RE: Question for the anti's.......?
March 9, 2016 at 9:22 am
(This post was last modified: March 9, 2016 at 9:33 am by MTL.)
For Atheists and Theists to have this discussion to any constructive end,
the definition of what the reality of "Immortality" would actually BE like, must first be clarified.
When a Theist asks us if we want to live forever,
we have to also remember that a Theist wouldn't think of Eternal Life the same way an Atheist, would.
The Atheist considers the possibility of "Eternal Life" from a practical POV
and cannot avoid the conclusion that he would ultimately end up bored.
But when the Theist refers to "Eternal Life",
he is referring to this idyllic, drug-trip-like state of persistent, impossible, infinite euphoria,
where you are "one with God",
and you never feel anything negative, including boredom, ever again....like magic.
It reminds me of a line from "Interview with the Vampire" where the vampires are discussing how,
since the moment of their magical Vampire birth,
absolutely everything in the world now seems to pulse with a new energy it never had before,
and "had some fascination" to it.
I think this argument illustrates yet again how impossibly Theists and Atheists differ in their thought patterns,
because each will have difficulty accepting the other's version,
and each will be frustrated with the other's inability to see it as they, their opponent, does.
If God and Heaven exist, and Immortality is an impossibly, magically, perpetually-fascinating-yet-simultaneously-restful place
of no pain and no loss and no fatigue and no boredom
...then Yes, sure. I'd sign up for that.
But I cannot, cannot, cannot believe in such a place.
And goddamn if I will waste my brief time here on Earth passing up on enjoyments
or feeling bad about my basic human nature,
in the hopes that by doing so I will be granted a free pass to this absurd, mooted fairyland.
To address the concept of Immortality more from the Atheist's perspective,
I agree that forced Immortality would indeed be hellish,
and boredom would certainly, inevitably result.
(Note: Anne Rice also touched on this subject: in her Vampire books, the "young" vampires always seemed to struggle with the concept, too,
and often ended up walking into the sunlight to "kill" themselves because the prospect of Immortality was simply too much to bear).
However, I would love to have a Tardis, like in Doctor Who,
and be able to travel through time and space to different points, to enjoy the best parts.
Or, If I had a chance to re-live my life, and make some changes, I would take that opportunity.
I think the best version of "Immortality", for me,
would simply be my own life, as it is,
...just with none of the bad or unpleasant stuff that you don't want to do.
Youthfulness and good health to be indefinitely prolonged for both me and all my loved ones;
and time would just not pass nearly as quickly;
for example, my "30s" wouldn't be a mere 10 years, but more like 100 years,
and every day would just be a nice, interesting, easy day in normal life,
and the only excitement would be that which I chose to add,
...every day would just be a slow news day, with no tragedies or disasters or crimes.
Imagine it like you're having this interesting, pleasant dream,
but you have the control to prevent the dream from careening off the tracks into nightmare;
You don't know what's going to happen next, in the dream,
and it's always interesting,
but you have the power to avoid the unpleasant stuff.
That, to me, would be a version of Immortality worth having;
THAT would be my idea of Heaven.
But again, it is nonsense.
So what is the point of altering your real life, now, in the effort to chase rainbows?
the definition of what the reality of "Immortality" would actually BE like, must first be clarified.
When a Theist asks us if we want to live forever,
we have to also remember that a Theist wouldn't think of Eternal Life the same way an Atheist, would.
The Atheist considers the possibility of "Eternal Life" from a practical POV
and cannot avoid the conclusion that he would ultimately end up bored.
But when the Theist refers to "Eternal Life",
he is referring to this idyllic, drug-trip-like state of persistent, impossible, infinite euphoria,
where you are "one with God",
and you never feel anything negative, including boredom, ever again....like magic.
It reminds me of a line from "Interview with the Vampire" where the vampires are discussing how,
since the moment of their magical Vampire birth,
absolutely everything in the world now seems to pulse with a new energy it never had before,
and "had some fascination" to it.
I think this argument illustrates yet again how impossibly Theists and Atheists differ in their thought patterns,
because each will have difficulty accepting the other's version,
and each will be frustrated with the other's inability to see it as they, their opponent, does.
If God and Heaven exist, and Immortality is an impossibly, magically, perpetually-fascinating-yet-simultaneously-restful place
of no pain and no loss and no fatigue and no boredom
...then Yes, sure. I'd sign up for that.
But I cannot, cannot, cannot believe in such a place.
And goddamn if I will waste my brief time here on Earth passing up on enjoyments
or feeling bad about my basic human nature,
in the hopes that by doing so I will be granted a free pass to this absurd, mooted fairyland.
To address the concept of Immortality more from the Atheist's perspective,
I agree that forced Immortality would indeed be hellish,
and boredom would certainly, inevitably result.
(Note: Anne Rice also touched on this subject: in her Vampire books, the "young" vampires always seemed to struggle with the concept, too,
and often ended up walking into the sunlight to "kill" themselves because the prospect of Immortality was simply too much to bear).
However, I would love to have a Tardis, like in Doctor Who,
and be able to travel through time and space to different points, to enjoy the best parts.
Or, If I had a chance to re-live my life, and make some changes, I would take that opportunity.
I think the best version of "Immortality", for me,
would simply be my own life, as it is,
...just with none of the bad or unpleasant stuff that you don't want to do.
Youthfulness and good health to be indefinitely prolonged for both me and all my loved ones;
and time would just not pass nearly as quickly;
for example, my "30s" wouldn't be a mere 10 years, but more like 100 years,
and every day would just be a nice, interesting, easy day in normal life,
and the only excitement would be that which I chose to add,
...every day would just be a slow news day, with no tragedies or disasters or crimes.
Imagine it like you're having this interesting, pleasant dream,
but you have the control to prevent the dream from careening off the tracks into nightmare;
You don't know what's going to happen next, in the dream,
and it's always interesting,
but you have the power to avoid the unpleasant stuff.
That, to me, would be a version of Immortality worth having;
THAT would be my idea of Heaven.
But again, it is nonsense.
So what is the point of altering your real life, now, in the effort to chase rainbows?
