If an entity offered you as an atheist an after life after you lived, would that interest you

[amorphous_constellation]

That doesn't have the same appeal, I have to admit.

I don't know, maybe it could in a way though.. because in a way, it's the only way for one to really learn more; to forget what you are and to become something new. I think maybe that's what the soul is doing in the body in the first place. And maybe, if you aware it is like this, you might at certain times flip a cosmic switch allowing you to remember everything for a moment. And you would see a greater mandala that would not be possible - unless you were to at certain intervals, forget

 

[ChristineM]

Not the heaven of my mind, but the one that an entity is offering you, I don't know what is in it. Perhaps it offers you a tour and gives you an exit clause. Wold the scenario with the exit clause even interest you?



I don't know, perhaps the environment that the entity offers has tuner controls, so you can attenuate it to the conditions you wish. I suppose you would be describing a sort of masochistic heaven..

Ahh, the entity of your mind, subtle difference.

And maybe the entity offers eternal life, which is less unlikely than an entity who can offer an eternity in a mythical place

 

[amorphous_constellation]

Ahh, the entity of your mind, subtle difference.

And maybe the entity offers eternal life, which is less unlikely than an entity who can offer an eternity in a mythical place

I'm not really sure what you mean. It's not exactly an entity of anyone's mind, as it appears to you only after you die, so supposedly it is the emanation of a non-human mind. Its existence has nothing to do with your brain or mine. Maybe it would offer you a heaven that catered to the idea of heaven you had in your mind when you lived, I don't know

 

[ChristineM]

I'm not really sure what you mean. It's not exactly an entity of anyone's mind, as it appears to you only after you die, so supposedly it is the emanation of a non-human mind. Its existence has nothing to do with your brain or mine. Maybe it would offer you a heaven that catered to the idea of heaven you had in your mind when you lived, I don't know

Not exactly sure what you mean either. After death, i.e the permanent cessation the vital processes of cell and tissue including the brain there is no mind to register the appearance of anything.

 

[It Aint Necessarily So]

If after death you are offered heaven vs non-existence by an unexpected entity, after having completed a life of good deeds, would you accept this opportunity even though you never believed?

Here's a related answer I left on RF about a month ago when somebody referred to the gift of immortality. It hints at some of the same issues @Polymath257 addressed:

I wouldn't consider immortality a gift. It would be a sentence from which there was no escape. Eternity means infinite time. Anything that can happen does happen given infinite time. Evey horrible thing possible. When would you get tired of "life"? A thousand years? A million? A billion? A billion billion? A trillion trillion trillion years? Eventually, you'll want out, but even after that long, one wouldn't have even begun to shorten the time ahead.

If we were given the choice of either being immortal, or being mortal and returning to the unconscious state from which we came before birth, and the choice was irreversible, I would choose the latter. The former is far too risky.

 

[leov]

An eternal fiery lake of burning sulfur, not torture?
Eternal punishment, not torture?
Punished with everlasting destruction, not torture?
Thrown into a blazing furnace, not torture?

Ok. If you say so.

Dante and Bosch were inspired by the bible and built on it. Now the majority or believers model their dre ams of heaven and hell on their work even if they have not read or seen the art. There comedy/art has become more or less ubiquitous.

you need to consider that Bible is written for several levels of consciousness wuth purpose to improve consciousness, it started with Cain consciousness which gave no mercy, the type which need to be kept in fear of power of authority so it behaves until it becomes part of their being and in generations works of collective unconscious would pay off as mercy.

 

[Evangelicalhumanist]

What I really want is an end to silly hypothetical questions that really can't be answered in a meaningful way.

"If the Invisible Pink Unicorn actually exists, would she be bigger than a breadbox?"

 

[amorphous_constellation]

Here's a related answer I left on RF about a month ago when somebody referred to the gift of immortality.

How about if there was an escape or exit clause in the deal, would you go for it then

What I really want is an end to silly hypothetical questions that really can't be answered in a meaningful way.

Well then you're not going to really like much of what I post, I like hypothetical questions

 

[A Vestigial Mote]

I would be interested, certainly. Barely any of us actually want to die. Though I suppose my perspective might be different if much of my existence in this life were marred with constant pain and suffering. Personally, though, I can answer that, yes, I would be interested. It would just take a pretty hearty demonstration of the truth of this "entity's" claims before I would accept any offer, or even believe what was being offered.

