Is an afterlife pointless?

[Borderlands of Rojava]

Across the world many religions depict there being a world after this one that a person goes to when they pass away. A place that for the most part is better than this one (except for hell), where people reunite with family. For thousands of years, mankind has had special rituals for this world of the hereafter and has given significance to its imagery. But would the hereafter really be that fun? Or would eternity become...well, boring? Dull and lacking in the change that exists in life? I don't know if I believe in an afterlife or not but I can't help but wonder if there really is no good outcome regarding the hereafter (unless Valhalla exists). What do you think NSers? Is an afterlife really desirable and would it truly be enjoyable?

[Major-Tom]

The thought of an afterlife terrifies me. If I manage to reach 80, I reckon I'll have become quite bored already. Anything past that, especially eternity, is frightening, whether it be in the form of heaven, hell, or some other afterlife.

[Torisakia]

If real life is as pointless as it is right now, I'm afraid to see how pointless the afterlife is.

So yes.

[Nuroblav]

Very much so. It's also quite a discomforting idea to me - I could end up somewhere horrendous for practically any reason. Who knows? Even if it were a good place, eternity still sounds like a rather terrifying concept. I've just lived what is a nerve-racking existence - and now there's another?

[Asardia]

I think you should add a poll here

But to answer your question: yes.

An afterlife seems like a glorified hell to me. The idea came into existence when people lived horrible lives. If you were a slave and were told that you would have an eternity of happiness if you believe in God, you would probably believe it. Besides giving you the ability to continue on with your daily life, it gives you hope that at some point, life will be better. And surely anything is better than the current situation, right?

The problem lays around the more privileged group in humanity. The middle to upper class will generally have a more stable life. For example, my biggest worry in the morning is getting ready for school. Meanwhile, other kids worry about being shot on the way to school.

What I'm saying is this: If your life is basically a 1st world experience, then the idea of an afterlife is meaningless. While your current life isn't perfect of course, you wouldn't want to live forever here. So why live forever in paradise? Surely there's a time when paradise becomes...something else?

What's the point of seeing the sun rise every day for an eternity? What's the point of doing anything? You won't die again, you've already experienced everything there is to offer...so what's next?

This is where I draw my conclusion: The idea of an afterlife is incompatible with our current thinking. Humans, being the most intelligent creature known to exist, will also ponder the purpose beyond its own existence. An afterlife can only work if there's a critical change in the way we view ourselves and the world around us.

[Nuroblav]

I think you should add a poll here

But to answer your question: yes.

An afterlife seems like a glorified hell to me. The idea came into existence when people lived horrible lives. If you were a slave and were told that you would have an eternity of happiness if you believe in God, you would probably believe it. Besides giving you the ability to continue on with your daily life, it gives you hope that at some point, life will be better. And surely anything is better than the current situation, right?

The problem lays around the more privileged group in humanity. The middle to upper class will generally have a more stable life. For example, my biggest worry in the morning is getting ready for school. Meanwhile, other kids worry about being shot on the way to school.

What I'm saying is this: If your life is basically a 1st world experience, then the idea of an afterlife is meaningless. While your current life isn't perfect of course, you wouldn't want to live forever here. So why live forever in paradise? Surely there's a time when paradise becomes...something else?

You almost touch on something I think is also a good point: the idea of a heaven and hell kinda creates this idea of a black and white - where people are either good, or bad.

I don't I've heard of an entirely good person - not even those I respect. Most are just in between. I do think it's a nice standard, and some come close, but in asking for perfection you pretty much demand the impossible. And I know that's not what those concepts are trying to say, but it does come across that way.

[Luziyca]

As long as it's not an empty void, or worse, being frozen in place at the exact moment of your death for all eternity, an afterlife isn't really pointless.

[Nanatsu no Tsuki]

Personally, I find it pointless. We have life, right here. Right now. Let’s live it. Why worry about something we do not know exists or not without a shadow of a doubt? *shrug*

[La Paz de Los Ricos]

I mean, being unknowing and unfeeling is an equally terrifying reality to me. But, then again, an afterlife would disprove everything I believe about the universe and throw my whole outlook on life out the window, so having to deal with that for eternity might be pretty bad, too.

As long as it's not an empty void, or worse, being frozen in place at the exact moment of your death for all eternity, an afterlife isn't really pointless.

*dies*

*record scratch*

*freeze frame*

"Yup, that's me."

[Chestaan]

It's very difficult for me to even begin to fathom the concept of eternity. Such a thing seems terrifying in many senses. However, if we assume an afterlife is real (as we have to to answer this question) then I would assume that a powerful God who creates a place specifically to reward believers for believing in him would create it in a way that would be pleasing to us. I guess that also needs to assume that the creator is a benevolent being.

[Nuroblav]

Personally I see an afterlife more pointless in the sense that it is a concept too open to exploitation. It can be easily used to say 'If you don't agree with me, look where you can end up! Don't wanna end up here, do you? It plays with our psychological fear quite well - to the point we can act up over something that may or may not exist.

