ANSWERS: 13
  • Very good question, Talim. I have often wondered this myself. The only answer I could see being reasonable is that your actions and deeds in this life will determine where you spend the afterlife (heaven, hell, whatever). I don't really think it seems fair to only give people one short chance of 70 or 80 years to get it right, and then reward or punish them for all eternity, if that is indeed where we're headed. I definitely prefer the idea of reincarnation, where you keep trying until you get it right. Having said all that, I don't really believe in any afterlife whatsoever.
  • Seems to me the answer to the former would be to live as much as you can as hard as you can. If there's an afterlife, the purpose of living is to die. And that's just no fun.
  • that's interesting. i guess a few years ago i would have 'cleverly' said that what we do in this life will take us to heaven if we do good and to hell if we do bad, but today i don't really believe that anymore. personally i think it's a waste of time to think about the afterlife. We don't know about the afterlife if there is one or if not, so why don't we just have fun in this life?
  • This life is where we 'tune up' before the main concert. It's where we decide what kind of person we want to be, after which we continue in the same direction. Make sense?
  • This is one of the most interesting questions I've seen here. Damn you - I wish I'd thought of it :-) . At any rate I totally agree. Without an afterlife our purpose would be to live as fully as we can 'cause it's all there is. . But WITH an afterlife we're lost. Christians claim you have to accept Jesus to get into heaven, Muslims claim you have to accept Islam. New Agers say we all go to someplace nice, or maybe we go someplace like a schoolroom to review and prep for the next go round. Hindu's claim we'll end up as dung beetles or Bonobo Chimps (my personal fav)depending on how we lived.... . It's all so confusing!!! And what if you choose wrong? . Would god really set up a situation where a truly honest and good person has to chose by who makes the best sales pitch, like shopping for a used car? . Since we can never know the only way to avoid schizophrenia is to live well, enjoy, be good... as if there is no afterlife. . +4
  • Life is either to prepare us for the afterlife or alternatively in the case of no afterlife and re-incarnation prepare us for that, again if you are a non believer in either it is to carry on xistance and that alone, we are only a creature like any other creature and place ourselves far to highly in my opinion, we have the same status as the most insignificant living entity............(warning do not read if stoned) lol
  • "What is the purpose of life if there is an afterlife?" That's like asking 'What is the purpose of lunch if there's dinner?'
  • Depends on whatever someone believes. Either way it's one of those global beliefs that can effect every facet of a person's life. If I found out there was an afterlife, and, I was made aware of my own immortality, I wouldn't want to live unless there truly was no limit to how much I could learn and experience.
  • Since you asked, Catholics (who do believe in an afterlife) believe the purpose of human life is to know and love God. With love in Christ.
  • I've never heard it put that way before, I love it!!
  • The answer to either question should be the same so it doesn't matter. Live your life as the best human being you can be, not hurting others, helping when you can, keeping your good name.
  • I believe in Occam's Razor. "All other things being equal, the simplest solution is the best." This whole concept of (afterlife) and the multiple religious beliefs out there along with the multiple beliefs with-in each belief system has way too many complicated and unimportant circumstances. * Therefore the obvious conclusion is that there is NO afterlife!
  • It's easier to cruise thru life in denial and out of touch with reality by pretending that the real life is around the corner and it can only be attained by not living in the first place. I know it sounds kinda convoluted but I'm sure the believers know exactly what I'm talking about

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