I've been to Hell so I know it exists. It has its own little post office and a gift shop where you are greeted by the devil. We stopped there in between Turtle Farm and Stingray City. I even bought a t-shirt that says "I've been to Hell and back"
Me too! I usually send postcards from Hell. I?m taking my DH and the kids there for the first time for Thanksgiving.
Stingray City may be my favorite place on Earth and DS loves stingrays so I?m super excited to bring him there. We have our favorite boat to go on - they only take 10 passengers - so we go when it?s not busy and stay as long as we want.
However, no I do not believe in the afterlife at all to answer the OP.
ETA: I would like to reword that.
I believe there is no afterlife.
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Nope. I believe Heaven and Hell are concepts to make us feel better about death and the unknown.
This is what I believe too. In regards to the afterlife, I believe that one day we just "aren't" anymore. I think a dreamless night is a clear picture of death. We cut to black, everything stops, and we never wake up.
To answer the other poster, my father is the only person close to me who is deceased and no, I do not visit his grave. Outside of the funeral, I've been there only one other time just to be sure his engraving was done correctly.
This is what I think but I'm willing to admit that I can't say that this, or anything else, happens with absolute certainty, being the non-committal "level 6" atheist that I am.
"We like nothing better than buffing our Zygoma. And imagining a horny time traveling long overcoat purple scarf wearing super sleuth nordic legend fuck fantasy. Get to work on that, internet." Benedict Cumberbatch
Nope. I believe Heaven and Hell are concepts to make us feel better about death and the unknown.
This is what I believe too. In regards to the afterlife, I believe that one day we just "aren't" anymore. I think a dreamless night is a clear picture of death. We cut to black, everything stops, and we never wake up.
To answer the other poster, my father is the only person close to me who is deceased and no, I do not visit his grave. Outside of the funeral, I've been there only one other time just to be sure his engraving was done correctly.
This is what I think but I'm willing to admit that I can't say that this, or anything else, happens with absolute certainty, being the non-committal "level 6" atheist that I am.
I am asking this because you said "level 6". Did you find that online somewhere? I remember finding a website that talked about the degrees of atheism and it telling me that I am a "de-facto atheist". If you know what I am talking about it, do you have a link?
and as a christian, why would a loving god create hell? i mean, i understand the whole "the lord works in mysterious ways" idea some. i do. i must seem totally inscrutable to babyman, and maybe it's like that for us and god. i do not, however, have a horrible pit of terror and horror waiting for him. i have no idea what would make that seem like a good tool to have at my disposal. even if he was evil, all i would want is for him to be somewhere where he couldn't hurt others. i wouldn't want him to suffer, especially when there's no opportunity for redemption.
why do you believe in hell and god at the same time?
I don't believe hell is a place of fire and brimstone and torture. The Bible may make it sound like it is, but I take that as symbolism. Hell is such a "bad place" because you are separated from God there. That's why its portrayed as a terrible and tortuous place because being separated from God is the ultimate punishment for denying him.
i think that's an important distinction. i feel like most people mean "fire and brimstone" hell when they just say hell, but i heard a radio program that described exactly what you said. that's much easier for me to understand. hell was being sequestered away from god, with all the other jerks.
and as a christian, why would a loving god create hell? i mean, i understand the whole "the lord works in mysterious ways" idea some. i do. i must seem totally inscrutable to babyman, and maybe it's like that for us and god. i do not, however, have a horrible pit of terror and horror waiting for him. i have no idea what would make that seem like a good tool to have at my disposal. even if he was evil, all i would want is for him to be somewhere where he couldn't hurt others. i wouldn't want him to suffer, especially when there's no opportunity for redemption.
why do you believe in hell and god at the same time?
I am not attacking what you believe- we are all entitled to our own thoughts but I thought I would awnser your question Hell was not created by God. God allowed for the possibility of hell, but he did not directly create it.
Nope. I believe Heaven and Hell are concepts to make us feel better about death and the unknown.
This is what I believe too. In regards to the afterlife, I believe that one day we just "aren't" anymore. I think a dreamless night is a clear picture of death. We cut to black, everything stops, and we never wake up.
