Poll of the Day > Are you being an ass for arguing against an afterlife?

(+) Yeah! (+)

To take the stance that death is just the end and that you have nothing waiting for you once your physical form ceases?
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I don't fear death.

Currently, I believe that life as we know it is a simulation and that I am controlling an avatar in a quasi-VR like environment. Whether or not you and the other people on this planet are AIs or not has yet to be decided. It is likely that some amount of the population are highly advanced AIs, as they seem to follow a pre-defined script of some sort.
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No, there is no evidence of an afterlife so there is no reason to believe in it.
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If anything atheism seems to me the most arrogant viewpoint by far.

We don't even understand the basic fundamentals of this reality, yet some people angrily argue that this is the only thing we can possibly experience, which is unknowable.
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Backlog posted...

No, there is no evidence of an afterlife so there is no reason to believe in it.

This is true. But it's also not true for a lot of people. People who argue about if there is or isn't are all assholes. No way of knowing until you die so what's the point of even arguing about it? It's like arguing whether the next coin toss will be heads or tails. Just let people believe what they wanna believe and helps them sleep at night.
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Of course not. Ideas and beliefs should always be contemplated on.

And in any case, belief in the afterlife is all about faith. Faith; no matter what anyone would say. Faith is deep, pure and enduring. Continuing to have faith in spite of all that's going on in the world by the faithful is an unending struggle.

This is where inner strength in crucial.
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Depends on the context.

If someone's mourning another person and says at least they're in a better place and you just HAVE to get on your fucking high horse and be like *snort* "Well, technically....!"
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Well, since no one has ever come back to tell, and there is no real way of knowing, I think arguing that there is absolutely nothing after death is pretty illogical.
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It's funny how strongly people defend their belief in an afterlife. People are terrified of death, more specifically they're terrified of no longer being able to experience things. However, it doesn't take much thought to realize that an eternal afterlife is infinitely worse than your perception just ending permanently at death.

The idea that death is pretty much identical to what it was like before birth is the most logical viewpoint. It recognizes that perception requires cognition, and cognition requires brain function, and your brain ceases to exist shortly after death. That's why the burden of proof of an afterlife lies with believers of an afterlife.
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faramir77 posted...

However, it doesn't take much thought to realize that an eternal afterlife is infinitely worse than your perception just ending permanently at death.

I understand this viewpoint but I have never agreed with it. I reject the notion that existence inevitably leads to suffering.
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Mead posted...

If anything atheism seems to me the most arrogant viewpoint by far.

We don't even understand the basic fundamentals of this reality, yet some people angrily argue that this is the only thing we can possibly experience, which is unknowable.

You almost described Atheism. Lol. We don't know what it is. Lol
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You are being an ass if you enforce your twisted delusions upon people.
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Flasbangs posted...

You are being an ass if you enforce your twisted delusions upon people.

Oh, I'M crazy?!
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Nobody wants to byte on my comment?
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Solid Sonic posted...

Flasbangs posted...

You are being an ass if you enforce your twisted delusions upon people.

Oh, I'M crazy?!

Probably. If you believe people who don't agree with you should stay silent.
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OneTimeBen posted...

Mead posted...

If anything atheism seems to me the most arrogant viewpoint by far.

We don't even understand the basic fundamentals of this reality, yet some people angrily argue that this is the only thing we can possibly experience, which is unknowable.

You almost described Atheism. Lol. We don't know what it is. Lol

Ok weird guy ty
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Kinda. I don't buy into religion but life can be tough and if believing ridiculous shit helps you get by a bit more easily in this world then that's fine.

I know several highly religious old people and I wouldn't talk them out of believing even if I could. There's nothing to be gained from taking someone's faith.

Now when belief affects laws, then I have a problem.

Krow_Incarnate posted...

Depends on the context.

If someone's mourning another person and says at least they're in a better place and you just HAVE to get on your fucking high horse and be like *snort* "Well, technically....!"

Pretty much. Believing there's nothing after death, and voicing that belief in an appropriate context? You do you. Shoving that belief in somebody's face in an inappropriate context? Get over yourself.
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Judgmenl posted...

I don't fear death.

Currently, I believe that life as we know it is a simulation and that I am controlling an avatar in a quasi-VR like environment. Whether or not you and the other people on this planet are AIs or not has yet to be decided. It is likely that some amount of the population are highly advanced AIs, as they seem to follow a pre-defined script of some sort.

So your afterlife is gonna be at BLIPS AND CHITS!

Mead posted...

If anything atheism seems to me the most arrogant viewpoint by far.

We don't even understand the basic fundamentals of this reality, yet some people angrily argue that this is the only thing we can possibly experience, which is unknowable.

Quite the opposite, those that claim there is an afterlife/heaven/hell are the most arrogant. Those that decide they have the right to judge someone and claim "you're going to hell!" as if they already "know" such a thing exists. Even the Bible is nothing more than a fairy tale as locations like Eden don't exist.
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Mead posted...

If anything atheism seems to me the most arrogant viewpoint by far.

We don't even understand the basic fundamentals of this reality, yet some people angrily argue that this is the only thing we can possibly experience, which is unknowable.

I'm an atheist. You know what I think happens after you die? I don't know. Hell, I don't even care.

People like adjl seriously like to take the high road and straw-man atheists because we're against churches and religions because they exploit the weakest aspect of humans, which is their fear of death, and then use that to control people.

Not all psychological manipulation is damaging, though! It's not every day prophets have genitals mutilated or people discriminated against or anything, some of the prophets just want money. Yeah, and not all malware is going to make your computer harder to use.

So you guys keep painting a bad picture of us while you ironically demonize religious people more than anyone else, saying people just use religion as an excuse to be evil. Gee I must have been pretty evil for half my life hating gays and abortion clinics. Bet you guys think Isis bombers are actually evil too, don't you? Not by their standards.

Yeah I mean as long as you aren't taking the "I'm right and you're wrong" attitude, but rather having a simple friendly discussion, then no you're not an ass for taking that side.

It's when you start being an ass about it that makes you an ass. Having the opinion itself doesn't inherently make you an ass.
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If a universe can come into existence from nothing, anything is possible, anything. That is why I never say something for sure doesn't exist. I'm not religious and God is not part of my life in any way, but I can't say there is no God.
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jamieyello3 posted...

People like adjl seriously like to take the high road and straw-man atheists because we're against churches and religions

Uhh, no. Atheists are perfectly fine. Just don't be obnoxious about it, like any religious belief.

jamieyello3 posted...

they exploit the weakest aspect of humans, which is their fear of death

Fear of death is far from being humans' weakest aspect. There are far better ways to manipulate people for fun and profit, mostly by exploiting more immediate desires and worries.
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Mystere posted...

Judgmenl posted...

I don't fear death.

Currently, I believe that life as we know it is a simulation and that I am controlling an avatar in a quasi-VR like environment. Whether or not you and the other people on this planet are AIs or not has yet to be decided. It is likely that some amount of the population are highly advanced AIs, as they seem to follow a pre-defined script of some sort.

So your afterlife is gonna be at BLIPS AND CHITS!

FYI Blips and Chits has Schezwan Sauce.
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Atheism doesn't claim to know certainty that there is nothing after death, it just dismisses the other baseless claims of there being something after it. In other words, there's no logical reason to believe there is something after death, so until proven otherwise there's no point in believing it.
There's as much chance of there being an afterlife as there is of a planet in a near galaxy being filled with pink unicorns who speak english, and I'm sure most people would easily accept not believing the latter until substantial proof of it existing arised.