10-13-2016, 09:57 AM
(09-24-2016, 01:53 PM)rfaulk34 Wrote: This is an argument that's raised on a regular basis and it makes no sense to me.
I get how an eternal fate would cause some to act a certain way to "guarantee" they get the outcome they want. But in practicality, it makes little sense. With no tangible evidence that it will happen, who would continue to believe in something for years or decades?
In my personal experience, and those that i know personally, it's the day to day experience that keeps the belief tangible. As i've stated on many occasions, simply reading something in a book, or hearing from someone else, isn't nearly enough for me to hang on to a belief for an extended period of time.
Pre or post conversion, i never once had a fear of what will happen when i die and in my 50+ years, i've never once heard from or about someone who is a Christian because they were told that when they die, if they don't believe, they will go to hell--with absolutely zero personal experience of a personal relationship with their Creator.
Before my son passed, i had hoped to live a long, healthy life full of time with my family, wife, kids, grandkids; not nearly as interested in what comes after--but secure in the knowledge that it was there. Now, i couldn't care less if i keeled over after finishing this sentence, but no more than simply secure in the knowledge that it is there.
To me, a fear of what happens when we die is a lazy excuse for non-believers, passed down because they've never bothered, or cared to bother, to find out if there is the possibility of a personal relationship with their Creator. Certainly, there are those that have felt that relationship and have turned away from it for one reason or the other. Being an average, and of sound mind, individual that has experienced that relationship (and continues to) i can't believe that if it was true, it could simply be walked away from and someone could have their mind changed. **i can attest to a period of time where it wasn't as important to me--and i chose to live a live that wasn't close to being considered "Christian"--but the belief that there was something to it never changed**
"Intellectuals" like to read things, see verifiable recreatable evidence of things and come to a "logical" conclusion. That's never going to happen with Religion, so it's a waste of time to even debate that angle.
I assume that at some point in your life, you've had this discussion about your beliefs of the afterlife with your parents. I'd also assume that you've probably heard a similar reply as to what i've typed here. It would definitely have been interesting to be a fly on the wall during those discussions.
(09-24-2016, 01:53 PM)rfaulk34 Wrote: This is an argument that's raised on a regular basis and it makes no sense to me.
I get how an eternal fate would cause some to act a certain way to "guarantee" they get the outcome they want. But in practicality, it makes little sense. With no tangible evidence that it will happen, who would continue to believe in something for years or decades?
In my personal experience, and those that i know personally, it's the day to day experience that keeps the belief tangible. As i've stated on many occasions, simply reading something in a book, or hearing from someone else, isn't nearly enough for me to hang on to a belief for an extended period of time.
Pre or post conversion, i never once had a fear of what will happen when i die and in my 50+ years, i've never once heard from or about someone who is a Christian because they were told that when they die, if they don't believe, they will go to hell--with absolutely zero personal experience of a personal relationship with their Creator.
Before my son passed, i had hoped to live a long, healthy life full of time with my family, wife, kids, grandkids; not nearly as interested in what comes after--but secure in the knowledge that it was there. Now, i couldn't care less if i keeled over after finishing this sentence, but no more than simply secure in the knowledge that it is there.
To me, a fear of what happens when we die is a lazy excuse for non-believers, passed down because they've never bothered, or cared to bother, to find out if there is the possibility of a personal relationship with their Creator. Certainly, there are those that have felt that relationship and have turned away from it for one reason or the other. Being an average, and of sound mind, individual that has experienced that relationship (and continues to) i can't believe that if it was true, it could simply be walked away from and someone could have their mind changed. **i can attest to a period of time where it wasn't as important to me--and i chose to live a live that wasn't close to being considered "Christian"--but the belief that there was something to it never changed**
"Intellectuals" like to read things, see verifiable recreatable evidence of things and come to a "logical" conclusion. That's never going to happen with Religion, so it's a waste of time to even debate that angle.
I assume that at some point in your life, you've had this discussion about your beliefs of the afterlife with your parents. I'd also assume that you've probably heard a similar reply as to what i've typed here. It would definitely have been interesting to be a fly on the wall during those discussions.
In all honesty I have to say I agree with you here. I've seen people use the argument that people believe in God because a belief in God gives them comfort in knowing there's life after death.
If anything a belief in God makes the afterlife more terrifying because if you believe in both God and hell, then that means there's a possibility you can go to hell. That to me is not comforting, nor soothing to think about and actually worries me more than just not existing. Believing in God creates a life long struggle to make it to heaven so that you can live in peace rather than live in hell. If I didn't believe in God, and thought there was non-existence after death, then what would there be to fear? Dying and having to stand before an omnipotent being that will judge you for your sins is way more scarier than just dying and becoming nothing.
