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POLL: Who is going to a better afterlife?

Discussion in 'Alley of Dangerous Angles' started by Carcaroth, Sep 5, 2006.

  1. Carcaroth

    Carcaroth I call on the priests, saints and dancin' girls ★ SPS Account Holder

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    Following on from the various recent religious debates, and linked to Harbourboys often asked but unanswered question about how to choose from so many different options, I'm interested in how people view the alternative religions and how they will fair in an afterlife.

    Unfortunately their are far too many religions to try and list individually, so I'm necessarily going to limit it to the major ones, with a couple of others thrown in for known board members. Please except my appolgies if you feel sidelined and put yourself in "other" Explanations of your choices would be probably more helpful than the poll itself.

    Poll Information
    This poll contains 2 question(s). 39 user(s) have voted.
    You may not view the results of this poll without voting.

    Poll Results: Who is going to a better afterlife? (39 votes.)

    What religion (or lack of) are you? (Choose 1)
    * Christian - Catholic - 0% (0)
    * Christian - Protestant - 8% (3)
    * Christian - Other (Anglican, Mormon, methodist etc) - 13% (5)
    * Judaism - Orthodox - 0% (0)
    * Judaism - Other - 5% (2)
    * Baha'i - 0% (0)
    * Islam - Sunni - 0% (0)
    * Islam - Shi'ite - 0% (0)
    * Hindu - 0% (0)
    * Buddist - 3% (1)
    * Sikism - 0% (0)
    * Shinto - 0% (0)
    * Chinese Traditional - 0% (0)
    * Primal-indigineous - 0% (0)
    * African Traditional - 0% (0)
    * Other religious group - 13% (5)
    * no religious bent - 59% (23)

    Which other religions are going to a better afterlife (i.e. heaven or similar) (Choose 18)
    * Christian - Catholic - 13% (5)
    * Christian - Protestant - 15% (6)
    * Christian - Other (Anglican, Mormon, methodist etc) - 15% (6)
    * Judaism - Orthodox - 13% (5)
    * Judaism - Other - 13% (5)
    * Baha'i - 5% (2)
    * Islam - Sunni - 8% (3)
    * Islam - Shi'ite - 8% (3)
    * Hindu - 5% (2)
    * Buddist - 8% (3)
    * Sikism - 5% (2)
    * Shinto - 5% (2)
    * Chinese Traditional - 5% (2)
    * Primal-indigineous - 8% (3)
    * African Traditional - 8% (3)
    * Other religious groups - 10% (4)
    * Irrelevant, it depends on how well someone has lived their life. - 33% (13)
    * Irrelevant, there is no afterlife - 56% (22)
     
  2. DarkStrider

    DarkStrider I've seen the future and it has seen me Distinguished Member

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    I don't have any religious convictions and I don't believe in an afterlife, if there was one then where you end up depends on your beliefs.
     
  3. Trellheim Gems: 22/31
    Latest gem: Sphene


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    The results at the moment seem atheist, (yes, I'm one too), religious people, where art thou?
     
  4. Stardust Gems: 7/31
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    I don't follow any religion and I don't belive in the afterlife.
     
  5. T2Bruno

    T2Bruno The only source of knowledge is experience Distinguished Member ★ SPS Account Holder Adored Veteran New Server Contributor [2012] (for helping Sorcerer's Place lease a new, more powerful server!) Torment: Tides of Numenera SP Immortalizer (for helping immortalize Sorcerer's Place in the game!)

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    Don't know whether or not there is an afterlife -- it's a nice thought, but reality isn't always nice.
     
  6. Rallymama Gems: 31/31
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    I do follow a religion and I still agree with DarkStrider - where you end up after death depends on your personal beliefs. I'm sure that my dad isn't in the same heaven as any of the 9/11 hijackers - and by my definitions, if they really were being true to their religios beliefs, they attained whatever constitute heaven for them. It's not up to me to decide. I don't think that any member of one religion can legitimately determine if a pious member of another religion is going to heaven or not.
     
  7. Abomination Gems: 26/31
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    I don't believe in a god or anything like that however when it comes to an afterlife I'm definately indefinate in my convictions. I have no idea what awaits anyone when they die and I hope if something does await them that it reflects what they did during life.

    Yet most of me feels that there is nothing after death, that life just stops. There's nothing. It would be hard to describe but I can assure you it's not a nice thought at the prospects of just not having any sentience.
     
  8. Harbourboy

    Harbourboy Take thy form from off my door! Veteran Pillars of Eternity SP Immortalizer (for helping immortalize Sorcerer's Place in the game!)

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    I can't believe that there can possibly be a load of different after-lifes depending on your beliefs. That's like saying if I believe that the afterlife is one continuous cricket match (hell for some people) that that is what I am going to get. That makes no sense at all (unless we are all going into some sort of Matrix world created by our thoughts)
     
  9. Tassadar Gems: 23/31
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    No afterlife. That's why we reproduce. Our offspring are our afterlife.
     
  10. Oaz Gems: 29/31
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    I said "no religious bent", and although that's far from a good way to describe me, it's probably the closest thing.

    I say that the afterlife is (to a degree) irrelevant, mainly because I'm not receiving letters from ghosts or from people in heaven or hell or from angels or devils. However, I can't really believe in a hell of hellfire or even plain old spiritual suffering, but that's just me. Maybe you would like a special place for murderers or telemarketers to go to, it's just that I can't really believe in that.
     
  11. Rotku

    Rotku I believe I can fly Veteran Pillars of Eternity SP Immortalizer (for helping immortalize Sorcerer's Place in the game!) New Server Contributor [2012] (for helping Sorcerer's Place lease a new, more powerful server!)

