How can there be life after death?

[Riven]

Why are Christians so afraid of life having an end point? Why must one live forever when one didn't exist for billions of years and seemed to not suffer from it?

Non-existence is not to be feared. It's a return to the experience we all had before we were born. Which is to say, no experience at all. Why is everyone so frightened of this? I don't get it.

 

[GodsGrace]

While you're here @GodsGrace can I ask you for some advice please?
My wife would really like to visit Italy.. we've looked and looked, we've researched all the usual tourist spots, Venice, Rome, Florence...

If you could give us your opinion on somewhere off the beaten track to visit it would be much appreciated.

If it's your first trip,,,you're going to have to hit the beaten track.
How do you not go to Rome and Florence?
Skip Milan.
Venice is very unique but I was there 2 years ago and it's changed too much.
Lucca is a very unique place to visit. Then a few hours in Pisa for the leaning tower (no other reason).
It depends on what you're looking for.
The lakes are beautiful.
Lake Como.
NOT Bellaggio.
Menaggio is better -
The Sorrento area is a must even though it's very crowded.
These places are crowded for a reason.
§A boat ride from Viareggio to Monterosso at the Cinque Terre.
Too much....

 

[shepherdsword]

Why are Christians so afraid of life having an end point? Why must one live forever when one didn't exist for billions of years and seemed to not suffer from it?

Non-existence is not to be feared. It's a return to the experience we all had before we were born. Which is to say, no experience at all. Why is everyone so frightened of this? I don't get it.

I get it...but we are not afraid of not existing anymore. The real fear is eternally existing in torment.

 

[Mancunian]

My SIL is a tifoso of Inter.
Yes,,,a few good teams.
I don't know much about soccer.
I know more about baseball and even football,
but am forgetting a lot. Been here a long time.
Been to London a few times.
Not lately.

I was in London a few weeks ago for my daughter's 21st birthday. We went to the London aquarium... Cost a fortune for dinner down there, £200 for four of us... Should have gone to McDonald's.

 

[GodsGrace]

Why are Christians so afraid of life having an end point? Why must one live forever when one didn't exist for billions of years and seemed to not suffer from it?

Non-existence is not to be feared. It's a return to the experience we all had before we were born. Which is to say, no experience at all. Why is everyone so frightened of this? I don't get it.

Riven
Christians don't believe because they're afraid of death.
They believe because they have either:
1. Had a personal experience.
2. Intellectually have come to believe that there has to be a first cause and/or creator of life itself.

What people that are REALLY interested have to ask themselves is this:
WHO was Jesus?

He was either a crazy person
or He was who He said He was.

The decision is for each person to make.

 

[Mancunian]

If it's your first trip,,,you're going to have to hit the beaten track.
How do you not go to Rome and Florence?
Skip Milan.
Venice is very unique but I was there 2 years ago and it's changed too much.
Lucca is a very unique place to visit. Then a few hours in Pisa for the leaning tower (no other reason).
It depends on what you're looking for.
The lakes are beautiful.
Lake Como.
NOT Bellaggio.
Menaggio is better -
The Sorrento area is a must even though it's very crowded.
These places are crowded for a reason.
§A boat ride from Viareggio to Monterosso at the Cinque Terre.
Too much....

Thank you, I'll start looking again!

 

[GodsGrace]

I was in London a few weeks ago for my daughter's 21st birthday. We went to the London aquarium... Cost a fortune for dinner down there, £200 for four of us... Should have gone to McDonald's.

It's like this all over Europe.
Something is going on over which we have no control.

If you go to Florence, take a small ride up to Fiesole.

 

[Mancunian]

I get it...but we are not afraid of not existing anymore. The real fear is eternally existing in torment.

Exactly.
That is the hook.
Once you have released yourself from the hook there's nothing to fear.

 

[GodsGrace]

Exactly.
That is the hook.
Once you have released yourself from the hook there's nothing to fear.

