06 Oct 08
How do you think your life would be different if you knew that you had eternal life?
That is, if eternal life were suddenly regarded as fact (in the same way gravity is fact), how do you think your life would be transformed as a result?
And by "eternal life" I mean eternal life in the most positive sense, i.e., everlasting, full, overflowing, infinite, replete with joy, wonder, awe; perpetually revelatory, absolutely numinous, mysterium tremendum type stuff; an inconceivable level of self-fulfillment, continuing throughout eternity, realized in the perfect love of the One Who created you to be, above all other things, a receptacle for His love, etc.
I'm curious, if you knew this life awaited you upon death, what would you do? How might you feel? How would your life be transformed, if at all?
06 Oct 08
Originally posted by epiphinehasRe-incarnation is eternal life. Actions in one life sometimes create a cosmic debt in another life, whether these this debt is positive or negative is directly the result of our choices.
How do you think your life would be different if you knew that you had eternal life?
That is, if eternal life were suddenly regarded as fact (in the same way gravity is fact), how do you think your life would be transformed as a result?
And by "eternal life" I mean eternal life in the most positive sense, i.e., everlasting, full, overflowing ...[text shortened]... eath, what would you do? How might you feel? How would your life be transformed, if at all?
Welcome to Buddhism.
06 Oct 08
Originally posted by caissad4Or, welcome to Origenian Christianity.
Re-incarnation is eternal life. Actions in one life sometimes create a cosmic debt in another life, whether these this debt is positive or negative is directly the result of our choices.
Welcome to Buddhism.
http://reluctant-messenger.com/origen6.html
06 Oct 08
2 edits
Originally posted by epiphinehasIt would depend very much on what the conditions for obtaining said eternal life were. Your post implies no conditions ie it is guaranteed.
How do you think your life would be different if you knew that you had eternal life?
I guess I would probably buy a gun, shoot my loved ones and then myself in order that we all may get there faster.
I might also question my sanity for believing in something so obviously contradictory and illogical. I would ask the obvious question "what am I doing here in this God forsaken world?"
06 Oct 08
1 edit
Originally posted by caissad4That does not fit his definition of eternal life.
Re-incarnation is eternal life. Actions in one life sometimes create a cosmic debt in another life, whether these this debt is positive or negative is directly the result of our choices.
Welcome to Buddhism.
06 Oct 08
Originally posted by epiphinehasI wouldn't take my safety belt on anymore.
How do you think your life would be different if you knew that you had eternal life?
That is, if eternal life were suddenly regarded as fact (in the same way gravity is fact), how do you think your life would be transformed as a result?
I wouldn't take any more life insurance.
I would go to interesting and dangerous places. (I've always wanted to know how it's like at the deepest depths of the ocean, the highest mountain in the world, inside a live volcano, like Mt Etna, how it's like to fly without parashute from high altitude, see the Tjernobyl reactor from inside, and much more interesting things I would like to do.)
I would take a bank loan higher than I could pay back for one normal life to finance my adventures.
I would taste the fugu fish to see if it's as delicious as they say, and not having to bother its poison.
06 Oct 08
Originally posted by FabianFnasThats a bit odd. Life insurance does not prevent you from dying, nor even increase your chances of survival. Its purpose is to improve the quality of life of your dependents or loved ones. Why would the existence of eternal life reduce the amount of benefit that you wish them to receive?
I wouldn't take any more life insurance.
06 Oct 08
Originally posted by twhiteheadIf my life is eternal, my life insurance will never fall out. Bad spent money.
Thats a bit odd. Life insurance does not prevent you from dying, nor even increase your chances of survival. Its purpose is to improve the quality of life of your dependents or loved ones. Why would the existence of eternal life reduce the amount of benefit that you wish them to receive?
06 Oct 08
Originally posted by FabianFnasI see. However, I suspect that epiphinehas still expects you to die a physical death and your insurance money to be collected, so it might not be such a bad investment.
If my life is eternal, my life insurance will never fall out. Bad spent money.
