Poll, Would the Lack of an Afterlife Impact the Value of Life?

If there Wasn't an Afterlife

  • Value of life would be less

  • Value of life would be more

  • Value of life would be the same

  • I don't know/ no opinion


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2PhiloVoid

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Just curious, because I have heard people say that without god/an afterlife, then life itself is pointless.

Sarah,

One thing we might consider is the focal point of of the term "value" when we relate it to the meaning of human life and the afterlife. If we are asking whether or not the 'living the human life' in general has value, then we may be in some way asking if suicide is an option or not. Or, if we are asking if value pertains to the way in which we estimate the worth of someone else, we may be asking if homicide or genocide are justifiable or have some kind of utility.

As for myself, when I'm asked, "Do you think life has value?", then my response is focusing on whether, with all things considered in this historical world, my life is worth living and/or has meaning. My adoption of Christianity provides me an affirmative answer. Otherwise, many things seem pointless and other people's admonitions about respecting people and life seem contrived.

Without an afterlife, and specifically one provided by the Christian God, I default to Nietzsche's Nihilism and to his Will to Power; without God, I don't really have to care about what you may think of the things I do, especially if I gain power over you and I can get away with it. I will create my meaning of life as I see fit, and if I so choose, run roughshod over your intentions in life. In the end, without God, even if you and your community overcome me, my life will not have more or less meaning and there will be no Higher Power to answer to.

With God, the possibility of an afterlife changes everything. There is a positive place to go to that, in essence, I have to be worthy of obtaining. Thus, the meaning and focus of life become clearer. At least for me.

Peace :cool:
 
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Standing_Ultraviolet

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It kind of alternates. Sometimes, I'm happier given that I don't believe that there's a very high likelihood that I will be cast into a lake of molten sulfur. That would be unpleasant. On the other hand, sometimes I do feel a sense of emptiness at the idea that the set of experiences and sensations that I call myself occupies only a small fragment of time, surrounded by a void where I did not exist and never will again. In a way, maybe it's humbling. I try to focus on things outside of myself. Things with some degree of permanence, even if there is no such thing as real permanence.
 
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David Gould

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With God, the possibility of an afterlife changes everything. There is a positive place to go to that, in essence, I have to be worthy of obtaining. Thus, the meaning and focus of life become clearer. At least for me.

Peace :cool:

Do you believe that you are worthy of obtaining heaven? Have your works been good enough to get an infinite amount of goodness in exchange?
 
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David Gould

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As has already been pointed out in this thread, Nietzsche was not a nihilist. Indeed, a large part of what drove him to attempt to build a philosophy without deity was that he feared that, once people realised that they had killed God, they would blindly fall into nihilism. He was indeed an anti-nihilist. I think that his philosophy fails, but that it was an interesting attempt.
 
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Davian

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As for myself, when I'm asked, "Do you think life has value?", then my response is focusing on whether, with all things considered in this historical world, my life is worth living and/or has meaning. My adoption of Christianity provides me an affirmative answer.
In a sentence, what is this "meaning"?
 
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Rewards?

Seems a bit greedy. For what, exactly, are you being rewarded? You do not get to heaven by works, so eternal life cannot be a reward for being good. Or maybe you do get to heaven by works - Christians cannot agree on that, as the Bible contradicts itself on that point. And, to reverse a popular argument, an eternal reward for a set of finite good deeds hardly seems reasonable in any case. Assuming you believe in deserving and undeserving people, do you really believe that you deserve to go to heaven?

Salvation is by grace through faith (Eph 2:8-9), but there are rewards to be had in the end (1 Cor 9:24). If you are not faithful and obedient there are eternal consequences for it even in heaven. But the main goal is not to get the reward but to serve God and others, your suppose to give and obey without expecting anything back. I believe the reward is to remember your faithful servitude in this life.
 
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David Gould

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If you are supposed to give and obey without expecting anything back, why do some Christians focus so much on heaven? Surely if the purpose of life is to give and obey without expecting anything back, a finite life would have just as much purpose?
 
