If an entity offered you as an atheist an after life after you lived, would that interest you

[leov]

I do not see anything in the Bible that says anyone will go to heaven. So it is not much of an incentive.

you are correct, it is Hades with with principle of Hades. Heaven startsb in this life.

 

[Aupmanyav]

If after death you are offered heaven vs non-existence by an unexpected entity, after having completed a life of good deeds, would you accept this opportunity even though you never believed?
Also a further clarification in case it isn't clear, this entity appears to you after you are dead, not while you are living

I am eternal, I am star-dust. I am 13.78 billion year old. There is no death for me. I already have what you and your non-existent Flying Spaghetti Monster is offering. Don't try to sell me snake-oil.

 

[amorphous_constellation]

I am eternal, I am star-dust. I am 13.78 billion year old. There is no death for me. I already have what you and your non-existent Flying Spaghetti Monster is offering. Don't try to sell me snake-oil.

Ok, so to be clear, are you talking about a believe in reincarnation? If so, I suppose this op isn't going to be very relevant to you. I'm talking more specifically to the atheists who think death is the end.

 

[Unveiled Artist]

So I guess, assuming that heaven is an 'incentive,' (is it?) this question goes out to atheists.. If after death you are offered heaven vs non-existence by an unexpected entity, after having completed a life of good deeds, would you accept this opportunity even though you never believed?

Also a further clarification in case it isn't clear, this entity appears to you after you are dead, not while you are living

Also if you are an atheist who believes in reincarnation, I suppose this wouldn't be applicable to you.

No. I would need to get to know the entity first before taking an offering such as heaven. If someone gave you a million dollars and told you your family will be in good health, unless they are someone you really trust, would you be wondering "what's up with that?" or have faith to put your finances and family in the arms of someone you have not met or got to know?

I honestly don't believe my good deeds (just as material items etc) will contribute to rewards etc in the afterlife. I'm not sure how the two connect with each other unless I believed in reincarnation, I don't think I'll ever know.

Non-existence is scary, but unless it's out of fear or seeing "something shiny", I would have to know about the latter to know whether it's fool's gold or not.

 

[Aupmanyav]

.. are you talking about a believe in reincarnation? If so, I suppose this op isn't going to be very relevant to you. I'm talking more specifically to the atheists who think death is the end.

You are right, the OP is not relevant to me. There is no death for me, what constitutes me only seemingly gets redistributed. This has been happening for the last 13.78 billion years.

 

[amorphous_constellation]

You are right, the OP is not relevant to me. There is no death for me, what constitutes me only gets redistributed. This has been happening for the last 13.78 billion years.

And that's generally toward what I believe as well

 

[amorphous_constellation]

I would need to get to know the entity first before taking an offering such as heaven.

Well, in the op scenario this is not a luxury you really get. How much would you have to know it?

If someone gave you a million dollars and told you your family will be in good health, unless they are someone you really trust, would you be wondering "what's up with that?" or have faith to put your finances and family in the arms of someone you have not met or got to know?

What do you mean

I honestly don't believe my good deeds (just as material items etc) will contribute to rewards etc in the afterlife. I'm not sure how the two connect with each other unless I believed in reincarnation, I don't think I'll ever know.

I don't know, maybe that the point of it being a surprise, in the scenario I outlined. Maybe it's more of a gift to you than anything. Maybe you aren't supposed to know what kind of good you were doing, because then in life you would be too fixated on it.

 

[Scott C.]

So I guess, assuming that heaven is an 'incentive,' (is it?) this question goes out to atheists.. If after death you are offered heaven vs non-existence by an unexpected entity, after having completed a life of good deeds, would you accept this opportunity even though you never believed?

Also a further clarification in case it isn't clear, this entity appears to you after you are dead, not while you are living

Also if you are an atheist who believes in reincarnation, I suppose this wouldn't be applicable to you.

A lot of people seem to be dodging the question. If I understand correctly, you're saying that a person dies and they see that they are still alive. Someone shows them an eternal life that they can have where they can learn forever, have social interaction forever, grow forever, have eternal peace, and joy, travel through the ins and outs of eternal dimensions (whatever that means) and it will never end... or they can be extinguised from existence right then. Is there anyone who would choose extinction?

 

[amorphous_constellation]

If I understand correctly

I think you do, yeah. It would be good to get a few more answers, this is probably one of my harder questions

 

[Heyo]

"Good evening Ma'am/Sir,

you have just died. We have scanned your brain and temporarly recreated your persona in this computer. You wil "die" again when the power goes off.
But I can make you an once-in-a-lifetime (sorry) offer: we can transfer your persona to a secure server where you could live on forever (theoretically). Communication with other personas will be instantaniously, with the living it will be via internet, email, fora, etc. At least it will be in the future when we are allowed to reveal the program. The server is already paid for by the Good Girls Go to Heaven Foundation so the offer is free. We only need your decision. Do you want to live forever?"

