If there is no life after death, then what difference does it make?

That said, it doesn't matter about life after death.

To me, hell would be to be forced to eternally worship a deity with the manners of a spoiled child. I'll take the pit of fire over that.

There is life after death. But it has nothing to do with christian mythology or the superstitions so popular today.

I've been here before. Not even the christian God can say that.

A large portion of people believe in a bad afterlife with eternal hellfire as punishment, does that deter them from doing the bad stuff they do???? I think empathy is a good enough reason to be good to each other....

Psychologically speaking, those who base their morality on such a thing as avoiding punishment never really developed past stage 1 or 2 and are, in many ways, little more than a small child.

I'd give the example of the Green Mile. The only difference that I really see between Percy and Wild Bill is that Percy is afraid of authority. This is the only thing that keeps him from being every bit the same crazy sociopath that Wild Bill is. In some ways, Percy is worse because at least Wild Bill isn't petty; he's just crazy.

Originally posted by DigitalControl
Because then someone kills you, and if there is no life after death, your existence is over.
And why use a child as an example? I would be much more concerned if you were targeting an adult.
In any case, what reason IS there to shoot someone for no reason? Is the fact there is no punishment reason enough? I don't think so.

I only used it because it was the most horrific example I could think of. Naturally I would never do such acts. I only ask the question because people bash on religion so much I can't help but to think that this must be the frame of thinking for some of them. I'm not saying you need religion in order to know what's right or wrong. But I would argue that an afterlife is what keeps alot of people going. Everyone want's to be recognized as a good person, all I'm saying is that there must be a reason why people do good things, other than the sake of just doing good. Of course doing good is the natural thing to do, but why is that if you get nothing in return for such behavior?

Again, these are just thoughts and questions, I'm not a child killer, I have two beautiful girls right next to me

What if the sin is the cause of your own death? Like that being the way life works. Sin and you will die.

eh ??

reply to post by RealTruthSeeker


There is an interesting podcast called Radiolab about this very subject.

In this episode, a question that haunted Charles Darwin: if natural selection boils down to survival of the fittest, how do you explain why one creature might stick its neck out for another?

Link: www.radiolab.org...

reply to post by RealTruthSeeker


You're just dusting off the 'secular or utilitarian morality = nihilism'-argument as self-proclaimed 'truth'.

Insofar there is any evidence on this matter, theocracies have generally been terrible, and contemporary egalitarian, liberal, secular democracies far more 'moral'.

Are you trying to re-instate theist values in a circle-argumentatory way: "It's moral, when it fits with MY moral values" in a purely propagandistic presentation?

If you were to look in the bible for an answer, this would be appropriate.

Luke 16;

The Rich Man and Lazarus


19 “There was a rich man who was dressed in purple and fine linen and lived in luxury every day. 20 At his gate was laid a beggar named Lazarus, covered with sores 21 and longing to eat what fell from the rich man’s table. Even the dogs came and licked his sores.

22 “The time came when the beggar died and the angels carried him to Abraham’s side. The rich man also died and was buried. 23 In Hades, where he was in torment, he looked up and saw Abraham far away, with Lazarus by his side. 24 So he called to him, ‘Father Abraham, have pity on me and send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue, because I am in agony in this fire.’

25 “But Abraham replied, ‘Son, remember that in your lifetime you received your good things, while Lazarus received bad things, but now he is comforted here and you are in agony. 26 And besides all this, between us and you a great chasm has been set in place, so that those who want to go from here to you cannot, nor can anyone cross over from there to us.’

27 “He answered, ‘Then I beg you, father, send Lazarus to my family, 28 for I have five brothers. Let him warn them, so that they will not also come to this place of torment.’

29 “Abraham replied, ‘They have Moses and the Prophets; let them listen to them.’

30 “‘No, father Abraham,’ he said, ‘but if someone from the dead goes to them, they will repent.’

31 “He said to him, ‘If they do not listen to Moses and the Prophets, they will not be convinced even if someone rises from the dead.’”

What if there is no life immediately after death, like Jesus said of Lazuras, only like a deep sleep that you will be awoken from in the future. And all your sins are forgiven at death, but the type of personality you developed while alive is still with you good or bad when you awake. The is the general resurrection of mankind back to the earth as the bible prophesies. Then based on your actions going forward you are judged not on actions from your past life before death. The point is people that lead basically a good life will have no problem adapting, those that lead a life of evil will be challenged to change fairly quickly or face eternal death and permanent non-existence.
And that does make a difference right now, plus evil people are not generally liked, and often end up in jail or dead themselves.

reply to post by etherical waterwave

If you were to look in the bible for an answer, this would be appropriate.

Just quoting verses is pretty boring and not that informative seeing how the internet has many resources for Bible study and anyone on this forum would be safe to assume can make use of them. You should add a little of your thoughts and commentary to give something for people to think about.
This is an interesting parable or story by Jesus and it should make the reader wonder if there was some sort of reason he would tell it in this way other than to just set up a false scenario to make a point he could not make without first accepting this convention, while understanding that "of course it is just made up" and everyone knows that there is no such place.
I was brought up to believe that Jesus was making a point but never actually believed that such a thing could really happen. A little surprising then, when I died or nearly died after a long illness and two months in the hospital and being transferred to a place which was basically heaven's waiting room, I was taken by the dark angels into the center of the Earth and was left in a place very reminiscent of but different from in a lot of ways, to a Hades, such as in the ancient Greek religion.
I can read the letters of Paul to the Thessalonians and read it easily with him describing a Greek form of Hades, without it being contradictory or not fitting in.

First of all I came up with this is because Jesus was talking about what happens when we die. We seem to go to a place wherein a good place is and where there is a place where one is put to suffer in fire, Hades. All in the same,.. dimension? depending where you go on wether you've lead a good life or not. There's a 'chasm' between the good and the bad place so people can't move from the one to the other.

There was a rich man living in luxury every day with at his door a beggar with sores longing to eat from what fell from the rich mans table. They both died and the rich man was put in Hades while the poor man was carried by angels to the side of Abraham.

Those that repent go to a good place when they die, and those who don't go to a place of suffering. We have what we need to know to lead a good life written by Moses and the prophets.

Originally posted by RealTruthSeeker

If there is no life after death and no punishment then wouldn't be fair to say that we can do whatever we want?

There is punishment, but it's not after you die, it's now. If you kill someone, rape someone, drive over the speed limit, cheat on a test, etc. there can be consequences for it. Prisons are full of people who break the law.

Now, if the fear of having a god torture you forever in fire is all that is keeping you from raping somebody, please keep believing in that god. Me, I can be good without that threat because I care about people.

reply to post by etherical waterwave
What I saw was a high escarpment with a high wall on top. There was a city there, I was told, but you could not look into it because of the angle. I could get close enough to where I could make out what looked like guards on the wall top. They weren't static like gargoyles or something but moved like men.
It is a little odd that heaven and hell are in the same place and what I was referring to in my last post, about Thessalonians.

reply to post by mydarkpassenger


As George Carlin said, Joe Pesci gets things done! Hahaha

reply to post by etherical waterwave


That place would not be confined to both space and time

reply to post by AllIsOne


We need both selfish and selflessness genes to survive ;]

AFAIK, life after death stuff belongs to the religion.
Yet, religion itself does not further described what it is exactly.
I can merely grasp the intended purpose of it: to control.

Originally posted by maya2
AFAIK, life after death stuff belongs to the religion.
Yet, religion itself does not further described what it is exactly.
I can merely grasp the intended purpose of it: to control.

That would be a bad religion but of course the bad ones are the ones that the power people like to promote and make state religions.