A serious question for those who do not believe in God

[UGAplaya]

Originally Posted by Bumper

Oh no, please don't misinterpret my meaning. I would never advocate anyone abandon hope. Life would be pretty grim and meaningless if any of us were to do that. We just all have to decide what we're wishing for, and when we hope to achieve it. I certainly respect your desire to attain your goals for a future you seek. My agenda as to a time frame is merely different than yours. I'm just not an "eternity" kind of guy. I'd like to be, it would be very comforting, but I have some difficulty getting my head around it.

Oh trust me, I'm with you 100% there. I can't begin to wrap my head around it either. The thoughout of an afterlife is at least very overwhelming. I don't know how it all works and believe me, I've thought about all kinds of scenerios. If you die at 105, are you 105 in Heaven? That's just one of many questions I have.

[Daddy B]

Originally Posted by Mercy

Yes, I am proud I think as parents, one of the most important things we can give our children is faith. They need something to believe in, something to give them hope. I really believe this generation has no hope, I think that is sad.

I've taught many children to scuba dive and all of them - like children all over the world - are the embodiment of hope.

Faith is for afterwards, life skills are for now.

I think that telling them our lives - right here, right now - are worthless, miserable and inconsequential because afterwards they'll get to go for long walks in the park does the world no end of harm.

[MaripositaII]

Originally Posted by UGAplaya

Oh trust me, I'm with you 100% there. I can't begin to wrap my head around it either. The thoughout of an afterlife is at least very overwhelming. I don't know how it all works and believe me, I've thought about all kinds of scenerios. If you die at 105, are you 105 in Heaven? That's just one of many questions I have.

Just goes to show that none of us have the answers, so it's pointless arguing, debating and discussing something that we cannot prove. If you believe in an after life and it brings you some sort of comfort, go for it. If another person chooses to believe that when we die, there is nada, so be it. I don't believe the rubbish I hear of people telling me that my father is probably enjoying his horses in heaven, or that he is having a blast playing cricket. Please. I was at his bedside when he died. He is gone. Period. He enjoyed his horses and cricket while he was alive. That in itself brings me comfort. I don't need to fool myself into thinking he's somewhere having fun.

[Bumper]

Originally Posted by UGAplaya

Oh trust me, I'm with you 100% there. I can't begin to wrap my head around it either. The thoughout of an afterlife is at least very overwhelming. I don't know how it all works and believe me, I've thought about all kinds of scenerios. If you die at 105, are you 105 in Heaven? That's just one of many questions I have.

I would certainly hope not. You gotta' figure if you get to that ripe old, you're probably pretty much used up, and most likely there's damned little quality of life left to you. No merciful deity would sentence you to an eternity of a continuation of that, would they? Or maybe that would be the eternity in Hell thing? Seems to me I recall some sort of quote about being reborn in his perfect image, or along those lines? Maybe I'm wrong, but it sounds sort of familiar.

[Daddy B]

Originally Posted by UGAplaya

Frank, some have posted on how intelligent you are, but post like these really show ignorance to me. And reading how your kids have no idea about an afterlife is a little sad to me. Have they not experience the death of a loved one yet? If not, we all know that they will. Are you just going to tell them, "well kids that's it, so much for old Bob, it was nice having him around..." I suspect that they are already familiar with thoughts of an afterlife and hopefully they will persue more answers as they mature.

"Kids, cousin Freckles died. Like me, some people believe that is the end, that we'll all come to pass and must live our lives in the best possible manner while caring for everyone, not just our loved ones.
Others believe cousin Freckles will go somewhere where he'll live eternally and being taken good care of by a god, and others do believe there are many diverse afterlife realities that come in almost every shape and size as there are human beings on this Earth.
You'll have to decide your own path based on all the information at your disposal, not simply because I or others tell you you must believe in what I or they believe."

Yeah, that's ignorance for you...


"Kids, cousin Freckles died. He didn't love our god and he didn't swear by our bible.
Besides, do you remember when he pulled the legs of that grasshopper and smoked a joint of weed?
Well, I'm sorry to inform you but Freckles will now be tortured for all eternity in the hottest, most horrible place you could ever dream of.
He had it coming to him, really, he was ignorant."

Now, that's clever...

[StewartG]

Originally Posted by UGAplaya

I'm sure it does come across as judgemental and at some point, in any religious discussion the comments are going to cross that path. But it's just an honest statement. Stew, what did you guys tell your kids? What if, God forbid, you or your sweet wife was to pass. What would you tell your kids? My kids understand that God has created a place for us in Heavan and that one day we will be reunited together in a place with no death, and no suffering.

