Religion. Delusion or Empowerment?

Then let me ask you this. Do you think the universe is infinite?

Because if you don’t, then immortality won’t solve your your dilemma, it will only delay you until you’ve experienced everything there is in the universe, in which case you’d then have nothing new for the rest of your immortal existence.

And in the case that the universe is infinite, who’s to say there’s no experience after death? After all, that’s a lot of universe and a lot of stuff you have yet to encounter. It would be rather presumptuous to assume that there’s nothing after death when there’s yet an entire, infinite universe for you to explore.

I have no idea… and really no opinion.

It would be - but equally presumptuous to assume that there is. Why should the universe being infinite correlate to the existence of experiences after we die and rot in the ground? Just because there’s a lot to explore doesn’t mean we are entitles to discovering it.

My opinions on this sort of thing are very fluid, at the moment. I’m not very strongly assuming anything - just a current personal belief.

Then don’t assume anything, and you won’t be wrong.

Because that means there’s more phenomena you haven’t seen, including ones relating to the possibility of the afterlife. And if there’s more phenoma you haven’t seen, there’s a greater chance that some of those phenoma are ones you haven’t considered possible (or maybe you haven’t considered at all). In the case of an infinite universe, that chance becomes infinitely greater. It’s the theory of escalation. It has the same basis as what modern evolutionists use to explain humans coming out of a clump of goo billions of years ago via random mutation.

The concept of nothing after death comes from particular mindsets relating to certain paradigms present on this planet, usually ones relating to materialism. Again, it would be rather presumptious to assume that all planets in the universe work just like ours, and that any lifeforms on those planets (if there are any other planets supporting life in the first place) would work just like ours (which in reality we know little of in the first place). And if such wasn’t the case, and there was evidence otherwise, then we’d have to rethink current explanations about life, and what exactly it is.

I’m not afraid of such a scenario, because if that’s the case, I won’t be there to be sorry for anything I didn’t experience or feel bad that I won’t experience anything anymore. Who cares?

People who don’t believe in an afterlife should, logically, be the ones with the least fear of death among all people.

May religion be a empowering delusion?

What Moinsquerien said makes perfect sense. :razz:

Most of the time, yes.

Has anyone seen this video?

That really reminded me of this article. I wonder if Cline had any association with Wong?

Does that article pretty much mean we can associate with up to 150 people without being a jerk?

Debate, hmm… confusing as religion is too.

I do believe there is a higher being (even possibly a deity). All of these religions are wrong IMO. The “true religion” is now probably lost due to ignorance and/or anything related to that certain religion was lost due to time’s fault.

It means that we can’t associate with over 150 people, and still view them as individuals.

Exactly, that is also what I believe. I think religion is a delusion indeed, but nonetheless it is not a bad thing. It empowers and gives faith. People like believing these things… so why not?

Sometimes, it just cuts it to be nice. Why would it really matter if you believed or refused to believe in entities?

If you’ve led a kind, benevolent, constructive life… what is there to worry about? Is God going to strike you down for simply living such a life? And if there was no afterlife, you probably still had a good time. Oh well. Game Over.

I think some people need faith and beliefs to live this way. It’s nice to have that extra uumph. I’ve had it before.

Others just don’t need faith to live a fulfilling life. I believe these people to be the most spiritual, virtuous people without a leash.

The people that I truly worry about are the ones lacking morals. Unless they can find it in themselves, or find it in God, things may get hard for them.

If believing in an afterlife is empowering and nothing more, then isn’t it the only logical stance? Why doesn’t everyone believe in it?

we are monkeys? thats bullshit!

Saying that humans are just monkeys is like saying that the Monna (yes, with two Ns, otherwise it’s a Venetian swear word) Lisa is just some oil on a canvas.

As long as the raw materials are concerned, it’s almost true. But anyone can tell the huge difference between the two.

This post won’t resolve anything. Just go out there and live life. Very few people are going to look at this thread and totally change their view on life. Adios amigos.

Humans also have some of the genetic structure of bananas. <__<

That’s not the point of this thread… it’s just asking well… it’s just asking the question in the title. No beliefs are being challenged (so far) and no one is trying to convert anybody. -__-

We don’t need a vigilante here.

Religion living by it’s true principles that understands there is more than one version of Truth: Empowerment

Religion that does not live by it’s principles: Delusion