Originally Posted by byte1 (Post 2149488)

duh!! Ok, so you got me. I should have caught on from your first posts, but i went along with it. I actually thought you were being serious and that you really were a few fries short of a happy meal. Thanks for the laugh..............

Originally Posted by Two Bills (Post 2149432)

So many beliefs, and not a shred of evidence too prove any of them!

Originally Posted by Bonanza (Post 2147637)

Dead is dead. It is permanent. No one's ever proven it to be different.
Same for heaven and hell. They've never been proven to be real "places."
There are those who want to think they're real because of blind faith.

No one really cares anyway and no one is reading this because we're almost beyond the 10th page of this thread!

Originally Posted by lennythenet (Post 2147586)

That is a totally untrue and rude statement! I think members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints are some of the kindest and most service oriented people I know.

Originally Posted by chrissy2231 (Post 2147588)

Originally Posted by Worldseries27 (Post 2147596)

amen

Originally Posted by fdpaq0580 (Post 2147610)

And don't forget the part where the Dr drops you on the head and says, "Oops!". Or doesn't that happen to everyone? 😯

Originally Posted by Byte1 (Post 2149347)

By the way, the Bible is the most widely published book in the world. It is historically and mathematically accurate. Just an interesting fact.

Originally Posted by Byte1 (Post 2149347)

Yep, I have FAITH. Is that hard to believe? Do I really "KNOW?" I am just counting on the promise that Jesus/GOD gave us in the Bible. They call that "faith." Better to have faith than to die miserably with nothing to look forward to. I have not seen ANY indication that reincarnation exists. But I am counting on the promise that GOD gave us that we do not just cease to exist. Jesus said that where he was going there was many rooms and that he was going to prepare a place for us when we went (paraphrased). Christians call that heaven. I am counting on having one of those rooms. I think that I would rather live with GOD than be reincarnated as something that lives in today's world. But hey, everyone has their own preference. God never mentions anything about reincarnation but their IS reference to an alternative to Heaven. I am not trying to convince anyone to join me; just explaining my "faith" to you in response. It would be the easy way out to believe that when you passed, there was nothing on the other side. That way, there would be no threat of moral or ethical reckoning for sin. Unfortunately, GOD states that "all have sinned..." so if GOD is real and one passes, they have a reckoning whether or not they believe. The ONLY way to forgo the punishment is via Jesus, according to the Holy Bible. BUT, that is my belief/faith as you mentioned. Of course, if I am wrong and the non-believers are right, then I have lost nothing. If I am right and the non-believers are wrong, they have lost EVERYTHING. I am no better than anyone else. I just accepted GOD's promise/gift. I hate to see others suffer, but GOD does not force anyone to accept HIS gift. That's each individual's choice. Kind of like having a complete stranger walk up to you and give you a check for $5000 with a stack of old references stating that this person is an honorable and honest person. It is your choice as to whether or not you believe that check is legit or not. Until you cash it, you don't know. However, if there is an expiration date on that check you might lose that gift if you do not believe(have faith) it's legit and do not cash it while you can. Maybe that is not a good analogy.
By the way, the Bible is the most widely published book in the world. It is historically and mathematically accurate. Just an interesting fact.

"What do you think happens when you die?"
I believe that I will go to be with the Lord.

Originally Posted by tvbound (Post 2149516)

Like those who believe the earth is only about 10,000 years old, dinosaurs never existed and incest was acceptable? I'll take a pass.

"Humanists reject the claim that the Bible is the word of God. They are convinced the book was written solely by humans in an ignorant, superstitious, and cruel age. They believe that because the writers of the Bible lived in an unenlightened era, the book contains many errors and harmful teachings.'

Some Reasons Why Humanists Reject The Bible - American Humanist Association

Originally Posted by tvbound (Post 2149516)

Like those who believe the earth is only about 10,000 years old, dinosaurs never existed and incest was acceptable? I'll take a pass.

"Humanists reject the claim that the Bible is the word of God. They are convinced the book was written solely by humans in an ignorant, superstitious, and cruel age. They believe that because the writers of the Bible lived in an unenlightened era, the book contains many errors and harmful teachings.'

