• Welcome to Religious Forums, a friendly forum to discuss all religions in a friendly surrounding.

    Your voice is missing! You will need to register to get access to the following site features:
    • Reply to discussions and create your own threads.
    • Our modern chat room. No add-ons or extensions required, just login and start chatting!
    • Access to private conversations with other members.

    We hope to see you as a part of our community soon!

Spirit in the sky

King Phenomenon

Well-Known Member
I'm grateful to know that I am going to heaven when I die. I don't think about dying much. I live for today and try to enjoy life to its fullest.
 

PureX

Veteran Member
I'm grateful to know that I am going to heaven when I die. I don't think about dying much. I live for today and try to enjoy life to its fullest.
I am pleased to hear that you feel secure in this regard.

I've kind of gone the other direction, though, in that I feel OK about ceasing to exist, completely, if that is what happens. I would not want to exist without end, as that would seem to me like it would become a form of torture, eventually. Interminable boredom. Also, I like the idea that the matter and energy that is currently occupied as being "me" will be freed up and dispersed to become other things. So that all forms of existence get their chance to exist, for as long as they are able, and then pass away to make room for more. This feels somehow equitable, and purposeful, to me.
 

King Phenomenon

Well-Known Member
I am pleased to hear that you feel secure in this regard.

I've kind of gone the other direction, though, in that I feel OK about ceasing to exist, completely, if that is what happens. I would not want to exist without end, as that would seem to me like it would become a form of torture, eventually. Interminable boredom. Also, I like the idea that the matter and energy that is currently occupied as being "me" will be freed up and dispersed to become other things. So that all forms of existence get their chance to exist, for as long as they are able, and then pass away to make room for more. This feels somehow equitable, and purposeful, to me.
Eternity is awesome in my eyes but I respect that you think it's torture
 

ecco

Veteran Member
as that would seem to me like it would become a form of torture, eventually. Interminable boredom.
True!

How many times can you get your cheeks pinched by Auntie Edna? How many times can you travel through a black hole and still be amazed? You can do that and everything else you can imagine ten million times in less than .00000000001% of eternity.

Then what!
 

halbhh

The wonder and awe of "all things".
True!

How many times can you get your cheeks pinched by Auntie Edna? How many times can you travel through a black hole and still be amazed? You can do that and everything else you can imagine ten million times in less than .00000000001% of eternity.

Then what!
If possible, imagine a different state of consciousness you've not had, a better one. And then another. And then another. (not easy, unless you tried before, I suppose)

Time duration itself, and perception itself -- they are just subjective in some ways, and so if you attempt to suggest time matters at all, then you'd be placing limits (that probably don't exist) on something not known.

In other words, imagining our to-date consciousness experiences as all there is -- it's not a realistic guess at how consciousness can be. Especially not once we finally realize that others experience states of consciousness that we have not, even here, even in just this limited short time here. Finally, to guess that there are only finite number of states of consciousness isn't a realistic seeming guess either, for that matter. But I expect some of them are of a quality one wouldn't want them to end and be replaced by another.
 

ecco

Veteran Member
Finally, to guess that there are only finite number of states of consciousness isn't a realistic seeming guess either, for that matter. But I expect some of them are of a quality one wouldn't want them to end and be replaced by another.


And you could experience all of them in a tiny fraction of infinite time. Then what? Do it all over again? How many times would you repeat them before becoming bored? But given infinite time, you would become bored. If you don't believe that, it is because are unable to comprehend the concept of infinite time.
 

halbhh

The wonder and awe of "all things".
And you could experience all of them in a tiny fraction of infinite time. Then what? Do it all over again? How many times would you repeat them before becoming bored? But given infinite time, you would become bored. If you don't believe that, it is because are unable to comprehend the concept of infinite time.

Some states of consciousness that we can experience even here and now, even here, are timeless -- where a sense of time passing is irrelevant and missing.

Real question to you: Why limit yourself, your life, your experiences, so severely? I'm not suggesting a drug, though I don't try to judge that, but even just merely taking time to stare at the sky for a while or something (bath, music, running, whatever), can be helpful to people to better their conscious state. If life seems like you'd not want to continue it after 4.32 bn years or after 2.5 minutes (I'm serious here), perhaps the problem is not being willing to experience the new.
 

halbhh

The wonder and awe of "all things".
And you could experience all of them in a tiny fraction of infinite time. Then what? Do it all over again? How many times would you repeat them before becoming bored? But given infinite time, you would become bored. If you don't believe that, it is because are unable to comprehend the concept of infinite time.

Infinite time already seems to imply infinite possible experience tho, just in logic, since one usually is using the (not certain) assumption these things are physical (subject to fixed laws), and a physical system of any kind (consciousness, etc.) would then be able to theoretically have infinite possible states, given infinite time to arrange into them.

