(ctd)
Squeers “suspects there's something besides this life, rather than nothing”, this is also my position - although I believe rather than suspect - and that of many others, although we differ in the way we imagine the unimaginable.

Besides, there is little known - in spite of all the NDE reporting - about what happens in the human brain when it passes the point of no return. We only know that there are experiences (e.g. dreams) that we perceive as taking very long, although objectively they last just a few minutes.

[Perhaps this can explain the subjective “duration” of purgatory or hell experiences that objectively might last only a fraction of a second. Of course, this is a pure speculation on my side: if “hell” stands for non-existence, as our atheists believe in (and hope for?), then there still should be a difference between the dying experience of a righteous atheist and a Stalin or Hitler.]

Jim Carrey: Maybe there is no actual place called Hell. Maybe Hell is just having to listen to our grandparents breathe through their noses when they're eating sandwiches.

Dear Yabby,

I can relate so much to your enjoyment
of the land and the animals you have.
When I was a little girl we lived in a
rural area - and I had access to dairy cows,
horses, chooks, and sheep. I had a pet duck
which I loved dearly - but my big affection
was for the dairy cows. To this day I still have
an affinity with farm animals.

Dear Belly,

The thread about ghosts - rings a bell. I started
one asking people about mysterious happenings in
their lives - but I can't remember the name of it.

Dear Squeers,

Thanks for your kind words.

I agree with you - I think it's great to have a bit
of mystery in one's life. It would be rather dull
if we had all the answers. Thanks for your Jesus
quote - I've added it to my list. It's great!

Dear Philo,

I can't even begin to imagine your out of body
experience . It must have really shaken you up.
That's something that would live with you for the
rest of your life.

Dear Sherkahn,

Nothing lives forever
So many say that's true
But I'm determined to come back
And that's what I will do!

Dear George,

Thank You for your beautiful words.
I do believe in hope, most definitely.
I've attended several funerals in the
past year and during each one I preferred
to celebrate not the crucifixtion of the
worldly passing, although I certainly allowed
myself to feel its sting. Rather I preferred
to celebrate the Resurrection of the deceased
by which they shall live forever.

Dear Pynch,

Thanks - loved it!

Foxy

You are the only Christian to this forum who actually leads by example. The grace you show to all contributors even the most vexatious is beyond my level of patience. There are those who would claim that it is your religious beliefs that are the foundation for your grace.

They are wrong.

You would be 'Foxy' no matter from which culture you emerged - you are unique and special - no amount of proselytising can change the essential being that you are. Whether there is survival of the mind; the unique individual after death of the physical body, no-one knows. No-one.

Therefore, the best we can do is live with as much grace as we can in this life. That we may live on in the thoughts and memories of others, is a success not afforded to all.

It’s all very well and good to speak of hope in some sort of afterlife, and a little part of me wishes for an afterlife of some sort too, but I refuse to hold any specific belief in an afterlife because I care about my beliefs being true. And let’s face it - ghost stories, out-of-body experiences and the likes tend to have perfectly rational explanations for them anyway.

To me, having as many of my beliefs as possible being true is of more importance than having a sense of hope, because if I’m conscious when my time inevitably comes, I would prefer that I spent my last few moments not kidding myself. I find it far more sad that so many people choose to spend their last ever moments of consciousness with a false sense of hope rather than caring about whether or not what they believe is true.

To me, that is far more tragic than any loss of hope could possibly be, because I don’t think anyone could really appreciate the significance of those last ever moments of consciousness while kidding themselves.

I think there may be a slight flaw in your logic, AJ Philips

>>I find it far more sad that so many people choose to spend their last ever moments of consciousness with a false sense of hope<<

Why would you feel sad for someone who is about to die, happy?

They will be unaware that they are harbouring a false hope, will they not, so are highly likely to die happily.

Even willingly, if they believe they are destined for paradise.

They may even be looking forward to it.

>>I don’t think anyone could really appreciate the significance of those last ever moments of consciousness while kidding themselves.<<

Are they that significant, really? After all, you are unlikely to be aware which particular breath will be your last, will you.

And if they do turn out to be your "last ever moments of consciousness", you will forever be unaware that you had been kidding yourself.

Thus avoiding any later sense of disappointment.

I believe the concept of an afterlife has been in our collective psyche ever since we started to wonder "is this all there is?" The prospect of a form of paradise can be a comforting thought, especially if your life has been painful.

Personally, I firmly believe that after our death, we will exist in exactly the same sense that we did before we were born.

Except that the tense will change.

What was the future before we were born, becomes the past after we die.

But we do not actually "exist" in the present tense, either side of the bookends of our life.