Suppose It Was Revealed To Mankind There Is In Fact No After Life, What Then?

[rhinefire]

Suppose through some kind of "message to the planet Earth" we learnthat there has never been is not now and never will be an after life. Mankind learns this is the only truth and nothing else is included in "The Message". We never now what the source of the message is only that it is undeniably the only truth. The only life in the universe is here and it ends here. Now mankind must adapt to this change. What will life be like ten years, one hundred years, etc. after "The Message"?

 

[lizzie]

Probably about the same as life is now. We do act confined by our nature, no matter what "truths" may appear.

 

[AGENT J]

Probably about the same as life is now. We do act confined by our nature, no matter what "truths" may appear.

I agree i dont think much would change.

I think some people would abandon direct god worship or living life to have an after life but i dont think anything majorly would happen. people would still have thier versions of basic morals and values and that would be that.
and while some would leave their "religions" i think some would also join these belief systems with less pressure of a god.

 

[Paschendale]

I would hope that a lot of people who have been oppressed by religious authority would rise up. The promise of reward or punishment after death has been used to make a lot of people do a lot of things. It has especially been used to make powerless people accept their plight and not do something about the powerful people taking advantage of them. Slavery in this country is a great example. One of the reasons that Christianity was pushed so heavily on the slaves was so that they would think that god had put them in their position and they would be rewarded for living a life of slavery with heaven. The same is true of caste systems in Hinduism. Do your duty and don't question your station, and you'll be rewarded after you die. It's used to keep strict class divisions, to keep the rich and powerful the way they are, and to keep the poor and powerless from doing something about it. Even now, in the US, that legacy is still with us. Plenty of people in this country accept a life where they suffer, because they think they'll be rewarded for enduring. Without that false carrot dangling in front of them, I think a lot of poor and oppressed people in this world would start demanding a better life.

 

[specklebang]

FWIW Jews don't believe in an afterlife.

To quote a famous Jewish scholar and author, the reasons for following God's laws are because you will only be here once and it's your only chance to be a great human being. Now, I suppose it's worth noting that Judaism is in decline whereas the 2 other major religions are growing because one offers Heaven and the other offers Virgins.

The afterlife is a marketing device for organized (income producing) religious organizations. People seem to have trouble coping with the unfortunate reality that when you die, it's all over for you. George Washington does not know he is on the dollar bill. So, another invisible product can be used to make sales to the credulous.

 

[Gardener]

If the only life is here, who is it, then, who is sending the message?

 

[Helix]

the conspiracy theory forum would be flooded with threads claiming that the "message" is fake. there would be much speculation about the sinister plot behind the message and which entities are responsible. Glen Beck would blame Woodrow Wilson.

 

[lizzie]

If the only life is here, who is it, then, who is sending the message?

The space brothers. They live elsewhere.

 

[Gardener]

The space brothers. They live elsewhere.

I've long missed the days when our deities were many.

 

[lizzie]

I've long missed the days when our deities were many.

Me too. I could use a little communing with the Gods.

 

[AGENT J]

I agree i dont think much would change.

I think some people would abandon direct god worship or living life to have an after life but i dont think anything majorly would happen. people would still have thier versions of basic morals and values and that would be that.
and while some would leave their "religions" i think some would also join these belief systems with less pressure of a god.

just also wanted to add my opinion is based on 2013 society

i thnk the answer would be VERY different ages ago

 

[jimbo]

If the only life is here, who is it, then, who is sending the message?

I think the same people that are touting the message now. The various religious leaders.

People believe what they want to believe, not what they know is true (or false).

 

[Penderyn]

Suppose through some kind of "message to the planet Earth" we learnthat there has never been is not now and never will be an after life. Mankind learns this is the only truth and nothing else is included in "The Message". We never now what the source of the message is only that it is undeniably the only truth. The only life in the universe is here and it ends here. Now mankind must adapt to this change. What will life be like ten years, one hundred years, etc. after "The Message"?

Why should we believe any 'messages'. How would we know it was the only truth? Come on!

 

[Mach]

FWIW Jews don't believe in an afterlife.
To quote a famous Jewish scholar and author, the reasons for following God's laws are because you will only be here once and it's your only chance to be a great human being. .

If I had to get behind a faith-based sentiment, that wouldn't be a bad one to get behind. I basically believe the same, but sans God. Jews get a lot of **** right as a culture, it's why haters gonna hate I suppose

 

[lizzie]

If I had to get behind a faith-based sentiment, that wouldn't be a bad one to get behind. I basically believe the same, but sans God. Jews get a lot of **** right as a culture, it's why haters gonna hate I suppose

I don't follow any dogmatic religion, but out of the ones that I have studied seriously, that is one of the few that I think has some strong points worth consideration.

