Believers, how do you KNOW there is life after death?

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   Meg Moonposted 10 years ago

   Believers, how do you KNOW there is life after death?
   
   I am always interested, and quite envious, about people who are completely convinced of an afterlife. People who believe in the afterlife, do you feel that you KNOW there is life after death and if so how can you be so sure?
   
   

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   Mahmoposted 10 years ago

   My sister, the first step is to consult your heart besides your mind. Everything around us speaks loudly about existence of almighty creator.. think about the creation of your body with all its organs and details ..think about  the vast space and planets..think about the earth and all the known and unknown and uncountable benefits created in it....think about the known and unknown and uncountable creatures on it.. The holy books invite you repeatedly to this thinking.
   
   The philosophy and science books give you human interpretation for the nature of the above creation, as it appears to the authors. However the holy books give you in the almighty own words, the information which your heart and mind accept on who the Creator ?
   
   You can ask me How did you know the credibility and authority of these Books ? My answer is simple : No Man whoever can write the language, words and information which we read in these books we feel this by our hearts and minds .Most messengers or prophets were only working as shepherds who were illiterate. It is not expected from them      at all to have had the great information about the Creator which the sciences and philosophy books widely discussed and proved but could not refute. No one expects the said shepherds to be the AUTHORS of  the Holy books' golden words which we read. We MUST then believe that these Books are certain and revelation/inspiration of almighty wise and superior power.
   
   If that wise and almighty superior power told us in its Holy books that there is a life after death WE MUST BELIEVE then and tell everybody to do so to avoid the Hell which He prepared to those who did not believe Him.

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      Meg Moonposted 10 years agoin reply to this

      OK so it seems a  believer's conviction in the afterlife comes first from their conviction in a divine being.Perhaps unless you have this then you cannot always be so certain of the afterlife.

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      Mahmoposted 10 years agoin reply to this

      Of course my sister, do you have another authority ?. Is it difficult for Him who created you from smudge of water to resurrect you after death ? The difficulty is only in your mind . He can only say to anything ''Be'' and it becomes tangible .

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   saisarannagaposted 10 years ago

   Otherwise we can not explain the differences that exist during the birth of a baby. Some are born affluent, some babies are born in very poor families. Some babies are healthy and others suffer even during birth. Some are strong and others are disabled. If you take god as just, then you can never explain these differences if there is only one life. In fact our life on earth started from amoeba and we have progressed through fishes, birds and animals and after millions of years, we have evolved as human beings. When god has created the world, he has set certain laws for human beings since they were blessed with thinking, reasoning and choice making faculties. Whatever man does out of his free will will invariably recoil upon him if not in the present birth, in the future births also. It is not possible to work out the effects of past births in one single life. Hence life is continuous and does not terminate in death. The same soul will attire a new body based on its karmic effects.  Hence we can conclude logically that our lives are not isolated or limited to one birth.

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      Meg Moonposted 10 years agoin reply to this

      OK, I get that on a theoretical level. But it is still all about ifs. So for instance IF we assume God is just then there must be some kind of recompense in an afterlife but what if God is not just or doesn't even exist?

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   Larry Wallposted 10 years ago

   Following on the other answers I will say you have to believe that God exists and this is a matter of faith. I cannot prove God exists, no more than you or anyone else can prove that God does not exist.
   
   Therefore, with my assumption, based on faith, I have something to look forward to and a hope that someday a lot of my questions will be answered.
   
   A person without faith, is only marking time, because, he does not believe that he has a specific purpose in life, nor that he has seen and received miracles (sometimes we do not realize they are miracles and chalk it up to good luck--which cannot be proved).

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   C.V.Rajanposted 10 years ago

   Meg,
   You seem to want some proof. Religion is based on faith. But in fact, even science is based on faith. Many things that Science has "proved" are believed by you and you have no wherewithal to verify them yourself in personal experience. (Example: proof of existence of atoms, protons, neutrons etc). You believe an astronomer when he says such and such star is so many light years away.
   
   You may say that it is all proved by scientists or corroborated by other scientists. In a similar way, many spiritual truths were revealed through personal experience bysaints. Other saints who get similar spiritual experience corroborate it as true. And we believe them.

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      lone77starposted 10 years agoin reply to this

      Nicely said, CV.

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      Meg Moonposted 10 years agoin reply to this

      I don't want proof myself I just want an explanation of how people can be so sure about something without proof if that makes sense.

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      amiebutchkoposted 10 years agoin reply to this

      Wow.  Good answer!

