We Are The Ones in The Dark

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   canadawest99posted 12 years ago

   I am not very religious by any means and in fact lean more towards an aethiest slant, however, at a recent funeral I attended, the priest said something that really stuck with me.
   
   He went on to say that many people wonder where their loved ones go after death.  Are they near us, are they safe, does some essence of them continue on in a different space.  Some wonder if they are in alone, confused and in darkness and pain somewhere.
   
   Now at this point most priests would give some scripture or something like that to placate the crowd, but this priest just said one thing, that "we (ie. the living) are the ones in the dark".   
   
   That comment has stayed with me for a couple years now and sometimes I think of it.  As much beauty as there is in this world, there is at least an equal amount of pain and suffering and genuine evil.

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      Merlin Fraserposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      I hate to burst your bubble but the priest is wrong, of course it's the sort of things priests say with smoke on their tounge... It sounds wise and full of hidden depth while in fact it is peddling the same old crap as usual.
      
      The promise of life after death is what keeps the faithful coming back for more, the simple fact that no one has ever come back to say this is a load of Boll*#^s allows it to go on and has down since day one.
      
      It's how the early Christians lied to the Kings of old and managed to get them to build churches and monasteries for nothing... because they would get their reward in heaven....
      
      Yeah Right ! 
      
      Live life as if there is no tomorrow... Have no regrets... leave no ambition un fulfilled...for I promise you will be a long time dead !

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         Over The Hillposted 12 years agoin reply to this

         Merlin, how can you promise something that you have no power to fulfill? We know not what tomorrow brings,nor can we add one hair onto our heads. Those that have no faith, have no hope. How sad the world is without Hope.

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            Merlin Fraserposted 12 years agoin reply to this

            I am not the one making the promises....  It is the church and religions that makes the unsubstantiated promises of life after death and it is a lie, pure and simple, the fact that so many gullible people chose to believe it does not change anything.  However, If it gives them some sort of comfort like a child sucking its thumb who am I to deny them their delusion.
            
            If on the other hand you refer to my promise that we will all be a long time dead.... what’s there to dispute ?  I have no knowledge of anyone returning from the dead to give me an argument !
            
            Do you assume that only the religious can have faith and if we are not religious we are incapable of hope ?   What about faith in our fellow human beings or the hope that they may one day ultimately be smart enough not to destroy the world.

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               SirDentposted 12 years agoin reply to this

               You did make a promise when ypou write: "Live life as if there is no tomorrow... Have no regrets... leave no ambition un fulfilled...for I promise you will be a long time dead !"
               
               
                
               
               
               Faith in our leaders?  George Bush?  Barak Obama?  Mommar Kadafi?  Should I list more?

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                  Jeramiposted 12 years agoin reply to this

                  Good to see ya back ...
                  
                      Don't know how back I am ;  but good to see Ya.

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                     SirDentposted 12 years agoin reply to this

                     Been back for a while, just not posting a lot.

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                        Jeramiposted 12 years agoin reply to this

                        YEP. 
                        
                        
                           Been intending to say HA    Figured I would today.

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                  Merlin Fraserposted 12 years agoin reply to this

                  OK I give in to you superior intellect, I have made a promise... After you go just pop back and tell me I was wrong !
                  
                  I said Faith in our Fellow humans... not anyone specific... after all some silly sods must have voted for them or was it only Atheists and devil worshippers,  No sound mined Christian would ever vote for people like that....

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      Christian H.posted 12 years agoin reply to this

      I think it's a beautiful quote, Canadawest99, and I have to say I believe it.  I believe in a world after this one, and a better one.  I don't think that believing in a life after death has to rob this one of anything.  If anything it allows us to live on in greater hope and happiness.  It lets us reach for our dreams because we know that there is something that is permanent.
      
      When we get to the other side, a lot of things will be a lot clearer.

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         Cagsilposted 12 years agoin reply to this

         Only one thought comes to mind- "selfish behavior" can deliver no good. But, it is interesting that you don't see it.

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      kessposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      Since Light is equal to knowledge
      and darkness equal to Ignorance
      
      
      All who says I do not Know are still in the darkness.
      
      And what Lies after this Life is ...
      
      Life to those of Life,And nothing to those of death.
      
      And if such a knowledge does not come while you're still Alive
      then the death/ignorance belongs to you

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         earnestshubposted 12 years agoin reply to this

         Is this another religious death threat? It sure sounds like one!

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            kessposted 12 years agoin reply to this

            What soever you see is what it is...
            
            for death can only see itself in all thing includings..
            
