Here is a deep, philosophical question. I think there is something similar floating around here in the forum, but here goes…
Do you think there is more to life than just what we live on earth? Do you think there is an afterlife of some sort? Do you think there is a God who created us and has a purpose for us? Or do you think that we are here on earth to just enjoy life, help people and do what we can to make the world better?
I don't think there is a god. But if there is a higher power there are many gods/goddesses. As for an afterlife of somesort, not sure. But I don't think there is a heaven and a hell, it just sounds to me as though they were created to scare people into doing things which are considered morally correct. I do think we are on Earth to enjoy ourselves.
I'm not sure why we're here, but I don't believe in a God as such. I've always thought the 'God' concept was created to make adults behave, much the same way as the idea of Santa Claus is used on kids. I try to have faith in myself rather than focusing on a mystical being for strength and guidance.
That said, though, I haven't completely written off the idea of spirits. There have been a few ghostly experiences in my life that have made me wonder. It's a bit confusing and fascinating all at the same time.
I dont believe in God but i do believe in fate and what will be will be. You do have the ability to control your own destiny but ultimately fate will decide where you go.
I'd like to believe in an afterlife. Not so much Heaven and Hell but spirits and ghosts and things. I know people who have seen ghosts, including my dad who has seen his dad and my brother since he died 3 years ago. My roomate also told me recently that he often sees ghosts and hears them (no, he;s not crazy). I like to think that there is something after death but also that not everyone appears as ghosts when they do, they just disappear and rest.
Listen tot eh song Dear God by XTC. That sums up my views on God.
"A black cat crossing your path signifies that the animal is going somewhere." - Groucho Marx
Related to this, why is it that a plane crashes in Comoros, killing 152 people, and yet the one kid that survives is a "miracle of God"? God seems like a bit of a dick, don't you think, picking that one kid and letting the other 152 die? A real miracle would have been a team of magical pink unicorns flying from the clouds to carry the plane to a safe landing. One little girl is not a miracle, it's just dumb luck. And when her family says "It's a miracle, God chose her!" what they are really saying, by extension, to the families of the victims, is "God likes us better than he likes you." Does it make the little girl's family feel special/ Sure it does. After all, that what religion is for, right? Elevating one group of people over another; the chosen vs. the rest of the world.
Regarding the initial questions, my answers would be:
1. Do you think there is more to life than just what we live on earth? Yes
2. Do you think there is an afterlife of some sort? Unlikely
3. Do you think there is a God who created us and has a purpose for us? Yes
4. Or do you think that we are here on earth to just enjoy life, Yes
5. help people and do what we can to make the world better? Yes (or did you mean to imply that #4 and #5 should somehow be mutually exclusive?)
Regarding the issue of free will and fate, there is no real contradiction, as long as we realize that God (or whomever) is above time as well as space. Free will - by definition - can only be exercized by someone acting IN time. Past, present, and future are all one for a God who is not limited by time. So just because God "knows" what will happen (because it has always happened that way) doesn't mean that we are not acting on our own free will at the moment of decision.
I would only add - as long as we are talking about beliefs - that while I believe that God exists, I also believe that the vast majority of those who claim to speak for God, or to know God's mind, don't really have a clue as to what they are talking about.
An unbeliever here. In both "life after" and in "externally defined purpose". The only purpose we have in our lives is what we give it. Many, if not most choose to let a religion, or culture, or national identity choose that for them, because the idea of a naked, uncaring universe with no moral or ethical absolutes can be terrifying.
Life is what you make of it. Whether you believe in God or not has no effect on the outcome of your life. We are all going to die at some point. Is there an afterlife? I highly doubt it but thats my opinion.
I'm really not sure if there anything beyond this "reality" we live in.
Somedays it feels good to believe, other it makes no sense.
Nope. I think when you die it's just like before you were born, you just ceased to exist. I don't there there is anything eles.
A few years ago i would have argued to my dying breath that when you are dead, you are dead, if you were to be born again or there was an after life, why would you die in the first place ?
I have to make it clear now, I do NOT believe in ghost's, spirit's(well only the ones you can drink), or people who claim to be able to communicate with the dead.
But something happened a few years ago I cannot explain, I did not have a near death experiance, or see a white light or any crap like that, but over night my extreamly strong views on death and after life changed. A friend's husband (whom I hardly knew) had died a few weeks before, and I was visiting my friend, as far as I am concerned nothing out of the ordinary happened, so by the morning when I woke, why had my views changed, and why am I no longer afraid of death?
The second thing, why, sorry how, did another friend who lives 150 miles from me and does not know the first friend call me 2 days before my 40th birthday and TELL me, not to go out on my motorbike like i was planning to do, i had not told anyone i was planning on taking my bike out, and casually used my friends husbands name as the message giver ?????? This freaked me out to say the least, and on my birthday I got my leathers on, started the bike up, lifted the garage door, got on my bike,,,,,, and burst into tears. needless to say i did not move my bike an inch for about 2 weeks after. And have refused to talk to my friend outright about that phone call. SO Afterlife ????? More to life ??????? I am more confused about it now than ever, but I do know that we all die, so make the most of your life as you can, because we'r only here for a short time, so enjoy it. Sorry if I'v bored you all, but this is the total truth, until something happens, you never know.
Is there something more after this life as we know it? You bet there is and it is happening all around us all of the time we simply choose not to open our minds and eyes therefore most do not see it. Have a conversation with a hospice nurse and you would be surprised.....
Bunny12
Bunny Rabbits cute and fuzzy they want to love you but they have razor sharp teeth - don't piss them off! I am sure there is an afterlife. It is going to really suck for some real fucked up evil lying, cheating, stealing, murdering assholes.