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      rayasaposted 10 years agoin reply to this

      Nice answer. But, I beg to differ that science is not based on faith. Scientific conclusions are peer reviewed by the scientific community and  then approved. Whereas, faith is a subjective experience that cannot be proved empirically.

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      cat on a soapboxposted 10 years agoin reply to this

      Great answer!

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      Robert the Bruceposted 9 years agoin reply to this

      Science is not based on faith, CV. Atoms, protons, and neutrons have all been OBSERVED and anyone can see them. The claims of religion cannot be observed but rather they are believed without evidence.

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   lone77starposted 10 years ago

   I know, because I know that I am not a Homo sapiens body. I have been outside of this body and seen the world without human eyes. I have thought thoughts without the need of a human brain. Only after 41 years did I finally understand how it was possible. Ego is the barrier.
   
   I have also remembered hundreds of past lives, one of them with such vivid clarity that the emotions from those memories have been as strong as any from this life.
   
   I have experienced miracles -- instantaneous contraventions of physical law. Again, without ego. Only a spiritual being can bend or break physical law. No cog in the machine can reorder the machine or make it do things for which it was not designed to do.
   
   You won't get much solace from the "proof" of others. You have to step out on that limb for yourself. You have to remember or be or do as a spiritual being. That takes utter humility, perfect responsibility, unconditional love and 100% confidence.
   
   God created us in His image and likeness and He is not Homo sapiens.

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   tsadjatkoposted 10 years ago

   While I can't personally vouch for the credibility of the following subjects I find the stories on these videos extremely interesting.
   _________________________________________________
   Today Show: Woman recounts life after death - 01/20/2010
   http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DhZ2tvv3mto
   _________________________________________________
   Death Experiences - Life After Life - Ray Moody
   http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8I8tnVp1gxM
   From a study of 150 people who had clinically died or almost died, Moody concluded that there are nine experiences common to most people who have had a near death experience. These are:
   hearing sounds such as buzzing
   a feeling of peace and painlessness
   having an out-of-body experience
   a feeling of traveling through a tunnel
   a feeling of rising into the heavens
   seeing people, often dead relatives
   meeting a spiritual being such as God
   seeing a review of one's life
   feeling a reluctance to return to life
   _________________________________________________
   Dr. Richard Eby, was a professor and obstetrician with a successful practice. In 1972, he fell off a balcony in Chicago and hit his head which led to a near-death experience. His journey into the afterlife included an extensive conversation with Jesus which you will read in the following pages. In 1978, Dr. Eby closed his medical practice in order to follow his calling into a full-time ministry.
   http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL900F3BE2E92884F7

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      Meg Moonposted 10 years agoin reply to this

      Yes I teach about NDEs and so am familiar with them but I am also familiar with plenty of naturalistic explanations for them too so they don't provide enough proof for me.

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   Sinbadsailormanposted 10 years ago

   I will give you and example that I was once given. The proof is in the pudding consider the seeds of every living thing here on this our planet. The seed is produce from life or a living thing [GOD]. Be it human, animal, or plant life.  It is then fertilized. Causing a said change to take place.
   
   The seed Like us was once alive and then injected with lets say truth of the word of the living GOD.  The seed that was alive must then complete the change/ die to be transformed into another living plant, animal, or human to be able to produce another seed.
   *Consider this death is unto the lie of this our current state of being.
   
   I associate the seed that was alive to the living soul that also was once alive and it was also once eternal because it was created by The Creator.
   
   But like the seed is encased in the husk or shell [for protection] as we are placed into the flesh for the protection of our souls which belong to the Creator. The seeds of life all are called for by GOD not once has man every created life. Nor has the Devil ever been able to create life.
   
   The change that takes place can be seen but not defined or explained fully as for Us to duplicate. Even stars in the Heaven are born, die, and create new situations for life, The seed is fragile here on Our planet as we are fragile in our human condition which was caused by an outside source pollution, drought, heat waves, floods, whatever, pests and/or  disease.
   
   Untruth lets say or call it Not of GOD's making. I equate all these to the lies of Satan the fallen Son of GOD, Lucifer. So I believe in life after death even though I can't see it or communicate with it. As it is in a different state of being then I am currently.
   
   For me the story of Creation and the Fall of those in Heaven mesh well together with everything I know and see. That what I believe is factual only to me and my small plain of existence. My reality is not yours until you can see,hear,feel, taste, and touch what I can.  Or until your heart overrides everything you know or believe to be true.
   
