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Atheists what beliefs do you have of afterlife?

Philosorapteuse

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I don't believe in an afterlife of any kind. That is to say, I have no reason besides fear to believe anything more elaborate than "my consciousness and indexical point stop existing", so I don't.

This said, I'm a closet fan of static-block theories of time, which is a certain kind of immortality if you tilt your head and squint a bit. But not the sort implied by an immortal soul.
 

xisnotx

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Don't know whether I've posted in this thread, but I've recently been thinking about this...

I think the afterlife will be extremely similar to the before life. The before life, for me, was a state of nothingness, so I imagine that is what the afterlife promises.

If I am alive now, then the state of me not being alive has already past...it was before I existed. And if I'm destined to return to a non life state, I have no reason to conclude it would be different from what I've already "experienced".
 

Mole

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At the formal philosophic level I am an agnostic.

And it is not so much I have beliefs, but that I share the ability with the rest of humanity to suspend my disbelief.

All of art, literature and religion depend on the suspension of disbelief.

So all theists, agnostics and atheists all are able to suspend their disbelief.
 

Nicodemus

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At the formal philosophic level I am an agnostic.

And it is not so much I have beliefs, but that I share the ability with the rest of humanity to suspend my disbelief.

All of art, literature and religion depend on the suspension of disbelief.

So all theists, agnostics and atheists all are able to suspend their disbelief.
I think it is the other way around: Skepticism takes work, belief comes naturally.
 
G

Ginkgo

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To life, I have no idea. In the beginning it was about improving the gene pool to make sure that the human race evolved. Our evolution blew that scope away when we entered the modern age.

As far as I'm concerned there don't have to be any purpose to life, except my own will to live. That's the only reason that I need.

I think we're growing more dependent on different forms of technology, and while that increases a particular sort of complexity needed in our immediate environment to survive, it doesn't distinguish us from any other animal that requires a particular environment to survive. I think it's more important that we remember how to think creatively and critically with assurance, because it's vital to our marriage with technologies in order for the technologies to evolve and be useful. That includes the ability to understand parts of the world that would be hostile if we didn't possess technology. Cyberpunk vs. Post-Cyberpunk. Wall-E comes to mind.
 

Within

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I think we're growing more dependent on different forms of technology, and while that increases a particular sort of complexity needed in our immediate environment to survive, it doesn't distinguish us from any other animal that requires a particular environment to survive. I think it's more important that we remember how to think creatively and critically with assurance, because it's vital to our marriage with technologies in order for the technologies to evolve and be useful. That includes the ability to understand parts of the world that would be hostile if we didn't possess technology. Cyberpunk vs. Post-Cyberpunk. Wall-E comes to mind.

Michio Kaku could not have said it better himself. Although, I wonder if the power shift will be caused through a more developed version of our politics over time, or if it will be completely rebuilt. Even without the huge disadvantage that is religion would such an event be remote. One does not simply change human nature.
 
G

Ginkgo

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Michio Kaku could not have said it better himself. Although, I wonder if the power shift will be caused through a more developed version of our politics over time, or if it will be completely rebuilt. Even without the huge disadvantage that is religion would such an event be remote. One does not simply change human nature.

Rebuilt. I'm thinking every political idea that was once local will be universalized but watered down. So watered down, maybe it will be virtually invisible. ;)

If only I had Kaku's drive.
 

ilikeitlikethat

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Like the late great Jim Morrison said
"This is the end."
 

RaptorWizard

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I don't get what butterflies have to do with the afterlife other than as a metaphor, like as if this physical plane is the cacoon of struggle, and death is the release as we fly away on the wings of freedom to heaven above and beyond, only to be struck down and reincarnate again later on, and so the struggle never ends until we achieve eternal life and expand into the higher dimensions, the negative matter of the universe at a spiritual level.
 

dala

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I find the idea of an afterlife to be much, much harder to swallow than the idea of a creator. It took me a long time (probably until I was in my mid-twenties) to realize that there was no way to reconcile my worldview with the idea of an afterlife. Prior to that, I did all sorts of mental gymnastics to convince myself that it must exist. The fact is, there is no known mechanism for life after death, and plenty of evidence that consciousness is tied physically and inextricably to the brain.

As for the 'purpose of life,' I figure even if I come up with something good I'm just making stuff up. It's a question without an answer.
 

Mole

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I think it is the other way around: Skepticism takes work, belief comes naturally.

Yes, I think you are right. Skepticism takes work and is an acquired taste but once acquired is as intoxicating as beer. Cheers.
 

ilikeitlikethat

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I don't get what butterflies have to do with the afterlife other than as a metaphor, like as if this physical plane is the cacoon of struggle, and death is the release as we fly away on the wings of freedom to heaven above and beyond, only to be struck down and reincarnate again later on, and so the struggle never ends until we achieve eternal life and expand into the higher dimensions, the negative matter of the universe at a spiritual level.

Change for the larva/caterpillar means life/adulthood, change for the butterfly means death.
 
S

Society

Guest
(2) What purpose do you believe is there to life?

i don't get this: if you can't figure out a purpose to your current life, what purpose would your combined earthly life + after life have? it seems to me you'd be just as dumbfounded and just as ressponsible to give it a meaning yourself, either way.
 
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