NationStates Jolt Archive

I know I shouldn't be thinking about this as I am only 19, but I can't seem to help it. What is everyone's opinion? I mean the way I see it is as the great unknown, no one really knows what happens, but they convince themselves that they do, like if they die, they WILL go to heaven/hell/get reincarnated. but do we really know that any of those things will happen?what if everyone is wrong?

We have no idea if there's anything or nothing at all. I bet on there being nothing, so if there's something I win :)

Why wouldn't you be thinking about death? It's the only true constant in life.

Unless they manage to download us into computers.

I used to believe in heaven. Now I'm not so sure and it's the worst feeling. What if we just cease to exist after death? It's like sleeping without dreaming...forever. God that's depressing.

Maybe in the future they'll come up with some way to replace our aging body parts with mechanical ones and then 'reboot.' Fresh new life. That would be so L337. :cool:

I know I shouldn't be thinking about this as I am only 19, but I can't seem to help it. What is everyone's opinion? I mean the way I see it is as the great unknown, no one really knows what happens, but they convince themselves that they do, like if they die, they WILL go to heaven/hell/get reincarnated. but do we really know that any of those things will happen?what if everyone is wrong?
I don't buy it. I don't see how the mind can exist without the brain.

thats a good way to look at it. I was just feeling a little out of place thinking about that topic, because it seems that many ppl my age (at least where I live) show no concern for it ever happening to them. I'm just curious about the topic, because it would be nice if existence had a purpose.

I used to believe in heaven. Now I'm not so sure and it's the worst feeling. What if we just cease to exist after death? It's like sleeping without dreaming...forever. God that's depressing.

Maybe in the future they'll come up with some way to replace our aging body parts with mechanical ones and then 'reboot.' Fresh new life. That would be so L337. :cool:
I find endless, dreamless sleep to be sort of a comforting idea.

I don't buy it. I don't see how the mind can exist without the brain.


where did the mind come from then? it just doesn't make sense.

Actually, we do have proof. We have the Word of God which does tell us that there is a heaven and there is a hell. Now, as to which we will be heading is not up to us, its up to God. There isn't a bad time when you should be thinking about this, you should be congratulated for bringing this up and giving it consideration.

Don't know, don't care. If something happens, I'll try to deal with it.

Here's the way I see it, you ought to pick the life after death theory that seems most plausible to you, and just act as though that were true, if there's nothing, what do you lose?

I used to believe in heaven. Now I'm not so sure and it's the worst feeling. What if we just cease to exist after death? It's like sleeping without dreaming...forever. God that's depressing.

What was it like before you were born? Same thing.

where did the mind come from then? it just doesn't make sense.
What DK means is that when the brain dies, the mind dies.

Actually, we do have proof. We have the Word of God which does tell us that there is a heaven and there is a hell. Now, as to which we will be heading is not up to us, its up to God. There isn't a bad time when you should be thinking about this, you should be congratulated for bringing this up and giving it consideration.
God is omnipotent, omniscient, and omnipresent. It says so, right here on the label :rolleyes:

God is omnipotent, omniscient, and omnipresent. It says so, right here on the label :rolleyes:
Below that it says, "Made in Taiwan" though.

Worm food, worms are awesome.

where did the mind come from then? it just doesn't make sense.
It's an artifact of the functioning of the brain. An analogy might be a computer program running in a computer. Break the computer and the program stops functioning.

God is omnipotent, omniscient, and omnipresent. It says so, right here on the label :rolleyes:

Just read the Good Book and that's the label you need to read.

Actually, we do have proof. We have the Word of God which does tell us that there is a heaven and there is a hell. Now, as to which we will be heading is not up to us, its up to God. There isn't a bad time when you should be thinking about this, you should be congratulated for bringing this up and giving it consideration.

Are you being sarcastic or what? I'm afraid it's not proof, not my a long shot. You might believe it, and that's great, but by no stretch of imagination is it proof.

Actually, we do have proof. We have the Word of God which does tell us that there is a heaven and there is a hell. Now, as to which we will be heading is not up to us, its up to God. There isn't a bad time when you should be thinking about this, you should be congratulated for bringing this up and giving it consideration.
God told me that heaven and hell are a fairy tale he uses to keep primitives from misbehaving.

