do you guys beleive that there is life after death???

**edraven29** · 09-14-2001, 10:45 AM

do you guys beleive that there is life after death???

i beleive in god but seems like the older you get you ask these questions on and on and no proof or answer to all of this.

**Pete235** · 09-14-2001, 10:57 AM

Great question bro...honestly...I don't know. I wou;d like to believe there is a god and heaven but sometimes I find it hard to bend my mind around the idea. I was raised as Roman Catholic (lots of Irish in my blood) but at present don't really follow any organized religion. I don't see how giving your personal time to worship at a church will better your chances of getting into heaven. The bible is a record of ancient mans assement of certain events that have beens passed down through countless generations and mnay translations...isn't it realistic that somethings were lost over time? I don't know, I'm just asking. I mean no disrespect to those who have a strong faith this is just the way I feel. It is my belief that, if there is a God and Heaven, our souls will be welcomed based of who we are, what we did and how we lived our lives...not on how many hours we worshipped and how many commadments we followed. Lets face it, some of the strongest proponents of religion routinly break commandments. I also feel that religion discriminates in some ways, this leads to biggotry. Sorry to ramble.
Pete

**edraven29** · 09-14-2001, 11:11 AM

i am also a catholic and do beleive in god, but have not set foot in a church since i was 7 years old.

I do live a good life, i respect my girlfriend, and family and try to be good with all people to help them has much has i can.

I to beleve that if you respected others their will be a good place in heaven.

I am really chocked with what happened in NY becose the ones that did this are among the strongest beleivers in god on the planet, what made them think that god would approve of such a disaster???

This is behond me.

**r6guy** · 09-14-2001, 11:27 AM

I was raised as Roman Catholic also and I don't attend church frequently, but did you guys see the National Prayer Service? I thought it was pretty inspiring. G.W. Bush had a pretty good speech too.

"There are no atheists in foxholes."

**cosmokramer** · 09-14-2001, 01:45 PM

I don't think just going to church will save you. And no you do not get into heaven just by going to church. Whoever believes their heart is not in the right place when they go. Most go to church to worship but they also go to learn. You can basically worship anywhere. Also I think a lot of people believe in God as something to hold on to in a time of need. It helps a lot knowing that you got someone on your side at all times especially in a world so unforgiving, as we all have seen in the recient terrorist attacks. Thats why we all tell peaple that we are praying for them when they are going through tough times. It makes them feel better when they know someone is thinking about them and wishing the best for them. I do believe in God and I also believe that everthing happens for a reason. I am by no means saying that this attack was justified, but I believe that something good will come out of this. Like goin affgana whatchamacallit and kicking some Lauden ass!

Cosmo

**Tobey** · 09-14-2001, 02:43 PM

Dear Pete and Edraven,
You are right about some things in your post and misinformed about others. I am sure that there are many who go to church to put on a show for their peers, however, most of the christians that I know go to church to learn and to ask for forgiveness. No christians are not perfect, we never claimed to be , we're just forgiven. We are forgiven because we belive in Jesus Christ, the son of God who was crucified died and bury. He was raise on the third day and he sits on his throne on the right hand side of God. Many religions belive in the same God, however doult Jesus's authencity as God's beloved son. Even the demons of hell believe in God but did they ever follow his commanments? Christians are givin commandments not just to live by but to benifit from as well. Yes God knows that we are going to come short of the task many times in our lives. It is in our nature as human beings to sin beause we are born into sin. That is why God sent Jesus, so he could bear our sins for us, but we can only recieve this gift if we belive in Jesus. Historians have proven that Jesus did walk the earth. Knowing this you have to belive 1 of 3 differnet possibilites. Either Jesus was a liar, or he was completely insane OR he was who he said he was, God's son. Christianity can not be proven. God never intended for it to be. For there to be proof would bring people to him out of fear not love and that was not God's intention. I to have trouble seeing how God could let such a terrible thing happen. But you must remember that Satan roams this earth as well and he is very powerful. His power lies in the deception that he can breed amongest men. Deception that may even lead one to fly a plane into a building of innocent people for no other reason than to kill. I still do not understan why thee peolpe hate Americans so much. Maybe it is a cultural thing I don't know but I know that Satan has his hand in there somewhere. All I can do is trust that somehow, in God's great infinite wisedom that there is a plan that may bring some goodness and closeur to such a horrible event. I pray that those who have beem directely effected may oneday find peace.
Tobey

