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If we teach of no afterlife then that would just leave more questions about where the spirit and soul of a person goes
You are making the assumption that either/or the spirit/soul has to go anywhere.
If you are using the chrisitan bible to define spirit and/or soul, decoupled from assorted denominations and doctrines (using the Hebrew concepts), then the spirit is simply the life inserted/activated in Adam, and not a conscienciousness itself, and the soul is only conscienciousness/thought and emotion.
This being the case, the spirit or life, stops being alive at death, and the soul (conscienciousness/thought and emotion) stops thinking and feeling. So it doesn't have to go anywhere.
Truth matter. If the "judgment date" is in the "afterlife", why not starting the religious life in the "afterlife"? Since according to religion, the "afterlife" is what really matters ("eternity"), then being religious in "afterlife" should be what really counts. (in other words, start going to church, mosque in afterlife shouldn't be too late)
Motivation. If coercion is resorted to motivate human behaviors towards certain goals, are these goals legitimate? Good intentions do not need coercion. If such religious goals include making its followers to pay in monetary terms, what do the followers gain from it? Is such coercion justified? If such religious goals include making followers to act (such as go to wars for religious cause), are these justified?
Truth matter. If the "judgment date" is in the "afterlife", why not starting the religious life in the "afterlife"? Since according to religion, the "afterlife" is what really matters ("eternity"), then being religious in "afterlife" should be what really counts. (in other words, start going to church, mosque in afterlife shouldn't be too late)
Christian Scripture indicates there will be no opportunity after death.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Vic235
Motivation. If coercion is resorted to motivate human behaviors towards certain goals, are these goals legitimate? Good intentions do not need coercion. If such religious goals include making its followers to pay in monetary terms, what do the followers gain from it? Is such coercion justified? If such religious goals include making followers to act (such as go to wars for religious cause), are these justified?
Are you kidding? Haven't you ever had good intentions, but not followed through?
Christian giving is NOT about what we might gain. It's about obedience & priority.
And fear is the prime emotion that religion uses to keep followers from reason and rational thought. Keep them scared enough and they will continue to follow.
A former president used the same tactic to cover up his war agenda, even developing a color coded system of how scared we were supposed to be. Not much different than the bible beaters (I'm sure there are koran beaters also) and their armageddon message.
Fear controls people, a rather simple premise, and very effective. Questioning and knowledge go a long way to overcome fear, if only people would pull their head out of the sand and do so.
Everyone looks at religion from a logical point of view. I agree with you that many religions and individuals in these religions take advantage of people, but it is supposed to be a personal walk with the Lord, not a gov't food program - if you don't do what I say, I'll take your food away - type if thing.
As far as the president thing, the current president is effectively telling us there is no war and nothing to fear. He even told our enemies how we will and will not retaliate(sp) for certain attacks.
we should live everday as if it were our last....because you never know,and just imagine if this was that day-all the time we had here -did we spend it being our best or did we waist too much time on whats not important..
not every religion teaches fear of death some teach to embrace and not lament because of it-if its true that the soul is eternal then death dosent actually exist(the way we relate to it-voidness of consioussness)but its only the materisal body that will perish,and just as your struggling for that last breath,then you leave the body and take another one......i beleive in reincarnation,it explains alot about the world and why people suffer
i beleive in reincarnation,it explains alot about the world and why people suffer
I agree with most of what you said. Not with the reincarnation, though. I can't see the point of having many lives back to back. Also, how does that relate to the suffering. Is it supposedly for sins from past lives?
Charles
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