Christianity: If you accept the fact that Jesus Christ died a long time ago to pay for the sins of mankind, and your sins past, present, and future you'll go to heaven and spend eternity with him in.

If you don't you go to hell.

TM me if you have any questions-I'm a Criminal Justice student whose minor is Bible.

Are you being sarcastic or what? I'm afraid it's not proof, not my a long shot. You might believe it, and that's great, but by no stretch of imagination is it proof.

No sarcasm has been inferred. Just reality. An open mind would be helpful too, but based on your reply, that may be too much to ask.

God told me that heaven and hell are a fairy tale he uses to keep primitives from misbehaving.

Also, God asploded.

Just read the Good Book and that's the label you need to read.
Which one?

well does anyone have any weird hazy memories of what could have been perhaps where you were before you were born. I mean I have one .. it could just be some memory from being very young, but it doesn't seem like a place I would have been. anyhow it goes like this. I'm outside this big stone building, there are bushes and stone slabs around the outside. suddenly I am lost and cannot find my way back. I don't know I guess it does sound like a weird recollection, I just find it striking because as often memories do have feeling, the emotion surrounding that one is one of serenity, well until I get lost then I'm sad. whatever ever though, this memory probably doesn't mean much ...

What was it like before you were born? Same thing.

Yeah, it's not painful. Fortunately, I'm leaning towards not believing in a hell. I suppose what bothers me about ceasing to exist is not the period after death, but the period when I'm getting close to it. I'll be looking at my friends and family and knowing that I probably won't ever see them again after I die, which at that point would be fast approaching.

God told me that heaven and hell are a fairy tale he uses to keep primitives from misbehaving.

Remember what you said about the mind is separated from the brain? I think it applies here.:p

Which one?

Inserts stupid answer for stupid question.

Worm food, worms are awesome.
I will quote this until it's memorized by all:

King: Now, Hamlet, where's Polonius?
Hamlet: At supper.
King: At supper? Where?
Hamlet: Well, he's not doing the eating. He's being eaten. By worms, you see. Funny...no one eats worms, but when we die, worms eat us. Isn't it ironic? Worms don't care if you were a king or a beggar. They eat you all the same.
King: Alas, alas!
Hamlet: A man can go fishing with a worm that's eaten from a king's corpse, and then eat fish that ate the worm.
King: What do you mean?
Hamlet: I just wanted to explain how a king can pass through the guts of a beggar.
King: Where's Polonius?
Hamlet: In heaven. Send a servant to find him there. If he can't find him there, go to the other place and look for him yourself! But if you don't find him in a month or so, you'll start to smell him as you go up the stairs into the lobby.

Quack. Maybe if we just let him talk, he'll deflate.

Inserts stupid answer for stupid question.
Whatever.

I just find it striking because as often memories do have feeling, the emotion surrounding that one is one of serenity, well until I get lost then I'm sad. whatever ever though, this memory probably doesn't mean much ...
Could be a dream or memory from infancy or early childhood that has gotten distorted with the years. Memory is so imperfect.

oh yeah ha funny story about religion ... its not proof! it can be a strong belief, so strong that you KNOW that it is real, but in the end, you cannot prove this. I grew up in a fundamentalist type household so I was sucked in too and knew for a fact that there was a heaven and a hell. but once in college, I began to realize that well ... it was all just a belief. A belief that keeps the mind calm enough to funciton without the worry about what to expect after death. If one knows for a fact that something will happen, there is no need to ponder the issue further. but the absolute fact is, nothing is certain. and thats it.

Whatever.

Indeed.

Yeah, it's not painful. Fortunately, I'm leaning towards not believing in a hell. I suppose what bothers me about ceasing to exist is not the period after death, but the period when I'm getting close to it. I'll be looking at my friends and family and knowing that I probably won't ever see them again after I die, which at that point would be fast approaching.
Well, you wouldn't see them after you die, but you wouldn't care either :)

I used to believe in heaven. Now I'm not so sure and it's the worst feeling. What if we just cease to exist after death? It's like sleeping without dreaming...forever. God that's depressing.