CYCLEON · 09-14-2001, 08:43 PM

I must say very eloquently put Tobey. On the whole, I share these beliefs as well - I wish I had the time to add to your post but will say for those wondering how a good God can allow great evil like this to happen. It is all based on the principle of "free will". Because of this, we are able to chose to do whatever we wish, even harm others. God permits this "godlike" quality else we would be robots and incapable of having a relationship with Him. It is also this quality that allows God to righteously judge each person for his/her own actions, since ultimately every action is based on your decision to do so. For this reason also, I would tremble ot be one of the terrorists now standing before God to give account - for them, all that awaits for all eternity is the yawning chasm of hell

**hard_lady** · 09-14-2001, 10:01 PM

I absolutely believe there is life after death,and that it is a beautiful place.I am a nurse,and I have lost count of the number of people I have been with when they died.I have also been with a number of patients who we resuscitated,and the stories they tell are all the same..."a beautiful place"..."saw all my loved ones"..."why did you take me away from such beauty?"...I have actually had patients get mad because we "saved" them.I can also tell you,when I have been with the ones who died,the serenity they show when they die leads me to believe that there are wonderful,comforting things that wait ahead for them...even in the throes of severe pain,CPR,after severe Trauma(I am an ICU nurse in a large hospital)...so even though the last waking moments for these victims may have been terrible...the dying part wasn't(except for the bastards that did this-there is no beautiful place for them)

**Pete235** · 09-15-2001, 07:42 AM

Tobey,

I know you are aware that my post was not meant to inflame or stir things up. I was merely stating my personal beliefs. I respect your faith and I respect what you believe. You are a valued member of this board, you are very articulate and intelligent and I truly understand and appreciate your standpoint. Your points are valid your faith is evident. I hope I didn't offend you my friend.

You may be right about Satan. Maybe he is responsible. Personally, I beleive that most humans are good but there are people who are bad....truly bad. The human brain is not even close to being fully understood. I think it is too easy to blame the many evil, vile unspeakable acts perpetrated by humans on a higher (lower) power. I believe there is a scientific explanation, but we are still very far from understanding why some people do what they do.

I guess I find it most difficult to believe in the old testament. To me, personally, the stories of Noah and Moses sound more like myths (Ala Odin, Zuess). I am a firm believer in Darwins theory of "Natural Selection" and as such I cannot even fathom the idea of creationism. To each his own, I do not begrudge anybody their personal beliefs. I'm a moral person, I respect others, I respect nature (I love animals), I try to be helpful, I'm a family man, I hold my wife in the highest regard and I have many friends who I cherish. However, I don't attend mass and I don't pray. I think/hope there is a higher power. My point is simply this...I know I'm a good person and I know there is a place for me in heaven.

Pete

**Tobey** · 09-15-2001, 08:23 AM

Hey Man,
Naw I was not offended in the least. I guess I kinda went on a tangent there sorry. Being a biology student for so many years I have had to take many evoultion courses. Yes evoulution can be proven and I am one of those rare few who believe that there is room for belief for both. True small populations have numerous disavantages for survival( homozygous alleles being driven up and hetorozygous alleles being driven down, natural cotastraphies wipeing out entire populations, ect ect.) as in the case of Adem and Eve. But for me to question the power of God's ability to halt any of these is to deine that he exist at all. If anything it strentghen my faith, however, I to have taken a backseat many times to when it comes to constsantly worshiping him like I should. I'm much like you in alot of ways. I'm a good person who always tries to do right by his fellow man. I do believe in Jesus and I have asked him to come into my heart as my lord and savior and that is my ticket into heaven. No man may enter into the kingdom of heaven through works alone least he boast. I truelly don't think that you could really say anything that would upset me that much Pete. Hell somtimes I think that if I walked up to some of the guys here at AR (you included) I would reconize them right off the bat. I know them that well. We'er family and that means everything in the world to me. Thanks for your apopolgy but it was not necessary. I think your the tops!
Your friend
Tobey

**Pete235** · 09-15-2001, 08:47 AM

Tobey,
You're a good man.
Pete

CYCLEON · 09-15-2001, 02:23 PM

Pete - u may be suprised to learn that, as a firm Christian, I also believe in Darwinian Evolution, its just that I do not believe that it is in conflict with God's creation.

