If you could be immortal...

...would you choose to be immortal.

Say scientists manage to extend your life indefinitely, as a religious person, would you choose not to accept this gift, and why? As an atheist I'd be thrilled, of course. Also, if you choose not to accept this gift from science, is that the same as suicide? And what would your god think of that?

Originally posted by C Hess
...would you choose to be immortal.

Say scientists manage to extend your life indefinitely, as a religious person, would you choose not to accept this gift, and why? As an atheist I'd be thrilled, of course. Also, if you choose not to accept this gift from science, is that the same as suicide? And what would your god think of that?

New American Standard Bible
For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

King James Bible
For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
"For God loved the world in this way: He gave His One and Only Son, so that everyone who believes in Him will not perish but have eternal life.

International Standard Version
"For this is how God loved the world: He gave his unique Son so that everyone who believes in him might not be lost but have eternal life.

Originally posted by C Hess
...would you choose to be immortal.

Say scientists manage to extend your life indefinitely, as a religious person, would you choose not to accept this gift, and why? As an atheist I'd be thrilled, of course. Also, if you choose not to accept this gift from science, is that the same as suicide? And what would your god think of that?

Also as an atheist: yes, in heartbeat. I find death to be a horrible side effect of life.

The post that was quoted here has been removed

Originally posted by sonship
I notice that a lot of people here speak of "this gift" as immortality or everlasting life or even [b]eternal life.

What folks fail to comprehend is that the gift is really God Himself. It is not something apart from Christ Himself, as some "thing" you put into your pocket.

What is more valuable than God Himself?
Nothing could possibly be m ...[text shortened]... is for a collective and corporate expression of the union of humanity and divinity for eternity.[/b]

Originally posted by C Hess
...would you choose to be immortal.

Say scientists manage to extend your life indefinitely, as a religious person, would you choose not to accept this gift, and why? As an atheist I'd be thrilled, of course. Also, if you choose not to accept this gift from science, is that the same as suicide? And what would your god think of that?

Originally posted by sonhouse
I heard it said we wouldn't have enough memory to last more than a thousand years max, after that it would be rerun city. Although a thousand years from now, maybe even 200, ways could be made to vastly increase our memory capacity and recallability. I can't even imagine what it would be like to be able to recall all of the last 1000 years of ones life.

Originally posted by C Hess
Perhaps a rerun would be desirable after a thousand years, I don't know. I'd like to know.

Originally posted by C Hess
...would you choose to be immortal.

Say scientists manage to extend your life indefinitely, as a religious person, would you choose not to accept this gift, and why? As an atheist I'd be thrilled, of course. Also, if you choose not to accept this gift from science, is that the same as suicide? And what would your god think of that?

Originally posted by Suzianne
But you've already rejected this gift from God.

So, what you're saying is that you would rather believe sinful Man than God?

That's your right, I suppose, but just watch out for that 'ulterior motive'.

I wouldn't want to be immortal because one day, all life on earth will be extinguished. Then, an immortal would be completely alone. After that, the earth will be consumed by the sun, and I'd have to suffer for about a billion years in what I imagine is like what our loving god will send most of us. When the sun explodes as a supernova, I'll be caught in that explosion of intense heat, gravity pulling my body in the most unimaginable pain possible.

Then, when it's all over, I'll spend eternity in an unbearably freezing cold wasteland of space, floating aimlessly forever, eventually forgetting everyone I knew and loved, forgetting what things I used to enjoy, and maybe even forgetting who I was, floating, occasionally getting pummeled by asteroids or even comets at many thousands of miles per hour.

Originally posted by Pudgenik
To add to this, in the concepts of government interaction. What if the government made it mandatory. As you said, would it be considered suicide if I were against it.

Personally, I would not want to go beyond my natural years.

Originally posted by C Hess
I agree that if it was mandatory it would be a horrible experience if you're tired of living and wish to die. In fact, personally I don't think of it as suicide to decline the offer of medicine to prolong life if one doesn't want to, but I'd like to know how different believers view this.