It's not a hook if God is real !
'night.

 

[Mancunian]

It's like this all over Europe.
Something is going on over which we have no control.

If you go to Florence, take a small ride up to Fiesole.

We looked at Sardinia.... I have to say it looks beautiful, unfortunately it's out of reach for us as it's very expensive to get there.
What is Fiesole?

 

[Mancunian]

It's not a hook if God is real !
'night.

Goodnight and thanks again.

 

[GodsGrace]

We looked at Sardinia.... I have to say it looks beautiful, unfortunately it's out of reach for us as it's very expensive to get there.
What is Fiesole?

It's a small town on a hill right there in Florence.
The ride up there is very nice.
There's a small amphitheater up there and great view.
My favorite view in all of Europe is the Piazzale Michelangelo in Florence.
Sardegna is for the beach. You have to go from beach to beach to enjoy it.
Yes. The water is beautiful and the rock formations very different...geological reasons
I'm sure but I know nothing about it. Stay at inexpensive places...the idea is to travel...
not to stay at the resort. (but that's fine to I suppose - but a waste of the place).

 

[Mancunian]

Why are Christians so afraid of life having an end point? Why must one live forever when one didn't exist for billions of years and seemed to not suffer from it?

Non-existence is not to be feared. It's a return to the experience we all had before we were born. Which is to say, no experience at all. Why is everyone so frightened of this? I don't get it.

Early Christian Theologians are to blame...

The formalization of eternal torment (hellfire and everlasting conscious punishment) in Christian doctrine developed over the first few centuries. Early apologists and Latin theologians—most notably Tertullian (c. 160–225 AD) who introduced the idea of eternal hell, and later St. Augustine of Hippo (354–430 AD)—systematically defended and cemented the doctrine in the Western Church, partly aided by Latin translations of Greek texts.

Of course, we have absolutely no reason to believe that any of this is remotely true.

 

[Matthias]

Why are Christians so afraid of life having an end point? Why must one live forever when one didn't exist for billions of years and seemed to not suffer from it?

Non-existence is not to be feared. It's a return to the experience we all had before we were born. Which is to say, no experience at all. Why is everyone so frightened of this? I don't get it.

Jesus promises life to his followers.

Your problem is that you don’t believe Jesus.

 

[Mancunian]

Jesus promises life to his followers.

A life of what?

 

[Sel@h]

Early Christian Theologians are to blame...

The formalization of eternal torment (hellfire and everlasting conscious punishment) in Christian doctrine developed over the first few centuries. Early apologists and Latin theologians—most notably Tertullian (c. 160–225 AD) who introduced the idea of eternal hell, and later St. Augustine of Hippo (354–430 AD)—systematically defended and cemented the doctrine in the Western Church, partly aided by Latin translations of Greek texts.

Of course, we have absolutely no reason to believe that any of this is remotely true.

Right; I don’t believe in eternal torment.

 

[marks]

Why are Christians so afraid of life having an end point? Why must one live forever when one didn't exist for billions of years and seemed to not suffer from it?

Non-existence is not to be feared. It's a return to the experience we all had before we were born. Which is to say, no experience at all. Why is everyone so frightened of this? I don't get it.

To me this is looking at this the wrong way.

I'm not afraid of some endpoint to my existence, but I'm happy over the thought of spending eternity with my loving Creator.

I'm not frightened of the idea of not existing, but it's not even a possibility, because I believe God's promise to me, so this is neither here nor there.

Much love!

 

[Riven]

I get it...but we are not afraid of not existing anymore. The real fear is eternally existing in torment.

But can one truly call it belief if you're making the decision to follow Jesus while under such a threat?

 

[Mancunian]

It's like someone holding a gun to your head whilst telling you that you have a choice.

 

[Mancunian]

Right; I don’t believe in eternal torment.

I'm glad that you don't.
Some people here do though, and they also think that they could live a happily ever after knowing that people are suffering.