   A believer sees with new eyes and hears with new ears and so on because the Christ is within you is either alive or dead. Such are those called the dead in Christ or the non living being of Christ the seed has not been given the truth of the Father the Word which is living water. The Seed is in every living thing but in many it will never reach the state of adulthood and be able to reproduce the truth of the Father GOD in Heaven

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   Ceegenposted 10 years ago

   "Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding." - Proverbs 3:5.
   
   I know there is life after death because of what I saw and experienced the night my dad died. I tried to explain it away with my own understanding, but could not.
   
   There is no doubt in my mind that there are only two choices when it comes to the afterlife, and one of those choices is Jesus. The other choice is whatever you want. Only one of these choices is going to get you eternal life.
   
   There are not many paths to God.

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      Meg Moonposted 10 years agoin reply to this

      Would you share or is it too personal?

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      Ceegenposted 10 years agoin reply to this

      I don't mind sharing, wrote a hub about it.
      And it's not showing up... Hold on.

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    amiebutchkoposted 10 years ago

    I know there is life after death with all my heart.  Perhaps it is my strong faith, and the fact that I witness God's presence and his answers to my prayers every day.  Because I believe so faithfully, I have an order and a rule to my life which I cannot describe.  Things are always "going to be ok."  As well, I feel my relatives and friends who have passed all around me, all the time.  There are coincidences that occur just way to often and.. in such perfectly ironic ways... I know it is them.  Also, and this is funny, but true, I just love Theresa Capputo and John Edwards and their shows.  I buy it 100%!!!!!!  You should watch.... and just see what you think....

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       Michael-Milecposted 10 years agoin reply to this

       H'm. Sounds quite interesting in conjunction  to the above question related to " faith " and " belief " . Do  these ' Theresa Capputo and John Edwards have something  extra supportive to the FAITH's origin ?

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    JThomp42posted 10 years ago

    One word sums this up "Faith." It is so easy to believe if one has faith in what God and the Bible has said.

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       Mahmoposted 10 years agoin reply to this

       Faith is found in all holy books not the bible alone .

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    Harishprasadposted 10 years ago

    Meg Moon, it is a good question and it is equally good that you are interested in life and not in death,though it is not the present life but the life after death that you are interested in knowing. Have you ever wondered about the present life before death ? This present life is itself misunderstood by the most of us. We remain confused  with this aspect that we call life only because of   the reason that we identify it with our body. This is a great illusion   and even the very sharp minded are deluded by this illusion.   Take for example a cup and the space inside it. The cup is like a.       body and the space inside it like the life. The cup remains as long  as it does not get wholly decayed ,the moment it is broken or  decayed,the space inside it mingles into the vast space and  becomes one with the outer vast space. The cup like our body is  an illusion and it's appearance outside the inner space is also an  illusion. The truth is space that is inside as well outside of it.  When the cup disappears, the space does not. The space  remains intact. The space inside the cup looks a part of the cup  only because of illusion. In fact, space was already present, is  present and will remain present because it is not different from  the vast one. In other words, we can say that even being inside  the cup, it is vast. The smallness has been imposed on it by the  cup itself. In the like manner, life was, is and will be and body  shows it as trapped inside it but that is not a fact. Like a cup,  body disappears due to various reasons but life remains. The  great illusion is that when body stops functioning, we assume it  as disappearance of life. Life is a distorted term or illusion created  by Self or Consciousness and it happens when Self or  Consciousness comes in touch with body. We assume this "Self"  as " Life" because of our ignorance or illusion. In actuality, Self is  the truth not the body. Self is in fact a  Greater Self but it  looks  as part of body. Life and Self are not two different entities but   are aspects of the same thing like head and tail of a coin. So the  concepts of life before death and life after death are vague and  kinds of illusion. Body and death are illusions created by the Self. Only Self is the truth. This illustration drawn by me not my own, it has been meditated by the great Indian Sages of yore among them, Buddha was one of them. Like him, so many Buddhas had found out this truth ages before he took birth in this world. We have to only awaken ourselves .

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    rayasaposted 10 years ago

    I have a counter question for you. If we don't believe in after life, how do we explain children born physically or mentally disabled? Also, why some suffer much more than the others?
    'Coincidence' as an answer is only a fallback of not having an answer or not acknowledging that we bear corresponding reactions to our own past actions.
    Millions of scientifically observable phenomena prove that every effect has a cause. That means our observable universe makes sense, whereas 'coincidence' does not.
    Ultimately, you either believe in 'coincidence' or faithfully (and scientifically) believe that 'every action has an equal and opposite reaction'

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       Meg Moonposted 10 years agoin reply to this

       My answer would be cos life is unfair- because we are the product of evolution and sometimes there are mutations- surely disteleology is evidence against God!