To answer the other poster, my father is the only person close to me who is deceased and no, I do not visit his grave. Outside of the funeral, I've been there only one other time just to be sure his engraving was done correctly.
I am asking this because you said "level 6". Did you find that online somewhere? I remember finding a website that talked about the degrees of atheism and it telling me that I am a "de-facto atheist". If you know what I am talking about it, do you have a link?
I can answer that. It's from Richard Dawkins's book The God Delusion. He rates belief on a scale of 1 to 7: level 1 being absolute certainty in the existence of God and level 7 being absolute certainty in the non-existence of God. Level 6 is "Very low probability, but short of zero. De facto atheist. 'I cannot
know for certain but I think God is very improbable, and I live my life
on the assumption that he is not there.'"
Following up on the other questions asked in the thread, I also don't believe in souls. When we die, our bodies rot like any other organic matter. I have paid respects at people's graves, but will not be buried myself. My husband and I will both be cremated. There are no directives after that because we frankly won't be around to care. The living can do with our ashes what they need to to feel better.
Nope. I believe Heaven and Hell are concepts to make us feel better about death and the unknown.
This is what I believe too. In regards to the afterlife, I believe that one day we just "aren't" anymore. I think a dreamless night is a clear picture of death. We cut to black, everything stops, and we never wake up.
To answer the other poster, my father is the only person close to me who is deceased and no, I do not visit his grave. Outside of the funeral, I've been there only one other time just to be sure his engraving was done correctly.
This is what I think but I'm willing to admit that I can't say that this, or anything else, happens with absolute certainty, being the non-committal "level 6" atheist that I am.
I am asking this because you said "level 6". Did you find that online somewhere? I remember finding a website that talked about the degrees of atheism and it telling me that I am a "de-facto atheist". If you know what I am talking about it, do you have a link?
It's from Dawkins' The God Delusion. I'm not a huge fan of his because I came to my conclusions on my own, and he can be a little self-righteous, but he has some good points. Here is an explanation of the levels: clicky
I am asking this because you said "level 6". Did you find that online somewhere? I remember finding a website that talked about the degrees of atheism and it telling me that I am a "de-facto atheist". If you know what I am talking about it, do you have a link?
I can answer that. It's from Richard Dawkins's book The God Delusion. He rates belief on a scale of 1 to 7: level 1 being absolute certainty in the existence of God and level 7 being absolute certainty in the non-existence of God. Level 6 is "Very low probability, but short of zero. De facto atheist. 'I cannot
know for certain but I think God is very improbable, and I live my life
on the assumption that he is not there.'"
I don't believe in hell. I'm part of the "we die and that's it" camp, and I'm actually perfectly ok with this. I also don't believe in souls or ghosts or angels or any of that, nor do I visit graves. I would like my body to be donated to science and then cremated.
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I don't believe in hell. I'm part of the "we die and that's it" camp, and I'm actually perfectly ok with this. I also don't believe in souls or ghosts or angels or any of that, nor do I visit graves. I would like my body to be donated to science and then cremated.
Agreed. I believe there are no souls or any supernatural beings of any sort.
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I don't believe in hell. I'm part of the "we die and that's it" camp, and I'm actually perfectly ok with this. I also don't believe in souls or ghosts or angels or any of that, nor do I visit graves. I would like my body to be donated to science and then cremated.
Agreed. I believe there are no souls or any supernatural beings of any sort.
I believe this too but I'm not ok with it. It scares the $hit outta me.
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I am asking this because you said "level 6". Did you find that online somewhere? I remember finding a website that talked about the degrees of atheism and it telling me that I am a "de-facto atheist". If you know what I am talking about it, do you have a link?
I can answer that. It's from Richard Dawkins's book The God Delusion. He rates belief on a scale of 1 to 7: level 1 being absolute certainty in the existence of God and level 7 being absolute certainty in the non-existence of God. Level 6 is "Very low probability, but short of zero. De facto atheist. 'I cannot
know for certain but I think God is very improbable, and I live my life
on the assumption that he is not there.'"