Something I believe that you would enjoy reading. It is written by a highly acclaimed professor of biology at Brown University.

Finding Darwin's God: A Scientist's Search for Common Ground Between God and Evolution

***Sicilian30*** · 09-16-2001, 10:55 AM

wEll for those of you who say that they don't believe in life after death, why is it when something bad happens we tend to resort to God and prayer. I mean, I am not religious fanatic, but I do believe in the "Man Upstairs", flame me if you want, but it takes great faith to believe in something that isn't something we can touch. My question to you is, do you believe in satin? cause if you believe in him, then you have to conclude that there is a God. course all I need to do is look at a beautiful woman, and know, "that there is a God". heeee haaa. just alittle tension releaver..

**BigMike J** · 10-03-2003, 04:15 AM

Hard to say, sometimes i hold on to the idea, but there are times that i just don't know. My brother died a little over a year ago, is he still living in another form? It's hard to say. I guess i will know when my times comes.

**KeyMastur** · 10-03-2003, 07:03 AM

No, I don't. I take the scientist viewpoint. I don't believe in a God. I don't believe in life after death. I don't believe in miracles. Show me, and I'll believe. Until then, I stick to my own beliefs. But, I'm still a pretty good guy.

**KeyMastur** · 10-03-2003, 07:07 AM

Originally Posted by Sicilian30

My question to you is, do you believe in satin?

of course i believe in satin. satin sheets, satin teddy's that my girl wears, satin boxers, a lot of things.

**BigMike J** · 10-03-2003, 07:26 AM

haha funny

**bermich** · 10-04-2003, 02:04 AM

LIFE AFTER DEATH:
I am not religious. I feel religion breeds hypocricy and seperation. A book translated 10,000 different ways and every one who holds onto that translation feels their religion is the correct one.

Life after Death is an oxy-moron.
It helps those fearful of death live their lives.
They feel that life is a waste if you can not bring any of what you worked for with you : Your memory, your essance.

How can you hold any of that as a spirit? What makes you you is your brain and your nervous system. Without those, you have no memory, no voice, no way of interacting with ANY physical realm

Sure, the movie ghost showed how a ghost can interact with physical objects explaining moving objects and visions. Come on now.

I watched that show " The other side with that John guy today. I couldnt watch more than ten minutes of it. That guy is SUCH A HACK he makes me sick for all the other con artists.

Im hearing a name, Marvin, murrey, miller. Then the person he is talking to says" I know a person named Michelle."
Yes Michelle. That is the name coming to me.
Now. Im getting a number 2. Now this number COULD mean 2 months, 2 years, 2 childnre.

He is so FUCKING vague to where he can not be wrong. He throws out a quarter of the puzzle and waits for the person to fill in the other 75 percent making him look like that is what he meant.

Once the brain stops receiving oxegon, we are dead. The brain, and all that we are is dead. Our memories, our ambitions, our emotions. How can spiritual energy contain ANY of that? How does energy contain memory to know where it used to live?

Life after Death keeps people from committing bad things on people. Sure you can get arrested but what you really wonder is eternal life. You dont wanna be in hell forever.
If we knew there was no one to judge us after life, there would be a lot of murders and sins going on.
Its all a scare tactic....

**Tock** · 10-05-2003, 05:26 PM

Not really . . .

But in a way, yes . . .
Every day your body sloughs off cells and you make contributions to the little white bathroom chair, and all that stuff eventually gets recycled in the environment, becomes fertilizer for plants, and then animals eat the plants, and etc etc until maybe some of the atoms that you crapped 20 years ago ends up in the produce dept at someone's local supermarket. When a person eats that produce, part of what used to be you ends up a part of someone else's eyeball (or maybe a dog, cow, etc).
So, in the sense that atoms in our bodies are continuously recycled in the environment, yah, we can safely say that the material we are made of today will end up in another plant or animal sooner or later.
But that's about it . . .