Why would you even continue to live if the afterlife is so much better (as suggested by epiphinehas)?
06 Oct 08
Originally posted by twhiteheadInteresting thought.
I see. However, I suspect that epiphinehas still expects you to die a physical death and your insurance money to be collected, so it might not be such a bad investment.
Why would you even continue to live if the afterlife is so much better (as suggested by epiphinehas)?
If my present life is eternal, why bother an eventual afterlife? This eternal one is long enough.
Ah, you mean the lives are consecutive? So when one life is ended there will automatically be another one after this? Can this be garanteed? Does this mean this life is not the first one? Howcome I don't remember the life before then? So skipping this life to get another life, what's the point if I don't remember the current one?
A better life after? Really? Where do I sign up for the good christian Jim Jones suicide sect?
06 Oct 08
1 edit
Originally posted by epiphinehasSince I know I'm saved and going to heaven,
How do you think your life would be different if you knew that you had eternal life?
That is, if eternal life were suddenly regarded as fact (in the same way gravity is fact), how do you think your life would be transformed as a result?
And by "eternal life" I mean eternal life in the most positive sense, i.e., everlasting, full, overflowing eath, what would you do? How might you feel? How would your life be transformed, if at all?
Oops-----just noticed the post was directed at non-Christians.
Never mind. 🙂
06 Oct 08
1 edit
Originally posted by epiphinehasIt would not. I keep living like this whether there's an afterlife or not.
How do you think your life would be different if you knew that you had eternal life?
That is, if eternal life were suddenly regarded as fact (in the same way gravity is fact), how do you think your life would be transformed as a result?
And by "eternal life" I mean eternal life in the most positive sense, i.e., everlasting, full, overflowing eath, what would you do? How might you feel? How would your life be transformed, if at all?
Which, by the way, there isn't.
09 Oct 08
Originally posted by epiphinehasIf I knew this with the certainty you describe, why the hell would I want to stay here, where
And by "eternal life" I mean eternal life in the most positive sense, i.e., everlasting, full, overflowing, infinite, replete with joy, wonder, awe; perpetually revelatory, absolutely numinous, mysterium tremendum type stuff; an inconceivable level of self-fulfillment, continuing throughout eternity, realized in the perfect love of the One Who created you to be, above all other things, a receptacle for His love, etc.
things are never replete with joy, absolutely numinous, or inconceivably self-fulfilling?
I'd end my currently life as fast as I could. Who wouldn't?
http://www.adultswim.com/games/game/index.html?game=fiveMinutes
Nemesio
09 Oct 08
Originally posted by epiphinehasI'd certainly be less inclined to start a revolution and I'd probably kill myself with drugs and booze.
How do you think your life would be different if you knew that you had eternal life?
That is, if eternal life were suddenly regarded as fact (in the same way gravity is fact), how do you think your life would be transformed as a result?
And by "eternal life" I mean eternal life in the most positive sense, i.e., everlasting, full, overflowing ...[text shortened]... eath, what would you do? How might you feel? How would your life be transformed, if at all?
Not too much difference there then...
09 Oct 08
Originally posted by epiphinehasSo it is known that at the end of this life, everybody is guaranteed a far happier afterlife?
How do you think your life would be different if you knew that you had eternal life?
That is, if eternal life were suddenly regarded as fact (in the same way gravity is fact), how do you think your life would be transformed as a result?
And by "eternal life" I mean eternal life in the most positive sense, i.e., everlasting, full, overflowing ...[text shortened]... eath, what would you do? How might you feel? How would your life be transformed, if at all?
Much as others have said, I would end my current non-perfect life as soon as possible in order to get to the perfect afterlife quicker.
But, also as others have said, I would be tempted to give this gift of a quick entry to the perfect afterlife to as many other people as possible, before taking the journey myself. Maybe I would take a gun and visit a nearby school to spare young children from their long life of relative suffering... Or possibly I could band together with a few others, hyjack an airliner and fly it into a high-rise office building...
That would seem to be the kindest, least selfish thing to do.
--- Penguin.