 

[ADigitalArtist]

A lot of people seem to be dodging the question. If I understand correctly, you're saying that a person dies and they see that they are still alive. Someone shows them an eternal life that they can have where they can learn forever, have social interaction forever, grow forever, have eternal peace, and joy, travel through the ins and outs of eternal dimensions (whatever that means) and it will never end... or they can be extinguised from existence right then. Is there anyone who would choose extinction?

(Also to the OP)
Depends on the conditions of the offer. Not just the part where I'm rather anti totalitarianism and not interested in divine theocracies, but also I think death is necessary for life to have meaning. Eternity and especially eternal bliss would be the torture of never eating anything but cake forever. Eternity would make everything boring and sterile eventually. And bliss, no trials and tribulations would make nothing grow. Because we only grow from struggles.

In other words, I wouldn't mind living longer but I don't want to live forever.

 

[ChristineM]

The heaven that an entity offered you, so I take it you wouldn't take it then

Ahh the heaven of your mind. No, absolutely not.

 

[ChristineM]

worse than eternal hell?

Hell?

Is this the hell made up by Dante Alighieri and Hieronymus Bosch or another one?

Eternity in what you consider hell would be for more interesting than your dreams of heaven and no worse than where i have been in real life.

People cannot threaten me anymore with hell.

 

[leov]

Hell?

Is this the hell made up by Dante Alighieri and Hieronymus Bosch or another one?

Eternity in what you consider hell would be for more interesting than your dreams of heaven and no worse than where i have been in real life.

People cannot threaten me anymore with hell.

There is no torture and hell as in Dante's work , we chose our afterlife, we chose where to be and bad consciousness would choose to be with its likes. It is not permanent unless the want so. Hell of Dante is inspired by physical world and reflection of it.

 

[ChristineM]

There is no torture and hell as in Dante's work , we chose our afterlife, we chose where to be and bad consciousness would choose to be with its likes. It is not permanent unless the want so. Hell of Dante is inspired by physical world and reflection of it.

An eternal fiery lake of burning sulfur, not torture?
Eternal punishment, not torture?
Punished with everlasting destruction, not torture?
Thrown into a blazing furnace, not torture?

Ok. If you say so.

Dante and Bosch were inspired by the bible and built on it. Now the majority or believers model their dre ams of heaven and hell on their work even if they have not read or seen the art. There comedy/art has become more or less ubiquitous.

 

[Polymath257]

That is one thing that would definitely make it tolerable! Very enjoyable, IMO.

Spending time with, and getting to know, your kids’ kids’ kids’ kids’ kids’, etc.!!!
And then, eventually, imagine exploring other worlds in the universe!
While your progeny keeps on expanding.

Who knows what abilities that new technologies will afford us with!

The big problem is that infinity is a very longtime.

Imagine living a million years for every possible rearrangement of the atoms of the universe. To me, that would be pure torture.

I'm not sure exactly what the tolerable upper bound is. I'm thinking somewhere around 10,000 years. If the afterlife is *really* good, maybe 100,000. Much past that and it will seem like an eternity.

 

[ChristineM]

The big problem is that infinity is a very longtime.

I honestly do not believe that some people have any concept of time. Its enough of a problem getting to get them to understand 200,000 years, 4 billion years or 13.8 billion years.

Infinity/eternity... Well...

 

[amorphous_constellation]

In other words, I wouldn't mind living longer but I don't want to live forever.

So you wold then opt for the 'exit clause' as mentioned earlier by Polymath? Interesting

Ahh the heaven of your mind. No, absolutely not.

Not the heaven of my mind, but the one that an entity is offering you, I don't know what is in it. Perhaps it offers you a tour and gives you an exit clause. Wold the scenario with the exit clause even interest you?

Eternity in what you consider hell would be for more interesting than your dreams of heaven

I don't know, perhaps the environment that the entity offers has tuner controls, so you can attenuate it to the conditions you wish. I suppose you would be describing a sort of masochistic heaven..

 

[amorphous_constellation]

I'm not sure exactly what the tolerable upper bound is. I'm thinking somewhere around 10,000 years. If the afterlife is *really* good, maybe 100,000. Much past that and it will seem like an eternity.

You might also program it so that at some point you forget much of what you did, so then you can learn and experience anew..

 

[Polymath257]

You might also program it so that at some point you forget much of what you did, so then you can learn and experience anew..

That doesn't have the same appeal, I have to admit.