What would we tell our kids? If they were old enough, its simple - the truth. That sometimes people die. I think we would also tell them that someone you love can live forever, as long as you remember them and keep them in your heart.

We would certainly NEVER tell our kids something that we didn't believe was true.

[StewartG]

Originally Posted by UGAplaya

Good point Bumper. I just can't imagine living a life without Hope.

How does Bumper's message reflect a lack of hope?

[UGAplaya]

Originally Posted by StewartG

How does Bumper's message reflect a lack of hope?

It doesn't. I was just making a comment. I see how it could have been taken that way.

[StewartG]

Originally Posted by Daddy B

"Kids, cousin Freckles died. He didn't love our god and he didn't swear by our bible.
Besides, do you remember when he pulled the legs of that grasshopper and smoked a joint of weed?
Well, I'm sorry to inform you but Freckles will now be tortured for all eternity in the hottest, most horrible place you could ever dream of.
He had it coming to him, really, he was ignorant."

Now, that's clever...

". . . a joint of weed?"



Dude, have you been watching this again?

[Rissask]

I love it when people say how 'sad' it is to not have belief, or if kids have no belief in an afterlife, it's 'sad'....and yet somehow the non-believers are the ones who are belittling and rude. It's not 'sad' at all to not have a belief in heaven or hell.


When someone dies, I don't feel more or less grief than the average believer. We ALL grieve for people because we are sad we are going to miss them in our lives, or out of compassion because they had been in pain, or because they died too young or with unfinished business.


Kids are very resilient....if you tell them, Grandpa has died, he is no longer with us, but we will never forget him- what do you think that is going to do, make them crazy/angry/depressed? It won't.



It doesn't take that away to think they are in 'a better place'- if that is true- why do believers grieve at all - they should celebrate when people die, if they are unselfish, shouldn't they? I mean, the dead person is not really dead at all, in fact they are better off! You should be dancing in the streets when your loved ones die.


A lack of belief doesn't mean I have no hope. I have lots of 'hope' in my life, every day I hope things. I hope my cousin whose wife just had a baby last week that was 2 months premature that has half a brain and will be removed from life support today will be able to have a healthy baby one day .... I hope that my husband's hip will not get too painful for him to play ball any more .... I hope my mom likes the trip I am taking her on .... are these not good hopes? Should I only be selfishly thinking or focusing about my eternal life instead - would that somehow make me a better, happier person?


Oddly enough, the people I know in real life who are the most fervent believers, are the most depressed and miserable people I know .... it very well might be a fluke of course, but they seem to be uptight to the point of misery, or something. Strangley- the happiest believers I know are all Catholics! Cafeteria Catholics, the lot of them, though.

[TJordan]

Well said Riss

[UGAplaya]

Personnally I do think it's sad to raise kids without any hope of life after death. Basically, this is as good as it's gonna get kids, deal with it.

[James A.]

Originally Posted by Daddy B

"Kids, cousin Freckles died. Like me, some people believe that is the end, that we'll all come to pass and must live our lives in the best possible manner while caring for everyone, not just our loved ones.
Others believe cousin Freckles will go somewhere where he'll live eternally and being taken good care of by a god, and others do believe there are many diverse afterlife realities that come in almost every shape and size as there are human beings on this Earth.
You'll have to decide your own path based on all the information at your disposal, not simply because I or others tell you you must believe in what I or they believe."

[Babaloo]

Originally Posted by UGAplaya

Basically, this is as good as it's gonna get kids, deal with it.

Yep...you nailed it!
Glad to see you coming around to our side

[Rissask]

Originally Posted by UGAplaya

Personnally I do think it's sad to raise kids without any hope of life after death. Basically, this is as good as it's gonna get kids, deal with it.

I guess I think it's a bit sad that 'this' (life), isn't enough for some people .... 'this' life I have is pretty darn good, compared to what it could be. I am lucky enough to have been born in a first world country, in the top ten percent of the world in terms of education and wealth- how great is that?



Better than no existence at all, or eking out an existence on four dollars a day in a poor country, or being a paraplegic, or brought up by abusive parents, etc. I am grateful every day my parents decided to have sex that day , and grateful they were and are good people who were good parents, for the most part (pobody's nerfect ).


Life is a miracle, we both believe that, Scott.


I just think it's a miracle of nature, and you think it's god. I thank people for my life and how it is today, not a supernatural entity, that is basically the difference.