Afterlife

[dorkmaster]

So I was having a debate with a couple of atheist friends of mine and they kept trying to say that religion was made up because people fear death. Honestly though, that has crossed my mind, but I find that some of the things Jesus taught were not what I would have said if I were trying to make myself and others feel better about death. Opinions?

[Gman]

So I was having a debate with a couple of atheist friends of mine and they kept trying to say that religion was made up because people fear death. Honestly though, that has crossed my mind, but I find that some of the things Jesus taught were not what I would have said if I were trying to make myself and others feel better about death. Opinions?

What about this life? I came to Jesus because I wanted to make my life better in this life.. Now.. I don't see anything wrong with that. As for being religious, atheists are just as religious as everyone else.. Atheism is most certainly a religion.

[Gman]

And how is getting a better life done? Easy.. You have to eradicate sin from your life. And what is sin? Anything that doesn't promote love in this world.... Pornography, hatred, greed, lust, love of money, pride...

Here.. It's all in Galatians 5: 13-26. Now who wouldn't want to live their life this way????

Life by the Spirit

Galatians 5:13 You, my brothers and sisters, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the flesh[a]; rather, serve one another humbly in love. 14 For the entire law is fulfilled in keeping this one command: “Love your neighbor as yourself.” 15 If you bite and devour each other, watch out or you will be destroyed by each other.

16 So I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. 17 For the flesh desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the flesh. They are in conflict with each other, so that you are not to do whatever[c] you want. 18 But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law.

19 The acts of the flesh are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; 20 idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions 21 and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God.

22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. 24 Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. 25 Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit. 26 Let us not become conceited, provoking and envying each other.

[MarcusOfLycia]

CS Lewis is really good here... the deep psychological fear of death that we instinctively have goes far beyond just wanting to survive to reproduce. The desire for eternal life is profound... and it points to something more than this life.

[Gman]

Atheists crack me up... Don't even have a reason to attack the God of the Bible...

Whatever answer you give, it will automatically be considered wrong anyway... Automatically. No thought, the belief in God is dumb. Won't even question it..

And when you ask them what they believe, they don't even know... Or can't.. Might as well be talking to a wall.

[jlay]

So I was having a debate with a couple of atheist friends of mine and they kept trying to say that religion was made up because people fear death. Honestly though, that has crossed my mind, but I find that some of the things Jesus taught were not what I would have said if I were trying to make myself and others feel better about death. Opinions?

That really doesn't do anything to address whether God exists or not. It's an arbitrary argument. They could be correct, they may not. Religions could be made up because of man's fear of death. Of course, keep in mind that this is simply, 'their belief,' and they don't have any way to verfify this. It is arbitrary. In fact who is to say that their belief about the reasons for religion is not just their own fear of religion? See how arbitrary that is?
That however doesn't mean that there isn't a creator God. There are hundreds of 'relgions.' And obviously we know that contradicting views can not both be true. All religions could be false, but they can't all be true. And even if all religions were false, this still wouldn't confirm that they exist because of the reasons your friends cite. And it still wouldn't mean there was no creator. The existance of multiple religions could just as much be proof for counterfeiting. A counterfeit isn't proof against the genuine. It is actually proof of the genuine. No one counterfiets something that doesn't truly exist.

I actually think it is kind of interesting because of how little the Old Testament deals with the afterlife. It is touched on, but no great detail is covered. In fact the Saduccees where known for the fact that they did NOT believe in a resurrection. So, one can be religious and still think that when you die, you are nothing more than worm food. Would that appease your friends? I doubt it. The fact that people do fear death doesn't prove or disprove the existance of a creator God. Nor, does this criticism explain all the pefectly legitimate reasons to believe Chrstianity. Such as prophetic truths of the bible, and the fact that only a Christian theology can account for knowledge, laws of logic, laws of science and the uniformity of nature.

What your friends are trying to do is undermine your worldview and defend their own. Maybe not malicously, but this is their intent. And obviously they would demand proof of you for your worldview. Why shouldn't you expect the same. Can they provide you any proof that religion is the result of people's fear of death. As a friend You should help them to see if their own worldview is faulty.

[Gman]

That's true.. In fact there are Jews today that don't believe in the afterlife either.

But let's flip this... We can also say that atheists can now say that they can live their life of sin, in complete freedom, without any FEAR of consequences for their actions.. So really what we have here is a belief that atheists can comfort themselves without FEAR of exploiting others without fear of sin for their own benefits..