Do you believe in the afterlife?

[Stonecold]

Do you believe in the afterlife?​

 

[Shelter]

I believe in it. I don't think and I don't believe that after you died you only will be feed for the worms. Every human has a soul - the body may go back to the earth but the soul will be there forever. If a beloved one dies he/she is gone forever and is invisible for the surviving dependants --- but the soul of the deceased will be here forever. My mum died some years ago with breast cancer - but, you may lough now, I always feel she is with me. If I have a problem from which I think I can't solve it, I'll ask her for help - and she is there and is showing me the way to solve it.

Perhaps the one or the other here will say or think that I'm a weirdo -- well that's your opinion. I only wanted to answer the question if I believe in an afterlife. And that I'll do for 100%.

 

[gorgik9]

I believe in it. I don't think and I don't believe that after you died you only will be feed for the worms. Every human has a soul - the body may go back to the earth but the soul will be there forever. If a beloved one dies he/she is gone forever and is invisible for the surviving dependants --- but the soul of the deceased will be here forever. My mum died some years ago with breast cancer - but, you may lough now, I always feel she is with me. If I have a problem from which I think I can't solve it, I'll ask her for help - and she is there and is showing me the way to solve it.

Perhaps the one or the other here will say or think that I'm a weirdo -- well that's your opinion. I only wanted to answer the question if I believe in an afterlife. And that I'll do for 100%.

Even though I don't believe in an afterlife, I definitely don't think you're a weirdo. I'd say that what make you or anyone a weirdo in a negative sense is if you can't accept, that different people think differently about various aspects of life.

There's so much to say about the body/soul dualism and one thing is, that there has actually been TWO different kinds of dualism: in the ancient Greek culture the soul was a UNIVERSAL IMPERSONAL IMMORTAL INVISIBLE substance, but in the Christian culture from late antiquity on, we get a quite different soul that carries the specific persons identity. So the so-called afterlife is a very, very Christian way of thinking.

Ancient Greeks could think about "the soul IN Socrates", but they didn’t and couldn’t think about "Socrates' soul". Not because they were stupid, but because they weren't Christian.

 

[Shelter]

Even though I don't believe in an afterlife, I definitely don't think you're a weirdo. I'd say that what make you or anyone a weirdo in a negative sense is if you can't accept, that different people think differently about various aspects of life.

There's so much to say about the body/soul dualism and one thing is, that there has actually been TWO different kinds of dualism: in the ancient Greek culture the soul was a UNIVERSAL IMPERSONAL IMMORTAL INVISIBLE substance, but in the Christian culture from late antiquity on, we get a quite different soul that carries the specific persons identity. So the so-called afterlife is a very, very Christian way of thinking.

Ancient Greeks could think about "the soul IN Socrates", but they didn’t and couldn’t think about "Socrates' soul". Not because they were stupid, but because they weren't Christian.

My dear friend - honestly I've awaited your answer and I've known your answer before you have written it here. And believe me that I'll accept your opinion in this case as well as from all the others here - if they would write here! This is a very special theme and every opinion thereto (my or yours or from every other one) has to be the right to be accepted. I only think that between heaven and earth there will happen so many things from which we (and all the scientists as well) have no apprehension. Things happen! What is destiny or karma?! Where it comes from? No one knows it or can explain it.

 

[Shelter]

But another thing: Stonecold you have put this question to all of us. A very interesting and surely a contentious question.
But how do you came to this question? What was the reason and what is your YOUR opinion? Please let us know - I'm really interested in.

 

[dudophile]

No, I don't. But, that doesn't mean that I have proof, either. Nobody has come back to tell us. (I'm not a Christian, in case you're wondering.) I'm not talking about someone whose heart may have stopped for a few minutes and was resuscitated. There is no definitive answer to that. It's all opinion.