Wheee! Sorry, I didn't even see this.
Thank you, both! I thought it was a Dawkins thing, but I wasn't sure.
For those of you that do not believe in hell... for those that believe we just cease "being" and go into the ground...
Do you visit loved ones at the cemetery after they die?
Not being snarky, just curious.
i would actually like to donate my body to science because i don't believe that i'll need it, but that upsets dh. he wants to be able to visit me. i think the living should get to choose how they honor the dead, so if he wants to keep me somewhere for his comfort, that's fine.
I do. But not the hell that many preachers describe to scare people into going to church.
I believe hell is the removal of God's presence. Only evil will exist after that. I don't believe they will burn in fire, but I think it will be torture. I believe only people who truly would rather be in hell than heaven will be there.
I also don't believe it is eternal. God will destroy all evil after a certain amount of time. (I don't really take time too literally in the Bible but I think the Bible says 1000 years.)
Is this similar to what Rob Bell believes? I read "Love Wins." I totally agree with this explanation, by the way.
I have never heard of Rob Bell....I am off to google him.
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Re: Do you believe in hell?
Me too! I usually send postcards from Hell. I?m taking my DH and the kids there for the first time for Thanksgiving.
Stingray City may be my favorite place on Earth and DS loves stingrays so I?m super excited to bring him there. We have our favorite boat to go on - they only take 10 passengers - so we go when it?s not busy and stay as long as we want.
However, no I do not believe in the afterlife at all to answer the OP.
ETA: I would like to reword that.
I believe there is no afterlife.
Streets of gold, mansions, beauty far greater then I can imagine. Flowers, rivers, moutains, and animals. I get tears even thinking about that place.
This is what I think but I'm willing to admit that I can't say that this, or anything else, happens with absolute certainty, being the non-committal "level 6" atheist that I am.
"We like nothing better than buffing our Zygoma. And imagining a horny time traveling long overcoat purple scarf wearing super sleuth nordic legend fuck fantasy. Get to work on that, internet." Benedict Cumberbatch
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"Hell is other people."--Sartre
I'm an atheist. I do not believe in hell.
I am asking this because you said "level 6". Did you find that online somewhere? I remember finding a website that talked about the degrees of atheism and it telling me that I am a "de-facto atheist". If you know what I am talking about it, do you have a link?
i think that's an important distinction. i feel like most people mean "fire and brimstone" hell when they just say hell, but i heard a radio program that described exactly what you said. that's much easier for me to understand. hell was being sequestered away from god, with all the other jerks.
is that in the bible?
This is the perfect description.
I can answer that. It's from Richard Dawkins's book The God Delusion. He rates belief on a scale of 1 to 7: level 1 being absolute certainty in the existence of God and level 7 being absolute certainty in the non-existence of God. Level 6 is "Very low probability, but short of zero. De facto atheist. 'I cannot know for certain but I think God is very improbable, and I live my life on the assumption that he is not there.'"
Following up on the other questions asked in the thread, I also don't believe in souls. When we die, our bodies rot like any other organic matter. I have paid respects at people's graves, but will not be buried myself. My husband and I will both be cremated. There are no directives after that because we frankly won't be around to care. The living can do with our ashes what they need to to feel better.
It's from Dawkins' The God Delusion. I'm not a huge fan of his because I came to my conclusions on my own, and he can be a little self-righteous, but he has some good points. Here is an explanation of the levels: clicky
Agreed. I believe there are no souls or any supernatural beings of any sort.
I believe this too but I'm not ok with it. It scares the $hit outta me.
Thank you, both! I thought it was a Dawkins thing, but I wasn't sure.
No.
I'm a dirty Atheist.
However, if there happens to be a Hell, I'm fairly certain that I'm driving the bus there.
i would actually like to donate my body to science because i don't believe that i'll need it, but that upsets dh. he wants to be able to visit me. i think the living should get to choose how they honor the dead, so if he wants to keep me somewhere for his comfort, that's fine.
I have never heard of Rob Bell....I am off to google him.