I know most of us don't believe in an afterlife, but....

Sand · 27-08-2015 11:37PM

One eyed Jack wrote: »

There it is again! Humans invented the concept of an afterlife, so that's why I suggested that far from inhuman the idea of an afterlife is actually unique to human beings, irrational and all as it is. Human beings aren't known for being particularly rational though, but that again goes to show the way the vast majority of human beings actually think, as opposed to showing any evidence that human beings are inherently rational. We really aren't.

You're presuming that only humans can be irrational and keep strongly held but false views. You are therefore presuming that being irrational and wrong is somehow a uniquely human trait. There is no reason to believe this. Animals often are deeply irrational. It is the *capacity* to be rational - to act and think outside the instinctive feed-fight-sleep cycle - that is human. Humanity is the ability to empathise outside the pack in humans own rational interests that animals often simply cant.

As for the idea that way of thinking discounts and devalues human life, well that depends a lot upon perspective really. I gather you're not too hung up on the idea as I'm thinking you're picturing the atmosphere at a typical Irish Roman Catholic funeral, but there are other religions which their customs are much more akin to a festive celebratory event than the way we do things in this country.

The flavour and accent of the beliefs change, but the root remains the same: there is some alien, non-human intelligence which must be appeased and praised. The demands and ruleset of this alien, inhuman entity take priority over all other human concerns to a true believer. Sometimes they are nonsensical, sometimes they are comforting, sometimes they are murderous.

The rest of humanity are simply lucky that there are not too many true believers.

One eyed Jack · 27-08-2015 11:44PM

Sand wrote: »

The rest of humanity are simply lucky that there are not too many true believers.

I wouldn't equate a true believer with a fundamentalist fcuknut. There are plenty of true believers that do no harm to anyone, it's the fundamentalist fcuknuts I'd be wary of tbh :pac:

endacl · 27-08-2015 11:48PM

The Backwards Man wrote: »

Aye, I wouldn't be one for the aul afterlife mullarkey meself, but I'll tell you one thing, I'd pay top dollar to see the look on some of the atheists' faces if it turns out there is one.:pac:

I'll be smilin'. I don't expect to be, but I'll be smilin'.

I hear there's no Tennants in Heaven?

donegaLroad · 27-08-2015 11:55PM

I heard an interview with this lady on local radio last year, and it really changed my perspective on death... she had a near death experience where she actually died, but survived and she has written a book about the experience.

What it has made her realise is:

'take life lightly, because sometimes we can become so serious and miss the point of what life is all about, and when we recognise that there is no such thing as death, ironically it gives us the freedom to live life'

28-08-2015 02:47AM

I have heard accounts from people who have died and come back.

I've had dreams just as vivid. When I was 14 I had surgery and when I woke up I said "Hector". I remember I came around slowly having the loveliest dream, I was in the field with all my horses all around me, and Hector had been destroyed (not just died, no, he was such a difficult horse he was destroyed), not long before. The nurses told me I said "Hector" when waking up. I still recall the "dream". In near death experiences when your body shuts down I expect you will see similar.

I have very vivid dreams about my dead grandparents and father, so much so that I have to tell them to go away and let me sleep.

People don't realise how amazing our living brains are, I guess that's why since the dawn of intelligence they have reached for an answer.

28-08-2015 03:31AM

ThomasFlynn wrote: »

Does anyone find the concept of having no afterlife, i.e. absolutely nothing at the end, difficult to comprehend?

I guess I can cite scripture as readily as anyone else who has a book in their hand.

For did not Frodo say unto us “I wish it need not have happened in my time" to which The Lord of all humans who care to think so said - "So do I and so do all who live to see such times. But that is not for them to decide. All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given us.”

The concept of no life after death is by definition hard to comprehend. A conscious mind comprehending its own non existence is predicated upon its existence in order to consider it

It is a mind FuK even to open up the idea.

But for me - at least - the transient and temporal nature of life defines its own importance. I "Deal" with the idea by understanding that even the NEED to deal with it is predicated upon it. So birth, life and death become one. And all that matters about it is what matters to you - so get on making it matter!

