I would have to ask in responce. Why does one believing in a higher power " God, Alla, Budda" mean they are scared of death? I for one am a born again "christian" I don't really like that word. Manley because so many people claim to be "christians" butt don't live it out in thier lives. Makeing everyone who claims the name of christ look likea hyprocrite. Many say because they went to church all thier life they are christains. Not so! I would prefure to be called a passionate follower of Jesus Christ, but that is a little long.

Anyway to answer your question. If I am right and the bible is the true word of God then yes it would be bad for you to not believe there is an after life. Because you have been told of the trueth, and will stand before God on judgment day, and have to answer for your choice to ignor the info given to you. So yes the after life would be very bad! Hot too.

MM

Montana Maddnes wrote: I would have to ask in responce. Why does one believing in a higher power " God, Alla, Budda" mean they are scared of death? I for one am a born again "christian" I don't really like that word. Manley because so many people claim to be "christians" butt don't live it out in thier lives. Makeing everyone who claims the name of christ look likea hyprocrite. Many say because they went to church all thier life they are christains. Not so! I would prefure to be called a passionate follower of Jesus Christ, but that is a little long. Anyway to answer your question. If I am right and the bible is the true word of God then yes it would be bad for you to not believe there is an after life. Because you have been told of the trueth, and will stand before God on judgment day, and have to answer for your choice to ignor the info given to you. So yes the after life would be very bad! Hot too. MM

 Well said.

Rob1 wrote: jh, a simple explanation would be that all these peoples found something to explain the otherwise unexplainable. Without it out there would be no order and chaos could ruin them.

That is precisely my point.  Religeon fills a void.  There would be no underlying impediment for morality for most people without religeon.  It also helps comfort a species that is dedicated to the importance of the individual, yet aware of the eventual demise of every individual.

My whole perspective is that intellegent people can be moral without superstition.  That will never be the case for the ignorant masses who have nothing to lose except their "souls."  One would also think that civilized people would be able to accept that their bodies and minds will be like billions of beings before them and cease to exist after death.  I guess we're not so far evolved from our cave-dwelling ancestors as we like to think.

Religeon fills a void you say. I would agree, but also add that it is nothing more than man made rules that are intended to make us more God like. An admerable desire but rout with hidden trappings. I my self suscribe to no religeon other than this.

I have a one on one relationship with my Lord Jesus Christ. I speak to him daily, and yes he speaks back sometimes. No I don't hear a audible voice, but he speaks!

MM

 I know your gonna want a name but for the life of me I can't think of it.

 Anyway we had a guy come to our church sometime back from Australia who was a big time Atheist,his life was all about proveing the Bible 100% wrong. This guy had grants up the ying yang from all different countries,college's everywhere. He spent most of his life going all over the world. Everytime he tried to prove something wrong his work just went on to prove it right.

First off let me also say Muleskinner. That I'm not one to through stones at unbelievers. I don't think nonbelievers are any more "evil" than those of us that believe in God. The only real differance is the gift of forgivness for the stupid crap we also do. I was atheist for the first 33 years of my life, and I was not an overtly "evil" person. I could be mean as hell, and loved fighting, but never got into all the crap that "evil" people do. One does not have to be a believer to be a great guy/gal. Nor does believing in God make someone a great guy/gal. Believe me I know some "christians" I would just as soon shoot than talk to. It all biols down to a relationship with God, and that is eternal. I have read the bible. I have seen the differance it makes in my life, and the lives of my late wife and our daughter. I have seen the changes in the street people that I work with every day in our ministry home. I hear thier tesimonies as to the power God has given them to stay clean when all else has failed them. I have seen the same power in my own life. I have had to many prayers anwered to chaulk it up to happenstance, and luck.

If you are interested there is a very good web sight called. http://www.answersingenesis.com - www.answersingenesis.com that is very informitive. It is run by scientists and other higher ed. folks that believe science proves the exsistance of God. Not the other way around. I wish you the best of life that God has planned for you, and yes I am praying for you.

MM

Muleskinner wrote:   I know that we are the only animals that are aware of our own mortality,

Mule, I know this is a sidebar to the point of your topic but this is a pretty broad statement. And you know this how? You been talking to the animals Dr. Dolittle? How come some animals leave the herd and instinctively go to a dieing ground where others of their species have gone before? Why do animals fight to the death? I'm far from an animal rights nut and have probably slaughtered as many domestic and game animals as anyone here but to say that they are not aware of their own mortality????? I'm not convinced. RD

I had to do some repair work at the city animal shelter.  It was killing day.  I know that at least some of the dogs damn well knew what was going on.  It was heart-breaking.  They may be "dumb" as in not able to speak our language, but to say they can't be aware of their own mortality is, I think, not at all accurate.

FOO!!

Also in your first post you said "I just want to see if I'm the only one that doesn't fear the end of me."

Because of my relationship with Christ. I not only do not fear my end "death" I welcome it! I don't go around doing crazy stuff like bungee jumping and tempting death, but I do live my life on the edge in many respects. I ride to fast and hang out with some real bad guys a lot of the time. And I never wear a helmet  But I live my life by this simple premise. Until Jesus calls me home.You can't kill me! So I will life life to the fullest! No fear & no regrets. Praise the lord and pass the ammunition

MM

Merry Christmas to all.

As long, as you're not a hypocrite, believe in whatever you what, I have no use for hypocrites.  Also don't tell me, what I believe in is wrong, I let you believe in whatever you want and expect same in return.

Sure, animals have fear, but they don't contemplate their own mortality like humans.  They grieve the loss of mates and even their masters, but they don't fear the lack of their own existence.  They seem to even accept it, like when an old dog goes off to die alone.  Humans are unique in that they can't accept death as the end.  They make plans for afterward, write wills so they can still have an impact, and they fill their lives with acts that do nothing more than confirm their belief (if only to themselves) that they will have everlasting life on some alternate plane of existence.  Animals are not burdened by this need.  People worry about growing old, about desease, about their legacy, and with all the hype and professed anticipation of a better afterlife, they still fight like hell to hang on to this one.  The doubts are there, along with the animal instinct for survival.  We are burdened by our own awareness, and religeon is an answer to a problem of our own making.

I don't know that there's an afterlife, and I accept that I may be ending someday.  My own insignificance is pretty evident, and that doesn't bother me.  In the end, our journey is like that of all other creatures.  We are more like them than we want to admit, but it's not really a bad thing.  Just the nature of things.

At the same time, I don't fault anyone for having religeous beliefs.  I understand the motivation and even question whether or not we could even have civilization without religeon.  Some humans are incapable of morality or social responsibility without some underlying reassurance that there's somthing in it for them.  It also gives peace, if not completely, so many can handle the prospect of their eventual passing without despair.  Probably an easier way to live, all in all.

Well said Mule I agree about the animals. There is a big differance between knowing it your time, and worrieing about. On god I think we will just have to agree to disagree. But I do see your piont on much of it.

MM