If I were to die tonight...

[wizard69]

what would happen to me?
(and would my children appriciate or understand your theology)?

[wizard69]

By that,I mean would you tell them that your God had put me in hell?

[naomi24]

No I wouldn't. There's no such place.

[brionon]

I rely on me Mum, if there is an after life,she'll take care of me.

[jenstar]

Don't worry, it'll be nothing but the very best taxidermist for you.

[chakka35]

You know as well as I do,wizard, that you will disappear into that same black nothingness from which you emerged at your birth.
In a correspondence I was having with a good-humoured RC priest I said that it was almost possible to envy those who believe in an afterlife because it is the one illusion from which you could never be disillusioned. You can have the comfort of it all your life but when your eyes finally close in death you will have no consciousness left in which to realise that you were wrong all that time.
He replied to say that he saw my point, but that it might be the other way round: when I close my eyes I might be pleasantly surprised to find that there is an afterlife!
My response was that I would certainly be surprised, but how did he know that it would be pleasant? Since neither he nor anyone else could tell me what that afterlife would be like how does he know that I'd like it? After all, I would have to endure it for ever. Supposing it was boring. It doesn't bear thinking about.
Well, he replied, I've had many questions asked of me about the afterlife, but this is the first time anyone's done a consumer survey on it...

[luna-tic]

I would tell them you've gone to the eternal resthome for atheists. :0)

[wizard69]

Thanks all. Its interesting to note (and this is from experiance of religious families) that when a parent - or other close relative - dies the children are told that they have gone to heaven or to be with jesus. But if that family member is obviously not a christian, and therefore doomed to the christian hell, the issue is skirted around.
I once new a young girl that was raised a catholic, she was about nine or ten at the time and she was convinced that I would go to hell because i am an atheist.To my mind this indoctrination is nothing more than child abuse.

[Whickerman]

I believe you will be returned to the universe, as the energy that is your soul/lifeforce cannot be destroyed, similar to any other form of energy.

Think of it as similar to a drop of water falling as rain, then returnng to the sea - it's all a cycle.

[Theland]

None of us can tell, but all of us can hope.
My hope for you is that you would be with God.
Who can rightfully judge anothers eternal destination?
Each of us has the responsibility to permit God to restore His relationship with us.
None of us can defintively say, "You will go to heaven," or, "You will go to hell."
God is more merciful than we can begin to imagine.
I would tell your children that you were a good man, that God loved you, and you would be in heaven.

[WaldoMcFroog]

On the contrary, I would certainly hope there isn't an afterlife, because I would deeply resent God presuming he was moral enough to judge my behavoiur after the way he'd carried on.

Fortunately, this won't be an issue as God doesn't exist.

[Theland]

There's lots of things that, "didn't exist," until they were discovered, eg atoms, viruses, galaxies, relativity, quarks. So why do we have to only trust what can be detected through our five windows on the world, sight, hearing, touch, taste and smell?

[wizard69]

Theland...
"who can rightfully judge anothers eternal destination"?
"I would tell your children that ......you would be in heaven"

Something a tadge contradictory here Theland?
Why would you tell my children that I would be in heaven, when quiet clearly (according to the bible) I would be in hell?
Maybe you find the notion of hell odious...

[WaldoMcFroog]

We don't, Theland, we don't. Some credible evidence is normally considered rather essential, though.

Anyway, all sensible people know that the only real God is the Flying Spaghetti Monster.

[Theland]

Wizard69 - I did say, I live in hope, and that includes hope for you.

Waldo - Like all cults the flying spaghetti monster worshippers do not, I believe, simply rely on the bible for their authority, but give equal or even more authority to a variety of ancient recipes for spaghetti sauces. Correct me if I'm wrong, as I'm sure you will.

[WaldoMcFroog]

I am merely saddened that although you are aware of the FSM, you persist in your belief in your much more unbelievable and considerably less fun religion.

[Theland]

Waldo - I hope you are not going to proselytise on here, as Mr Wiz is adamant that your deity is worshipped by too many denominations, ie, the Alphabeticists, The Tomato Pureans, and The Garlicians, to name just a few.
Do you belong to one of these, or are you one of those breakaway groups, like the Boil In The Baggists?

[wizard69]

Oh dear..and I thought that I was drunk...

[naomi24]

Wizard, your story of the little girl is really sad - and this sort of indoctrination is tantamount to child abuse. How these idiotic people have the gall to burden little children with such mindless and terrifying nonsense is beyond me. And they have the gall to condemn Harry Potter!!

[wizard69]

naomi..my son has been home educated for the last 3 yrs. (my stepson is still in the school system though).
One of the things that decided my choice to home educate was the indoctrination that is recieved by the state school system. When my son was about 7 he went on a school trip to the local mosque.Here he was told that if he didnt pray five times a day, he would go to hell.I didnt find out about this until later, but my blood boiled when I heard. Its no different though than catholics (or other religious groups) who preach this odious doctrine and fill the minds of kids with terror.
My son is now taught how to distinguish fact from fable and is quiet a level headed person in his own right....quiet different from the little catholic girl who is brainwashed daily with her mothers own indoctrination.
I remember well, how at school, we were expected to sing and pray to a god that I didnt believe in even then, upon pain of the cane. Child abuse good and proper...

[naomi24]

Wizard, I don't know how people who fill children's heads with such absolute rubbish can live with themselves. Are they all on a power trip? ' We know what will happen to you unless you do what we say, and boy, are you going to suffer! God will be so angry with you and he'll make you burn in hell forever.' What an appalling vision to plant into a little child's mind. Whatever sort of trip they're on, nothing, but nothing, no matter what they believe, gives them the right to mess with kids' minds - and that's what they're doing. If they want to believe it - fine - that's their choice, but children should be brought up in loving security and without fear. They should never be subjected to the horrors of this antiquated, superstitious, and, frankly, evil clap trap, and you're to be commended on having the good sense to take your son out of that school. I'd have done exactly the same.