 

[specklebang]

If I had to get behind a faith-based sentiment, that wouldn't be a bad one to get behind. I basically believe the same, but sans God. Jews get a lot of **** right as a culture, it's why haters gonna hate I suppose

I don't follow any dogmatic religion, but out of the ones that I have studied seriously, that is one of the few that I think has some strong points worth consideration.

I'm no Judaic scholar (to say the least) but minus the invisible god and the prayer, much of Jewish law is pretty reasonable and logical. Even in slavery, they had rules about fair treatment, compensation and fixed emancipation.

 

[lizzie]

FWIW Jews don't believe in an afterlife.

To quote a famous Jewish scholar and author, the reasons for following God's laws are because you will only be here once and it's your only chance to be a great human being.

My mom and I were having a conversation a few days ago, when I went for our every-other-week visit, and the topic became the Jewish people of the Bible. My mom is a very devout Christian (the kind that actually lives up the standards, and not the holiday Christian), and she reads her Bible regularly. She is a highly intelligent woman, and although I don't follow her religion, I also don't try to convince her otherwise. She is a good person and she lives according to her faith. She was laughing a little about the stubbornness of Jewish people of fame in the Bible, and made the remark that they would just keep doing things over and over again, that they weren't supposed to. I told her that I've pretty much decided that God likes a fighter and a rebel.

 

[EdwinWillers]

If the only life is here, who is it, then, who is sending the message?

Better question - how did the message get here? In a bottle?

 

[Fenton]

As a Christian I've never been motivated exclusively by the promise of a heavenly after life.

AND, because of Grace, and the fact we can verbally atone for our sins and be forgiven, there is no need to live the perfect sin free life.

 

[Quag]

Theists would still exist, atheists would still exist, agnostics would still exist.
I see it as having very little impact overall but possible some extreme impact on some individuals

 

[head of joaquin]

I wouldn't feel cheated if I learned there is no afterlife. The values of religion goes far beyond a hope in another world.

 

[Hypersonic]

Suppose through some kind of "message to the planet Earth" we learnthat there has never been is not now and never will be an after life. Mankind learns this is the only truth and nothing else is included in "The Message". We never now what the source of the message is only that it is undeniably the only truth. The only life in the universe is here and it ends here. Now mankind must adapt to this change. What will life be like ten years, one hundred years, etc. after "The Message"?

I know most here disagree with Islam, and although I have my doubts there is a passage in the Holy Qur'an that I find universally true. There is a passage in the Qur'an that talks about God sending down a clear sign which would remove metaphysical doubt for all people. God told Muhammad that even if he (God himself) sent down clear evidence of his existence people would still disbelieve or refer to it as magic.

I think we live in a world where people are stubborn and would find any excuse to maintain their faith. I think this is true today of atheists and other non-monotheists. I think if God sent something so regal, so majestic and metaphysical where it provides substantial proof, of God's existence people would find some scientific way or some empirical way to demonstrate what they see, is natural and not some metaphysical experience.

The same would be said about believers. I doubt the stubborness of believers would change their beliefs.

 

[Jerry]

Suppose through some kind of "message to the planet Earth" we learnthat there has never been is not now and never will be an after life. Mankind learns this is the only truth and nothing else is included in "The Message". We never now what the source of the message is only that it is undeniably the only truth. The only life in the universe is here and it ends here. Now mankind must adapt to this change. What will life be like ten years, one hundred years, etc. after "The Message"?

But it's true, there really is no after life.

There is only life, and change.

What we commonly call life is not the centerpoint of your existance. Its just a phase.

 

[Jerry]

Suppose through some kind of "message to the planet Earth" we learnthat there has never been is not now and never will be an after life. Mankind learns this is the only truth and nothing else is included in "The Message". We never now what the source of the message is only that it is undeniably the only truth. The only life in the universe is here and it ends here. Now mankind must adapt to this change. What will life be like ten years, one hundred years, etc. after "The Message"?

If we cannot verify the message then it cannot be accepted as true. All claims are false by default until proven true.

 

[SBu]

Suppose through some kind of "message to the planet Earth" we learnthat there has never been is not now and never will be an after life. Mankind learns this is the only truth and nothing else is included in "The Message". We never now what the source of the message is only that it is undeniably the only truth. The only life in the universe is here and it ends here. Now mankind must adapt to this change. What will life be like ten years, one hundred years, etc. after "The Message"?

I guess it depends on what your vision of humanity is. Do you think people are innately good, or innately bad left to their own devices. The promise of an afterlife has been used for good and evil. The revocation of that promise will probably lead to the same.