Does spiritual life outweigh human life?

[bigvindaloo]

For the believers in a hereafter out there, do you priortise your life according to what you believe is coming, or what you expect the afterlife holds for you, above and beyond what you believe is coming or expected of you as a mortal entity on this Earth? Would you act any differently if you subscribed to a belief that you are a mortal entity of this Earth alone? What actions that you commit are exclusively a product of your belief in an afterlife?

 

[angellous_evangellous]

For the believers in a hereafter out there, do you priortise your life according to what you believe is coming, or what you expect the afterlife holds for you, above and beyond what you believe is coming or expected of you as a mortal entity on this Earth? Would you act any differently if you subscribed to a belief that you are a mortal entity of this Earth alone? What actions that you commit are exclusively a product of your belief in an afterlife?

It's a mix.

I believe that there is a God and live like there is none.

That is, I cannot make an ethical choice that assumes the existence of God or anything theological.

I don't think that I do anything exclusively because I believe in the afterlife.

I do, however, do things exclusively because I believe in God, like pray.

 

[Yerda]

I'm not Christian but I do like the Christian Aid slogan: We believe in life before death.

I admire the work those people do.

 

[Scuba Pete]

Christians for the most part have lost sight of eternity. We value the here and now way too much. Sacrificial love looks beyond our light and mometary afflictions and keeps giving and giving. If you seek YOUR life, you will indeed lose it. If you lose your life for others, you will indeed find it.

 

[Booko]

For the believers in a hereafter out there, do you priortise your life according to what you believe is coming, or what you expect the afterlife holds for you, above and beyond what you believe is coming or expected of you as a mortal entity on this Earth? Would you act any differently if you subscribed to a belief that you are a mortal entity of this Earth alone? What actions that you commit are exclusively a product of your belief in an afterlife?

I prioritize my life according to what is the best thing I can accomplish now, since I could get run over by a truck tomorrow.

I've been an atheist, and so didn't believe I had any extra life coming after this one, but can't say I prioritize anything different as a theist now than I did then.

I've never been big on the pie-in-the-sky-when-you-die reason for doing things. It seems to put the cart before the horse.

I figure if I do what I'm supposed to be doing now, the rest will take care of itself.

 

[finalfrogo]

The afterlife doesn't have much influence in my own life, because it lies in the future, and I refuse to be overly concerned with the future. I wouldn't the nonexistence of an afterlife. (I am still considering the possibility that there is no afterlife alongside the possibility that there is one.) I don't think I'll mind turning into nothingness when I go; by then, I will probably be tired of all this "being" and just let go.

 

[Sasa]

Christians for the most part have lost sight of eternity. We value the here and now way too much.

I agree with that statement. I think people also fail to realize that the majority of the Bible is written as instructions on how to live our physical life so that we may obtain eternal life. Then you have to consider the amount of people who don't believe in the truth and validity of the scriptures as well.

But when you compare the years we are here in the physical realm to all of eternity, it surprises me that our eternal lives aren't the most important thing to more people. But I think it's only natural because most people simply can't imagine what eternity is. I think part of it has to do with the fact eternity is so massive, so mind boggling and so hard to comprehend.

I heard something once that really put it into perspective for me. I'm paraphrasing, but it was something to the effect of, "To imagine eternity, you have to imagine taking a single grain of sand up to the top of the tallest mountain and leaving it there. Then imagine going back down again and taking another single grain of sand up to the top of that same mountain. To understand the vastness of eternity, you would have to do that same procedure over and over again until every grain of sand on the earth was at the top of that mountain and when that was done, the time spent would still only be a tiny fraction of eternity."

 

[Halcyon]

It scares me when people live for the afterlife, their whole priorities change. It's when people think like this that they are willing to blow planes up, or go on crusades against the "enemies of God".

When people are living for the hereafter, they tend to view the world and the people that inhabit it as a transitory phase that will ultimately exist in an eternal form, thus they don't treat it/them with the respect it/they deserve.
Death has less meaning for these people because they are going to live forever, a worrying and childish attitude that gets a lot of people killed.

 

[Sasa]

It scares me when people live for the afterlife, their whole priorities change. It's when people think like this that they are willing to blow planes up, or go on crusades against the "enemies of God".

They scare me too because they go against what the Scriptures say about loving one another - so really they aren't crusading for God at all. I would suspect that people who believe it's okay to do those things you mentioned, are of negative energy and have bad heart conditions.

 

[sojourner]

I agree with that statement. I think people also fail to realize that the majority of the Bible is written as instructions on how to live our physical life so that we may obtain eternal life. Then you have to consider the amount of people who don't believe in the truth and validity of the scriptures as well.

But when you compare the years we are here in the physical realm to all of eternity, it surprises me that our eternal lives aren't the most important thing to more people. But I think it's only natural because most people simply can't imagine what eternity is. I think part of it has to do with the fact eternity is so massive, so mind boggling and so hard to comprehend.

