Quote:
Originally posted by 250:
just why should anyone care if there is no after life? all effort is futile because of the inevitable demise.
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Futile? What are you on?
Didn't you read what I said? ANIMALS have no expectation of eternal life for themselves. BUT THEIR LIVES ARE NOT FUTILE! They live for the offspring. Their GENES live in their offspring. Therefore they care for their offspring. The purpose of LIFE is LIVING!
Can you not enjoy a sunset if think you will be dead forever when you die? Can you not enjoy raising your children if you think you will be dead forever when you die? Can you not enjoy a cold beer on a hot day if you think you will be dead forever when you die? Think about this: if you die and go to heaven (or wherever) you will never enjoy a beer, your children, a sunset again, anyway. This world will be dead to you. Pointless. If you believe in reincarnation.. sheesh... a long string of futility! Futility forever! Futility rules!
However, if you believe that that when you die you are DEAD, then you just HAVE to make the best of this life that you can, for yourself and others.
Do you realise what belief in an afterlife DOES? It makes people accept rotten situations in their own lives and in the world that they would not TOLERATE if they knew THIS LIFE WAS IT!
Because they think it doesn't matter, because it will all be 'made right' for them in heaven. As a consequence... well, just look round the world. Look at newsreels. Look at what people are enduring. They endure, they put up with it and hope for better when they die.
WE SHOULD NOT PUT UP WITH IT! We should act in such a way as to get a good life NOW for EVERYONE! Saying that 'heaven will compensate' excuses all sorts of horrendous things from slavery to poverty to war to disease...
I think religion, with it's insistance in the 'hereafter' has a LOT of human suffering to answer for. I feel pretty passionate about it!
No apologies.
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Smile! Life is too short for bitching!
Fljotsdale