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Author Topic:   An afterlife or no? You choose (for athiests and agnostics)
Omnivorous
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Posts: 3991
From: Adirondackia
Joined: 07-21-2005
Member Rating: 6.9


Message 6 of 49 (285372)
02-09-2006 11:33 PM
Reply to: Message 5 by Madfish
02-09-2006 7:51 PM


Roll snake eyes or natural
I note you didn't say anything about eternity, iano. Another life wouldn't have to mean a forever life, now would it? All the old stories say when some clever fellow starts making offers, the devil is in the details.
Oblivion sounds restful...but given the choice, I'd take my chances.

"Dost thou think because thou art virtuous there shall be no more cakes and ale?"
-Sir Toby Belch, Twelfth Night
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Omnivorous
Member
Posts: 3991
From: Adirondackia
Joined: 07-21-2005
Member Rating: 6.9


Message 25 of 49 (285493)
02-10-2006 11:22 AM
Reply to: Message 24 by iano
02-10-2006 11:17 AM


BTW, being an atheist doesn't automatically rule out belief in an after-life.
Agreed. Like Buddhism etc
Mainstream Buddhism is not atheistic, and there are flavors of Buddhism that are expressly theistic.

This message is a reply to:
 Message 24 by iano, posted 02-10-2006 11:17 AM iano has replied

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 Message 27 by iano, posted 02-10-2006 1:57 PM Omnivorous has replied

  
Omnivorous
Member
Posts: 3991
From: Adirondackia
Joined: 07-21-2005
Member Rating: 6.9


Message 28 of 49 (285633)
02-10-2006 2:17 PM
Reply to: Message 27 by iano
02-10-2006 1:57 PM


For all I know, iano, it makes him a pagan Buddhist.
Buddhism, like Christianity, Judaism, and Islam, has managed to subdivide into many doctrinal schools. In the case of Buddhism, however, unlike Christianity and Christ, two men can say they are Buddha, and one of them doesn't have to be wrong.
Here's a bit from Full Wikipedia entry on Buddha
Widipedia writes:
The historical Buddha seems to have presented himself not as a god or savior, but as a teacher capable of guiding sentient beings out of samsara. Nevertheless, many forms of Buddhism do recognize savior-type figures. The technical differences between Buddhas, bodhisattvas, dharmapalas (protector deities), yidams ("tutelery deities"), and "gods" (Sanskrit deva, Tibetan lha) often blur in practical devotion. Nonetheless, all are seen within the mainstream Buddhist context as being empty of inherent existence, a quality no theistic religion would ascribe to its "god". Certain teachings of the Buddha in a number of Mahayana sutras, however, vigorously oppose the idea that even the Buddha (in his ultimate Dharmakaya mode) is not truly and eternally Real (see "Eternal Buddha" section below): according to this less widespread doctrine, only the realm of samsara has no enduring essence, whereas to assert the same of the Buddha is to commit a grave offence and to stray dangerously from the path of authentic Dharma (see Nirvana Sutra).

"Dost thou think because thou art virtuous there shall be no more cakes and ale?"
-Sir Toby Belch, Twelfth Night
Save lives! Click here!
Join the World Community Grid with Team EvC!
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Omnivorous
Member
Posts: 3991
From: Adirondackia
Joined: 07-21-2005
Member Rating: 6.9


Message 33 of 49 (285783)
02-11-2006 12:11 AM
Reply to: Message 32 by ReverendDG
02-10-2006 11:55 PM


I hear you, Rev. I don't much care for the notion that I was created to spend eternity adoring my creator. If I'm lucky.
What kind of gig is that?
Let him get a puppy.

"Dost thou think because thou art virtuous there shall be no more cakes and ale?"
-Sir Toby Belch, Twelfth Night
Save lives! Click here!
Join the World Community Grid with Team EvC!
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Replies to this message:
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