Just a note to look at: to assume God could not create the conditions to allow you a new state of consciousness even after having experiences for whatever period of time (if time is even involved at all, but let's assume so even though it's a shaky assumption ;-) ) would be to assume God cannot do some unexpected thing, it seems. But that's only another form of assuming God isn't God, or doesn't exist, etc. In other words, it tends into a circular reasoning. Best would be to admit it's all just an unknown, instead of using whatever assumptions, such as God not existing, to reason it out.
 

ecco

Veteran Member
Real question to you: Why limit yourself, your life, your experiences, so severely? I'm not suggesting a drug, though I don't try to judge that, but even just merely taking time to stare at the sky for a while or something (bath, music, running, whatever), can be helpful to people to better their conscious state. If life seems like you'd not want to continue it after 4.32 bn years or after 2.5 minutes (I'm serious here), perhaps the problem is not being willing to experience the new.

Wow! You must have an advanced degree in psychology and a massive ego to think you can know that much about me. Or, really, anything at all about me. But I get that a lot from holier-than-thou religionists. So many of you think you know so much about everything.

The only thing you can know about me is that I don't believe in a (any) mythical man in the sky. I don't believe in any life-after-life fairy tales.

Like other atheists, I am well aware of my mortality. I can accept that. That makes it all the more important for me to enjoy the little time I, or any other living thing, has.
 

ecco

Veteran Member
But that's only another form of assuming God isn't God, or doesn't exist, etc. In other words, it tends into a circular reasoning. Best would be to admit it's all just an unknown, instead of using whatever assumptions, such as God not existing, to reason it out.

You accusing me of using circular reasoning to come to the conclusion that there are no gods is really hilarious.

Are you just assuming that Shiva is not a real god?
Are you just assuming that Allah is not a real god?
Are millions of Hindus and Muslims just assuming that your god does not exist?

Why do you assume that I am making an assumption that gods don't exist? Is that your ego talking again?

You, without any evidence except some stories compiled into a couple of books, believe in a very specific god.
You, without any evidence except some stories compiled into a couple of books, believe in heaven and eternal life after life.
You, without any evidence, make up stories about what is or is not possible in that after life.
 

halbhh

The wonder and awe of "all things".
You accusing me of using circular reasoning to come to the conclusion that there are no gods is really hilarious.

Are you just assuming that Shiva is not a real god?
Are you just assuming that Allah is not a real god?
Are millions of Hindus and Muslims just assuming that your god does not exist?

Why do you assume that I am making an assumption that gods don't exist? Is that your ego talking again?

You, without any evidence except some stories compiled into a couple of books, believe in a very specific god.
You, without any evidence except some stories compiled into a couple of books, believe in heaven and eternal life after life.
You, without any evidence, make up stories about what is or is not possible in that after life.
"Allah" is Arabic for "God", and Christians that speak Arabic use "Allah" for God. It's good though to beware of ego -- "God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble." Even a non believer though can value humility/modesty, which common to many of those accomplishing the most. Have a good day. :)
 

ecco

Veteran Member
You accusing me of using circular reasoning to come to the conclusion that there are no gods is really hilarious.

Are you just assuming that Shiva is not a real god?
Are you just assuming that Allah is not a real god?
Are millions of Hindus and Muslims just assuming that your god does not exist?

Why do you assume that I am making an assumption that gods don't exist? Is that your ego talking again?


"Allah" is Arabic for "God", and Christians that speak Arabic use "Allah" for God. It's good though to beware of ego -- "God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble." Even a non believer though can value humility/modesty, which common to many of those accomplishing the most. Have a good day.

I humbly note that you failed to address my questions to you.


You, without any evidence except some stories compiled into a couple of books, believe in a very specific god.
You, without any evidence except some stories compiled into a couple of books, believe in heaven and eternal life after life.
You, without any evidence, make up stories about what is or is not possible in that after life.

I humbly note that you failed to address my comments to you.
 

Valjean

Veteran Member
Premium Member
I like the sound of the word. Yeah it's probably rooted in studying Christianity
Is your belief in an afterlife evidence based, faith based, or wishful thinking?

What do you imagine the afterlife/Heaven will be like? Will you be the same person?
 

Valjean

Veteran Member
Premium Member
I know there's a heaven
Doesn't answer the question.

and I'll be with my love ones in spirit
What does "in spirit" mean? Incorporeal?

What I'm asking about is phenomenology.
What will the heavenly "you" will be like? Will you still see and hear? Will you still have emotions, likes, dislikes, &c? Will you exist in a specific time and place? Will your consciousness be a continuation of your earthly qualia? Will you remain a discrete individual, of an expanded or composite being?
 
Last edited:
Top