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That's the concept I can't get my head around. Just like I can't get my head around infinity. Perhaps that is where this penchant for believing in an afterlife stems from? Can anyone imagine being dead and no longer existing? It's not like sleeping - we dream during sleep. We slip into dream sleep and wake from dream sleep. Yet there are creatures that shut down completely, as in drying out, then re-animate once they get rehydrated. What happens to their consciousness during that time? Maybe I just overthink things.
As far as I know there are no recalled stories/memories from people who were in extended comas.
I am agnostic (60% no god; 40% of some higher power/force), but I have no problem understanding the diehard atheist. I do have major issues with diehard deists, however.
Man has never been a rational being; he's always leaning on emotion to guide his life. He wishes that a good and loving god exists so he can find a tiny bit of comfort in death and in the unknown.
What awaits us all is the final mystery. But it may very well be we won't know the mystery because we will be forever dead.
I am 99.99% no religious omni god thing and I am 70% sure of humans reacting no the biosphere explains the connective stuff. so "no higher power" would have to be be explained to me. we are in a hierarchy of structure, that's just a fact.
I totally agree your emotional part. some people are more emotional than others. and some are more "sensitive" so they relieve the angst of death, like you said.
That's the concept I can't get my head around. Just like I can't get my head around infinity. Perhaps that is where this penchant for believing in an afterlife stems from? Can anyone imagine being dead and no longer existing? It's not like sleeping - we dream during sleep. We slip into dream sleep and wake from dream sleep. Yet there are creatures that shut down completely, as in drying out, then re-animate once they get rehydrated. What happens to their consciousness during that time? Maybe I just overthink things.
I understand completely where you're coming from. I also cannot get my head around there being no beginning or end to something.
Maybe there is something supernatural and god-like that eludes us all - who can really know? But, again, I remain a Buddhist agnostic. I am at peace with that for now.
I am 99.99% no religious omni god thing and I am 70% sure of humans reacting no the biosphere explains the connective stuff. so "no higher power" would have to be be explained to me. we are in a hierarchy of structure, that's just a fact.
I totally agree your emotional part. some people are more emotional than others. and some are more "sensitive" so they relieve the angst of death, like you said.
Again, being a hardcore atheist still makes sense to me to some degree, even though I identify as an atheist-leaning agnostic.
Do you people just want to believe in a higher power that looks over everything? Perhaps a god-like being just helps rationalize existence.
Again, being a hardcore atheist still makes sense to me to some degree, even though I identify as an atheist-leaning agnostic.
Do you people just want to believe in a higher power that looks over everything? Perhaps a god-like being just helps rationalize existence.
yup, they assign a "grand purpose" because they need one. And that's fine till they force it on the rest of us.
I actually think a god like thing made sense 100000 to 1500 years ago. Only in last 500 years ago were we able to see off of earth so to speak. less than a 100 years have we really had the technology to understand whats going on, even to the little that we have.
and, when a group of people are the first to "see" something, nobody else sees it. thats just the way it is. Many just deny things out of hand for any number of reasons. The connectivity to everything around us is one of those notions. most people just don't have the background to "see" a fundamental connection and a hierarchy of structure that they are part of.
So we are stuck between "deny everything" and "my god only" types. I think its the rest of us that have to keep our wits about us, the two ends just are not capable of anything past the nose on their face. lmao, and boy do we pay a price for that.
yup, they assign a "grand purpose" because they need one. And that's fine till they force it on the rest of us.
I actually think a god like thing made sense 100000 to 1500 years ago. Only in last 500 years ago were we able to see off of earth so to speak. less than a 100 years have we really had the technology to understand whats going on, even to the little that we have.
and, when a group of people are the first to "see" something, nobody else sees it. thats just the way it is. Many just deny things out of hand for any number of reasons. The connectivity to everything around us is one of those notions. most people just don't have the background to "see" a fundamental connection and a hierarchy of structure that they are part of.
So we are stuck between "deny everything" and "my god only" types. I think its the rest of us that have to keep our wits about us, the two ends just are not capable of anything past the nose on their face. lmao, and boy do we pay a price for that.
I agree! Being in the middle (perhaps a bit more atheist-leaning lol) makes us more rational somehow. Extremism is always dangerous.
I don't like religion pushed down my throat. Nothing turns me off more. It shows a total disrespect for your fellow man.
People in general are just ignorant about history, science, logic, etc. This is why the world looks like it does. Ignorance breeds extreme unhappiness all over the planet.
That's because you don't understand bio-chemistry.
Enrolling in your local university and taking courses, even if only auditing, can improve your understanding immeasurably.
Ah, Mircea, you need to alert all the people trying to understand abiogenesis and subjective consciousness (qualia) that your biochemistry has all the answers they seek.
You know I dearly love you, DOTL and completely understand where you are and why on the God issue. I am not sure I could have brushed off the shackles of a fundamentalist indoctrination without blowback but fortunately, I did not have that burden. My intentions are simple - to defend my belief in God and explain why since I was atheist for over 30 years and know what I could not accept. I empathize with the atheist mindset. I have no other agenda. Atheists are generally very intelligent but I do not attribute that to their atheism. Yes, I do like to interact with intelligent people but I do not think intelligence is what is needed to understand and relate to God. Love is.
I guess I've never seen or talked to anyone who went from atheist to a believer, that's hard to grasp and wrap your head around. The intelligence thing was simply a joke but not totally untrue. Your last bolded statement reminds me of the 1970 movie "Love Story" where Ali McGraw says "Love means never having to say you're sorry"....very sappy just like your "Love is" comment. And you can't relate to something that isn't real. Impossible.
I guess I've never seen or talked to anyone who went from atheist to a believer, that's hard to grasp and wrap your head around. The intelligence thing was simply a joke but not totally untrue. Your last bolded statement reminds me of the 1970 movie "Love Story" where Ali McGraw says "Love means never having to say you're sorry"....very sappy just like your "Love is" comment. And you can't relate to something that isn't real. Impossible.
Everything that is a cognitive product of our brain is NOT treated as real by most of us which is the problem. We think that our real being is our physical body but we are actually ephemeral beings comprised of our thoughts and feelings. THEY are the real essence of our being. One of the important characteristics of our essence is our ability to love and care for other lives. That love is what infuses our essence and comprises our God whether or not we believe in God. Love is real so God is real. YMMV.
Moment of truth time. My experiences convince me that God is unconditionally loving and accepting so I can not envision any punishment emanating from God for any reason. I place my faith in that. But, I am aware that we also produce negative (and sometimes evil) thoughts and feelings which according to my understanding are equally real aspects of our essence. I am certain they are NOT compatible with love so not compatible with God. I do believe we will reap whatever we sow, so I am uncertain how those real aspects of our essence will be dealt with. I am inclined to think it will not be pleasant.
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I also cannot get my head around there being no beginning or end to something. 
