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Phylosophy
#1
Phylosophy
If it were somehow proved that there was an afterlife but no other information was given, what sort of explanation would you give to account for this phenomenon?

How many different theories can you come up with and how do you define 'afterlife'?

What I'm really trying to do is to probe other peoples imagination and understanding of the Cosmos and how this knowledge would affect their world view.
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#2
RE: Phylosophy
Well, I'll have a go although my answer is going to be biased, so I will be interested to see what the other atheists think of this. Even as a believer, I haven't believed in 'life after death' or 'consciousness after death' for many years. So I am in harmony with atheists in this matter. I believe once you die, your life force leaves your body etc and that is the end of you. I can't comprehend any kind of consciousness existing after death because you need the 'receiver' or 'processor': the brain, and nerves etc in order to experience consciousness. The very idea that any kind of life or consciousness can continue is going into the realms of the supernatural. If were proven that life continues in some metaphysical way, then maybe God is out there somewhere as well. Cool
"The eternal mystery of the world is its comprehensibility"

Albert Einstein
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#3
RE: Phylosophy
Man, this is difficult. The world's top scientists and philosophers would be wracking their brains over this one. I'd be more inclined to consier this "life after death" as becoming one with the force than going to heaven O_o So weird.
By afterlife, you mean I, Luke McGuire, would live on as Luke McGuire after my death? Or could "I" be reincarnated as a knight in the 14th century and live his life? I wouldn't even know where to start if you meant I'd live as myself again somewhere, somehow.
In my head I have an idea of me closing my eyes for the last time, and falling into my own mind where all the laws of the universe break down into something untangible. It just isn't working for me. Argggggh I can't do this Tongue
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#4
RE: Phylosophy
(December 13, 2008 at 7:09 am)Darwinian Wrote: If it were somehow proved that there was an afterlife but no other information was given, what sort of explanation would you give to account for this phenomenon?

How many different theories can you come up with and how do you define 'afterlife'?

What I'm really trying to do is to probe other peoples imagination and understanding of the Cosmos and how this knowledge would affect their world view.

"Under the earth, beyond the abyss of the Apsu [full of fresh water and encircling the earth], lay the infernal dwelling place to which men descended after death. It was the 'Land of no return' . . . In these regions of eternal darkness the souls of the dead - edimmu - 'clad, like birds, in a garment of wings' are all jumbled together." - The New Larousse Encyclopedia of Mythology

That was what the Assyro - Babylonian culture believed regarding an afterlife. This subterranean world was ruled by the goddess Ereshkigal, the "Princess of the great earth."

The Egyptians believed that before the soul could reach a happy haven it had to be weighed against Maat, the goddess of truth and justice. Either Anubis the jackal headed god or Horus the falcon headed would help in the procedure. If Osiris approved then the soul sould go on to share bliss with the gods.

Ancient Chinese mythology included the belief in not only survival after death but also the need to keep ancestors happy. Ancestor's spirits lived on and could punish the living if angered. The dead were given aid, even including being buried with live attendants who would die and serve them in the afterlife. Kings in Egypt, Africa, Japan and other places were buried with victims for this reason.

The Greeks, of course, believed that Hades, the son of Cronus and brother of Zeus and Poseidon, was in charge of the realm named after him. Charon rowed the ferry that transported the newly dead from the land of the living to the underworld - across the river Styx. For a price, so the dead were buried with coins for the toll. If you couldn't pay you were left on the wrong side of the river to roam no man's land and haunt the living.

Greek mythology went on to influence the Roman's and philosophers such as Plato who would in turn influence early Xian apostate philosophy. The Bible doesn't teach the immortal soul.

The Aztecs, Maya and Iccas also believed in the immortal soul. They believed that the dead were actually living but had only passed from one phase to another. Invisible, impalpable, invulnerable. Unseen members of the clan.

Incans believed in immortality, not just of the soul but of the person. One never died but the dead body merely became undead and took on unseen powers. Maya believed in a soul that went to 13 heavens and 9 hells.

African mythologies believed the soul to survive and continue in existance. Souls can be called upon by magicians in order to aid them in their powers. Souls often transmigrate into the bodies of animals or be reincarnated in animals and plants. For this reason the Zulu will not kill snakes for fear of killing their dead relatives.

The Masai believ in a creator called Ng ai, who places a guardian angel for each Masai as protection. At the moment of death the angel takes the soul to the herafter.

