Question to athiests who say...

[Ecofarm]

In a sence the person does live after death. The person is talked about and remembered long after he passes away.

Not just talked about or remembered. A person could pick up a piece of garbage and put it in a proper container. This could be witnessed by a child who, with other inputs, devotes their life to cleaning up the world. You live there too, even if your name and action are completely anonymous and only a small factor in other's accomplishments. The butterfly affect applies to souls (as I see them [influence]).

We wont get any older and we wont ever die. -Cocoon

But really, I use 'gesundheit' instead of 'God bless you' toward people that sneeze, and even I don't think that 'Rest in peace' is atheistically contradictory.

I also 'gesundheit', when a need for obligatory gesture owns me.

 

[mdwh]

It's just a figure of speech, like an atheist saying "Oh god". When a Christian says "Cor blimey", are they really asking God to blind them?

Well its like being an Atheist and having children. You'll probably still buy a Christmas tree and some presents for the kids, just so they dont feel left out. Then when they're old enough to understand, you can turn the holiday into something else.

Which is also in turn just like a Christian buying a Christmas tree, decorations and presents - I don't believe these things originated solely in Christianity.

Can you explain how there could be an afterlife if there is no God of any sort?

I can't see why it would _require_ a God? As an example, maybe this is some virtual reality we're playing in.

But I'd go further then what Perfection said, and point out that "Rest in peace" surely doesn't imply an afterlife at all. After all, surely experiencing nothing would be a form of resting at peace? As opposed to being tortured for eternity, say.

 

[Ecofarm]

Can you explain how there could be an afterlife if there is no God of any sort?

Can we all accept that influence on this world qualifies? Whether you want to influece or not, you do. There's really no avoiding the logic, except in the definition of "life".

Personally, I have a god. A force beyond my perception and control. The collective subconscious (and conscious, where unpercievable) of all that influences.

But you do not need to believe in forces beyond your perception and control to accept that life after death exists, to some extent. There being indisputable evidence of a chemical existance post-mortem (children), not even a science fanboy can deny life after death.

Oh, I'm sorry. Did we mean floating up into the clouds and hanging out with everyone you want and doing anything you want and having anything you want (personally, nonetheless!) forever and ever? If you believe that crap, I pity you. People make fun of 70 virgins, but that's only a part of the average beer-drinking christian heaven wish-list. It's so funny that people will do whatever you say for the promise of anything they want - later, very later, well... after death.

I'll gladly pay you Tuesday for a hamburger today.

 

[Swedishguy]

It's a bit of a taboo to use religious phrases in Sweden. The Swedish variant of Bless you is "prosit" which is Russian for good health, I think. If you say good lord, which means "Herre Gud", people will think you're a religious fanatic. They may not say it, but that's what they think. It's like waving a German flag in Germany.

 

[Aneurism]

Isn't it even more illogical to say rest in peace for a religious person who is supposedly either running around having sex with 72 virgins for being a zealot or burning in the flames of hell for not prostrating properly to his vengeful God, and more importantly his religious mind controlling masters? Either way its hardly resting in peace. Also Atheism doesn't amount to nihilism, it just means you don't buy into any particular 'Theism' (organized religion). Also Christmas traditions were stolen from the early pagans who were just celebrating the winter solstice, so if an atheist wanted a Christmas tree and presents he wouldn't be ripping off the idea from Christians, but from pagans.

 

[Eran of Arcadia]

I don't think, by the way, that the traditions can be said to have been "stolen" - I am no expert, but I suspect that the first Christians just kept doing the same things their pagan ancestors had done, but interpreted them differently.

Anyways, religion always struck me as something that is open source.

 

[IglooDame]

I don't think, by the way, that the traditions can be said to have been "stolen" - I am no expert, but I suspect that the first Christians just kept doing the same things their pagan ancestors had done, but interpreted them differently.

Anyways, religion always struck me as something that is open source.

Except for Scientology, the Microsoft Windows of the religious world.

 

[mdwh]

I don't think, by the way, that the traditions can be said to have been "stolen" - I am no expert, but I suspect that the first Christians just kept doing the same things their pagan ancestors had done, but interpreted them differently.

Indeed, just like atheists.

 

[Irish Caesar]

PS: I also say "amen" after family prayers!

That's not necessarily religious, though; it just means something like "so be it."

Isn't it even more illogical to say rest in peace for a religious person who is supposedly either running around having sex with 72 virgins for being a zealot or burning in the flames of hell for not prostrating properly to his vengeful God, and more importantly his religious mind controlling masters? Either way its hardly resting in peace.

Nah, I don't think so... you're hoping the person goes to Heaven, where (s)he would be free from worry and fear and stuff. And if it does happen to involve being waited on by cute angel chicks, I assure you, my mind would be at peace.

 

[LordRahl]

"God has made me an Atheist - who are you to question his infinite wisdom."

 

[Red Door]

Are you not allowed to rest in peace if you're an atheist? If an atheist says it, will they rest disturbed?

 

[Angst]

It's called culture. Period.

 

[Elrohir]

The two beliefs don't necessarily have any relation to each other.

The world exists with no God, the next world could just as easily exist without Big Poppa as well.

How so?

(Tench)

 

[Eran of Arcadia]

Well, I think the assertion that "the world exists without God" actually assumes that there is no God and thus adds little to the debate. Maybe it seems to us that God has no influence, but that doesn't mean it can't be there.

However, it is possible for there to be an afterlife without a God, at least as God is commonly understood. Karma, for example, as a force which enables such a thing, isn't usually identified as a god.

 

[Perfection]

How so?

(Tench)

Some spirtual mumbo jumbo happens and you end up in the afterlife.

 

[Elrohir]

"God has made me an Atheist - who are you to question his infinite wisdom."

No, God made people.

And then people become atheists, and Christians, and Hindu's - and heroes and child molesters, for that matter. Don't blame God for differences in beliefs.

Some spirtual mumbo jumbo happens and you end up in the afterlife.

Thanks for the scientific and detailed explanation.

 

[Red Door]

It's called culture. Period.

What does this even mean?

 

[Angst]

What does this even mean?

I'm from Denmark so I'll take the Danes as an example.

Even though 92% of Danish people or such are Atheists, we still celebrate Christian traditions (Weddings, confirmations, baptising...). That is what is called cultural Christianity. Even though we don't believe in it, we follow the traditions, as it is a part of our culture.

Therefore, simple things we say, such as "oh my god", can still be said even though we aren't true Christians. 'Rest in peace' is under the same term.

 

[kuukkeli]

Can you explain how there could be an afterlife if there is no God of any sort?

Duh? In the same way there is duringlife

 

[Perfection]

Thanks for the scientific and detailed explanation.

Well, honestly what do you want? There's a vast amount of screwed up beliefs of the afterlife (including yours) and some don't have God in them. That's all there is to it.

I'm not going to go through and list every single one because:
1. I don't know much about them
2. I don't care to defend them
3. That's way too much work