Ain’t that the truth!…but infinity has a way of overcoming all the odds.
I suppose it does in one particular sense that will matter most to those of your faith.A followup question to all those who don’t believe in an afterlife, and I am honestly trying to word this as objectively as possible: Does your belief that there is no afterlife affect the way you live your life, or your views on any important matters?
It is interesting to compare my attitude to doing bad things when I was a believer and now. when I believed I saw bad things I did as sin. I sought forgiveness for me, and in hope of eternal life. Now when I do bad things I still feel sorrow i did them, but seek to change because of the impact of these things on others. Mostly I define ‘bad’ in the same way I did when I was a Catholic, with the notable exception of anything to do with sex between consenting adults. This change of mind has not been greatly to my advantage, however, as Mrs Hokomai and I have been together and exclusive for many decades. Believers often seem to think that if they stopped believing they would feel fine about murder, genocide and randomly going our at raping others. It’s nt like that! My view of death is different, and my view of suffering, which I am unable to regard as anything other than bad, unlike many believers. I also miss the fellowship of the Church, and I have to say that people united only by unbelief are not necessarily nicer to be with than those united by belief!A followup question to all those who don’t believe in an afterlife, and I am honestly trying to word this as objectively as possible: Does your belief that there is no afterlife affect the way you live your life, or your views on any important matters?
I am sure there are unbelievers who are good people seen from Christians perspective either by their nature or that they follow some basic personal principle. But generally I am curious though as to how do you decide what is bad and what is good. I mean it is easy for Christians because it is laid before them as to what are sins which are evil and also what are good. It is obvious when we see suffering but there are people who suffer silently and we never know that they do. For example, people suffer because they do not have peace in their mind.It is interesting to compare my attitude to doing bad things when I was a believer and now. when I believed I saw bad things I did as sin. I sought forgiveness for me, and in hope of eternal life. Now when I do bad things I still feel sorrow i did them, but seek to change because of the impact of these things on others. Mostly I define ‘bad’ in the same way I did when I was a Catholic, with the notable exception of anything to do with sex between consenting adults. This change of mind has not been greatly to my advantage, however, as Mrs Hokomai and I have been together and exclusive for many decades. Believers often seem to think that if they stopped believing they would feel fine about murder, genocide and randomly going our at raping others. It’s nt like that! My view of death is different, and my view of suffering, which I am unable to regard as anything other than bad, unlike many believers. I also miss the fellowship of the Church, and I have to say that people united only by unbelief are not necessarily nicer to be with than those united by belief!
Reuben I think there are some basic human instincts that lead to compassion and cooperation. I know this is the reverse o the general Christian thinking about ‘fallen’ human nature, but it seems clear to me that we evolved as a species through cooperation, at least within immediate kin-groups. We also needed an ability to forgive, once we evolved consciousness, and care and respect for the elderly allowed the transmission f important knowledge, and survival. Most of the ten commandments can be seen as adaptive evolutionary traits. There is even a hypothesis that we developed a propensity for religion because of our need to trust people in authority to safely get through the long childhood required by our unusually big brains. Areas of dispute over morality tend to be those things without a likely evolutionary base - abortion and contraception, for example, are the products of technology and would not have been selected for, or against. The morality of violence also seems to follow evolutionary principles - people have generally found it more acceptable the further outside those with whom you identify you go.I am sure there are unbelievers who are good people seen from Christians perspective either by their nature or that they follow some basic personal principle. But generally I am curious though as to how do you decide what is bad and what is good. I mean it is easy for Christians because it is laid before them as to what are sins which are evil and also what are good. It is obvious when we see suffering but there are people who suffer silently and we never know that they do. For example, people suffer because they do not have peace in their mind.
To change after doing bad thing because of its impact to others is really an act of kindness. That is commendable but there are people who may not have that personal attribute. So what is there to make them stop doing it unless it is stated that it is bad and it should not be done?