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       rayasaposted 10 years agoin reply to this

       Disteleology does not prove that consciousness is a product of matter. Therefore it is not an evidence against God. Also, the word 'Unfair' assumes a moral principle. I wonder where that comes from.

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       Meg Moonposted 10 years agoin reply to this

       Well for me the idea of an all loving all powerful God creating things badly seems absurd. Fairness and morality can exist without God- they can be an evolutionary trait to help humans live in societies

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       rayasaposted 10 years agoin reply to this

       For me the theory of 'chance' seems absurd. We ourselves ask such intelligent questions that no other species thinks about, and yet we deny an intelligent source. Just as a person born and living in a dark cave will never agree that there is a sun.

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    Seek-n-Findposted 10 years ago

    I'm actually writing a book about the afterlife...so good question!  :-)  I spent over a year researching hundreds of stories of near-death experiences AND people who flat out died and were revived or came back.  I also studied case studies and stories of those who had "out of body" experiences or visions.  I made a chart of the common threads that people told that expands across time, race, and age.  So many similarities that people claimed to have experienced 100 years ago same as today.  Kids in China and adults in Africa.  Story after story tells of very similar details.  I compared these against what I found in the Bible and found a very high percentage of correlation.  Also, there are many, many cases in which people who died and came back knew things that were just impossible for them to know
    
    My faith has occurred in stages so I'm not convinced by any one thing but the evidence is overwhelming in every area of my life.  When I went on a spiritual journey of searching for truth, it was first my mind that was convinced of the credibility of Jesus and that he was who he said he was and did what he said he did.  But I was not convinced that all people who called themselves Christians or all churches understood, believed, and lived the truth as taught by Jesus.   
    
    I studied religion, theology, science, philosophy, logic...everything I could find!  My head was convinced--but my heart was not.  I had wounds, fears, and honestly just many wrong ideas about God from what I learned growing up.  I had to unlearn much of what I'd thought was just "true" and start from scratch.  But then--was the unexplainable supernatural encounters with the spirit realm--and with God--that began to convince the rest of me.  Then the way my life was transformed was for sure evidence. 
    
    There is actually a lot of evidence out there, but a person has to search it out.  It is often concealed somewhat.  It is those who seek that find, not just those who wonder.  :-) 
    
    Hope my answer was helpful!  There's so much more to say but hey, I'm already writing a novel elsewhere.

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       Meg Moonposted 10 years agoin reply to this

       Thanks for your answer- let me know when your novel is finished I would love to read it. Did you ever study possible naturalistic explanations for NDEs and if so did they convince you at all?

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       amiebutchkoposted 10 years agoin reply to this

       I want to read your novel when it is done!  Very compelling.  I just love faith!

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       Seek-n-Findposted 10 years agoin reply to this

       Yes :-) I did read the naturalistic explanations and no, they did not convince me. What I studied was far beyond the tunnels, lights, and feelings of flight, love--accounts that include information that naturalistic explanations have no answer for.

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       Lindagddposted 10 years agoin reply to this

       I am very much interested and love to read your novel .

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    edhanposted 10 years ago

    I believe in the cycle of living things. Re-incarnation is like science where living things going through a complete cycle. Unfortunately, we do not have the memories after rebirth otherwise people will not doubt the truth. It is also a good thing in a way or else people might take it the wrong way and commit sins.

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       Meg Moonposted 10 years agoin reply to this

       I have seen quite a bit about youngsters who do remember some stuff- this makes a very convincing case for reincarnation I have to admit- even for a skeptic like me!

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    liesl5858posted 10 years ago

    I would like to believe there is life after death but whether I go to heaven or hell that would be another question to answer. A lot of Catholic teachings say that there is life after death and that good people go to heaven and bad people go to hell. But you know what, I really do not know the right answer to this question. I'd like to think we all go to heaven. I do have faith though which gets me through a lot in life.

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       Meg Moonposted 10 years agoin reply to this

       Yes what people believe happens in life after death is a whole other kettle of fish or more likely, can of worms- maybe I'll go down that road for my next question...

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    Lybrahposted 10 years ago

    I don't know, but I'd rather live my life as if there were a God than live my life believing there is no God...and die believing there is no God.

