Is Eternal Life Even Desireable?

[noctalla]

Recently, I encountered a Christian who asked me what atheists believe happens after death. I suspect the question was posed partly out of genuine curiosity, but with an underlying assumption that, whatever atheists believe, Christians believe in a more desireable outcome. When answering, I started off by saying that it depends on the atheist, in an attempt to convey the fact that there is a great plurality of beliefs among atheists. Then I went on to say that I personally think an individual (at least as far as their conciousness and experience is concerned) ceases to exist after death. Then they asked me, with what appeared to be a mixture of incomprehension, condescention and pity (lol), if I was scared of the thought of not existing. I wasn't really sure how to answer this part. Despite the many less than desireable aspects of existing, I am overall quite satisfied with the experience and am in no hurry to hasten my inevitable death. In fact, I would fight tooth and nail to stay alive, if I had to. But, while dying scares me a quite a bit, I'm not really scared of not existing, because there is literally nothing to be scared of (though I admit I am somewhat unsettled by the thought). At this point I thought I'd turn the question around on the Christian. I assumed (correctly as it turns out) that they believed they would look forward to everlasting life after they died. So I asked them if they were scared of everlasting life. They weren't. I think they assumed I was making a joke, because their reaction suggested that it had never even occured to them that existence without end could possibly be anything other than a good thing. I think this attitude betrays a total incomprehension of the implications of eternity. The thought of existence without end scares me much more than not existing. And the more I think about it, the more it seems to me that my views on what happens after we die are far more desireable than what Christians believe. I could expound further, but I've gone on long enough and I'd like to hear if anyone else has considered the matter.

[Pyrrho]

I think eternal life would be a bad thing.

As for not existing, that is what you did in the year 1800.  So that is what the year 2200 will be like for you.

Epicurus put it this way:

"Accustom yourself to believing that death is nothing to us, for good and evil imply the capacity for sensation, and death is the privation of all sentience; therefore a correct understanding that death is nothing to us makes the mortality of life enjoyable, not by adding to life a limitless time, but by taking away the yearning after immortality. For life has no terrors for him who has thoroughly understood that there are no terrors for him in ceasing to live. Foolish, therefore, is the man who says that he fears death, not because it will pain when it comes, but because it pains in the prospect. Whatever causes no annoyance when it is present, causes only a groundless pain in the expectation. Death, therefore, the most awful of evils, is nothing to us, seeing that, when we are, death is not come, and, when death is come, we are not. It is nothing, then, either to the living or to the dead, for with the living it is not and the dead exist no longer."

http://www.epicurus.net/en/menoeceus.html


As for the traditional Christian, he had better get it right, or instead of feeling high for eternity, he will be in hellfire for eternity, if his beliefs were correct.

[Dystopia]

I disagree and I will play the devil's advocate. I can see the boredom of having an eternal life, but if it was ever achievable I wouldn't hesitate to seize the opportunity. Since I don't believe in the afterlife I think the only possibility for immortality is for living, physically existent humans. Why not?

[Regina]

I think it is desirable as an alternative to being asleep for all eternity, even if you are bored. I think I'd like an afterlife even if I don't believe in one.

It's not realistic, but it is desirable. I don't think any sane human being wants to die yet.

P.S Yeauxleaux is drunk so he gon' be a lil philosophical on today, lo siento (buuurp)

[Angrboda]

I'm sure there will be Bingo and Shuffleboards. Who doesn't like that?

"Whereof one cannot speak, thereof one must be silent."
~ Ludwig Wittgenstein

If there's a God, and he's not a total bumbler, I'm sure he's got something figured out. Besides, how little do we worry about the endless amounts of time in our life that we just let slip away. It would just be videogames and ho-ho's on a larger scale.

[TheoneandonlytrueGod]

Recently, I encountered a Christian who asked me what atheists believe happens after death. I suspect the question was posed partly out of genuine curiosity, but with an underlying assumption that, whatever atheists believe, Christians believe in a more desireable outcome. When answering, I started off by saying that it depends on the atheist, in an attempt to convey the fact that there is a great plurality of beliefs among atheists. Then I went on to say that I personally think an individual (at least as far as their conciousness and experience is concerned) ceases to exist after death. Then they asked me, with what appeared to be a mixture of incomprehension, condescention and pity (lol), if I was scared of the thought of not existing. I wasn't really sure how to answer this part. Despite the many less than desireable aspects of existing, I am overall quite satisfied with the experience and am in no hurry to hasten my inevitable death. In fact, I would fight tooth and nail to stay alive, if I had to. But, while dying scares me a quite a bit, I'm not really scared of not existing, because there is literally nothing to be scared of (though I admit I am somewhat unsettled by the thought). At this point I thought I'd turn the question around on the Christian. I assumed (correctly as it turns out) that they believed they would look forward to everlasting life after they died. So I asked them if they were scared of everlasting life. They weren't. I think they assumed I was making a joke, because their reaction suggested that it had never even occured to them that existence without end could possibly be anything other than a good thing. I think this attitude betrays a total incomprehension of the implications of eternity. The thought of existence without end scares me much more than not existing. And the more I think about it, the more it seems to me that my views on what happens after we die are far more desireable than what Christians believe. I could expound further, but I've gone on long enough and I'd like to hear if anyone else has considered the matter.

I have no fear of death; having said that I have told many people I am looking forward to my 150th birthday and then I'll decide if I want to continue living. In reality I think I'd look forward to everlasting life as long as I was able to get around; I wouldn't want to be on life support for eternity.

As to death, I believe wholeheartedly that "you" cease to exist when the body gives out. Your "spirit" will live on only in the minds of those you have made an impression on including, of course your descendents. Other than that whoosh. The "you (sole)" is dependent on  the living brain.

Robert

[Whateverist]

Have to agree with Woody Allen: "I am not afraid of death, I just don't want to be there when it happens." What if it hurts?

[Jenny A]

I'm not afraid of being dead. I am afraid of dying. Unless you are lucky enough to go in your sleep or under anesthetic, it doesn't look like a pleasant transition. What's the first thing we want reassurance of when I relative dies? He didn't feel any pain. That's because there usually is pain.

And while I'm not afraid of being dead, I like living very much. And I'd like to go on doing so for quite a while yet. But I have met people who were not happy being alive anymore and who were indeed ready to die. That suggests that eternity might not be the best thing ever.

[Minimalist]

When I die, I shall be content to vanish into nothingness.... No show, however good, could conceivably be good forever. I do not believe in immortality, and have no desire for it.
— H L Mencken

[Polaris]

Depends entirely on how you will use that eternal existence.