Under your hypothetical - where I had to guess about the afterlife without having any information - I have to go back to before I discovered the Bible which teaches that the soul dies and the person may be resurrected to eternal life or for a small number of people who will go to heaven in spiritual form, I would have to guess that the afterlife was simply a moving on to another form in another place. I used to think this would most likely be to another planet where we were more advanced and everything was different.

I think that reincarnation and transmigration of the immortal soul is simply a need to ignore the fact that we die. Typical in that it doesn't answer any questions but presents a lame attempt to explain something we can't understand.

LIKE EVOLUTION!

Big Grin
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#5
RE: Phylosophy
(December 14, 2008 at 3:44 pm)Daystar Wrote: I think that reincarnation and transmigration of the immortal soul is simply a need to ignore the fact that we die. Typical in that it doesn't answer any questions but presents a lame attempt to explain something we can't understand.

LIKE EVOLUTION!

Big Grin
I imagine it would look like a "lame attempt" when you know absolutely nothing about the theory to begin with. I used to treat you with some respect Daystar, because you seemed like an educated guy who had a new approach to the Bible. Took me a while to realise you were just another petty fundamentalist using repeated arguments and dissing something they do not understand...nor do they want to learn.
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#6
RE: Phylosophy
(December 14, 2008 at 4:53 pm)Tiberius Wrote:
(December 14, 2008 at 3:44 pm)Daystar Wrote: I think that reincarnation and transmigration of the immortal soul is simply a need to ignore the fact that we die. Typical in that it doesn't answer any questions but presents a lame attempt to explain something we can't understand.

LIKE EVOLUTION!

Big Grin
I imagine it would look like a "lame attempt" when you know absolutely nothing about the theory to begin with. I used to treat you with some respect Daystar, because you seemed like an educated guy who had a new approach to the Bible. Took me a while to realise you were just another petty fundamentalist using repeated arguments and dissing something they do not understand...nor do they want to learn.

You ... you mean that you see me the same way as I see you? It only took you longer? Wow! [sarcasm]I didn't see that coming[/sarcasm]

400!
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#7
RE: Phylosophy
(December 14, 2008 at 7:23 pm)Daystar Wrote:
(December 14, 2008 at 4:53 pm)Tiberius Wrote: I imagine it would look like a "lame attempt" when you know absolutely nothing about the theory to begin with. I used to treat you with some respect Daystar, because you seemed like an educated guy who had a new approach to the Bible. Took me a while to realise you were just another petty fundamentalist using repeated arguments and dissing something they do not understand...nor do they want to learn.

You ... you mean that you see me the same way as I see you? It only took you longer? Wow! [sarcasm]I didn't see that coming[/sarcasm]
*sigh* and back Daystar regresses into immaturity. He "de-evolved" so to speak. Well I'm glad everyone can see your true self after countless posts espousing your lies about hating religion.
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#8
RE: Phylosophy
(December 14, 2008 at 8:15 pm)Tiberius Wrote: *sigh* and back Daystar regresses into immaturity. He "de-evolved" so to speak. Well I'm glad everyone can see your true self after countless posts espousing your lies about hating religion.

Lies about hating religion? Not lies.
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#9
RE: Phylosophy
Daystar, you really aren't convincing anybody anymore. Drop the act. You are a religious man, you have religious beliefs. You love religion. You are devoted to your religion.
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#10
RE: Phylosophy
If an afterlife existed. I would have no idea how it could.
So to clutch at straws: Perhaps its possible that IF there was an afterlife this could be so because invisible and intangible consciousnesses have been present in the universe and have been evolving before the Origin of life. And these consciousnesses (perhaps I should say soul but this doesn't require a "God" or gods), possess bodies that evolve such as single celled organisms. And then these 'souls' get more complex and sophisticated and therefore intelligent (they start unintelligent and a tiny fragment of consciousness that is merely hanging on). Just like the bodies (which includes brains) get more complex. And then after the body and brain dies these consciousnesses that you think are you body live on and you can still live after death. With dreams etc.
This of course is absurd as far as I'm concerned because consciousness and thought is clearly effected by what happens to the brain.
Like I said I'm just clutching at straws and maybe I've given some of you at least some or one idea to work on since this whole thing is pretty difficult anyway. Maybe I just lack imagination on this subject at least?
I've heard that perhaps in the future you really could perhaps get your brain frozen and put in another body (maybe whether biological or cybernetic) and perhaps live on. But that would actually be more of a continuation of the current life than an after life wouldn't it?
Just some thoughts. Ideas. Hypothesizing. Clutching at straws.
I have no idea really:p
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