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       Meg Moonposted 10 years agoin reply to this

       Why?

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       Lybrahposted 10 years agoin reply to this

       Because you're in BIG TROUBLE if you die and it turns out God exists, and you never believed in Him nor lived a life pleasing to Him!

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       tsadjatkoposted 10 years agoin reply to this

       If you don't believe there is life after death and there really isn't what have you lost by believing there is? Try vice versa, and there is a heaven and a hell - you've lost eternity.

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       Meg Moonposted 10 years agoin reply to this

       I don't think God would accept belief based on a calculated effort to attain some reward in the hereafter- I like to think God, if real, is not such a megalomaniac and will judge you on your works rather than your faith- whole other debate I know...

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    Fatihaposted 10 years ago

    How do you know there is no life after death?

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       Meg Moonposted 10 years agoin reply to this

       I never said I knew anything

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       Fatihaposted 10 years agoin reply to this

       Let me rephrase my question, if there was no life after death then why are we all debating here?

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       Meg Moonposted 10 years agoin reply to this

       I think we can debate concepts without their necessarily having any objective existence- I don't know whether there is an afterlife but there is certainly the concept of it so we are able to debate it- even though this is more trying to understand*

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    Meg Moonposted 10 years ago

    * Fatiha sorry comment cut me off- it's more about trying to understand people's beliefs not to start a debate about whether or not their is an afterlife. I know a lot of people on here like to ask questions just to get into a massive argument/debate but I wasn't really asking for that purpose. It was more out of a genuine curiosity about how those who are so sure can be so sure because I am not sure of anything- hope that makes sense

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       rayasaposted 10 years agoin reply to this

       Thanks for the question. I hope you are getting some good insights from the community. Nevertheless, if you die sitting on the fence, I wish you all the best for your next life

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       Meg Moonposted 10 years agoin reply to this

       Rayasa ha ha thank you

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    hotmama41posted 10 years ago

    Because God doesn't lie read his word and by faith
    He sent his son Jesus Christ, to die in our place so
    we can have eternal life when we leave this world,
    that Satan rules right now.

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       Meg Moonposted 10 years agoin reply to this

       But again- if I base belief in the afterlife on the Bible that begs the question how can I know the Bible is the word of God when evidence suggests it is the words of men- and even then only the words the Church wanted us to see?

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       savvydatingposted 10 years agoin reply to this

       Meg, readers must first realize that the gospels were written in the 1st century AD, within a generation of Jesus. The authors were careful about accuracy; this is significant.
       http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_D_7z5xvyX8
       Evans is a renowned scholar

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       Meg Moonposted 10 years agoin reply to this

       When the Gospels was written does nothing to prove they are the word of God though savvydating. Many other gospels were written but not canonized why is that? Many contradict each other- all evidence they are written by men and no proof of afterlife

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       savvydatingposted 10 years agoin reply to this

       Criteria exists for what is accurate and what is not & it is based upon eyewitness accounts & historical evidence. The average person knows nothing about these things, but they can be learned with study.
       http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HIwV__

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    savvydatingposted 10 years ago

    Personally, I do not know. No one really knows. That being said, my belief in God is a choice I have made for my life simply because it enriches my life right now. If there is a reward after death, so much the better-- however, that is not why I am a believer, strange as it may sound.
    I have faith in God primarily because He sets a high standard for living and I very much appreciate that standard. I do not believe humans would set such high standards for themselves were it not for the influence of a Higher Power. But if there is life after death, then, Yea! I'm sure I'd love it as long as I don't end up in some place of darkness--devoid of Love. ...but I don't see that happening

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       Meg Moonposted 10 years agoin reply to this

       No that makes sense-  guess you shouldn't believe in God just for potential rewards- God would see through that , that is why Pascal's Wager fails.

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       rayasaposted 10 years agoin reply to this

       Nice. Good life is surely a good reason to believe.
       By the way, Meg, I think your comment just sent most of the believers to hell.
       I wonder what fails here - pascal's wager or abrahamic religions

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       savvydatingposted 10 years agoin reply to this

       I do not think Pascal's wager fails. He was simply saying that the bet is that there is a God, not that there is not. At least, I do not read into it any more than that. If nothing but evil existed, we would most certainly hope for God & goodness

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       rayasaposted 10 years agoin reply to this

       That's right. Our inner selves only crave for love, beauty, and harmony.  Without serving a higher power that epitomise these three qualities there is no true happiness derived from our senses. Gross enjoyment leads to misery.