Junkyard Tom · 28-08-2015 03:52AM

donegaLroad wrote: »

she actually died, but survived

¯\_(ツ)_/¯

JONJO THE MISER · 28-08-2015 04:55AM

Chucken wrote: »

I know most of us don't believe in an afterlife, but....

Most of who?

Common misperception by a lot of posters here on boards who seem to think that because its 2015 and this is a tech site that most posters dont adhere to religion and are not left wing, in fact outside of after hours most posters dont have the inmature attitude thats its trendy to disrespect people with beliefs and who dont have a left wing bias.

donegaLroad · 28-08-2015 06:21AM

Junkyard Tom wrote: »

¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Ok.. I didnt word that very well.

gctest50 · 28-08-2015 06:27AM

The Backwards Man wrote: »

Aye, I wouldn't be one for the aul afterlife mullarkey meself, but I'll tell you one thing, I'd pay top dollar to see the look on some of the atheists' faces if it turns out there is one.:pac:

http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=123_1190395606

Matt Holck · 28-08-2015 06:46AM

my dog marks spots by peeing on them

Canis Lupus · 28-08-2015 08:14AM

JONJO THE MISER wrote: »

Common misperception by a lot of posters here on boards who seem to think that because its 2015 and this is a tech site that most posters dont adhere to religion and are not left wing, in fact outside of after hours most posters dont have the inmature attitude thats its trendy to disrespect people with beliefs and who dont have a left wing bias.

I don't think I've seen a poll regarding religion in AH that hasn't shown an absolutely overwhelming percentage of people are atheist. I doubt it would be terribly wrong to put those percentages as a site wide figure.

Nice to see you're one of those new trendy people who try to make everyone aware they're 'cool' with religion.

Matt Holck · 28-08-2015 08:19AM

I don't believe in sacrifice

DanielODonnell · 30-08-2015 01:34PM

Chucken wrote: »

Its also a fact.

no you are thinking of the corpse, it is simply matter, worthless matter after death

DanielODonnell · 30-08-2015 01:41PM

After reading these comments you would have to wonder how atheists even get up out of bed in the morning, is their purpose to an atheist existence?

ytpe2r5bxkn0c1 · 30-08-2015 01:44PM

Canis Lupus wrote: »

I don't think I've seen a poll regarding religion in AH that hasn't shown an absolutely overwhelming percentage of people are atheist. I doubt it would be terribly wrong to put those percentages as a site wide figure.

Nice to see you're one of those new trendy people who try to make everyone aware they're 'cool' with religion.

I think you're wrong in your assumption. My experience is that After Hours is far from typical. A site wide poll would never mirror the opinions of AH.

PopePalpatine · 30-08-2015 04:26PM

DanielODonnell wrote: »

After reading these comments you would have to wonder how atheists even get up out of bed in the morning, is their purpose to an atheist existence?

I find it sad that you need a god for your life to have meaning, and that you can't bring yourself to advance beyond the moronic stereotype of atheists as depressed nihilists. If these 75-80 years are all I have before I stop existing, I want to enjoy those years as much as I can, and in my opinion, my meaning in life is to make the world a slightly better place for future generations.

The_Valeyard · 30-08-2015 05:44PM

Landon Deafening Hash wrote: »

I think you're wrong in your assumption. My experience is that After Hours is far from typical. A site wide poll would never mirror the opinions of AH.

Well I find generally, boards.ie is very different from reality.

kylith · 30-08-2015 05:46PM

DanielODonnell wrote: »

After reading these comments you would have to wonder how atheists even get up out of bed in the morning, is their purpose to an atheist existence?

Well, if heaven's so great why aren't the religious trying to get there ASAP?

The Backwards Man · 30-08-2015 06:04PM

endacl wrote: »

I'll be smilin'. I don't expect to be, but I'll be smilin'.

I hear there's no Tennants in Heaven?