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Sayre

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If you are supposed to give and obey without expecting anything back, why do some Christians focus so much on heaven? Surely if the purpose of life is to give and obey without expecting anything back, a finite life would have just as much purpose?

It is my understanding that the rewards we receive in heaven (crowns) are then thrown at the feet of Jesus in adoration, or at least that is what the fundie crowds were teaching a decade ago when I was there.
 
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If you are supposed to give and obey without expecting anything back, why do some Christians focus so much on heaven? Surely if the purpose of life is to give and obey without expecting anything back, a finite life would have just as much purpose?


The reward for giving without expecting back would namely be the result of what happened. Heaven is supposed to be something wholly different than we are living in this life rather than just an infinite extension of this life, so it's something different to look forward to.
 
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Ken-1122

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You're misusing the analogy, though. The comparison is between a limited life to an infinite one. A limited one has more value because it constrains your subjected experiences to a limited set of year, which are also unknown.
I sorta see the point you are making. To me life is more like dollars; to the poor person with only a few dollars each dollar is worth more as opposed to the billionaire who has an unlimited amount of dollars. Even though each dollar is less valuable I would still rather be a billionaire than a poor person. IOW I would rather have an unlimited amount of potiential happy experiences in life over a limited amount.

Ken
 
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Ken-1122

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My adoption of Christianity provides me an affirmative answer. Otherwise, many things seem pointless and other people's admonitions about respecting people and life seem contrived.

Without an afterlife, and specifically one provided by the Christian God, I default to Nietzsche's Nihilism and to his Will to Power; without God, I don't really have to care about what you may think of the things I do, especially if I gain power over you and I can get away with it.
Why? Are you suggesting the only reason you refrain from evil is because you believe somebody is looking over your shoulder keeping score?

I will create my meaning of life as I see fit, and if I so choose, run roughshod over your intentions in life. In the end, without God, even if you and your community overcome me, my life will not have more or less meaning and there will be no Higher Power to answer to.
Kinda reminds me of the saying "Intergrety is the desire to do the right thing; even when nobody is looking"

Ken
 
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Ken-1122

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It is my understanding that the rewards we receive in heaven (crowns) are then thrown at the feet of Jesus in adoration, or at least that is what the fundie crowds were teaching a decade ago when I was there.
So the more crown you get to throw at Jesus feet, the better you feel?

Ken
 
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Sayre

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So the more crown you get to throw at Jesus feet, the better you feel?

Ken

Nope - it wasn't about making you feel better at all.

You might want to ask someone else though - it's been a while since I "hit the books" so to speak. I'm sure AV will be along soon ;).
 
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2PhiloVoid

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Do you believe that you are worthy of obtaining heaven? Have your works been good enough to get an infinite amount of goodness in exchange?

Sure do--based on the finished work of Christ. I assume you know the rest of the New Testament message, as I do.

Peace
 
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Eudaimonist

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As has already been pointed out in this thread, Nietzsche was not a nihilist. Indeed, a large part of what drove him to attempt to build a philosophy without deity was that he feared that, once people realised that they had killed God, they would blindly fall into nihilism. He was indeed an anti-nihilist.

Thank you! I was wondering if anyone would point this out. :thumbsup:

I was about ready to do so.


eudaimonia,

Mark
 
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leftrightleftrightleft

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The lack of an afterlife maximizes the value of life while minimizing the fear of death.

If an 8 year old boy dies and you truly believe he went to an eternal, blissful heaven, then this should be a joyous occasion. Death should be celebrated.

If an 80 year old man dies and you truly believe he went to an eternal, tortuous hell, then this should be the most frightening and awful thing ever to happen. Even if he lived a good, solid 80 years, benefiting the world and leaving a positive mark on the world. His life can not be celebrated because he's being tortured forever so any celebration of his life is hugely overshadowed.

Neither scenario brings a celebration of life. The first glorifies death, even for the young. The second overshadows life, even for the elderly.
 
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PsychoSarah

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The lack of an afterlife maximizes the value of life while minimizing the fear of death.

How does it minimize the fear of death? I have said it before and I shall say it again, I would rather suffer an eternity of torture than cease to exist completely.
 
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