Edit: I would also want to know what to expect going into it. I mean, we're talking about an "offer" here - I know I didn't get a say in whether or not I came to this world, but now that I am a thinking, decision-making being, I would want to know what I was getting myself into before I "signed up." And that doesn't, at all, seem unreasonable to me.

 

[ChristineM]

you need to consider that Bible is written for several levels of consciousness wuth purpose to improve consciousness, it started with Cain consciousness which gave no mercy, the type which need to be kept in fear of power of authority so it behaves until it becomes part of their being and in generations works of collective unconscious would pay off as mercy.

The bible OT was written by bronze age people over several hundred years, they had the eye for a good story. Designed to bring people together with a common cause. I.e. world (or middle east) domination.

 

[leov]

The bible OT was written by bronze age people over several hundred years, they had the eye for a good story. Designed to bring people together with a common cause. I.e. world (or middle east) domination.

It came from Egyptian mystery schools and from Sumer and from still more ancient times...it was given to people that genetically were correct but had bicameral minds and consciousness based on bicamerism.

 

[ChristineM]

It came from Egyptian mystery schools and from Sumer and from still more ancient times...it was given to people that genetically were correct but had bicameral minds and consciousness based on bicamerism.

Bits and pieces came from all over it was compiled with required fillers written to promote a cause

And those the bits and pieces came from were precisely as human as anyone else

 

[leov]

Bits and pieces came from all over it was compiled with required fillers written to promote a cause

And those the bits and pieces came from were precisely as human as anyone else

What I understand it is a well constructed plan, it woks slow through collective unconscious but it works.

 

[Fool]

So I guess, assuming that heaven is an 'incentive,' (is it?) this question goes out to atheists.. If after death you are offered heaven vs non-existence by an unexpected entity, after having completed a life of good deeds, would you accept this opportunity even though you never believed?

Also a further clarification in case it isn't clear, this entity appears to you after you are dead, not while you are living

Also if you are an atheist who believes in reincarnation, I suppose this wouldn't be applicable to you.

non-existence isn't an option. ex-nihilo is a farce. energy doesn't come from nothing and disappear into nothing. it simply transfers or transforms. the fixation is on form and not spirit.

 

[ChristineM]

What I understand it is a well constructed plan, it woks slow through collective unconscious but it works.

It works by selectively choosing the people who conform to its tenets and demonising those who don't.

So we shall agree to disagree because thus isn't the thread to discuss bible rights and wrongs

 

[leov]

It works by selectively choosing the people who conform to its tenets and demonising those who don't.

So we shall agree to disagree because thus isn't the thread to discuss bible rights and wrongs

Agree to disagree, no problem. Bible is not word of God. It certainly contains God's Wisdom. People selectively chose from their followers. Bible has too many levels, it meant to be agree to disagree source and this is one of key teaching points.

 

[Altfish]

Do I want eternal life?
I'm not sure I do. I mean if eternal life meant that I was (say) 21 again, maybe I would fancy it. But if at the age of 90, I pass away with dementia, crippling arthritis, failing eye sight, hard of hearing, incontinent, etc. then - no thank you.
Life depends on rejuvenation, the old pass the baton onto the young; it is their time.

 

[ChristineM]

Agree to disagree, no problem. Bible is not word of God. It certainly contains God's Wisdom. People selectively chose from their followers. Bible has too many levels, it meant to be agree to disagree source and this is one of key teaching points.

You need to show your god exists before you can attribute biblical wisdom to him/her/it

Tell me have you actually read the bible or just selected passages tgat conform to your beliefs

 

[ChristineM]

Do I want eternal life?
I'm not sure I do. I mean if eternal life meant that I was (say) 21 again, maybe I would fancy it. But if at the age of 90, I pass away with dementia, crippling arthritis, failing eye sight, hard of hearing, incontinent, etc. then - no thank you.
Life depends on rejuvenation, the old pass the baton onto the young; it is their time.

It may be feasible in life

Science is working to see if they can get thus to work with humans
Turritopsis dohrnii - Wikipedia

 

[leov]

You need to show your god exists before you can attribute biblical wisdom to him/her/it

Tell me have you actually read the bible or just selected passages tgat conform to your beliefs

I posted this before; science says that they cannot account for some 95% of universe mass- energy, so, what are we talking about? Saint Exupery box?
Science calls it dark energy and dark matter, fwiw.