Most Religions Believe In An Afterlife

[Sgt. Pepper]

I believe that where souls go after death is to a spiritual world. We cannot know what that world will be like till we go there.

In my opinion, the spirit world isn't completely unknown, and I say this based on my lifetime of experience.

So yes, the destiny of the soul after death remains unclear, but I don't see that as a reason to believe that the soul comes back to this world to live again. I cannot see any merciful and just God sending anyone back to earth to do this all over again. Once is more than enough.

I believe that we can know about the destiny of souls. I'm speaking of the knowledge and experience of genuine spirit mediums and also near-death experiences. Based on what I understand as one, our afterlife can be determined by how we react to our death as well as how we lived our physical life.

For example, if a person is benevolent in this life and accepts their death, then they will most likely experience a positive afterlife. They are likely to cross over because there are no unresolved issues that would hinder them from doing so. However, if a person is an obnoxious jerk and/or abusive to others in this life, they will continue to be this way after death. As a result, they are likely to have a very unpleasant afterlife, which could ultimately result in them not being able to cross over or refusing to do so. In regards to reincarnation, I've already expressed my opinion on it in other threads, such as this one.

Near-Death Experiences Research Has Doctor Convinced of Afterlife

Hospice nurse shares the one thing 'almost everyone' sees before they die

Why do you think that going to a spiritual world after death is full of difficulties, simply because the nature of the spiritual world is unknown to us?

Going to the spirit realm after death, in my opinion, is difficult due to what people believe and/or are taught about life after death. I am particularly referring to Christians and what they believe and/or are taught from the Bible. It is not only very sad to me, but also very frustrating for me at times.

 

[Jimmy]

Who's that?

Me

 

[Copernicus]

I do not know why think that all these souls would be floating around, disembodied? I believe that the soul will have a new body, a spiritual body, after the physical body dies and the soul crosses over to the spiritual world.
“The world beyond is as different from this world as this world is different from that of the child while still in the womb of its mother. When the soul attaineth the Presence of God, it will assume the form that best befitteth its immortality and is worthy of its celestial habitation.”
(Gleanings From the Writings of Bahá’u’lláh, p. 157)

Bahá'í Reference Library - Gleanings From the Writings of Bahá’u’lláh, Pages 155-158

“The answer to the third question is this, that in the other world the human reality doth not assume a physical form, rather doth it take on a heavenly form, made up of elements of that heavenly realm.”
(Selections From the Writings of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, p. 194)

Bahá'í Reference Library - Selections From the Writings of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, Pages 193-196

I agree that brains developing in fetuses create all the mental faculties that living human beings have.but that does not mean that what I am thinking of as a "soul" is just an effect of physical brain activity.

I was only commenting on Bharat's point that reincarnation made better sense than the Abrahamic concept of souls. Both depend on the concept of a soul as a disembodied spiritual entity of some kind, but its actual properties are left unspecified and undefined. Generally speaking, people who believe in souls seem to think that they possess some kind of cognitive or mental function, but they don't want to commit themselves on just what its nature is. So I was pointing out that all cognitive functions that we know of are affected by physical alterations to the brain. Hence, the simplest explanation of them is that they are caused by brain activity. Given that observation, the permanent destruction of the brain most probably leads to the destruction of all mental function. There has been a suggestion that Near Death Experiences and Out of Body Experiences represent evidence for the disembodied nature of souls--that cognitive activity can take place after brain death--but these incidents can be explained as mental activity that takes place while neural function remains active, even if instruments might not be good enough to detect and record that activity.

It is pointless to quote scripture at me, because that only explains why you hold your beliefs about the soul. I believe that all religious literature derives from human imagination, not revelation. Hence, it doesn't address the points I was making.

 

[Trailblazer]

I was only commenting on Bharat's point that reincarnation made better sense than the Abrahamic concept of souls. Both depend on the concept of a soul as a disembodied spiritual entity of some kind, but its actual properties are left unspecified and undefined. Generally speaking, people who believe in souls seem to think that they possess some kind of cognitive or mental function, but they don't want to commit themselves on just what its nature is. So I was pointing out that all cognitive functions that we know of are affected by physical alterations to the brain. Hence, the simplest explanation of them is that they are caused by brain activity. Given that observation, the permanent destruction of the brain most probably leads to the destruction of all mental function. There has been a suggestion that Near Death Experiences and Out of Body Experiences represent evidence for the disembodied nature of souls--that cognitive activity can take place after brain death--but these incidents can be explained as mental activity that takes place while neural function remains active, even if instruments might not be good enough to detect and record that activity.

It is pointless to quote scripture at me, because that only explains why you hold your beliefs about the soul. I believe that all religious literature derives from human imagination, not revelation. Hence, it doesn't address the points I was making.

You can speculate all you want to but the truth of the matter will only be revealed after you die.
Personally, I think it is a good idea to know something ahead of time about what happens after we die, but everyone will find out eventually.

 

[Copernicus]

You can speculate all you want to but the truth of the matter will only be revealed after you die.
Personally, I think it is a good idea to know something ahead of time about what happens after we die, but everyone will find out eventually.