Not so depressing, because you won't know, will you? Consider this:

To be, or not to be,--that is the question:--
Whether 'tis nobler in the mind to suffer
The slings and arrows of outrageous fortune
Or to take arms against a sea of troubles,
And by opposing end them?--To die,--to sleep,--
No more; and by a sleep to say we end
The heartache, and the thousand natural shocks
That flesh is heir to,--'tis a consummation
Devoutly to be wish'd. To die,--to sleep;--
To sleep! perchance to dream:--ay, there's the rub;
For in that sleep of death what dreams may come,
When we have shuffled off this mortal coil,
Must give us pause: there's the respect
That makes calamity of so long life;
For who would bear the whips and scorns of time,
The oppressor's wrong, the proud man's contumely,
The pangs of despis'd love, the law's delay,
The insolence of office, and the spurns
That patient merit of the unworthy takes,
When he himself might his quietus make
With a bare bodkin? who would these fardels bear,
To grunt and sweat under a weary life,
But that the dread of something after death,--
The undiscover'd country, from whose bourn
No traveller returns,--puzzles the will,
And makes us rather bear those ills we have
Than fly to others that we know not of?
Thus conscience does make cowards of us all;
And thus the native hue of resolution
Is sicklied o'er with the pale cast of thought;
And enterprises of great pith and moment,
With this regard, their currents turn awry,
And lose the name of action.

There's a good passage right at the end of Plato's Apology, too, where Socrates says that if death is sleep, that's all to the good, and if not, why, who would not want to meet all the famous and wise men of the past?

I personally subscribe to the eternal, dreamless sleep theory, myself. And anyway, you won't know until you get there, so why worry. Just look both ways before crossing the street and eat lots of fiber.

oh yeah ha funny story about religion ... its not proof! it can be a strong belief, so strong that you KNOW that it is real, but in the end, you cannot prove this. I grew up in a fundamentalist type household so I was sucked in too and knew for a fact that there was a heaven and a hell. but once in college, I began to realize that well ... it was all just a belief. A belief that keeps the mind calm enough to funciton without the worry about what to expect after death. If one knows for a fact that something will happen, there is no need to ponder the issue further. but the absolute fact is, nothing is certain. and thats it.

What I've been trying to convince my grandparents for the last 7 years.

No sarcasm has been inferred. Just reality. An open mind would be helpful too, but based on your reply, that may be too much to ask.
So failure to embrace a certain point of view that encompasses a whole way of life and morality without any evidence now makes one closed minded?

that makes it all the more important 2 Njoy life 2 the full NOW coz nobody's certain wot lies after we go. its a thort thats dominated my mind since age of ten. im forty now, and its only last year wen my Bro died at forty four that I decided to LIVE life. ergoanyladies wanna join me x x:fluffle:

What I've been trying to convince my grandparents for the last 7 years.

Waste of your life *nodnod*

Which one?
Tao Te Ching, obviously.

Well, you wouldn't see them after you die, but you wouldn't care either :)


wouldn't it be sad though? I mean you build relationships all your life and then they stop existing after you die? I find that unsettling.

Just read the Good Book and that's the label you need to read.
The only label on my Good Book is in large letters and says "Don't Panic."

Here's a funny thought.

Let's say that you're an atheist. Perfectly rational.

But, after you die, you find out that one of the religions on Earth (it doesn't really matter which one) was RIGHT and that there is an afterlife, and you weren't a believer when you had the chance.

Now, the deity de jour is going to smoke your ass like a cheap cigar for all eternity.

Of the religions that you are familiar with, which one would you most NOT like to end up arriving in?

Tao Te Ching, obviously.
Ah. That's probably less corrupted than some others which could be mentioned.

Which one?


The Bible, preferrably a King James version.

Inserts stupid answer for stupid question.
It's a good thing we're spoilt for choice: The Baghavad Gita, The Koran, The Popol-Vuh, The Book of the Dead, The Vedas, etc.

The Bible, preferrably a King James version.
Ah.

that makes it all the more important 2 Njoy life 2 the full NOW coz nobody's certain wot lies after we go. its a thort thats dominated my mind since age of ten. im forty now, and its only last year wen my Bro died at forty four that I decided to LIVE life. ergoanyladies wanna join me x x:fluffle:


I'm half your age and I can spell 10 times better.

:eek:

What are you saying?

Remember what you said about the mind is separated from the brain? I think it applies here.:p
You can disbelieve the word of god at your own peril, heathen, but be prepared for eternal sodomy from giant, barbed demon penises in the great sea of sandy vaseline in the afterlife.