**Tobey** · 10-06-2003, 11:37 AM

Originally Posted by Tock

Not really . . .

But in a way, yes . . .
Every day your body sloughs off cells and you make contributions to the little white bathroom chair, and all that stuff eventually gets recycled in the environment, becomes fertilizer for plants, and then animals eat the plants, and etc etc until maybe some of the atoms that you crapped 20 years ago ends up in the produce dept at someone's local supermarket. When a person eats that produce, part of what used to be you ends up a part of someone else's eyeball (or maybe a dog, cow, etc).
So, in the sense that atoms in our bodies are continuously recycled in the environment, yah, we can safely say that the material we are made of today will end up in another plant or animal sooner or later.
But that's about it . . .

Ok Tock I have to ask.
Exactly what biology class did you get this from?

Tobey

**Tock** · 10-07-2003, 01:50 AM

Originally Posted by Tobey

Ok Tock I have to ask.
Exactly what biology class did you get this from?

Tobey

Not so much a particular biology class as a combination of a wide range of reading, observation, and general information. Pretty much, just your basic "Food Chain" with provisions for the waste all that eating generates. Add in a touch of materialist philosophy (which makes a lot of sense to me) and voila!

**punk_bbuilder** · 10-14-2003, 06:01 PM

I wish i knew....one of my biggest fears is that this is it...I really hope there is something else but if not... i dont want one any regrets on this world....i already have to many. Damn life is short.

**wakatak87** · 01-14-2004, 11:29 PM

ok

i was raised as a christian, and as i got older it seemed harder and harder to believe because of all the other religions and how it really seems like we might have just evolved from single celled organisms, and if there is god how are we sure which religion is right blah blah blah......

a MAJOR thing was nearly all the chirstians i know really annoy me, they are really lame and boring goody goody kids who dont know how to have good fun (it doesnt have to be illegal stuff by the way)

BUT....
then you think about when chirstianity first started.....

i read in history that many chirstians were thrown into lions pits and died very bravely... enough so that one roman person (who himself wasnt christian) wrote something about how brave they were when they died.

think about this:

would you tell people you really saw god and he told you the truth and let people know your chirstian when you KNOW youll be eaten by lions or crucified, and then do these without being scared?

just so you could be like hahaha now they believe that jesus guy was the son of god ahaha boy did i get them hahaha oh man im good?

(a lot of people did this by the way)

so thats mostly why im christian, and also whats the point in taking the chance of being in hell forever. seems like a bad spot.

***Sicilian30*** · 01-14-2004, 11:36 PM

Well let me ask you guys this? Do you believe in asteral projection? The thought of our "spirit" or soul leaving the body has actually been proven that it does work. The government actually uses it as a weapon. So with that thought how can you say we have no soul. That soul has to go somewhere when we die? Where does it go? What about ghosts?
This is a tough question, and everyone has their own logic, and I respect that. But hey if we all agreed on everything the world would be one boring ass place!

**bermich** · 01-14-2004, 11:39 PM

YES I BELEIVE IN LIFE AFTER DEATH. This thread was dead six months ago and now it is REBORN. Howaluya.
Praise the lord.

**Da Bull** · 01-17-2004, 03:17 AM

No..........

**caturpilar** · 01-17-2004, 10:19 AM

Originally Posted by bermich

YES I BELEIVE IN LIFE AFTER DEATH. This thread was dead six months ago and now it is REBORN. Howaluya.
Praise the lord.

My dad once told me that the world we live in is hell and you can only go up. I believe in god, but I think we all become worm dirt in the end. Kind of contradicting but it works for me.

**LuvMuhRoids** · 01-22-2004, 07:04 AM

No...

**MilitiaGuy** · 02-16-2004, 05:00 PM

if their is no life after death then wher is the justice ,criminals must be punished for their crimes if they escaped world punishment so i beleive their is hell and heaven

**Tock** · 03-17-2004, 07:45 AM

Originally Posted by MilitiaGuy

if their is no life after death then wher is the justice ,criminals must be punished for their crimes if they escaped world punishment so i beleive their is hell and heaven

Just because "Criminals should be punished for their crimes" doesn't prove anything. Tragedy happens every day, and the 'bad guys' win more often than they should, and suffer no consequenses.