Heard that too, Eric Clapton even wrote a song about it.:(

kylith wrote: »

Well, if heaven's so great why aren't the religious trying to get there ASAP?

I suppose it's like what you or me would think of the buspass, looking forward to having one but in no rush to be eligible for it either.

Wereghost · 30-08-2015 06:09PM

DanielODonnell wrote: »

After reading these comments you would have to wonder how atheists even get up out of bed in the morning, is their purpose to an atheist existence?

Biology. Same as with god worshippers.

Survival instincts are not an intellectual pursuit.

[/Captain Obvious]

DanielODonnell · 30-08-2015 07:41PM

PopePalpatine wrote: »

I find it sad that you need a god for your life to have meaning, and that you can't bring yourself to advance beyond the moronic stereotype of atheists as depressed nihilists. If these 75-80 years are all I have before I stop existing, I want to enjoy those years as much as I can, and in my opinion, my meaning in life is to make the world a slightly better place for future generations.

why would it matter, sure it's not like you would ever meet your great great grandchildren because you think there is no afterlife

DanielODonnell · 30-08-2015 07:42PM

kylith wrote: »

Well, if heaven's so great why aren't the religious trying to get there ASAP?

i look forward to death but suicide is wrong you see

lanos · 30-08-2015 09:20PM

DanielODonnell wrote: »

i look forward to death but suicide is wrong you see

I would guess you would cry like a baby in the face of death.
unlike athiests

The_Valeyard · 30-08-2015 09:28PM

lanos wrote: »

I would guess you would cry like a baby in the face of death.
unlike athiests

?????????

kylith · 30-08-2015 09:55PM

DanielODonnell wrote: »

i look forward to death but suicide is wrong you see

https://wellspentjourney.files.wordpress.com/2013/07/20090223reckless.png

Lady Chatterton · 30-08-2015 10:02PM

beks101 wrote: »

It's a tough concept to get on board with alright, when faced with a personal bereavement or even when trying to come to terms with someone else's tragedy.

I guess that's why so many people turn to religion in the first place. To make death a bit more palatable.

But death is just death, isn't it. The end to consciousness as we know it. In my own encounter with grief, the notion of your loved one no longer existing or being nothing but dirt in the ground when they were so much in life is completely grotesque, an almighty slap in the face, a complete insult to who they were in the first place.

And you stew in that disbelief and anger for a while. And then you begin to notice that life is trudging on regardless of your pain, that alarm clock still goes off in the morning, those bills still need to be paid, yer wan in the office is still a pain in the hole and people are still falling in love and getting married and having babies and the sun still sets at night and all that jazz.

And you come to a point where their death sort of finds a place in your life. You begrudgingly fit it in. Maybe by reminiscing with friends, or writing letters to him, or wearing odd socks just like he used to. Or smiling at things that you know he'd get a kick out of. He of course is still dirt in the ground, but he's shaping the course of your new life, post-him, in some way. New perspectives and important memories. Little moments maybe.

Anyways I'm rambling. I think there's ways of processing death that don't make it seem so morbid and depressing, without necessarily needing to turn to some god for comfort.

A beautiful post - thank you

scamalert · 30-08-2015 10:11PM

OP avoid such news if it causes such stress to you.
As for the rest if you step on ants/spiders will they be there in afterlife as well ?
Or is it a thing where we as people at the top of food chain just get to go-because were like smart or religious and crap like that

wakka12 · 30-08-2015 10:14PM

kylith wrote: »

Every night you go to sleep and, most of the time, it's suddenly tomorrow morning and you wake up. Death is like being asleep; you close your eyes and off you go, but there's no tomorrow morning to wake up to. But that's ok, you'll never know about it so it won't bother you.

That is so awful and bothers me a lot actually

wakka12 · 30-08-2015 10:19PM

I don't believe in the afterlife but after all none of us know what really happens after death, Im 99% sure its just like falling asleep or how it was before you were born but I certainly hope that 1% chance proves me wrong.

I know most of us don't believe in an afterlife, but....

Comments