What Is The Point Of Eternal Life?

[nailit]

I just don't get this idea of eternal life. What is the 'POINT' of having eternal life?
Whether its living forever on a paradise Earth (JW doctrine), living forever in heaven (Christian doctrine), reincarnating endlessly (Eastern religious doctrine) or whatever.
Life is precious because it is finite, yes?
If it went on forever then it wouldn't have any value.
A football game only has 'meaning' because it has a start time and a finish time. If it went on ad infinitum it would be totally senseless.
Why is life any different? Leave aside Dawkins v religionists etc.
Can someone tell me, why life would be any different if we were to live eternally?
Just what would be the POINT???
What the hell would you DO for all eternity for one?

[Atheist]

ag. I do think that as you get older you start to accept that death is a natural and sometimes desirable outcome. Dylan Thomas was a bit cheeky telling his dad to to rage rage against the dying of the light, when he himself drunk himself to death.

[Atheist]

VE, you talk in riddles, and I aways susoect those who do. Say what you mean iin simple terms.

[agchristie]

//do think that as you get older you start to accept that death is a natural and sometimes desirable outcome.//

Atheist, I can imagine that one does become more aware of ones own mortality.

'Sometimes desirable outcome' is interesting...

[nailit]

Can anyone tell me what the POINT of living forever would be?

[agchristie]

Nailit, I can't see any point as surely it would be far more than anyone could take?

[Atheist]

ag. Many people commit suicide, presumably because it is a desirable outcome for them. I have a huge instinct for self protection and for survival, but as I get older I can conceive of a time when I might find life difficult and even unbearable. Difficult subject to discuss. Needs inagination. Living and survival isn't everything. I presume you are much younger than me. It's very interesting to grow old and see one's views evolve. Of course the most interesting will be to be at the point of death and to see it as an interesting challenge, or a chance to suddenly realise the meaning of life, or a terrifying confrontation with a ***! (or perhaps a loving female!)

[agchristie]

Atheist, I get that yes.

I think I might be in the top 3 youngest on here and I am fascinated by older people's views and their reminiscences.

I find a lot look back more than forward!

[sanmac]

AG, eternal life might give you enough time ter figger out them thar pesky microwave lids.

[Atheist]

ag, I hate the past! It's gone. The future is far more interesting.

[agchristie]

Sanmac - very good!!

Atheist, really? That's interesting!

My grandfather was forever giving me the same slide shows of all his holidays etc as if I'd never seen them before!! He talked endlessly about the war and his work!

I love old people and have so much respect for them,well mostly!

[Atheist]

ag,thanks for your replies. I need to go to bed now. Hope to speak to you again some time. Best wishes.

[agchristie]

Nan nyt Atheist,sleep well,enjoyed the chat!

[agchristie]

I think Freddie Mercury had it right:-

//Who wants to live forever...//

[vetuste_ennemi]

//I sometimes hear people give up and that's not always if they have lost someone close//

There are other circumstances in which one might "give up", Aggie: poor health, or grinding poverty for instance.

As far as bereavement goes that's part of the fabric of life, isn't it? It casts a shadow over life without necessarily destroying other things which make life worthwhile: in my case political curiosity, the Times crossword and the Kylie Minogue back catalogue. (No, not the last one.)

The thing about bereavement I can't understand is not how people who experience the commonplace tragedies "carry on", but how those who experience the uncommon ones do. For instance, I don't know how parents who have had a young daughter raped and murdered can continue to deal with life in a rational way.

[agchristie]

Indeed v_e.

Another phrase I hear a lot is 'time is a great healer'. But is it? The last scenario you mention being a case in point.

I mean, it's about coping mechanisms isn't it rather than a healing as such?

[vetuste_ennemi]

//Another phrase I hear a lot is 'time is a great healer'. But is it?//

No. It implies a physical harm metaphor as in you get stabbed, it hurts, but wound heals slowly as scab forms. You're left with the memory (the scab), but not the pain.

My own experience and observation is that the pain never goes away entirely, and that, if you're a decent person, why would you want it to?

[agchristie]

//My own experience and observation is that the pain never goes away entirely,//

Echoed by many I'm sure...

[Old_Geezer]

What would be the point in ending existence ? It's no football game. Existence ceases to have value the moment it ends, as what was the point of all that went before when you are no more ? Value to you is the accumulated memory of experience and it's ability to mould you.

With an infinite number of things to experience and understand there should be plenty to do. And in any case you still experience moment separately, so if worried you'd get bored, try to find something to wipe your memory and if possible wreck you anticipation abilities.

[woofgang]

I guess if its really heaven, you don’t have to have it if you don’t want to. For me there would be time to learn and perfect all the arts and crafts I would love to do well but don’t have time to focus on or can’t afford to do or my body will no longer allow .........riding, gardening, baking sourdough, stumpwork embroidery, watercolour painting, lapidary work, grow a wood......its not an endless list but its a very long one and i am betting that as I went along stuff would get added on the end.
I know you didn’t want religious stuff but as a crafter and would be artisan, this poem speaks to me. Its by Kipling.

WHEN Earth’s last picture is painted, and the tubes are twisted and dried,
When the oldest colours have faded, and the youngest critic has died,
We shall rest, and, faith, we shall need it –lie down for an aeon or two,
Till the Master of All Good Workmen shall set us to work anew!

And those that were good shall be happy: they shall sit in a golden chair;
They shall splash at a ten-league canvas with brushes of comets’ hair
They shall find real saints to draw from – Magdalene, Peter, and Paul;
They shall work for an age at a sitting and never be tired at all!

And only the Master shall praise us, and only the Master shall blame;
And no one will work for the money, and no one will work for the fame,
But each for the joy of the working, and each, in his separate star,
Shall draw the Thing as he sees It for the God of Things as They are!

[Old_Geezer]

Just one other thought. By asking for the point of eternal life you seem to imply other things have an overall (as opposed to local, temporary) point. What makes you consider anything has any real point in the long term ? Isn't it enough that "stuff" is here and you get the most from it anyway ?