by Bad_Wolf 54 Replies latest watchtower bible
I just recall even if scientifically humans develop a way to not die within our lifetime, I recall people saying they wouldn't want to live forever anyway.
I don't believe in the JW or that any religion has the answers. It's not completely out of my mind that the mysteries we do not understand could in turn equate to another life beyond this. But I am living life as if this is it and for the most part assuming that too.
Remember "Is there a God who cares ...?"
I'm at the stage where I think that pretty much the answer is "I don't think so, no evidence of that."
However, if there is a God who cares then my eternal future/next life won't depend on what 8 men in New York say; more on whether I live by decent human values as I believe them to be.
Edit: Ooops ... wrong thread. Sorry.
My answer comes from seed-tree-seed mechanism, which shows life is eternal.
Seed-tree-seed shows life is eternal.
Of course it is but unless you’re applying this to reincarnation, every tree is a NEW life, not the same as eternal life. The old tree dies, rots, and fertilizes the new seeds & trees.
About this the Bible is right: “from dust you are into dust you will return”.
I was recruited in and it was the idea of no war and everyone living peacefully appealed to me rather than eternal life.
I was recruited as a child. The Bible is right "when I was a child I thought as a Child thinks...."
Basically I grew up. I realised that there is no such thing as "imperfection"and "perfection". That our behaviours are driven by mechanisms evolved to ensure the survival of our species.
If the Witnesses had their vision of the future realised, we would become nothing but H.G.Wells above ground " Eloi"from "The Time Machine". Vacantly watching their fellow Eloi drown because they lack the capacity to feel compassion, since they don't have any problems they would eventually loose the need for it. They would become emotionless robots as there would be nothing that requires them to fight for what they need. Also I realised without an eternal soul resurrected ones would just be replicas of their former selves; clones effectively. whilst the real dead would have rotted away.
Witnesses would always quote that piece of falsely represented research that claims we only use 2%of our brain capacity. Sadly, their vision of paradise has worsened since I was young. With illustrations of groups of historical characters learning from Watchtowers! ! What hell! Our intellectual capacity would be reduced to that infamous 2% in their vision of Watchtower paradise if you ask me!!
I am happy if there's an afterlife and if there isn't I won't know anything about it. I would love to live forever, people who say it would be boring amaze me. Perhaps they're bored now.
I also don't agree that believing in the possibility of an afterlife destroys your enjoyment of the present and postpones happiness. That only happens if you're in a religion that won't let you enjoy life and makes you work to appease a deity and earn an afterlife.
Religions don't have anything to do with our existence on this planet or anything that may be beyond. They're selling tickets for a gig they don't know the way to.
I came to the realization that most people don't necessarily want to live forever, they just don't want to die.
They are afraid of not knowing what will cause their death and not knowing what happens afterward. Not knowing has always been unpleasant for humans who are wired to preserve themselves alive and who are aware of their own mortality. In most cases, thinking about what "might happen" is worse than dealing with it in real time.
Having the promise that the world will end before you grow old and die, solves both of those problems. My very elderly JW mother in law is realizing that she probably won't live to see the end of the "system of things" and the promise of living forever is of little comfort to her. She just didn't want to grow old and die.
You put very beautifully when you wrote: “Religions don't have anything to do with our existence on this planet or anything that may be beyond. They're selling tickets for a gig they don't know the way to.”
Religions are collection of individuals, hence no better than an individual in perspective. Various teachings would emerge depending on what you believe.
For example, in some parts of the world, many believe that death is the end of man, hence pain, suffering and death are viewed very seriously.
In other parts of the world, many believe that life is eternal, species change only bodies; hence death and pain are a helpful mechanism so that people don’t become too egoistic.
