DiscussMormonism.com

“I wasn't prepared for death. Nobody is. You lose someone you love more than you love yourself, and you get a crash course in mortality. You lie awake night after night, wondering if you really believe in heaven and hell and finding all kinds of reasons to cling to faith, because you can't bear to believe they aren't out there somewhere, a few whispered words of a prayer away.”
― Karen Marie Moning, Shadowfever

Humans are collectors; many are hoarders. We can't deal with the notion of having permanently lost something--or someone--that we loved. In the wake of the death of a cherished friend or loved one, I feel that twinge of hope for an afterlife so I can have them back again someday.

As time washes away the sting of the loss, reason takes over once again and I find no evidence to believe in any afterlife.

One can believe in and hope for a life after death without accepting a God, nor any particular religion. It may sound weird without some dogmatic exposition, but it is still possible.

dastardly stem wrote: ↑

Mon Jul 10, 2023 9:12 pm

One can believe in and hope for a life after death without accepting a God, nor any particular religion. It may sound weird without some dogmatic exposition, but it is still possible.

I have heard an interesting explanation for maybe you have also. Some dreams seem to last forever. We have all probably had those endless dreams that take us on all these journeys in less than 8 hours. Some have proposed that at death believers brains are conditioned to cycle into to heaven mode. Heaven mode lasts for eternity. I don't believe any of that. When nerve impulses cease you cease however many people cling to the idea that those forever moments of brain dying are where heaven and religion in general were generated.

dastardly stem wrote: ↑

Mon Jul 10, 2023 9:12 pm

One can believe in and hope for a life after death without accepting a God, nor any particular religion. It may sound weird without some dogmatic exposition, but it is still possible.

This seems to me to be the most open minded position. Given humankind's propensity to make up numerous gods, the chances of worshiping something real is vanishingly low. But the afterlife can be anything, and can exist independently of any "god."

We could be simulations in a machine. We could wake up hundreds of billions of years after we die. We could repeat our lives endlessly in a loop. Or we could cease to exist.

Anyone who claims to know what happens, like Mormons do, are just broadcasting their wishful thinking. There's no good evidence for any of it, nothing that convinces an unbiased observer judging it without a prior connection to their religion.

Nimrod wrote: ↑

Mon Jul 10, 2023 9:06 pm

“I wasn't prepared for death. Nobody is. You lose someone you love more than you love yourself, and you get a crash course in mortality. You lie awake night after night, wondering if you really believe in heaven and hell and finding all kinds of reasons to cling to faith, because you can't bear to believe they aren't out there somewhere, a few whispered words of a prayer away.”
― Karen Marie Moning, Shadowfever

Humans are collectors; many are hoarders. We can't deal with the notion of having permanently lost something--or someone--that we loved. In the wake of the death of a cherished friend or loved one, I feel that twinge of hope for an afterlife so I can have them back again someday.

As time washes away the sting of the loss, reason takes over once again and I find no evidence to believe in any afterlife.

Hey Nimrod,

As a believer, I want to stay in my lane , so I will make this very short.

If you have just lost a loved one, I am sorry for your loss and I hope you find comfort wherever that might be for you.

I recently went through a health thing that left me somewhat … in a bit of a tough way. Details aren’t important, though. In the middle of the roughest moments, I wondered if I wouldn’t be heartened, or even a little more certain I’d pull though, if I had the faith of a televangelist or mustard seed or whatever.

But nothing happened, except worrying about my loved ones and wishing the pain would subside. I’m left with some fairly serious complications, but a MUCH stronger love and appreciation of my wife. Whatever time we all have left seems too little when you truly have love in your life.

-Doc

Doctor CamNC4Me wrote: ↑

Tue Jul 11, 2023 2:42 am

I recently went through a health thing that left me somewhat … in a bit of a tough way. Details aren’t important, though. In the middle of the roughest moments, I wondered if I wouldn’t be heartened, or even a little more certain I’d pull though, if I had the faith of a televangelist or mustard seed or whatever.

But nothing happened, except worrying about my loved ones and wishing the pain would subside. I’m left with some fairly serious complications, but a MUCH stronger love and appreciation of my wife. Whatever time we all have left seems too little when you truly have love in your life.

-Doc

Sorry to hear about your problems, Doc, but I'm happy that some good has come out of it.

Doctor CamNC4Me wrote: ↑

Tue Jul 11, 2023 2:42 am

I recently went through a health thing that left me somewhat … in a bit of a tough way. Details aren’t important, though. In the middle of the roughest moments, I wondered if I wouldn’t be heartened, or even a little more certain I’d pull though, if I had the faith of a televangelist or mustard seed or whatever.

But nothing happened, except worrying about my loved ones and wishing the pain would subside. I’m left with some fairly serious complications, but a MUCH stronger love and appreciation of my wife. Whatever time we all have left seems too little when you truly have love in your life.

-Doc

Doc, I’m so sorry hear you’ve experienced health challenges, and complications. So very happy you have developed a deeper relationship with your wife, as a result. It is truly a blessing to have love in your life.

Back when I got my CML diagnosis and before I knew what that entailed, and there was really good treatment for it, suddenly all the trivial things we concern ourselves with didn’t matter any more.
Only the truly important things mattered. Of course after I learned that I could take a pill that would likely keep the cancer cells under control, and it did, all the trivial matters quickly crept back in. I often wish I could go back to concerning myself with only what really matters.

For me, I don’t have to go through anything alone. Christ is right there in the fire with me, and if I don’t continue in this life, it is okay. It was more so through the five year bout of clinical depression that I once had that he was all I had. I had support from my family, but the Lord is all I could cling to. The last 2.5 months of my mother’s life was rough too. He has certainly been an anchor for my soul (Heb. 6:19). Many times, it was only a mustard seed if that, but he was always there.

You stated, “ Whatever time we all have left seems too little when you truly have love in your life.” <<< So, so very true.