[Borderlands of Rojava]

I mean, being unknowing and unfeeling is an equally terrifying reality to me. But, then again, an afterlife would disprove everything I believe about the universe and throw my whole outlook on life out the window, so having to deal with that for eternity might be pretty bad, too.

As long as it's not an empty void, or worse, being frozen in place at the exact moment of your death for all eternity, an afterlife isn't really pointless.

*dies*

*record scratch*

*freeze frame*

"Yup, that's me."

Some dead guy lying on the ground: "alright I should be ascending to heaven any second now. Any second...just probably a couple more minute...wait why is nothing happening? I'm still laying here."

[Chestaan]

As long as it's not an empty void, or worse, being frozen in place at the exact moment of your death for all eternity, an afterlife isn't really pointless.

There are so many horrific visions of hell and those two are definitely among the worst

[Aeritai]

For me personally the Afterlife doesn't look pointless, I actually like that someday I get to spend eternity with my loved ones, build my own mansion, interact with different animals and do others things that I'll be able to do in Heaven.

[Jabberwocky]

Since there is no afterlife, we are forced to invent it.

[Borderlands of Rojava]

As long as it's not an empty void, or worse, being frozen in place at the exact moment of your death for all eternity, an afterlife isn't really pointless.

There are so many horrific visions of hell and those two are definitely among the worst

So when we talk about an empty void, would one be alone there or with others, cause I'm fine hobknobbing with my friends in the darkness for eternity...maybe. I mean it wouldn't be awesome but not really hellish either. Just disappointing.

[Chestaan]

There are so many horrific visions of hell and those two are definitely among the worst

So when we talk about an empty void, would one be alone there or with others, cause I'm fine hobknobbing with my friends in the darkness for eternity...maybe. I mean it wouldn't be awesome but not really hellish either. Just disappointing.

When I heard void I just assumed darkness and nothing and nobody else around but the individual is still sapient. Awareness with nothing to be aware of.

[Geneviev]

It depends on which afterlife. Heaven would be everything we could want, and I don't think that's pointless.

[La Paz de Los Ricos]

So when we talk about an empty void, would one be alone there or with others, cause I'm fine hobknobbing with my friends in the darkness for eternity...maybe. I mean it wouldn't be awesome but not really hellish either. Just disappointing.

When I heard void I just assumed darkness and nothing and nobody else around but the individual is still sapient. Awareness with nothing to be aware of.

Worse than darkness. The void, I imagine, is whatever the blind see. Not darkness, not black, just no sight whatsoever. Like trying to look out of your kneecap. It's not dark, it's just that your kneecap doesn't take in that information. There's not even an absence of information to take in, there's just no possible way to take in information because all your senses died with your body.

But, that's all hypothetical, and I'm not exactly a subscriber to the "infinite void" way of looking at death. "Eternal oblivion" is more my thing.

[Borderlands of Rojava]

When I heard void I just assumed darkness and nothing and nobody else around but the individual is still sapient. Awareness with nothing to be aware of.

Worse than darkness. The void, I imagine, is whatever the blind see. Not darkness, not black, just no sight whatsoever. There's not even an absence of information to take in, there's just no possible way to take in information because all your senses died with your body.

But, that's all hypothetical, and I'm not exactly a subscriber to the "infinite void" way of looking at death. "Eternal oblivion" is more my thing.

What's the difference?

[Borderlands of Rojava]

So when we talk about an empty void, would one be alone there or with others, cause I'm fine hobknobbing with my friends in the darkness for eternity...maybe. I mean it wouldn't be awesome but not really hellish either. Just disappointing.

When I heard void I just assumed darkness and nothing and nobody else around but the individual is still sapient. Awareness with nothing to be aware of.

Now that is hell.

[La Paz de Los Ricos]

Worse than darkness. The void, I imagine, is whatever the blind see. Not darkness, not black, just no sight whatsoever. There's not even an absence of information to take in, there's just no possible way to take in information because all your senses died with your body.

But, that's all hypothetical, and I'm not exactly a subscriber to the "infinite void" way of looking at death. "Eternal oblivion" is more my thing.

What's the difference?

"Infinite void" is what I called the state of being Chestaan described: Awareness with nothing to be aware of.

"Eternal oblivion" is just the termination of your consciousness at death (which is what I believe happens). You literally cease to exist. No awareness. No thought. Not even a realization that you're dead. Just, blankness.

[An Alan Smithee Nation]

Anything for eternity would be hell.

An afterlife is just a fiction to control people's behaviour in the present, by promising an unprovable reward.

[Borderlands of Rojava]

What's the difference?

"Infinite void" is what I called the state of being Chestaan described: Awareness with nothing to be aware of.

"Eternal oblivion" is just the termination of your consciousness at death (which is what I believe happens). You literally cease to exist. No awareness. No thought. Not even a realization that you're dead. Just, blankness.

Strange

[Senkaku]

with lives, as with marriages: finish your dinner before you worry about getting dessert