Or not, if you are wrong. You can't find out anything when you don't exist any longer. I base my opinion on observations. The observation that all mental functions depend on physical brain activity and the observation that most people attribute properties to the "soul" that are mental functions. The simplest explanation is that brain activity alone causes cognition, and it ceases when brain activity ceases.

 

[Trailblazer]

Or not, if you are wrong. You can't find out anything when you don't exist any longer.

Obviously not, but by the same token, you will find a lot out if you continue to exist.

I base my opinion on observations. The observation that all mental functions depend on physical brain activity and the observation that most people attribute properties to the "soul" that are mental functions. The simplest explanation is that brain activity alone causes cognition, and it ceases when brain activity ceases.

I base my opinion on Scripture, and also on other books that have been written about the afterlife.

The Afterlife Revealed

Amazon.com

Private Dowding

Bahá'í Library Online

Baha'i articles, books, translations, and historical materials

bahai-library.com

Of course brain activity causes cognition, but that does not mean that cognition ceases when brain activity ceases.
We will all find out someday.

 

[Eli G]

Or not, if you are wrong. You can't find out anything when you don't exist any longer. I base my opinion on observations. The observation that all mental functions depend on physical brain activity and the observation that most people attribute properties to the "soul" that are mental functions. The simplest explanation is that brain activity alone causes cognition, and it ceases when brain activity ceases.

Believe me: that is exactly what the Bible teaches.

I often demonstrate the dependence of human intellect on its physical basis by showing clear evidence that when a person's brain is damaged, his entire "soul" is affected since his cognitive abilities are visibly distorted.

In the Bible, the "soul" is the entire person with his life; even corpses are called "dead souls."

 

[Trailblazer]

Believe me: that is exactly what the Bible teaches.

No, below is what the Bible teaches, which is exactly what the Baha'i Faith teaches.

Soul Cannot Die

The Scripture says the spirit, or soul, cannot be annihilated. Though the body may die, the spirit will live on. Death, therefore is not the end of conscious life. It is the separation of the body and the spirit. The spirit, however, lives on in another realm. The body is only the temporary residence of humans. Jesus said.
Do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul; rather fear Him who can destroy both soul and body in hell (Matthew 10:28).
Destroy has the idea of punish, not annihilate. The destruction of the soul means separation from the life of God. Though living, the soul of the unbeliever has no connection whatsoever to God.

Can the Spirit, or Soul, Be Destroyed?

The Bible teaches that humans are made up of both body and spirit. Life begins when the two are united, and life ends when the two are separated. Death Of The

www.blueletterbible.org

 

[Eli G]

Psalms 146:3 Do not put YOUR trust in nobles,
Nor in the son of earthling man, to whom no salvation belongs.
4 His spirit goes out, he goes back to his ground;
In that day his thoughts do perish.

Job 14:10 But a man dies and lies powerless; When a human expires, where is he?
... 17:11 My days are finished; My plans, the desires of my heart, have been shattered.

Eccl. 9:5 For the living know that they will die, but the dead know nothing at all, nor do they have any more reward, because all memory of them is forgotten. (...) 10 Whatever your hand finds to do, do with all your might, for there is no work nor planning nor knowledge nor wisdom in the Grave, where you are going.

Is. 38:18 For the Grave cannot glorify you, Death cannot praise you. Those who go down into the pit cannot hope for your faithfulness.

 

[Trailblazer]

In my opinion, the spirit world isn't completely unknown, and I say this based on my lifetime of experience.

Can you describe some things that you know about it?

I believe what is written in The Afterlife Revealed and private Dowding, but the nature of the spiritual world is something we cannot understand, as it says in those books.

I believe that we can know about the destiny of souls. I'm speaking of the knowledge and experience of genuine spirit mediums and also near-death experiences. Based on what I understand as one, our afterlife can be determined by how we react to our death as well as how we lived our physical life.

For example, if a person is benevolent in this life and accepts their death, then they will most likely experience a positive afterlife. They are likely to cross over because there are no unresolved issues that would hinder them from doing so. However, if a person is an obnoxious jerk and/or abusive to others in this life, they will continue to be this way after death. As a result, they are likely to have a very unpleasant afterlife,

Yes, as I have told you before, that is also what I believe as a Baha'i.

 

[cataway]

No, below is what the Bible teaches, which is exactly what the Baha'i Faith teaches.

Soul Cannot Die

The Scripture says the spirit, or soul, cannot be annihilated. Though the body may die, the spirit will live on. Death, therefore is not the end of conscious life. It is the separation of the body and the spirit. The spirit, however, lives on in another realm. The body is only the temporary residence of humans. Jesus said.
Do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul; rather fear Him who can destroy both soul and body in hell (Matthew 10:28).
Destroy has the idea of punish, not annihilate. The destruction of the soul means separation from the life of God. Though living, the soul of the unbeliever has no connection whatsoever to God.

Can the Spirit, or Soul, Be Destroyed?

The Bible teaches that humans are made up of both body and spirit. Life begins when the two are united, and life ends when the two are separated. Death Of The

www.blueletterbible.org

how bout you try it and get back to us . not that we are dying to find out . see what I did there ,inserted some humor.

