A few questions for non-Christians

Originally posted by Penguin
So it is known that at the end of this life, everybody is guaranteed a far happier afterlife?

Much as others have said, I would end my current non-perfect life as soon as possible in order to get to the perfect afterlife quicker.

But, also as others have said, I would be tempted to give this gift of a quick entry to the perfect afterlife to as many oth ...[text shortened]... ice building...

That would seem to be the kindest, least selfish thing to do.

--- Penguin.

It might also be thoughtful to blow up a churchful of Christians in order to expedite their journey to the promised land.

Originally posted by epiphinehas
How do you think your life would be different if you knew that you had eternal life?

That is, if eternal life were suddenly regarded as fact (in the same way gravity is fact), how do you think your life would be transformed as a result?

And by "eternal life" I mean eternal life in the most positive sense, i.e., everlasting, full, overflowing eath, what would you do? How might you feel? How would your life be transformed, if at all?

Great question. I think I like you, but I am waiting for the results of my scientific tests 😉

The Edit here is because I wrote something, and then went back and re-read the initial post and realized I had given the wrong response.

There is nothing about my life that I would change if I knew I was going into some Great Beyond Mysterium Tremendum Thing after I died. I am both fulfilling my duty to humanity (as I understand it) as well as living a life I enjoy. Knowing I would have Life Eternal would quiet some demons from my past (I was raised Christian so I do still fear that I am going to Hell) but otherwise my next change is, as always, dictated by my next whim.

Originally posted by epiphinehas
How do you think your life would be different if you knew that you had eternal life?

That is, if eternal life were suddenly regarded as fact (in the same way gravity is fact), how do you think your life would be transformed as a result?

And by "eternal life" I mean eternal life in the most positive sense, i.e., everlasting, full, overflowing ...[text shortened]... eath, what would you do? How might you feel? How would your life be transformed, if at all?

Throw in half a dozen virgins and I'll run naked down the street with enough explosives strapped to my chest to blow up the nearest government building.

Originally posted by epiphinehas
How do you think your life would be different if you knew that you had eternal life?

That is, if eternal life were suddenly regarded as fact (in the same way gravity is fact), how do you think your life would be transformed as a result?

And by "eternal life" I mean eternal life in the most positive sense, i.e., everlasting, full, overflowing ...[text shortened]... eath, what would you do? How might you feel? How would your life be transformed, if at all?

If I knew eternal life awaited my death in this world, I would be overcome with curiosity concerning the odd fact of life in this world. Why would the Creator bother to put us here at all, given that our tenure here is infinitesimally brief in comparison with our eventual eternal life? I guess I would spend my time trying to answer this question. So, I suppose I would continue with philosophy.

Originally posted by bbarr
If I knew eternal life awaited my death in this world, I would be overcome with curiosity concerning the odd fact of life in this world. Why would the Creator bother to put us here at all, given that our tenure here is infinitesimally brief in comparison with our eventual eternal life? I guess I would spend my time trying to answer this question. So, I suppose I would continue with philosophy.

Nice response.

The “odd fact of life in this world” seems compelling enough to me to continue, pretty much as I have been: growing, learning, hopefully deepening—even with those frustrating falling-backs. I wonder what’s going to happen next?!

There is pain, yes, and suffering as well. If I live long enough, I am likely to see even more loved ones suffer, die. I am very serene when it comes to contemplating my own death—even at the next keystroke. And yet I am sometimes terribly torn apart when some others die. Some of that is likely my own ego-loss; but some of it is not. Had Unamuno written his The Tragic Sense of Life (a very honest book, at least, from a Christian existentialist) from the point of view of the death of others, I might like him more.

Also, there is simply the fact that, by remaining, I might have the opportunity to be at least a minimal comforting presence to someone going through suffering. I will not attempt to talk in any abstract terms about those very concrete situations. I am not a very good or useful “bodhisattva”, but at least I’ll hang around for those situations where I might be the only choice present.

So, I’ll just remain—present. If that entails some pain and suffering that I could otherwise avoid, so be it. If it increases the chances (which some already consider to be pretty good) that I’ll end up in hell (which is not what Epi has asked us to consider, I realize), I’ll hang around anyway.

Originally posted by vistesd
Nice response.
There is pain, yes, and suffering as well. If I live long enough, I am likely to see even more loved ones suffer, die. I am very serene when it comes to contemplating my own death—even at the next keystroke. And yet I am sometimes terribly torn apart when some others die. Some of that is likely my own ego-loss; but some of it is not. Ha ...[text shortened]... n existentialist) from the point of view of the death of [b]others, I might like him more.
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But you are seeing suffering that you know for a fact will be relieved and replaced with great bliss and tranquility upon moving to the next life.

I would understand you being sad to see people suffer, by why would you be sad to see people move to the next life? I cannot understand why people would want to remain in this world when there is such a guaranteed afterlife

--- Penguin.

Originally posted by Penguin
But you are seeing suffering that you know for a fact will be relieved and replaced with great bliss and tranquility upon moving to the next life.

I would understand you being sad to see people suffer, by why would you be sad to see people move to the next life? I cannot understand why people would want to remain in this world when there is such a guaranteed afterlife

--- Penguin.

Nice response (as usual!). However—

The alternative here is—as others have pointed out—to kill everybody you can as quickly as possible, and then yourself.

Epi’s format is pretty strict, however—and I have perhaps deviated from it, which you picked up on. So—

I will stay, and suffer as necessary, until I am sure that everyone else has “gone on”. Does that fit better with the proffered scenario?

Originally posted by Ullr
Throw in half a dozen virgins and I'll run naked down the street with enough explosives strapped to my chest to blow up the nearest government building.

Hecksure, give me half a dozen non-virgins and I'm still down with that plan!

Great responses.

I do have another question for those of you who've rationalized killing as many people as possible before killing yourself:

What if an individual, such as bbarr, despite the glories of an eternal life waiting on the other side of death, seriously would rather stay alive. How would you rationalize killing that person? Don't individual's have the right to live rather than die? Perhaps bbarr's family chooses to stick around, too, for their own reasons. Won't you be depriving them of his valued company?

Originally posted by bbarr
If I knew eternal life awaited my death in this world, I would be overcome with curiosity concerning the odd fact of life in this world. Why would the Creator bother to put us here at all, given that our tenure here is infinitesimally brief in comparison with our eventual eternal life? I guess I would spend my time trying to answer this question. So, I suppose I would continue with philosophy.

My impression from epiphinehas was that our eternal life would be better. So if your desire it philosophy then you would be able to under take it even better after death or his description is inaccurate.
I think vistesd's response is harder to deal with, as I can't imagine a way an afterlife can solve the problem of compassion for others - except by removing that attribute from us, but that might make the afterlife less desirable.
Is heaven full of people feeling sad about all the people the left behind to suffer in this world?