B4 the serious ones condemn me as frivellous I mite add, Nothing matters until it happens 2 U. when it happened 2 Me, it mattered.

Ah.

I've got a bible I'll send if you want one...TM me.

wouldn't it be sad though? I mean you build relationships all your life and then they stop existing after you die? I find that unsettling.

Exactly. I mean, I'm only in my 20s but I've already contemplated the loss of my family members and close friends and it's heartbreaking. Imagine how painful it'll be to be faced with that reality after having known and loved people for 50 years. :(

wouldn't it be sad though? I mean you build relationships all your life and then they stop existing after you die? I find that unsettling.
It is sad, because one comes to love life and it's difficult to let it go. But maybe life is made even the more precious because we have to leave it.

I've got a bible I'll send if you want one...TM me.
I've got one. Already checked it out. Thanks though.

do are lives have a point though if we don't know what happens to us after we die? I mean I wouldn't really care if I was some famous musician or something if my spirit ceased to exist. ...I don't really know what I'm getting at here, just perhaps a little out of sorts on what to do with life.

Ah. That's probably less corrupted than some others which could be mentioned.
Well I like the idea of Taoism, so it works for me.

If you believe in the Lord Jesus Christ... and aquire a personal relationship with him, you are promised eternity in heaven.

do are lives have a point though if we don't know what happens to us after we die? I mean I wouldn't really care if I was some famous musician or something if my spirit ceased to exist. ...I don't really know what I'm getting at here, just perhaps a little out of sorts on what to do with life.
Make it easier for other people. You'll find more than enough work to keep your mind occupied and if God exists, he'd probably like that.

Of the religions that you are familiar with, which one would you most NOT like to end up arriving in?
Christianity and Islam are the toughest, they really take it out on you. Most of the other just send you back to try again or send you to a place that's not too bad, just meh.

thank you marksman jus 2 keep it short i decided 2 employ a method known as ijhhbdiomnng hyytds Thank you however for your concern, LIVE LIFE 2 the FULL, its a short one and a lot of uncertainty as to what lies ahead. :headbang:

Exactly. I mean, I'm only in my 20s but I've already contemplated the loss of my family members and close friends and it's heartbreaking. Imagine how painful it'll be to be faced with that reality after having known and loved people for 50 years. :(

You can't really be faced with something you're unaware of. You'll never be concious of being without them.

do are lives have a point though if we don't know what happens to us after we die? I mean I wouldn't really care if I was some famous musician or something if my spirit ceased to exist. ...I don't really know what I'm getting at here, just perhaps a little out of sorts on what to do with life.
Sure it does. Even if there's nothing after you die, when you are in your deathbed you can ask yourself "was it worth it? did I enjoy it? did I make a difference?"

thank you marksman jus 2 keep it short i decided 2 employ a method known as ijhhbdiomnng hyytds Thank you however for your concern, LIVE LIFE 2 the FULL, its a short one and a lot of uncertainty as to what lies ahead. :headbang:

Okay, this one I totally missed.

You can't really be faced with something you're unaware of. You'll never be concious of being without them.

do you mean after we die? the possibility is still left open that we will reunite with loved ones, we just don't know how, or in what form. it is not closed off. I mean if anything is possible why not dream a little right? hope is all we have.

You can't really be faced with something you're unaware of. You'll never be concious of being without them.

Correct, but like I said in my previous post, the most difficult part is not after death but right before it. Unless I'm very good at clearing my mind at that point, it'll be very hard not to think about stuff like that.

careful sex pistols. I think I know wot U mean, the problem is that fosters nihilism, I was like that 3 yr's back, I ended up bein dragged out of fume filled car by 2 coppers.I was unconscious. I don't know the meaning of life but theres a reason I didnt die, hey if anybody knows why, answers on a postcard please ha ha:)

If you believe in the Lord Jesus Christ... and aquire a personal relationship with him, you are promised eternity in heaven.
Yeah, but we disagree on who actually made the promise and whether or not it will be honored. You believe that God made that promise. I believe that humans did. If god made the promise it may well be kept, but if humans did, it won't. That's why this argument won't work on those who don't believe in your god.

careful sex pistols. I think I know wot U mean, the problem is that fosters nihilism, I was like that 3 yr's back, I ended up bein dragged out of fume filled car by 2 coppers.I was unconscious. I don't know the meaning of life but theres a reason I didnt die, hey if anybody knows why, answers on a postcard please ha ha:)

Hate to further foster nihilism, but for everyone one of these miracle cases there's probably ten cases where the usual bad consequences occurred. So it still leaves the question open of whether the universe is friendly or not.