            While Life will see itself in all things including death.

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               Castlepalomaposted 12 years agoin reply to this

               I agree you can call mankind very ignorance, for man knowledge is 99% unknown to darkness
               
               What do you call a man who claims to have 100% access and control to universal truth and knowledge to God, the universe and everything in it,
               
               Maybe a megalomaniac.

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   Cagsilposted 12 years ago

   The priest is just spouting off to perpetuate the hoax known as the "god" concept.
   
   What difference it would make where those who have died have gone is irrelevant because they are no longer living. It would be nice or comforting to believe that a god has taken them, but since rational must endure the perpetuated hoax, it cannot be known who is in the dark and who is in the light. So, the priest only wanted to generate sympathy and confusion within those who attended.

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      paarsurreyposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      The Creator-God is a reality; if you have preferred not to believe in Him it is your mistake and just another thing.

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         Cagsilposted 12 years agoin reply to this

         Actually Paar, your delusion isn't part of reality.

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         Cagsilposted 12 years agoin reply to this

         Your mistake is the inability to distinguish between delusion and reality. But, nice try.

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   just_curiousposted 12 years ago

   We are in the dark. Anyone willing to look at it honestly knows this. No one knows, for sure, whether our consciousness ceases to exist, whether there is a heaven or hell, or anything else beyond this mortal life. Everyone has a need to have an opinion on it. To some,  believing in nothing more gives them peace. To others, the opposite is true. But the bottom line is, we are all in the dark as to what the ultimate truth is, to the answer to that question and the harder your stance on this shows, to me, an odd type of arrogance that you could have the answer to a question that has driven our species to search for it since time began. It will remain open for conjecture to each of us, intil each of us comes to the moment after death.

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      Pcunixposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      Yes,we do know. It isn't opinion, it is fact.
      
      Keep deluding yourself, right?

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         just_curiousposted 12 years agoin reply to this

         Hey. I don't really get the rules so, to be on the safe side, I deleted my previous post. I'll begin again.
         
         Hello pcunix. Who is the delusional one? That, too, will be answered in it's own good time. Not now though, I hope. I have too much fun reading your posts on the topic.

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            Pcunixposted 12 years agoin reply to this

            It's already answered and if you thought about at all, you'd realize it yourself.
            
            What happens to "you" when your brain is damaged or altered by drugs?  Where do "you" go?
            
            If "you" was anything more than the physical brain, then that "you" would have to be somewhere, wouldn't it?
            
            But it isn't.  If I damage your brain, I damage you. I can change who you are forever. 
            
            That's why we KNOW there is no soul and no afterlife.

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               just_curiousposted 12 years agoin reply to this

               Like I said before. People believe what they want because the fact that no one knows the answer is difficult to accept. I get your dilemma. I just don't have a problem with the facts.

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                  Pcunixposted 12 years agoin reply to this

                  Like I said before: you never THINK about any of this.  You know what you want to believe and if any inconvenient fact like this threatens that, you just don't think about it.
                  
                  It becomes very easy with practice, doesn't it?
                  
                  We DO KNOW.  No souls, no life after death.

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                     just_curiousposted 12 years agoin reply to this

                     I have truly missed you and that mouse in your pocket. Did he tell you to put part of your post in all caps? Tell him, adding emphasis doesn't equate to adding the emphasis of proof. It's just a waste of time to press the caps lock, if there's no reason to do it. Silly mice. What are we to do with them?

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                        Pcunixposted 12 years agoin reply to this

                        Sure. But it doesn't change the truth, does it? No souls, no afterlife. Proven beyond any doubt.

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                           just_curiousposted 12 years agoin reply to this

                           Silly man. Where's the proof? And please, don't give me some shaky explanation like you did when you tried to prove there was no God. That didn't turn out so well for you. Man, I thought all that running around, trying to plug the holes in that dam before it burst was going to ruin your health. I was very worried about you.

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                              Pcunixposted 12 years agoin reply to this

                              I gave you the proof.

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                                 just_curiousposted 12 years agoin reply to this

                                 
                                 
                                 I apologize. It was rude of me to laugh. I'm sure that is proof enough for you, and that's ok. In your mind, there is nothing. I get that. I see something more. We're just different.

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                                    Pcunixposted 12 years agoin reply to this

                                    It is proof enough for anyone not already deluded by their emotional need to reject death.
                                    
                                    Why do you even ask for proof? We all know that you won't give it even a glance.  Your emotional need overrides your common sense and always will.
                                    
                                    What a horrible way to live.. I feel so sorry for you.

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                                       just_curiousposted 12 years agoin reply to this

                                       That shows a great deal of compassion on your part, feeling sorry for me and all. You're a good person pcunix. But you don't have to feel sorry for me. I don't feel sorry for you. Like I told you before. Whatever happens, either way, is ok by me..if we die and there's nothing more, or if we die and there is, it doesn't change anything in this life. It simply answers the question. Why would either of us have the need to feel sorry for the other one?

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         SirDentposted 12 years agoin reply to this

         I suppose you have been on the other side and you are now dead, letting us all know there is nothing there?

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      David 470posted 12 years agoin reply to this

      People always mention heaven, hell, purgatory, no life after death, reincarnation, but perhaps there is something else? These are all cliche. I try to keep and open mind. I guess I consider myself an agnostic theist.

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         Castlepalomaposted 12 years agoin reply to this

         In the bible it is written God lives in the dark, when a person dies then that person moves into the darkness. Darkness meaning the spiritual unknown, we do not know in our own ego self the darkness or spiritual unknown until each of us dies and enters into the spiritual unknown.
         
         No person here knows what darkness of death means until they reach the spiritual world and come back, then convince us it is true, good luck with that,

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         just_curiousposted 12 years agoin reply to this

         Love the term. I might adopt that too. Pretty succinct.

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            David 470posted 12 years agoin reply to this

            agnostic theist ?

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               Castlepalomaposted 12 years agoin reply to this

               Is an agnostic theist a confused person about God?
               
               I think god does exist, it's just man is incapable of knowing what form god takes. Don't ask me how it all works, I don’t know.  It does work for me and I leave god open to work for anyone else too.

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                  David 470posted 12 years agoin reply to this

                  Yes, basically. You believe that there may be at least one god, but believe it is unknowable. (such as the properties of what god can do etc.)
                  
                  
                  I think I fall under agnostic theist, but might be a bit of a truth-seeker.
                  
                  As for the theist part, I am more towards Christan, but question certain things about it. (as it may be unknown)

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                     Castlepalomaposted 12 years agoin reply to this

                     I can’t find any group to belong to but do share with all group. I’m somewhat a spiritual non religious mystic and think everyone is god, would that not disqualified me as a theist

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      Merlin Fraserposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      Thank you for making my point crystal clear, "WE DO NOT KNOW !"  No one does be it priest or peasant and there is the whole argument in a nutshell.
      
      
      For centuries the Christian Church has peddled this lie as a promise or some sort of reward for being faithful to a non existent diety neither of which can be proven one way or another so who can challenge the church ? 
      
      It is the perfect Con and people bought it in their thousands and still do.... So be it... Why should I care ?

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         just_curiousposted 12 years agoin reply to this

         Exactly. You have to line it up in your own head, because no one knows. I wouldn't agree with your conclusion about a deity, but I do agree that the Christian church is an odd paradox. God is Love and the lion's share of humanity is bound for hell. What's up with that? As Mulder says, ' the truth is out there'. I don't believe anyone should claim the end of the search. Until it can be proven.

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         aka-djposted 12 years agoin reply to this

         Why do you say the Christian Church has peddled "this" lie?
         
         Where were you when this "lie" was formulated?
         If it is a "lie", what is the truth?
         
         If "WE TRULY DON'T KNOW", How can you say you DO know, there is nothing on the other side?
         
         Sounds pretty contradictory to me.
         
         As to your earlier comment that you don't know anyone who came back from the dead to tell you, all I can say is, you are right and you are wrong.
         
         YOU may not know anyone who has done this! That doesn't mean NO-ONE has died and come back. Just that YOU don't know anyone. So what? My life will not be too influenced by such subjective opinions any more than my believing will on yours.

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            Castlepalomaposted 12 years agoin reply to this

            I know what I know and know what I don't know and base most of my life on good sense of what I know.
            
            I don't understand why fear the unknown, wail most Christian believe most people will end up in hell. Christians have no way of knowing without experiencing the darkness of the spiritual unknown world in the first place.

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   hannaymposted 12 years ago

   yap

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      Castlepalomaposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      Welcome to the hub pages hannaym
      
      Many of us here, trip over the light, trying to get to darkness.

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         hannaymposted 12 years agoin reply to this

         thank u my freind

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   knolyourselfposted 12 years ago

   If the future was probable I would be a machine.

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   knolyourselfposted 12 years ago

   'If the future was probable I would be a machine.' Silly me I misquoted myself.
   If the future was "provable" I would be a machine.

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