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    jasmin007posted 10 years ago

    there is life after death because were else we would go when we are death.remmember like god said that no our body goes with him is our soul that goes to the other paradise.but if you want to go to heaven well... you need to follow the 10 commandments and do not do the 7capital sins. and especially you need to have confindence in god and that you are going to heaven.

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    danielkleinposted 10 years ago

    I know there is a life after death.  I've seen, sensed and heard ghosts before.  Even a psychic told me that my house is haunted by a man, who likes motorcycles.  She then told me he keeps saying "Hellen".  The previous owner of my house, her grandmothers name was Hellen and used to live there sometimes.  It's just the truth that something happens when you die.

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       Meg Moonposted 10 years agoin reply to this

       when you see a ghost can you tell it is a ghost- do they look different?

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    Idealistmindposted 10 years ago

    Even with science, All is Energy, Energy cannot be created or destroyed.

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       Meg Moonposted 10 years agoin reply to this

       yes I believe in life after death in that sense- but I meant a more traditional religious view of living on in heaven or else in a new life etc

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       Idealistmindposted 10 years agoin reply to this

       The answer would only rely on what you perceive and believe your thoughts can only be true to you when religion is mixed with reality truth is we have no proven evidence of a heaven but we do have  proof of myricals which the BIBLE is built on.

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    Billie Kelpinposted 10 years ago

    My hope is that there is no life after death.  I'm missing "the need to believe" gene, I guess.  I cannot fathom a different consciousness and the one time I experienced my mind leaving my body for one second, I HATED that feeling.  All I understand is my existence in a physical body.  I cannot conceive communication, enjoyment, functioning without a physical body and mind as it functions now.  I don't want to imagine being reunited with loved ones. What age would I be at or they be at when we reunited? Our souls would understand each other?  Why would I need that?  I don't need to be connected to some ultimate goodness for eternity and certainly don't want to be connected to any ultimate evil. I just see no usefulness in an after-life and it frankly the possibility of the existence of one "scares the hell" out of me.

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       Meg Moonposted 10 years agoin reply to this

       Yeah there are a lot of potential awkward moments if the afterlife is real- like if a widow remarries who are they with in heaven? I always think about that

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       Billie Kelpinposted 10 years agoin reply to this

       Meg Moon, Cute!  I do too!  Apparently we'll be beyond all feeling of envy, anger, and so on and exist in a "beatific" state, but Meg, it's way beyond my meager mind's capacity to understand.

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       savvydatingposted 10 years agoin reply to this

       For in the resurrection they neither marry nor are given in marriage, but are like angels in heaven. Matt 22:28-30 In other words, who you had married won't be an issue, even for widows.

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       rayasaposted 10 years agoin reply to this

       Meg Moon, we had several families in past lives and we'll have several of them in our future lives. Like this we wander in cycle of birth and death across earthly, heavenly, and hellish planets. The goal is to escape this cycle by turning towards God

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    Kolin Harrisonposted 10 years ago

    I believe that everyone has to figure things out for themselves. That being said, they have to put effort into it. If you read the bible, in the book of James you find a scripture that challenges you to ask God if you lack wisdom. I've found that to be very beneficial in my personal belief system and receiving knowledge and confirmed my beliefs. It takes faith and effort. Faith alone isn't sufficient. Faith without works is dead. I believe in the afterlife because I asked, studied, felt good about things, and decided to believe what I learned and felt.

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       savvydatingposted 10 years agoin reply to this

       Yes Kolin, that's the thing. If we want to know, we have to study. One can't just speculate or look at the Bible in terms of Western views. The Bible is a middle eastern book & an excellent historical reference regarding those times. It teaches w

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    dennisbrucknerposted 10 years ago

    It's just a feeling I have in my belly.  I can't really explain it.

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28. 0

    Meraki-Sanposted 10 years ago

    I do and I don't, and I'm pretty happy about not really knowing.
    I know some people would say, "You're too young to understand life when you've hardly lived."
    But, in the short time I've lived, people I know have died and I lost someone I truly cared about in the process. However, despite the pain and sorrow I experienced, there was comfort in knowing that the person I loved showed acceptance towards his fate and in the end, he had made that 'leap of faith' kind of decision into the unknown that is death. This is someone who I've always known to be clear-headed in life, and resolute in his faith.
    I, on other hand, am not that religious but I think it would be nice to have something worthwhile to look forward to when I die. It's not to say that I'm not scared- I am but my curiosity towards what comes after turns my fear dial down.
    
