The Afterlife

Do you believe in some form of an afterlife? If so, is your belief based on a religion? And, if you do base afterlife on your religion and your beliefs, then what about the billions of other beliefs that exist in every living person. Every being for that matter. Do you believe it is only humanity that exists in an afterlife? And if so, does that mean that other earthly creatures do not have souls?

These questions have been haunting me day and night for years, and although I know that our opinions will never answer these questions accurately (considering the fact that none of us could possibly know), I still think it would be interesting to hear your views.

Personally, I'm still debating exactly what I believe in, after death. And as for where religion kicks in...here's a little theory I thought up.

I've seen people from every religion be taken over by it. Fainting, being posses, seeing dead people, ect. ect. So, this makes me think...Everyone is always asking 'What religion is right?'. But...what if they all are? What if, if you believe strongly enough in something, it becomes true? I was raised to believe in a Heaven and a Hell, but I surely do not believe in that now. This is just a thought that I still need to think through. It is just blossoming and I will have the full flower soon. But, as for the afterlife, this is a possiblility.

I have also pondered the possibility that all humanity is correct. It just seems silly to think that one religion out of thousands could be the only truth out there. And no matter what people say there really are no two same opinions on religion, life, and death. Everyone's views are different.

Over the years some religions, such as the polytheism practiced in the days of ancient Rome and Greece, have died out. So, what happens to the souls, if souls exist, of the people who lived in those eras? They can't possibly be excluded from an afterlife according to modern theology that they didn't know existed.

I am a firm believer in science, but I am also a believer in the afterlife. The most primitive forms of humanity believed in some sort of life after death.. In fact the ancient Egyptians based their whole existence upon preparation for the afterlife.

Then again, I do not exclude the idea that we are all just kidding ourselves, and that life as we know it now is all that REALLY exists.

..Man, when I think of it that way the idea of life seems so much more precious.

Hi

I belive only in life.

As you are saying the afterlife is created by humans through all the years. Only the consept remains. And our remains.
if the afterlife theories that have died out are less real than those of the present day, we are saying back then all they did was die with a smile on their faces. Knowing what was ''ahead''. That they all died with a lie one their mind.
I belive todays theories are no different.

=)

What you need to ask before you dismiss the afterlife is whether you believe in the soul. Most people believe in the soul but forget that this kind of implies that they belive in another kind of life other than material life. The soul must come from somewhere and it is perfectly logical that it goes back there after death too. (World of the forms)

After your body dies, your brain still functions for 6 to 12 minutes..I think that IS the after life. After that, all your collected knowledge is spread telepathically, builds up, and creates what we believe to be natural instinct.

That is an interesting idea parasite, how did you come up with it? I think that natural instinct probably has a lot more to do with evolution than the afterlife, but evolution of the soul is another interesting idea to visit.

Keep in mind, there is no proof of the human soul that has been documented enough to my knowledge to at least convince ME, but in my opinion if there are some sort of 'souls' they must exist for every living creature, and thus have existed since the very first creatures walked the earth. Could souls have evolved in a similar fashion to our scientifically proven evolution of everything else on earth?

Cockroach have a soul?

Seems like humans only livin things on earth got souls. Or there gonna be mosquitos in heaven? And if so, how's that heaven? Or seperate heavens for dogs, cats, etc. But then pet owners will be miffed they have to get day passes to see Fido and Fluffy.

Animals be birthin, bondin, pairin, and dyin just like humans....and the point then is (course just my beliefs) is that when ya die your worm food, and thank something all-powerful for that (like nature).

If you were eternal, or lived for all eternity...........wouldn't you get bored after a while?

Speakin o birthin - you all aware that kangaroos can consciously sex their young (determine in embryo male or female sex). Humans can't do that. Maybe the kangaroos got the souls and we just wannabees.

I beileave that there is no way to know or prove if there is or isn't an afterlife.

i have read an analogy as such: to die is to be a snowflake floating down towards a great ocean. each snowflake is unique unto itself in its crystaline form. however when it encounters the ocean and dissolves(dies), it realizes what it had been the whole time...water

The snowflake analogy makes sense for its particular belief. Your whole life you are headed in the direction of your own unique path, and when you die, according to this belief, you come to whatever realities exist for every living thing. Perhaps that IS the afterlife; the answers to the questions we have asked ourselves for centuries.

It is true, Jacker_Jones, that there is no proof but this thread is just a discussion of what your own ideas of the afterlife are.

Good analogy the snowflake; well said wholly.

If There is an afterlife, why haven't we been given proof of it, i have faith in that there is an afterlife, it may not be all cloudy and peaceful like the stereotype of heaven but it may be that we get to meet all dead people like Elvis and our passed away friends or relatives... wouldn't you prefer if you knew you died and then went there, rather than just die.
What a waste if that did happen!
Anyway,bye...please reply

I wouldn't call heaven a stereotype, a generalization perhaps. I have always thought of heaven as just a sort of feeling, rather than anything visual. If our souls really do exist, feeling and other untouchables probably fall into the same catagory. To me, if heaven exists it is more than a physical existance.

Eeek...Just trying to contiplate whether or not my existance leads to somewhere or stops dead in its tracks give me a headache. I would hate to imagine that the my conscience is total gone and whole my life is for nothing.

As for my belief, currently i believe there is a heaven and hell. Though because im 18, im at that age where i question my beliefs. What if i only believe this due to the fact that my parents believes in an afterlife and i went through 18 years of them putting the idea in my head. Wat if they are wrong

I came up with this theory where the idea of an afterlife is wat keeps us civilized. I mean if i truley know that i have only 65-75 years of existance with no doubt. I would think that my actions will not have any consequences. I would want to live the happiest life ever with no limits. I mean i would want everything money, drugs(which i dont do), sex, sex, sex, and have no regard for the fellow man.

As for wat i think the afterlife is i would kind of agree with mindfields1. I mean sight, hearing and touch are evolutionary traits which we obtain just to survive in this world. Why would we need them in the afterlife.

Well as I grow older i will probably decided on wat i believe but i guess the only answer to this question will rest on the persons faith