Christians

[Ace Otana]

What does living it up consist of? Pursuing thrills or pleasure or what exactly? Also, what does it mean to enjoy every moment as if it were your last? Does that mean you enjoy hardship and pain and things being taken from you? And why does the simple fact that this existence is temporary drive you to do anything? What will all that 'driving' mean when your life is over?

What does it mean? You should know! What evidence do you have to say there is another life? What evidence do you have to confirm/prove what you believe?
Enjoying every moment to live this one life that will never come again has far more meaning than one that relies on a belief of another life. If you think it's pointless, fine! If you think living is pointless and should just end this one chance of life then be my guest. I think we are all bloody lucky to be alive, we are very lucky to be given this chance of existence and we should do all we can to better this existence not just for us but for others who are also lucky to be here. It's called being human! It's called being intelligent and thoughtful and if you can't see that then I pity you. To look around in this one existence and say where's the point proves that you are very blind to just how lucky you are to be here. An afterlife is a belief made by man who desperately hopes for ever lasting life that can never happen. It's the price of existence. We are only able to live a little while and it's what we do in this small amount of time that makes us great. I live to help, to better life and become more than what I am. I think that has more meaning and purpose than that of a religious view point.

Huh? What do you mean "take care of this life"? To live, but at what cost? How do you know death is the end, how do you know we're all just chemical reactions and that's it? Yes, of course I've had doubts and so on. But is ceasing to exist really as good as you're making it out to be? Doesn't that make this life rather pointless - especially considering that all life will, presumably, cease to exist at some point. Why would you work on, for example, designing that new refrigerator if you understood the logical conclusion of your point of view? You'd just have to ignore the grim reality, and pursue thrills/pleasure/social standing/or some other vain thing.

How do you know there is another life? What evidence do you have to support your assertions?
Life is not pointless, it is a wonder and a chance of existence. I work and aim for things I've yet to do because it betters the quality of life. Unless you got a better idea what to do with time? There is no guarantee of an afterlife, in fact the chances are against you for an afterlife. No evidence suggests that there is such a place. So I'd start looking for a purpose for this one and only existence for yourself! Because you maybe more wrong than you could possibly know.

Why live/grow/build when everything will be destroyed? I'll try to appeal to the instant gratification mentality of your society. Now, what if, every time you built anything (ideas, structures, and so on) it was immediately destroyed? Even your memory of the details of your production would be destroyed. You couldn't even reminisce. All you could remember was that you built something and it was taken away, despite your wanting to keep it. Now, tell me, would you keep building if every time you built, your creation was destroyed against your will?

If you built a house and it was destroyed would you sit on the ground in tears? If we gave up building and living we would not be here talking. The old generation teaches the new and the new carry on in their place. That's how things move forward. To be bothered to teach, build and pass on for the next generation is by far the most intelligent and thoughtful thing any clever being could ever do. To just give it all up....well that's just plan dumb. Everything ends, that's the nature of our existence weather we like it or not. Beliefs will not bend nor change reality. Whatever the belief maybe. No evidence suggests that there is no afterlife. So get used to it. There is no guarantee, there is no confirmation and that is that.

So, no afterlife means careful living. Why prolong the inevitable? Isn't that vain?

Well it's because of this one life that we should take care of it. If we lose it, then that's it. We are gone. Why prolong? Well because this is our only chance to live it while we can. If you think not, well go jump of a cliff if you want. I won't stop you.
It's pointless to go on through life and ignoring facts. You do not know there is a heaven. There is no guarantee and no confirmation of it's existence. Science doesn't do good or bad news, it does facts! Heaven is the belief to ease the passing from existence. I don't want to ignore what actually happens to you, I want to know and accept it. You constantly remind yourself of an afterlife. Why? Is it to prevent you from questioning it? If there was such a place, I'd never feel sad for those who die. Because I'd know they still exist with consciousness somewhere better. It because there is no afterlife that death is the end. We are biological and we will cease to exist. It's called nature!

I bet you feel the same way about good dreams, movies, or any other experience that you enjoy.

---

No, I enjoy dreams while I can. The same goes for everything I enjoy.