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Post by Deleted on Apr 23, 2014 15:53:14 GMT -5
It's been implied that people who believe in life after death (however that may be defined), don't live life to the fullest. So, what does living life to the fullest mean? Are each of you living life to the fullest (that's addressed to everyone). How? Does it mean hedonism? Doing whatever one wants because there will be no big judgment day (that's addressed specifically to atheists). So atheists live life the the fullest, right? Tell us how you do that differently than who you consider religious. What are they missing out on?
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Post by Roger (over and out) on Apr 23, 2014 17:04:30 GMT -5
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Post by Deleted on Apr 23, 2014 17:09:29 GMT -5
Are you telling us that you have to cite a website to explain how you're living your life to the fullest and how it's different from other people's lives that you don't think are doing that? And we're supposed to take our time to read that? Come on, now.
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Post by Deleted on Apr 23, 2014 17:20:29 GMT -5
Honestly, I meant this as a serious topic. But nevermind!
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Post by Roger (over and out) on Apr 23, 2014 17:39:52 GMT -5
But I agree with the philosophy outlined on that website. Actually I came across that website just a few minutes before I read your post (somebody posted it on my facebook page - check my fb page if you don't believe me). So it was kind of a spooky little coincidence that you posted that when you did. www.facebook.com/zakmartin
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Post by Deleted on Apr 23, 2014 17:45:03 GMT -5
I believe you. So who can read minds here, huh? P.S. It's just that you never had a loss for words before.
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Post by Roger (over and out) on Apr 23, 2014 17:49:13 GMT -5
Yes, well, I was in a hurry. My ice-cream was getting cold.
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Post by rmarks1 on Apr 23, 2014 18:54:12 GMT -5
Wow! Damn good link Zak. Thanks for posting it. Bob
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Post by Roger (over and out) on Apr 24, 2014 2:28:52 GMT -5
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Post by faskew on Apr 24, 2014 11:51:32 GMT -5
Lily - Dividing the world into "religious" and "atheist" for your question doesn't work well. We can say that all religious people believe in some form of supernatural and all atheists don't, but other than that, most people in each group may have very little in common with each other. It's like asking, "How do religious people in North America live life to the fullest?". An Amish farmer in Pennsylvania and a Catholic priest in Mexico City? A TV evangelist in Tennessee and a Hindu in Vancouver?
Atheists are just as diverse as believers. And some are happier than others. Some religious people are happier than some atheists, and some atheists are happier than some religious people. Me, I don't live life to the fullest - I live life as best I can. 8->
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Post by Deleted on Apr 24, 2014 12:42:45 GMT -5
Great explanation, Fred. And I agree with what you said, especially the part about living life the best one can.
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Post by Roger (over and out) on Apr 24, 2014 12:56:54 GMT -5
Presumably she's referring to the fact that all religious people, regardless of their denomination, believe in - and look forward to - an afterlife of some kind, usually one where the good are rewarded for the sacrifices they made on earth, and "bad people" are punished for their sins.
Belief in an afterlife has to make a huge difference to how one looks at life "on earth". On the most basic level, a person who believes that there is nothing after physical death is more likely to want to "push the envelope" of experience and to try as many things as possible in the limited time available to them. A person who believes they're going to heaven (for eternity) isn't likely to have that same sense of urgency or desire for experimentation. Or appreciation of the "now".
Belief in an afterlife is also likely to have profound implications for a person's sense of values, in particular with regard to issues of life and death. For example, many people support capital punishment in the firm belief that they are sending the executed person to be judged by his or her maker. Suicide bombers carry out their deeds under the assumption that they are going straight to paradise. And so on. Belief in an afterlife cannot but alter the way a person values life in the "physical world".
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Post by Deleted on Apr 24, 2014 13:11:11 GMT -5
Zak, again, I agree with Fred that you can't just generalize about people, no matter their so-called beliefs, religious or atheist. Only the very fundamentalist (Christian or other world religions) believers believe in an after-life so strongly that they would do anything just because they'll be rewarded in the the next world. Most religious people I know don't really know for sure what an afterlife would be like so aren't waiting with bated breath to get there and live like they don't care about the here and now. Mediums and psychics are the additional types who are positive about what the afterlife is like in additionto being positive about everything. I would agree that worrying about heaven and hell do make some believers not do things they might otherwise want to, or do good deeds because of piling up credits for a good judgment day.
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Post by Deleted on Apr 24, 2014 13:25:26 GMT -5
I stand by the above.
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