esp if you’re one of the devout ones who think they’ve been really good
They are often, consciously, but the biology of us works so that most decisions are made unconsciously. The nature of all biological life is that there’s a survival instinct, which is in full effect for religious people as well. So they try to live as long as possible anyway, inventing all sorts of reasons for doing so.
Religious belief is inherently not made to make sense, it’s to alleviate fears. Trying to make sense of it rationally like you do is futile.
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I am aware of no such passage. Heaven didn’t occur to the people in that area until very late in the Bible writings. It is highly likely an introduction from the Greeks.
Oh the theist consider it a sin but I am not aware of it being explicitly laid out as one in the Bible, could be wrong I admit.
It makes sense when you think about it. You can’t have your slaves offing themselves.
The bible considers it a sin, but sin doesn’t keep you out of heaven if you’re Christian, you basically just have to try and do better.
The Catholic church decided it was a mortal sin, and because you didn’t have time to go to confession afterwards, you would go to hell.
That’s a drastic oversimplification, but it is kind of the root of it.
Suicide is only a sin, so it would theoretically be forgiven. Problem is you must atone for your sins before death, and there no way to atone if your dead by your own hand.
buddhism has that too. if people were offing themselves in hopes of somehow reaching enlightenment thru killing, i’ve never heard of it. lol. the buddhist reasoning is that killing in general is bad but killing oneself is the worst of all because the one being that can choose to become enlightened (or at least try) and that you have control over is yourself. “so get crackin’” being the idea there.
My cult taught my 13 yo self that were I to take my own life, I would have to re-experience the life that led me to suicide in order for my soul to learn the lesson. But since I robbed another soul of the oppertunity to live as me, I’d have added bad karma and would reincarnate in (a non specified country in) africa. No more help was offered.
I’ve beaten depression, but suffered losses in cognition due to its severity and length.
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I don’t really have anything to add, but thanks for writing this. It’s quite insightful.
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I think heaven was a necessary evil. The point was to have a scary place with an omnipresent being that will send you there if you break the rules. For that to work, you need a good place to serve as the dangling carrot.
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You’re agreeing with me, so I’m not sure why you’re saying No.
The con man uses the carrot as part of the convincing. And people are just as susceptible to those strategies now as they were back then. Science is better now but the “floor” hasn’t moved much, just the ceiling.
It is essential to Christianity that Jesus was raised from the dead. Without that, there is no message. Source: the Bible
“…if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile and you are still in your sins. Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished. If in Christ we have hope in this life only, we are of all people most to be pitied.”
1 Corinthians 15: 17-19
Yes? Religion is anti-life. I remember being excited about the idea of meeting Jesus one day.
Yes. I’ve seen a religious person on their death bed saying that they have lived long enough and are ready for god to take them.
When I was in primary school with mandatory religious education this is how I saw it
Confuckinggratulations
You just reinvented the concept of Shahadat in Islam
You think the devout ones think they’re good?
Probably the opposite, dude.
The religious aren’t as obtuse as Internet randos suddenly given a voice may lead you to believe. Even those who profess reincarnation believe we only get to experience this life and serve our purpose once. May as well make the most of it.
All “truly good” people have incurable impostor syndrome?
God knows everything, why should you have to prove that you’re good?
Maybe he’s not the one you’re proving it to.
Care to elaborate?
Maybe it’s meant to prove it to yourself.
Not all religions have a heaven to look up to. Most schools of Hinduism, and Mahayana Buddhism, require a person to live multiple lives before they achieve nirvana (‘non-being’ or ‘enlightenment’, not ‘heaven’). Other schools of Hinduism and Buddhism are either silent on life after death (Theravada) or reject it (Navayana, Charvaka).
lemmy users when they find out that Christianity isn’t the only religion in existence: :O
I had to sleep on this before coming up with a reply. As an individual who is not what you would call religiously devout, you can take it with a grain of salt. But whatever the case, here goes…
I grew up without religion for the most part but married a Catholic, and as musicians, we wound up playing at the local church.
As it stands, I would not say that I have bought into the whole religious faith thing at the deepest levels. That does not come easily for me. But I think it is fair to say that certain aspects of the religious experience have rubbed off?
In particular, I am more invested in the welfare of others ranging from my immediate family and friends (many of whom I met indirectly through church connections) to the community at large. As such, I am in no hurry to shuffle off at this point, as I feel there are people who depend on me and so I guess I still have unfinished business?
I don’t know what happens in any afterlife. Does anyone, really? Frankly, if we all just fade away into oblivion, I’d be satisfied to simply have a peaceful release from worldy concerns, but I don’t have any expectations beyond that.
I mean, I’m not religious but I’m excited to die ¯\_ (ツ)_/¯
(This is a half serious joke. I have a long history of suicidal feelings and whilst I generally do want to live and am not in any acute risk, I wont lie — many days are a struggle. )
Edit: escaped a backslash so my shrug could have both arms.
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Thanks. I’m not likely to take you up on it because talking about things isn’t generally helpful for me, but I appreciate the offer
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For me outside of the natural scariness of it if your not into reincarnation then this is yout only chance on earth and hevon may be good but I’m not done yet getting my own personal kind of high score
