete control of ourselves, and that's another reason why some find it so difficult to "give themselves" over to a higher power. That takes the control over your life out of your hands to a certain extent. Still, some do it because it gives them a peace inside that makes them feel ok...that something greater and smarter is in charge taking care of them.

I've tried the way of faith, then the way of no faith. All I can tell you is the way of faith works for me. I've seen enough evidence in my own life to know there is God. I also believe he sent his son to die for my sins and all I have to do is believe and live my life as best I can within his will.

Without spilling my life story on the interwebz, without God I'd be dead.

God bless The Flying Banana!

[Breakdown]

Well im pretty sure its feels just like not being conceived you simply dont exist. A dreamless sleep you will never come out from.
Im hoping reincarnation though in another human life form or another world.

[Daemoniac]

Originally Posted by FlyingBanana

Two reasons why people turn to religion are probably an earlier post you made and this one.

People are afraid of there being nothing after death. People naturally want life or their soul to continue after death. They don't want to simply stop existing after all the effort they put into their life.

And for the second reason...people are afraid of letting go. We always have the desire to be in complete control of ourselves, and that's another reason why some find it so difficult to "give themselves" over to a higher power. That takes the control over your life out of your hands to a certain extent. Still, some do it because it gives them a peace inside that makes them feel ok...that something greater and smarter is in charge taking care of them.

Absolutely agreed. Thats why there are stories of some form of afterlife in history as far as you can go. They are afraid, and always have been. It is a scary thing, im just not prepared to take that much controlout of my life for something i find this hard to believe in, and theres nothing wrong with that, it works for me.

[Nick]

Originally Posted by JBroll

Suppose your god is the creator of life. He either did or did not need creation himself; the former option only leads us to an infinite regression of increasingly powerful and complex deities, and the latter option shifts the "how the .... did that happen?" from simple life to an even more complex and seemingly unnecessary being.

win

[Nick]

ive been slowly reading this thread for about 2 days now. Im a bit dissapointed i didnt get involved in it!

So FB....

Originally Posted by FlyingBanana

All I can say is this. Things do happen for a reason. If something bad happened to you, try and look past it rather than give up religion entirely. Religion doesn't need to be a church and singing hymns or passing the money jar around etc...It is about your relationship with the Creator.

so when a junkie rapes and kills one of your kids youl be looking past that because it happened for a reason? I very much doubt that.