I must say too ... I grew up my entire life believing in god for I did not know any different. kind of sheltered too perhaps. anyhow now that I have come to this new realization that perhaps god was created by man for whatever purpose, and I dunno its just really hard to believe in god as a fact any more.

Yeah, but we disagree on who actually made the promise and whether or not it will be honored. You believe that God made that promise. I believe that humans did. If god made the promise it may well be kept, but if humans did, it won't. That's why this argument won't work on those who don't believe in your god.

Quite right. Arguing about whose religion is right is like arguing about who has the better imaginary friend.

SIRRVS: Don't sweat it. Right at the end, trust me, there will be plenty of drugs to keep you from thinking about it. You're in your 20's. Worry about it later!

SIRRVS: Don't sweat it. Right at the end, trust me, there will be plenty of drugs to keep you from thinking about it. You're in your 20's. Worry about it later!


ha tell that to me when marijuana becomes legal. then I'll be happy!

No sarcasm has been inferred. Just reality. An open mind would be helpful too, but based on your reply, that may be too much to ask.

Trust me I keep an open mind about EVERYTHING. Hence I am an agnostic, neither believing or disbeliving. You are asking me to narrow my mind, to convince myself that the view portrayed in one book is the one true story. I'm afraid I'll need PROOF before I believe that, not an insult :)

and I dunno its just really hard to believe in god as a fact any more.
Belief should be a choice. You'll come to your own sooner or later.

thank you marksman jus 2 keep it short i decided 2 employ a method known as ijhhbdiomnng hyytds Thank you however for your concern, LIVE LIFE 2 the FULL, its a short one and a lot of uncertainty as to what lies ahead. :headbang:

The ewoks on star wars 3 made more sense than you and all they said were "YUB YUB".

No offence, but I can't make out what you are saying.

Can someone translate?

ha tell that to me when marijuana becomes legal. then I'll be happy!
Just keep close ties to your grandson, if you ever have one. He'll hook you up.

The ewoks on star wars 3 made more sense than you and all they said were "YUB YUB".

No offence, but I can't make out what you are saying.

Can someone translate?
I think he meant:

"Dear Sir,

Thank you for your missive and I appreciate the great care and concern that you show with your kind words. However, I'm afraid I must continue on my chosen path, since, frankly, that's very much the way I prefer it.

Please take good care of yourself.

Yours Truly,

Ballymacmannamen"

Some of it might have escaped me, though.

SIRRVS: Don't sweat it. Right at the end, trust me, there will be plenty of drugs to keep you from thinking about it. You're in your 20's. Worry about it later!

Good idea. I'm staching some for right before I die. :D

Just keep close ties to your grandson, if you ever have one. He'll hook you up.


heh .. no its not that its hard to find, its in every town and city. I just wish it was legal. less hassle.

oh yea I just figured it out ... Kaukaban meant like pain killers and stuff for when your old. I mean if you're lucky that's what'll happen. anyhow what about for now?! thats what I'm talking about. isn't that all we do everyday anyhow, wait around until its our time to die? and all the activities in between just keep us busy.

isn't that all we do everyday anyhow, wait around until its our time to die? and all the activities in between just keep us busy.
Yup. Pretty much. If you're lucky you'd have enjoyed your in-between time.

Yup. Pretty much. If you're lucky you'd have enjoyed your in-between time.
Which just made me realize I've been at my computer for two hours. Fuck. Bye.

The holy guide lists two possibilities for an afterlife. One is timeless reincarnation, in which you can be reincarnated as a creature fifty years before you were born in your last life, or even during it, and the second is just your typical floating spying on everyone spectral afterlife thing, where you might occaisionally be called to manifest by your descendents, and will have certain powers, though what exactly those are is not clear, nor is whether you have them when not being summoned for help.
However, if you happen to be in a universe as it is written out of existence, you are just screwed.

ijhhbdiomnng hyytds

Jihadbombing Hatians? Does this have anything to do with that "Sea of David" terrorist cell in Florida?