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    I'm going to say that an afterlife is impossible. Not just highly unlikely, but that there is no way (even given the existance of a divine being) to have an afterlife.
     
  12. Harbourboy

    Harbourboy Take thy form from off my door! Veteran Pillars of Eternity SP Immortalizer (for helping immortalize Sorcerer's Place in the game!)

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    Well, I wouldn't go so far as to say it was impossible, but I have never seen any evidence of it and I can't see how it could be possible. Although that may just be a limitation of my comprehension of the universe.
     
  13. Master of Nuhn

    Master of Nuhn Wear it like a crown Veteran Pillars of Eternity SP Immortalizer (for helping immortalize Sorcerer's Place in the game!) Torment: Tides of Numenera SP Immortalizer (for helping immortalize Sorcerer's Place in the game!)

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    I am a Christian. Basically, that means that I believe Christ has gone to hell in stead of me and anyone else who believes Jesus alone payed for their sins.
    So I voted for all the 3 christian-types.

    I said I was a Protestant, because most likely my personal religion is closest to Protestant. In fact I care not if someone calls himself catholic, protestant or 'other'. You believe in Christ or not (Basically).

    I should add, though, that I can't judge people, so I can never tell for sure who I will meet in heaven.
    I also think that there is some degree of punishment for those who do not believe in Christ. But that's a different thing and will not start this here. Yet.
     
  14. Nakia

    Nakia The night is mine Distinguished Member ★ SPS Account Holder Adored Veteran Pillars of Eternity SP Immortalizer (for helping immortalize Sorcerer's Place in the game!) Torment: Tides of Numenera SP Immortalizer (for helping immortalize Sorcerer's Place in the game!) BoM XenForo Migration Contributor [2015] (for helping support the migration to new forum software!)

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    I voted "other Christian-Anglican etc." since that was mostly what I was raised. As to whether there is 'life after death' I do not know but I voted that how people live will determine what happens to them. It is impossible for me to conceive of a loving, caring god who would say "Oh, you lived a very good life, cared for your fellow humans, tended your garden well but because you didn't believe (add whatever you like) You have to be punished or just tossed into non-existence.

    I believe that it is quite possible that there is a continuation of life but in the sense of being absorbed into the Divine...memory. Not sure what word to use.

    Pretty vague.
     
  15. Gnarfflinger

    Gnarfflinger Wiseguy in Training

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    I believe the majority will go to a world like this or better. The only ones that won't are those who commit excessively greivous sins or those that still atr the last day deny that Jesus is the Christ.
     
  16. The Irreligious Paladin Gems: 7/31
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    Ever seen Powder? Dumb movie with Jeff Goldblum and an albino, hairless Sean Patrick Flannery. (I teared up though)

    Einstein got it right. Life is energy, engy never can be destroyed, only changed, when we die the energy that is "us" gets distributed evenly throughtout the universe in less than an instance.

    We are all the same, and we are all seperate until death. I am the Irreligious Paladin after all. ;)

    Anyways closest I could answer was "no religious bent" and then "other religious groups."
     
  17. Montresor

    Montresor Mostly Harmless Staff Member ★ SPS Account Holder

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    As an Atheist I don't believe there is an afterlife (though I suppose there could be an afterlife without a God).

    I missed an option for a good afterlife - the old Norse Valhalla where you go to eat & drink with the Asa (gods) before going out to beat the cr*p out of the bad guys!
     
  18. Rotku

    Rotku I believe I can fly Veteran Pillars of Eternity SP Immortalizer (for helping immortalize Sorcerer's Place in the game!) New Server Contributor [2012] (for helping Sorcerer's Place lease a new, more powerful server!)

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    Could someone who believes in an afterlife (or not) try and explain to me how I can live after my body has been burnt/rotted away? I'm not to clear how people think in these lines - not a topic I've really debated about much.

    Is it a soul, prehaps? But then doesn't that in itself raise further problems? I mean, how can you know that I have a soul? Or for that matter, how can you know that I have just one soul, and not a stream of many souls? And what is it about this soul(s) that makes it (them) me?
     
  19. Beren

    Beren Lovesick and Lonely Wanderer Staff Member ★ SPS Account Holder Resourceful Adored Veteran Pillars of Eternity SP Immortalizer (for helping immortalize Sorcerer's Place in the game!) New Server Contributor [2012] (for helping Sorcerer's Place lease a new, more powerful server!) Torment: Tides of Numenera SP Immortalizer (for helping immortalize Sorcerer's Place in the game!)

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    What I will say is that I know of the existence of spirits. I've had some private experiences, and a few disturbing encounters with the evil ones. Its common knowledge where I came from. I can't say much more than that. I know life as it were doesn't end with death of the body.

    As for afterlife, well ... I don't buy into the idea of playing harps on clouds. That's just a little too cheesy and simple from where I'm standing.

    As for how I envision it, I think it gets down to the fact that we choose what kind of people we really want to be. I can't imagine that people like Hitler and Charles Manson could ever abide even being near the spirits of people who had a conscience and knew what they did. In a sense, they've judged themselves. They'd pretty much have to be isolated from the rest, and have only each other for company forever. When you get down to it, its hard to think of a worse punishment than that.

    [ September 06, 2006, 12:14: Message edited by: Beren ]
     
  20. shadow lurker Gems: 17/31
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    Umm...'Buddhist' is spelt wrong in the poll... -_-;;

    I think I'll come back to this topic later (too sick to think properly right now...)
     
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