    It all depends on you, I suppose.

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    fpherj48posted 10 years ago

    I'm not so sure that Believers "know," They hold a strong faith and of course, embrace hope.  Believers are mortal human beings, who have chosen, for their own individual reasons, to hold on tightly to the concept of Creation through Divine intervention, by a higher power....and the promise of eternal life in the spiritual sense...not of this earth.
    I don't find this strange nor foolish, in any way.  It feels quite "natural," as in Human Nature.  We breathe to exist, we live & learn to evolve and we "believe" in order to maintain our sanity and capacity to live a "GOOD life," as opposed to being destructive and/or hopeless.  The latter can only bring despair and death......death in every sense....physical, emotional, spiritual.......leaving an enormous black void of nothingness.  Most see this as total negativity. 
    The believers choose to live, think and act in the positive.........for if not, what is and where can there be a reason for "LIVING," to begin with?

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       rayasaposted 10 years agoin reply to this

       Exactly. You said it! We are sons and daughters of an immortal soil. Birth and death are superficial to the soul. Once we understand that we are not this body, we'll be sure of the nature of the supreme soul in a tangible way.

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       fpherj48posted 10 years agoin reply to this

       rayasa....Thank you for validating my comment.  This adds to my peacefulness.

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    leakeemposted 10 years ago

    Simply put, we develop faith and act based on that faith. We know that there is a God who loves us and cares for us and that we are His children. We learn His gospel - his plan of happiness for us. Here we learn what our purpose in life is and where we came from and where we will go after this life.
    
    I invite you to learn more:
    www.mormon.org
    www.lds.org

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    Tusitala Tomposted 10 years ago

    When you look at answers that might arise in your own mind, it appears there are basically two:  There is nothing, or there is something.  If there is nothing, then you have nothing to worry about.  You - your consciousness which is you - will be non-existent, void, kapput!    If there is something...well...then it gets interesting.   What will the something be like?
    
    You can read what others have written and then ask yourself, "Do I trust these answers?"  (if they refer to an afterlife)  "Is there enough evidence?"   If you're not convinced, then you can do what old Guatama the Buddha said, "Do not take my word for it - find out for yourself."
    
    I think when people start to ask these questions, and are serious about finding an answer, their personal search for the truth to the answer to this quesiton has already begun.   But only the questioner can know that.  However, if the search REALLY has begun there is no turning back.  You're searching for the path.
    
    "Seek and you WILL find." we are told.   It does not say how long we have to seek.  But eventually you will find out what you deeply wish to know.
    
    For me.  I KNOW we are immortal beings temporarily experiencing a part  of ourselves in a mortal body.  But I can't prove it - sorry!

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    growing-soulposted 10 years ago

    Most religions are faith based, and some even say that faith is the only way to salvation. Basically, they're saying there's no evidence. If there were, it would be knowledge. Unlike most scientific claims, nobody can go to a lab and examine the after life. Many will claim science is faith based, but if I went and bought a very good microscope right now, I could see bacteria and atoms, and I could measure the humidity rising in the atmosphere which leads to precipitation, etc, etc. Most of science is observable to those who want to, while afterlife is not.

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    christiananrkistposted 10 years ago

    I believe in an afterlife because the bible says we have eternal life. That leaves the question , so what if the bible says so?
    4 reasons. Manuscripts, archaeology, prophesy, and statistics
    Manuscripts: there have been more corroborating evidence in biblical writings than any other historical discoveries. More than 24,000 copies only containing differences such as spelling and grammar errors. the THE DEAD SEA SCROLLS were an amazing discovery between 1946-1956 at Khirbet Qumran in the West Bank. The scrolls were hidden away in caves in clay pots. They were almost 100% accurate to the accounts of what we had written down in our bibles. The writings in the bible also correlate with actual people, places , and particulars that we know about history to have existed and be true. which brings us to archaeology.
    Archaeology:There was a biblical skeptic, Sir William Ramsay, trained as an archaeologist and then set out to disprove the historical reliability of the books of Luke and Acts. Through his archaeological discoveries, he became converted as the evidence piled up showing these 2 books of the bible to be without error. Archaeological evidence thus confirms the trustworthiness of the Bible. Every book of the bible has this type of corroborating evidence. For more information on a few archaeological discoveries of the bible go here www.equip.org.
    Prophesy: Jesus was prophesied about in the old testament of the bible 400 plus years before he was born. Many of these would have been impossible for him to fix had he been a mere man. These include being a direct decedent of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob in Genesis 12:3 and 17:19, his birth in Bethlehem in Micah 5:2, his crucifixion with criminals in Isaiah 53:12, the piercing of his hands and feet at the crucifixion in psalms 22:16, the soldiers gambling for his clothes psalms 22:18 , the piercing of his side and the fact that his bones were not broken at His death in Zechariah 12:10 and Psalms 34:20,  and his burial among the rich in Isaiah 53:9. Jesus also predicted His own death and resurrection in John 2:19-22
    Statistics:The Bible was written over a span of 1500 years by forty different human authors in three different languages including Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek, on hundreds of subjects. And yet there are no contradictions all fitting nicely together as if 1 person had a clear and precise detailed account of the history. The likely hood  that so much can be so accurate, especially given the prophesies about Jesus, and be unreliable seems near impossible.
    these are just some reasons i believe.