Some Reasons Why Humanists Reject The Bible - American Humanist Association

Originally Posted by MorTech (Post 2148834)

We revert back into stardust...Like everything else in physical reality.

Originally Posted by chrissy2231 (Post 2149242)

Hopefully, I would become a Mother. Didn't want to in this life.
I lived in Phila, & I won 1st place in my office's "best resemblance to a dog" contest. I won as an Afghan at age 24.

What about you?

Originally Posted by chrissy2231 (Post 2149513)

Originally Posted by Worldseries27 (Post 2147595)

that's why it's called evolution

Originally Posted by jimjamuser (Post 2147570)

I hope not. I tend to miss a lot of STUFF that I lost in the past - like my stolen green and green hardtop 57 Chevy!

Originally Posted by jimjamuser (Post 2147575)

I don't ascribe to any religion that started after 1825. Or any after the age of the dinosaurs. But, I might try to start my own if I could just get enough followers and donations.

Originally Posted by chrissy2231 (Post 2147582)

Originally Posted by tvbound (Post 2149516)

Like those who believe the earth is only about 10,000 years old, dinosaurs never existed and incest was acceptable? I'll take a pass.

"Humanists reject the claim that the Bible is the word of God. They are convinced the book was written solely by humans in an ignorant, superstitious, and cruel age. They believe that because the writers of the Bible lived in an unenlightened era, the book contains many errors and harmful teachings.'

Some Reasons Why Humanists Reject The Bible - American Humanist Association

Originally Posted by Velvet (Post 2149849)

Humanists:
‘Humanists stand for the building of a more humane, just, compassionate, and democratic society using a pragmatic ethics based on human reason, experience, and reliable knowledge-an ethics that judges the consequences of human actions by the well-being of all life on Earth.’
So basically I take from that - humanists are strictly concerned with life on earth, as determined by humans. A very, very tiny portion of the universe and infinite time.

Originally Posted by jimjamuser (Post 2149830)

Nice post. Adds a lot to think about.

Originally Posted by ThirdOfFive (Post 2147524)

Don't confuse faith and religion.

Faith is a personal relationship between a person and his/her God/Higher Power/Whatever. It is "the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen". Faith, by definition, has to be sincere, or it cannot be faith. I respect faith.


Religion on the other hand, is a construct of man, not of God, and no matter how nobly or flawlessly they begin, the one thing in common is that they ALL, over time, become corrupt, profiteering in innumerable ways from how the sincerity of the believers is channeled to meet the ends of the religious hierarchy. Everything from temple moneychangers, to selling indulgences, to burning witches, to inflaming the masses to war by insisting that "God wills it", to convincing the "believers" that the more money they contribute the greater the proof will be of their faith and the greater God will reward them, to using adolescent boys as sexual objects, to overlook the crimes of persons in power because those persons have great value to their particular sect, to hiding behind various tax regulations while amassing huge fortunes, to...you name it.

I despise religion.

Originally Posted by Taltarzac725 (Post 2149853)

There were and are Christian Humanists. Erasmus - Wikipedia

Originally Posted by fdpaq0580 (Post 2149577)

You must be beautiful, elegant and have gorgeous hair.

With my luck, all the good choices will be gone and I'll come back as a dung beetle. 💩

Originally Posted by rogerrice60 (Post 2147541)

It all depends on how you lived your life.
Very simple! If you accepted Jesus as your Lord and Savior then you go to Heaven, if you didn't accept Jesus, then you go to HELL!
Eternity is a VERY long time.
Make the correct decision!!

Originally Posted by fdpaq0580 (Post 2147483)

"If they have time for me". Of course they will have time for you. They and you will have have FOREVER. Time never ending in an existence where even the concept of time is meaningless.

Originally Posted by golfing eagles (Post 2147516)

Like climate change?????:1rotfl::1rotfl::1rotfl: (Sorry, cross-threading---10 yard penalty)

Originally Posted by Ptmckiou (Post 2147455)

For me, I combine spirituality (not structured religion) and science because they support each other. Physics states energy cannot be created, or destroyed, but only change molecular structure.