I heard something once that really put it into perspective for me. I'm paraphrasing, but it was something to the effect of, "To imagine eternity, you have to imagine taking a single grain of sand up to the top of the tallest mountain and leaving it there. Then imagine going back down again and taking another single grain of sand up to the top of that same mountain. To understand the vastness of eternity, you would have to do that same procedure over and over again until every grain of sand on the earth was at the top of that mountain and when that was done, the time spent would still only be a tiny fraction of eternity."

Actually, the Bible tells us that there is nothing we can do to "obtain" eternal life. We have eternal life through grace alone. We have abundant life here and now, because that's what Jesus came to give us. Jesus, in fact, spends a great deal of time instructing us on how to live our earthly life. If we spend all our time dwelling on the future, then we have no "now" in which to live abundantly.

 

[Sasa]

Jesus, in fact, spends a great deal of time instructing us on how to live our earthly life.

...And why do you think that was?

 

[sojourner]

...And why do you think that was?

In order to do our part in establishing Christ's kingdom. Because we have been reconciled to God through Christ, we have been changed and made new. Therefore, we relate to the rest of the world through a new paradigm (as laid out by Jesus). But it's clear that Jesus meant for us to concern ourselves with how we live our lives in relationship to others now.

 

[Sasa]

In order to do our part in establishing Christ's kingdom.

I'm sorry, but what do you think Christ's Kingdom is? It's eternal life. Christ's Kingdom = Eternal Life.

And how is what you said above, any different from what I've been saying about the Bible being a set of instructions on how to live our lives now so that we can obtain eternal lives later?

It's not.

 

[Scuba Pete]

I think people also fail to realize that the majority of the Bible is written as instructions on how to live our physical life so that we may obtain eternal life.

I fully disagree with this. The majority of the Bible is written in blog fashion about man's eternal search for God. It shows his failings and misconceptions just as much as it shows his triumph as he understands that all God really wants is our heart! After all, David's sin with Bathsheeba is there, and I am SURE you don't believe that the scriptures teach adultery.

But when you compare the years we are here in the physical realm to all of eternity, it surprises me that our eternal lives aren't the most important thing to more people.

Most people erroneously feel that eternal life is something to be "acheived". For the true believer, it is a safety net and it is now! If you KNOW that you can't die, you become FEARLESS. You don't worry about the petty things and realise pretty quick that almost everything is pretty petty!

The true believer gets radical with their love! They know that NOTHING can separate them from the love of Christ and they really live life to the fullest: loving and serving others with complete abandon.

Eternal life should be NOW. It's the quality of your life: not the length of it.

 

[logician]

I believe all life is important, but that no life is sacred, the fact that we are driving millions of species to extinction is abominable.

 

[Sasa]

I fully disagree with this.

We'll be agreeing to disagree then.

 

[Scuba Pete]

So the Bible teaches us to kill our brothers? To stone those we disagree with? To rat out our savior? To steal from the church? All that and lots more is in the Bible.

I would challenge anyone trying to deify the scriptures to show me anywhere they claim to be perfect. Inspired by God? Certainly. Written by God? No. Here is what God thinks about words:

II Corinthians 3:1 Are we beginning to commend ourselves again? Or do we need, like some people, letters of recommendation to you or from you? 2 You yourselves are our letter, written on our hearts, known and read by everybody. 3 You show that you are a letter from Christ, the result of our ministry, written not with ink but with the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of human hearts. 4 Such confidence as this is ours through Christ before God. 5 Not that we are competent in ourselves to claim anything for ourselves, but our competence comes from God. 6 He has made us competent as ministers of a new covenant—not of the letter but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life. NIV

If you want to truly understand the scriptures you HAVE to do it through the Spirit. Don't get caught up in trying to follow the "letter", but instead follow the Spirit. This is the key to living a "Spiritual Life" and to enjoying Eternal Life right now.

Bible study is essential, but don't treat it like yet another "rule book". If you do, you have missed the ENTIRE POINT of our Freedom in Christ.

 

[Peace4all]

For the believers in a hereafter out there, do you priortise your life according to what you believe is coming, or what you expect the afterlife holds for you, above and beyond what you believe is coming or expected of you as a mortal entity on this Earth? Would you act any differently if you subscribed to a belief that you are a mortal entity of this Earth alone? What actions that you commit are exclusively a product of your belief in an afterlife?

Over the years i realized that Islam is a verb not a noun... Islam is a way of life. Everything i do is because of Islam here is my wonderful equation

Actions = Cuz im Muslim = Cuz i dont wanna go to hell = I really wanna go to heaven

I would definitly act diffrently if there was no afterlife. for an example there is a posibility that i could be looking at some adult site rather than trying to learn more about diffrent religions. Sometimes i feel guilty because im doing this not to go to hell rather than because i wanna please Allah

Crap i have a bad case of Short attention disorder... im supposed to be doing spanish homework ; but then i went to cnn and now im here posting.... and its 1:30 AM
gotta run:run: