I should start out by saying that I am an atheist, and ergo, I don't believe in heaven or hell.
I am interested to know how you justify your beliefs. Not so I can criticize them, but because I'm genuinely interested.
I don't believe in an afterlife, because all of our existence is produced by electrical and chemical signals in the brain. When we die, our brains stop functioning, and therefore, we stop functioning. All of our feelings, memories, knowledge, and everything else, die when the brain dies.
Why do you believe in an afterlife?
I know you believe that the soul lives on after we die, but what evidence do you have that a soul exists?
Do you believe in a soul because humans are the only organisms that are aware of their existence? The reason we are aware of our existence is because our neocortex is much more developed than other animals. It is not evidence of a soul.
I would also like to know what Islam's view on animals is. Specifically, do animals have souls and do they go to heaven or hell when they die? If not, why not? Humans and most other animals are composed of the same elements and all life on earth, that we know of, uses the same four base pairs (A,G,C,T) as information-carriers in their DNA structure. This is evidence that all life shares a common ancestor.
What makes humans different than any of god's other creations? Yes, we are self aware, have emotions, have a sense of morality, etc, but this can all be explained by our advanced neocortices. There does not need to be a god to account for these things.
If you compare the brains of different animals, you will find that the more advanced an animal is, the greater volume of the animal's brain is taken up by association areas, which are related to creative thinking.
openlearn . open . ac . uk/mod/oucontent/view.php?id=398764§ion=5.1
A good book to read on the subject is Carl Sagan's book "The dragons of Eden." I highly recommend it.
Also, there could be a god (I personally don't believe in one,) but even if there is a god, that doesn't necessarily imply an afterlife.
heaven/hell.----God is Just, but his Justice is tempered with Compassion and Mercy. He has blessed us with intelligence and free-will and given us Guidance and teachers so that we may find our way to him. As intelligent beings with free-choice, we are responsible and accountable for our intentions and actions. Knowledge (all knowledge) is a tool we can use to understand the Divine and our purpose on earth. Apart from all this, God has created us in goodness, therefore, being true to our selves/souls/nature means being intune with our inherent goodness. So there is really no excuse for human beings choosing evil (intentions and/or actions)other than excessive pride, arrogance and selfish convenience. Nevertheless, if one sincerely repents, God is Compassionate and Merciful and is always with us to guide us. Yet, those who knowlingly reject all these blessings and choose evil, are not the same as those who choose goodness. Evil intentions and actions hurt others. That is why, at Judgement, we will be held accountable for our intentions and deeds. Those who have chosen evil and not repented, must pay the price for their choice---just as those who have chosen goodness will recieve their price for their choice.
soul---the "soul" is the "self-awareness" that one experiences. Our senses (eyes, ears...etc) bring data to our brains that analyses this---but these are all biochemical and electrical reactions----what brings meaning to these data is our soul/self. "We" are not our bodies---our body is simply a vehicle that helps us inhabit the earth, interact with it and experience it. "We"---that self-aware aspect---is soul/self.
"What makes humans different than any of God's other creations? Yes, we are self aware, have emotions, have a sense of morality, etc, but this can all be explained by our advanced neocortices. There does not need to be a God to account for these things."
This can be one way to look at it---but there need not be just one way....
In my opinion "We" are not the biochemical or electrical reactions of our bodies. "We" or self/soul (Consiousness/self-aware) inhabit our bodies in order to interact with the world around us.
We are different from animals and plants in our level of intelligence and free-will. This also means we have more responsibility to act for the benefit of all of God's creations.
even if there is a god, that doesn't necessarily imply an afterlife.
If there is a God, there has to be an afterlife. One of the qualities of God is that He must be Just. So, how can it be, that a criminal such as a serial rapist and murderer dies, and ends up in nothingness, and a pious, charitable person, ends up in nothingness. They both end up in the same state/place. Where is the justice in that? That is not justice. If there is a God (and Islamically we belive there is), then there is an afterlife.
Peace.
Last edited by Insaanah; 12-16-2010 at 09:49 PM.
Stunningly beautiful adhaan from the Dome of the Rock in Masjid ul Aqsa Download (right click and choose "save target/link as").
This is a clear message for mankind in order that they may be warned thereby, and that they may know that He is only One God, and that those of understanding may take heed (14:52)
Indeed Allah knows, and you know not (16: 74, part)
We say, if we develop a device to communicate with an un-born baby inside his mother's womb, and inform him that one day you are going to come out of your place and you will see a sun, you will see a moon, you will see huge mountains, flowing rivers, beautiful gardens, you will meet a lot of people and you will eat ice creams and chocolates etc, the baby will reply saying this is the era of science and research. I will try to find out whether what all you say exists or not. And he tries to look for proof and turns this way and that way, but all he finds is darkness and water. He says, there is no proof that there exists any light. There is no proof of any garden or mountain. All what you say is absurd and assumptions. And I don't even believe I will ever meet you.
How can this baby understand the existence of all these things without coming out of his world? Similarly, we cannot look for proof of Paradise and Hell and the meeting with our Lord without leaving this world. God has sent His Messengers to inform us of what's in store for us, and to deliver His Message, ie to Believe in Him and His Messengers and to seek His pleasure in whatever we do.
base pairs (A,G,C,T) as information-carriers in their DNA structure. This is evidence that all life shares a common ancestor.
This doesn't prove common ancestry anymore than using 26 alphabetical letters prove that all words evolved from a common word. These are simply the constituents used in creation. You have so much to account if you start with one common ancestor and split it into billions of species from the beginning of time until now provided of course you desire the use of a provable experimental science and not merely substituting one belief for another.
Either way.. we have emerged from the darkness and unconsciousness state of the womb to life, from the darkness and stillness of sleep to day light, there is no reason not to believe by the same token that one will emerge from death into eternal life.
I generally don't care to discuss specifics about beliefs with someone who doesn't acknowledge God... Just know that whatever means you've used to convince yourself that there is no God, are the same means others used to believe in God, and once that is established an unbreakable covenant then one takes it in totality.. the parts seen and the parts unseen which includes the promise of eternal life...
One obviously can't distill an entire discipline/branch of religion in a post, but I personally see no reason to delve in great details about something that you don't believe in all together.. It is as if going over psychotropic medications with someone who doesn't think the field of psychiatry is founded in science.
all the best
Text without context is pretext If your opponent is of choleric temperament, seek to irritate him
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