Consider all the terrible religious leaders in Medeival Europe who killed heretics for centuries and were handsomely rewarded for their efforts, while the religious leaders on the other side were doing the same thing.
It's pretty sad . . . but that's the way it is . . . people have not advanced much in civilization beyond the stone age. Technically, yes, but as far as justice goes, no.
--Tock

**groverman1** · 03-18-2004, 06:55 PM

I believe in the opposite of whatever Tock believes.

**Tock** · 03-18-2004, 08:44 PM

Originally Posted by groverman1

I believe in the opposite of whatever Tock believes.

Why not? It saves you the bother of thinking for yourself . . .
-Tock

**Jade** · 03-18-2004, 09:33 PM

I think when you die you come back again as a baby and you do this over and over again until you get it right. I think that is why some people can learn things or pick up on things easier then other people, they have done it a few times already and they are getting better at this thing called life. Then when you really do it right you get to go to heaven.

**Solrock** · 03-18-2004, 10:49 PM

You are God. This is your dream. You are making this all up. Even the parts you do not like. Everything and every person you encounter is a part of you.

Your past lives and future lives are all of the lives you see around you, all of the lives that have ever been or ever will be.

There is no escape. This is your eternal dream. You are free to make it a Heaven or a Hell. In truth, you have made it all of these, and will continue to do so for all of eternity.

Seeing yourself, hearing yourself, tasting yourself, feeling yourself, killing youself, birthing yourself...

Discovering yourself, forgetting yourself... only to discover yourself again... dreaming. Eternally dreaming.

"Row, row, row your boat
gently down the stream
merrily merrily merrily merrily
life is but a .............."

**decadbal** · 03-19-2004, 12:38 PM

i do

**Danielle** · 03-19-2004, 02:12 PM

i do believe in life after death.........i truly hope there is...........this cant be all there is too life...........there must be more out there then this..........

**ItalianMuscle27** · 03-19-2004, 03:13 PM

Is that you in your Avatar, Danielle? One Helluva bod..

O sorry I lost my train of thought, yea I believe there is too. But dont want to find out just yet.

X..

**ice101ownzme** · 06-23-2004, 09:11 PM

Originally Posted by Jade

I think when you die you come back again as a baby and you do this over and over again until you get it right. I think that is why some people can learn things or pick up on things easier then other people, they have done it a few times already and they are getting better at this thing called life. Then when you really do it right you get to go to heaven.

althoguh i am catholic, my whole life i have kinda of believed the same exact thing. i used to think that souls kind of follow eachother, for example your brother might be your best friend, or your father in your next life, and we keep this cycle until we have finally reached the "perfect human" i guess u can say, then its off to that better place. to me this always made the most sense to, but then sometimes when i thought about it, it didnt.. there are few things i believe in, life after death? i want to, obvously. but do i?

one time i sent an email to my biology teacher, saying the reason i dropped her class was infact because it contradicted everyhting i believed (real reason was because i was lazy, and i absolutly cant stand studying it) but in that email, i stated all the reasons of controdiction, and i have to tell you, after writing the email i really did kinda looked at it and think "o ****, what if im right? "what if science goes against everything that we as humans want to believe (which it does) and thats it, thats all there is to it" i really kinda scared myself.

so do i believe? honeslty i have no clue, but i will keep walking this life pretending that i do, in hopes that in the end of whatever i might go through, i will go on to that better place

**skinjob** · 07-31-2004, 10:38 PM

"...Yes evoulution can be proven and I am one of those rare few who believe that there is room for belief for both. True ...." "....as in the case of Adem and Eve... "

(this is not aimed at the author of the above who is clearly reasonable and sensible)

i think those that read the bible and take it as a literal document of fact are dangerously stupid, literally. pity there are so many of them and that so many of them are utterly willing to completely ignore many of the other more basic tenets of their faith eg. tolerance, compassion, love etc. in favour of getting hung up on very extreme literal interpretations.

**DBarcelo** · 07-31-2004, 11:28 PM

According to the Bible, there is no life after death until the resurection. The 1st resurection is of the set number of people that are going to heaven and the second resurection is that of the rest of the people that will be given the chance to live on earth or face the second death. If you do believe in the Bible, it's all written in Revelations.