 

[Shelter]

No, I don't. But, that doesn't mean that I have proof, either. Nobody has come back to tell us. (I'm not a Christian, in case you're wondering.) I'm not talking about someone whose heart may have stopped for a few minutes and was resuscitated. There is no definitive answer to that. It's all opinion.

All what you say here is correct. No one knows and can give correct answers. And to believe means not to know. Neveertheless it is a very interesting question - and we will not be able to solve it. So we will be in agreement that we are not in agreement!

 

[gorgik9]

All what you say here is correct. No one knows and can give correct answers. And to believe means not to know. Neveertheless it is a very interesting question - and we will not be able to solve it. So we will be in agreement that we are not in agreement!

Well there are different kinds of beliefs: the first kind is the sort of belief that occurs when I don't know the facts but I could check it, as in "I believe the next bus to town is at 3 pm, but let's check the time table!".

The second kind is when there's no belief that could be factually checked; it's in principle not possible to "check the facts " and I think that THIS kind of belief is better to call FAITH.

We live inside a world view, and it's in principle impossible to look at this totality from the outside.

Even if many of us (as myself) aren't of christian faith, we still live in a culture that has - for better or worse - been christian for many, many centuries. If you don't believe in God, it's still the christian God you don't believe in a christian way. Greco-Roman (or Norse!) polytheism is something spectacularly different and not at all just a matter of the mere number of Gods.

 

[Shelter]

Well there are different kinds of beliefs: the first kind is the sort of belief that occurs when I don't know the facts but I could check it, as in "I believe the next bus to town is at 3 pm, but let's check the time table!".

The second kind is when there's no belief that could be factually checked; it's in principle not possible to "check the facts " and I think that THIS kind of belief is better to call FAITH.

We live inside a world view, and it's in principle impossible to look at this totality from the outside.

Even if many of us (as myself) aren't of christian faith, we still live in a culture that has - for better or worse - been christian for many, many centuries. If you don't believe in God, it's still the christian God you don't believe in a christian way. Greco-Roman (or Norse!) polytheism is something spectacularly different and not at all just a matter of the mere number of Gods.

Thank you Gorgik9 for the rectification of the perceptions of BELIEF and FAITH. ..... Nevertheless I would like to KNOW but it will be impossible.

 

[gorgik9]

Thank you Gorgik9 for the rectification of the perceptions of BELIEF and FAITH. ..... Nevertheless I would like to KNOW but it will be impossible.

Well I think you probably should read a lot of Wittgenstein and think about what you mean by the verb "to know" and the noun "knowledge", what they CAN mean and what they CAN'T mean.

 

[Shelter]

Well I think you probably should read a lot of Wittgenstein and think about what you mean by the verb "to know" and the noun "knowledge", what they CAN mean and what they CAN'T mean.

Well my "knowledge" about this special theme is that I will "know" nothing! Everything we talk about is guesswork and perhaps it is good so as it is. Nonetheless a fascinating theme. And I have not read things of Ludwig Wittgenstein. But perhaps he could give us answers today from the afterlife if there would be an afterlife!

 

[gorgik9]

Well my "knowledge" about this special theme is that I will "know" nothing! Everything we talk about is guesswork and perhaps it is good so as it is. Nonetheless a fascinating theme. And I have not read things of Ludwig Wittgenstein. But perhaps he could give us answers today from the afterlife if there would be an afterlife!

How can you KNOW that you DON'T KNOW? You can't have it both ways...

Read "Philosophische Untersuchungen" ; in English it's "Philosophical Investigations", but Wittgenstein was Austrian and always wrote in German, even though he lectured in English as a Cambridge professor.

 

[Stonecold]

But another thing: Stonecold you have put this question to all of us. A very interesting and surely a contentious question.
But how do you came to this question? What was the reason and what is your YOUR opinion? Please let us know - I'm really interested in.

I have always believed in an afterlife. I grew up in a non-religious home so it was not something I was taught. I come up with the question after reading an article about it.