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       Meg Moonposted 10 years agoin reply to this

       There are no contradictions on the Bible? Seriously!Genesis has two different accounts of creation. The Gospels give two separate accounts of the birth of Jesus. Also re the prophecy- there is no historical evidence to back them up

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       christiananrkistposted 10 years agoin reply to this

       could you give me the passages you are speaking of for the genesis account and the birth of Jesus? the historical evidence is the old testament writings occurring 400+ yrs prior to the events. which are then written about by people within a lifetieme

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       Meg Moonposted 10 years agoin reply to this

       First Account (Genesis 1:1-2:3) Second Account (Genesis 2:4-25). Re Nativity they differ over conception, place of birth, adoration, star. angel, murder of innocents.  The OT was known to NT writers so they just fabricate their tale to match prophecy

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       christiananrkistposted 10 years agoin reply to this

       Thank you. I'll answer the contradiction on those accounts on my next few comments. How could the NT writers fabricate the tale to match the OT if they didnt know about it?

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       Meg Moonposted 10 years agoin reply to this

       They couldn't if they didn't know it but they were mainly Jews or Jewish converts to Xy so they would be v. familiar with their own scripture- The OT! Matthew 13:14 for instance actually says how a prophecy from Isiah had been fulfilled so they knew

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       christiananrkistposted 10 years agoin reply to this

       lol. sorry i misread your last response. the genesis account is really a matter of it just not being intended to be a chronological order of things. Its actually very apparent when read in its entirety and context.  character limits dont allow detail

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       Meg Moonposted 10 years agoin reply to this

       I know limits are annoying hey? Hmm maybe re- Genesis but what about nativity. Also my biggest inconsistency is St Paul- IMO going against everything that JC stood for- I like JC, not so much Paul/Saul!

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       christiananrkistposted 10 years agoin reply to this

       yeah they are. the nativity is definitely a more complicated issue. you have inspired me to write a hub on the inconsistencies in the bible. could be a while though. if limits allow would you mind give me some you think are the biggest contradictions

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       Meg Moonposted 10 years agoin reply to this

       http://infidels.org/library/modern/jim_ … tions.html  This might help- written from an atheist perspective but will give you something to go on/look further into- I look forward to your hub

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        christiananrkistposted 10 years agoin reply to this

        awesome. an atheists perspective is what i want. thank you.

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    tbHistorianposted 10 years ago

    I know because I have been provided truth through a medium who assisted me with contacting my deceased relatives.  This medium was from Germany and so never knew me or my relatives prior to the day she sat with we as I spoke with them through her.  While many scoff at such activity, this medium spoke of things that only I and my family member could have known.
    During this session, I discovered my true life journey and so now work with others so that they may reach the Glorious Kingdom.

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    Ericdierkerposted 10 years ago

    How about a simple answer
    I ain't never seen something dead. Not ever a rock in the bottom of the Grand Canyon.
    Everything is alive. 2 billion years only means 2 billion years.
    Can you imagine my carbon?
    I ain't dead, are ya'll?

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    monicamelbourneposted 9 years ago

    i have witnessed too much to not believe in life after death

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       Meg Moonposted 9 years agoin reply to this

       Oh go on then. Give us some examples ;-)

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       monicamelbourneposted 9 years agoin reply to this

       i have witnessed loved ones who have experienced death, angels, and demons. seek truth for the peace it brings. question to find truth not to avoid it.  fear is a state of mind overcome by what speaks to us as truth. i hope you find what you seek.

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