 

[Eli G]

The biblical view is that there are invisible beings, but the Bible denies that these beings were dead humans who converted to some kind of life. The Bible says that there are invisible beings who were created before humans on this planet, and it shows that a portion of these invisible beings turned away from God and decided to deceive humans in order to receive reverence from them and to be pleased with things that humans could offer them as gifts.

The invisible beings were not created to live with humans but to inhabit the invisible regions. Since those rebels decided to abandon their natural dwelling places, they were expelled from the heavens and are awaiting destruction. Now they are dedicated to deceiving humans by pretending to be dead and making them accomplices in their own rebellion against God. Humans must not have any kind of relationship with these spirits.

From the perspective of some people's experiences with spirits, how trustworthy are beings you cannot see who tell you and disguise themselves so that you hear and see what they want you to perceive and not what they really are? You can never be sure whether what they tell you is true or deceiving you, or what their real intentions are. Once you associate with these evil spirits, they disrupt your life and your relationship with God, the Father against whom they rebelled and are now making you an accomplice to them.

That is why human beings must put their trust in the Word of God, the Bible, which warns us about things we can never be sure of, because our Creator wants our well-being, and does not want to destroy us, which is what will happen if we join in rebellion with these rebellious spirits.

 

[Truthseeker]

I believe what is written in The Afterlife Revealed and private Dowding, but the nature of the spiritual world is something we cannot understand, as it says in those books.

I've moved on from the Afterlife Revealed, I don't feel I need to know what the afterlife is like.

 

[Trailblazer]

I've moved on from the Afterlife Revealed, I don't feel I need to know what the afterlife is like.

No, you don't have that need, because your life in this world has not been a holy living hell.

I'm sorry Duane, but what Baha'u'llah wrote is not enough for me to believe the afterlife will be as joyful and glorious as promised.

 

[Trailblazer]

how bout you try it and get back to us . not that we are dying to find out . see what I did there ,inserted some humor.

I did get back to you with what I believe.

 

[Copernicus]

Believe me: that is exactly what the Bible teaches.

In my view, the Bible doesn't really teach much of anything that is coherent or consistent. It is full of contradictions and inconsistencies, but that reflects the fact that different sections come from different traditions over several centuries. That is true of both the Old and New Testaments. Different religious movements that claim to be inspired by the Bible often place very different interpretations on the text.

I often demonstrate the dependence of human intellect on its physical basis by showing clear evidence that when a person's brain is damaged, his entire "soul" is affected since his cognitive abilities are visibly distorted.

In the Bible, the "soul" is the entire person with his life; even corpses are called "dead souls."

I haven't heard that expression except in connection with Gogol's satirical novel by that name. In any case, I don't see any concrete advantage to positing the existence of a disembodied soul of any kind. If brain damage somehow damages the "soul", what does that say in the context of a deity that judges souls in terms of obedience or disobedience to God's will? Theologists might try to puzzle that out on their own, but I consider it crossing the line into sophistry.

 

[Valjean]

You can speculate all you want to but the truth of the matter will only be revealed after you die.
Personally, I think it is a good idea to know something ahead of time about what happens after we die, but everyone will find out eventually.

1: Why do you believe that?
2: What method do you propose using to research 'ahead of time' what to expect?

 

[Trailblazer]

1: Why do you believe that?
2: What method do you propose using to research 'ahead of time' what to expect?

I believe that the truth of the matter will be revealed after we die because we will all die someday.

There is no way to know ahead of time what to expect, since the afterlife is a mystery of God.

What we can know ahead of time is very little.
We can know that a spiritual world exists, although we cannot know what the afterlife will be like until we die and go there.

When I say 'we can know' I do not mean we can prove a spiritual world afterlife exists but rather we can only believe that.

 

[TagliatelliMonster]

I said: That can never be established since the soul is a mystery.
No, I never said that they were bare claims with nothing to show for it.

It comes down to the same thing. Pot8to, potato.
If it can't be established and is a "mystery", then there is nothing there. Hence, nothing to show for it
What's the practical, demonstrable, difference between "mystery" and "made up"?

You consider scriptures to be bare claims but I do not consider them to be bare claims, so that is the issue at hand.

But they are.... For it not to be a collection of bare claims when it comes to the supernatural stuff, it would require independent verifiable evidence.
And then you could just point me to that independently verifiable evidence instead of "just believing it".
But you can't, can you?

There is no way to establish that there is such a thing as a soul because the soul is a mystery of God.

Yeah, just like leprechauns are a mystery of folklore.

My personal justification is proper to me.
What is proper to me is not proper to you and vice versa. You cannot determine what is proper for me or anyone else, even of you think you can.

Point is: if you have more then bare claims, then you would have proper justification that you can actually share.

 

[TagliatelliMonster]

I believe that the truth of the matter will be revealed after we die because we will all die someday.

Unless death is actually death, off course. In which case we won't be knowing anything since there would be no "we" any more to know or do things.

We can know that a spiritual world exists

Ow? How?

When I say 'we can know' I do not mean we can prove a spiritual world afterlife exists but rather we can only believe that.

Strange definition of "knowing" you have there.