Happiness vs. Salvation

[_Chap]

Bumping for Hoops, in the hope that she will feel able to comment on my (I hope) eirenic post.

[_Buffalo]

[
Actually, no. NDE's are evidence. You may discount it, it may not be compelling to you, or you may try and attribute them to natural causes, but they are evidence. And there is nothing we know of that precludes life after death. So the scales are tipped in favor of LAD.

NDEs are very weak anecdotal evidence. Notice that they're called NEAR death experiences, not death experiences. No one has actually died and come back to tell the tale.

The experiences are also well-explained by the release of chemicals in the brain when the body thinks it's about to die. That's a much better explanation than a magic happy land full of disembodied people.

There is plenty that we know of that precludes life after death - like the dependence upon a living, functioning brain in order for consciousness to continue.

[_The Nehor]

No one has actually died and come back to tell the tale.

Ummm....you do know that the religion around which this board is based states unequivocally that someone did come back and tell the tale. It's the central moment of the faith.

[_Buffalo]

No one has actually died and come back to tell the tale.

Ummm....you do know that the religion around which this board is based states unequivocally that someone did come back and tell the tale. It's the central moment of the faith.

There's no compelling evidence to believe that ever happened. But that's not really what I was talking about - I was talking about NDEs, and how the people who experience them haven't ACTUALLY died.

[_The Nehor]

There's no compelling evidence to believe that ever happened. But that's not really what I was talking about - I was talking about NDEs, and how the people who experience them haven't ACTUALLY died.

Define death.

[_Buffalo]

There's no compelling evidence to believe that ever happened. But that's not really what I was talking about - I was talking about NDEs, and how the people who experience them haven't ACTUALLY died.

Define death.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brain_death

[_stemelbow]

What do you consider to be of more value:

Genuine happiness in this life

Or

Eternal rewards in heaven

And what if they are the same? How can I answer this then?