The Dead

[_sock puppet]

JSJr said that if the average person could see the Telestial Kingdom, he would kill himself to get there, and that is where suicide takes one, to the Telestial Kingdom.

There also seems to be some duty for TBMs to try to continue their life, and do whatever they can to postpone death. Why?

As a TBM parent who might find his or her 4-year old child face down in water, why try to revive the child and keep the child away from the sure thing CK reward? Why deprive that child of living in God's presence, for the rest of this lifetime and possibly the eternity after it?

TBMs live there lives in depriving themselves of many of the things that make life otherwise full-bodied and rich. But it seems they want to postpone their anticipated reward.

Physical body obtained? Check. Self proved worthy of returning to live with God? Check. So why not check out, stop taking meds, stop taking precautions, let the appendicitis take you?

As for those who are already dead, from what 'trials and tribulations' are they now free?

[_Some Schmo]

This is one of those acid tests that show just how much religious people "know" the stuff they claim is true.

In other words, they don't know crap. I agree with Dan Dennett; most religious people don't really believe the crap they're spouting. I think we'd see a lot more martyring and suicides if they did.

[_just me]

Don't underestimate the survival instinct.

[_sock puppet]

Don't underestimate the survival instinct.

But, from where did that instinct come? and why?

[_Quasimodo]

As for those who are already dead, from what 'trials and tribulations' are they now free?

I'm hoping that one of the dead starts posting here. Boy, do I have a lot of questions.

[_just me]

Don't underestimate the survival instinct.

But, from where did that instinct come? and why?

God, obviously. Duh. He wants us away from him as long as possible.

[_Sophocles]

In any fictional story, especially those involving supernatural beings or powers, you can always find ways to short circuit the plot. Often artificial limitations are contrived to prevent this, but other times audiences are just expected to ignore the loophole as part of the willing suspension of disbelief. In other words, the ultimate reason that characters in stories don't act realistically, taking advantage of all powers and loopholes available to them, is because then there would be no story.

The reason we don't have as many kids as possible and then drown them all before the age of accountability is because that doctrine was not invented as a way to maximize the number of exalted souls. It was invented to give comfort to the surviving loved ones. That's all religion is--the stories we tell ourselves to impose illusions of justice on an existence that is far from just.

We don't drown our young children for the same reason that Marty McFly and Doctor Who never seem to make more efficient and effective use of time travel, and Jedis never seem to grasp the full potential of the Force (or even lightsabers). Because it would wreck the story.

[_Quasimodo]

In any fictional story, especially those involving supernatural beings or powers, you can always find ways to short circuit the plot. Often artificial limitations are contrived to prevent this, but other times audiences are just expected to ignore the loophole as part of the willing suspension of disbelief. In other words, the ultimate reason that characters in stories don't act realistically, taking advantage of all powers and loopholes available to them, is because then there would be no story.

The reason we don't have as many kids as possible and then drown them all before the age of accountability is because that doctrine was not invented as a way to maximize the number of exalted souls. It was invented to give comfort to the surviving loved ones. That's all religion is--the stories we tell ourselves to impose illusions of justice on an existence that is far from just.

We don't drown our young children for the same reason that Marty McFly and Doctor Who never seem to make more efficient and effective use of time travel, and Jedis never seem to grasp the full potential of the Force (or even lightsabers). Because it would wreck the story.

Very astute!

[_sock puppet]

Don't underestimate the survival instinct.

But, from where did that instinct come? and why?

God, obviously. Duh. He wants us away from him as long as possible.

Oh. So God equipped us with an instinct to try to stay away from Him as long as possible. I never caught the part that God wanted us out of the nest for as long as possible. Did they teach that concept in Know Your Religion classes?

[_Buffalo]

In any fictional story, especially those involving supernatural beings or powers, you can always find ways to short circuit the plot. Often artificial limitations are contrived to prevent this, but other times audiences are just expected to ignore the loophole as part of the willing suspension of disbelief. In other words, the ultimate reason that characters in stories don't act realistically, taking advantage of all powers and loopholes available to them, is because then there would be no story.

The reason we don't have as many kids as possible and then drown them all before the age of accountability is because that doctrine was not invented as a way to maximize the number of exalted souls. It was invented to give comfort to the surviving loved ones. That's all religion is--the stories we tell ourselves to impose illusions of justice on an existence that is far from just.

We don't drown our young children for the same reason that Marty McFly and Doctor Who never seem to make more efficient and effective use of time travel, and Jedis never seem to grasp the full potential of the Force (or even lightsabers). Because it would wreck the story.

Excellent observations!