Energy is all that is…all matter in the universe is made from energy. Energy has always been, and will always be. Energy can’t be destroyed. Energy can’t die. Thereby, since I am made of matter (atoms, molecules, quarks etc), then when mu body stops functioning, the energy that made me is still there. I see collectively, all that is, as….God. God being an intelligent energy. The soul, is a small aspect of God, that collective divine intelligent energy that has always been, and will always be….because “energy cannot be created or destroyed…”

To answer your question my consciousness (also energy) will continue past the demise of the vessel it’s temporarily housed in.

Originally Posted by kayak (Post 2147384)

Some people think when you die it's like turning off a light switch, nothing. Others believe in heaven and hell. None of us are going to change what will actually happen by believing or not believing something. It's up to us to seek the truth. Eternity is a long long time. Claiming ignorance after the fact sounds like a poor strategy to me. I chose Jesus.

Originally Posted by fdpaq0580 (Post 2147319)

Since we are finite creatures with a begining, middle, and end, infinity is a concept that, imho, is impossible to convey or conceive. My spur of the moment attempt goes like this. "With out end. No up, down, right, left, begining, ending. No point of reference. FOREVER."

Can you imagine you are on a line that goes to your righ and to your left. You go one we and I go the other. We both set out. We travel a trillion times the speed of light and we live a million life times. Neither of us are any closer to the end of the line because there is no end. No end! That would be infinity in one dimension. We exist in 3 dimensions. No mater what direction you go you are never any closer to an end, because the is no end. Eternal life would not get you closer to an end, and since you have eternal (never ending, infinite) life, even death can't release your never ending travel.

So, Infinity, could be a curse or a blessing. There is always the possibility of infinite joy and love.

What do you think?

Originally Posted by Life as I know it (Post 2147345)

I don’t believe in hell, if I did I would say it’s what happens here on earth to people that have suffered or are now suffering from the way their fellow humans treat them…..

Originally Posted by me4vt (Post 2147349)

Amen

Originally Posted by Worldseries27 (Post 2147352)

since you asked. I've always pondered why some of us are born in good circumstances where one can thrive
to aspire to salvation. Others, say mongol warriors were born into a culture that demanded of them pillaging and murder. They had no choice. Why was i given one and not them? Hence i believe that some of us are granted another life, a different chance to gain salvation.

Originally Posted by Blackbird45 (Post 2147365)

It doesn't matter if there is anything after you die you deal with it.
I'm not a believer. I always looked at the promise of a better place was to keep people in line.
If you're good boys and girls Santa will bring you gifts.
I've signed up to donate my organs after I die.
Does that mean if there is a better place, I will show up missing body parts

Originally Posted by oneclickplus (Post 2147367)

Ecclesiastes 9:10 - Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with your might; for there is no work or device or knowledge or wisdom in the grave where you are going.

So, there you go. Your body is buried and your consciousness ceases completely. You do not go to heaven. You sleep and await a resurrection.

John 3:13 - No one has ascended to heaven but He who came down from heaven, that is, the Son of Man who is in heaven.

Revelation 20:4-6 And I saw thrones, and they sat on them, and judgment was committed to them. Then I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded for their witness to Jesus and for the word of God, who had not worshiped the beast or his image, and had not received his mark on their foreheads or on their hands. And they lived and reigned with Christ for a thousand years. But the rest of the dead did not live again until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection. Blessed and holy is he who has part in the first resurrection. Over such the second death has no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with Him a thousand years.

Anything else any church teaches is lies and deception. Read your Bible. There is a good chance that what you have been taught is not in there.

Originally Posted by frankandeb (Post 2147381)

I appreciate the lightheartedness in some of the answers to this very important question. “Laughter is good medicine”
However, I feel I must interject to say that if we are honest with ourselves we somehow know that there is more after this life. I’m convinced in that same awareness that Jesus is the Way, the Truth and the Life; and no one gets to Heaven except through Him. Please take time to connect with Him, and His Word, on a regular basis.

Originally Posted by Taltarzac725 (Post 2149853)

There were and are Christian Humanists. Erasmus - Wikipedia