# Who doesn't want everlasting life?



## Artfuldodger (Apr 18, 2019)

I wonder if maybe when one gets to be 95 years old that maybe he may not want to live an eternal everlasting life. Regardless of exactly what that life may be. Even with 40 virgins! lol

My sister tells me that within Christianity, you live it as a 30 year old. That even babies who die are 30 in Heaven.  I'm not sure what happens at one's own physical resurrection. Maybe if we soul sleep, our resurrected bodies are 30 years old.

Imagine though in 2 billion years, you are still alive. I'm already getting tired of some foods I used to like. People get on my nerves. Maybe in Heaven, it will be different. Like a vacation in a new place only permanent.


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## Artfuldodger (Apr 18, 2019)

My dad is 96 and in a nursing home. I don't think he wants to live forever. I'm not even sure he can any longer. He keeps telling us; "all that stuff we were taught in Church is a bunch of bull. That when you die, you are as dead as a cow."

Now I have to question if my own Father is saved. Once saved always saved. The Christian answer is that he never believed. How can one "lose faith" if they never had it? I guess he did not "stand firm until the end."


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## atlashunter (Apr 18, 2019)

Wife and I were talking about this last night. People who say they want eternal life haven't given much thought to what eternity means.


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## Spineyman (Apr 18, 2019)

atlashunter said:


> Wife and I were talking about this last night. *People who say they want eternal life *haven't given much thought to what eternity means.


Beats the alternative, eternal death and torment!


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## atlashunter (Apr 18, 2019)

Spineyman said:


> Beats the alternative, eternal death and torment!



It's still existing for an eternity. It's not desirable in either case. The only difference would be how much time passes before you would wish it to end.


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## Spineyman (Apr 18, 2019)

atlashunter said:


> It's still existing for an eternity. It's not desirable in either case. The only difference would be how much time passes before you would wish it to end.


One thing is absolute. It is not up to you or I. Either God's Word is true or it is not. There is only two ways this can go. One is very unpleasant, so you had better be sure you are right!


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## atlashunter (Apr 18, 2019)

Spineyman said:


> One thing is absolute. It is not up to you or I. Either God's Word is true or it is not. There is only two ways this can go. One is very unpleasant, so you had better be sure you are right!



Reality is not based on our preferences. That is true. But that is not the question here. The question is what should we prefer?


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## Artfuldodger (Apr 18, 2019)

Spineyman said:


> One thing is absolute. It is not up to you or I. Either God's Word is true or it is not. There is only two ways this can go. One is very unpleasant, so you had better be sure you are right!



Then what one is not seeking is an everlasting life but an escape of that everlasting life being tormented forever. I would agree that if I do have to live forever, let me live it in peace instead of torment.

I was thinking Jesus died in order for us to gain everlasting life instead of death. Still though, when one gets to be 95, he may no longer want to live forever. Maybe that was my Dad's way out, just quit believing.


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## Artfuldodger (Apr 18, 2019)

Spineyman said:


> One thing is absolute. It is not up to you or I. Either God's Word is true or it is not. There is only two ways this can go. One is very unpleasant, so you had better be sure you are right!



If there was no eternal punishment, would you still want to gain everlasting life?


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## atlashunter (Apr 18, 2019)

Heaven is clearly a place fabricated with the intent of delivering ultimate happiness. Mansions on hilltops and streets of gold. Everyone running around with their own jeweled crowns. Are these things that would really carry any value at that point? Seems to show a lack of imagination on the part of the people who came up with these stories. Including the promise of eternal life was a big mistake. It's like a child who has a bowl of ice cream and wants more. You ask them how much they would like and in their enthusiasm blurt out they could eat a whole semi truck load! If they got their wish with the caveat they had to eat it all it wouldn't take long before they would be regretting their wish. What the child really wants is to be able to eat ice cream until they decide they have had enough. What we really want is to live until we decide we have had enough. Some people reach that point within the span of a normal human lifetime. I've read suicide notes of people who lived a good full life and were just ready for it to end. If some of us can reach that point in less than a century how many more of us would reach that point in a few centuries or a few millennium?

It's a mark of maturity to know when to say enough. Children can be forgiven for biting off more than they can chew but adults should know better.


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## atlashunter (Apr 18, 2019)

Artfuldodger said:


> Then what one is not seeking is an everlasting life but an escape of that everlasting life being tormented forever. I would agree that if I do have to live forever, let me live it in peace instead of torment.
> 
> I was thinking Jesus died in order for us to gain everlasting life instead of death. Still though, when one gets to be 95, he may no longer want to live forever. Maybe that was my Dad's way out, just quit believing.



Maybe after 95 years he had perspective that most don't.


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## bullethead (Apr 18, 2019)

Spineyman said:


> One thing is absolute. It is not up to you or I. Either God's Word is true or it is not. There is only two ways this can go. One is very unpleasant, so you had better be sure you are right!


Where are you headed?
Why?


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## bullethead (Apr 18, 2019)

atlashunter said:


> Heaven is clearly a place fabricated with the intent of delivering ultimate happiness. Mansions on hilltops and streets of gold. Everyone running around with their own jeweled crowns. Are these things that would really carry any value at that point? Seems to show a lack of imagination on the part of the people who came up with these stories. Including the promise of eternal life was a big mistake. It's like a child who has a bowl of ice cream and wants more. You ask them how much they would like and in their enthusiasm blurt out they could eat a whole semi truck load! If they got their wish with the caveat they had to eat it all it wouldn't take long before they would be regretting their wish. What the child really wants is to be able to eat ice cream until they decide they have had enough. What we really want is to live until we decide we have had enough. Some people reach that point within the span of a normal human lifetime. I've read suicide notes of people who lived a good full life and were just ready for it to end. If some of us can reach that point in less than a century how many more of us would reach that point in a few centuries or a few millennium?
> 
> It's a mark of maturity to know when to say enough. Children can be forgiven for biting off more than they can chew but adults should know better.


Darn Fine Post


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## Artfuldodger (Apr 18, 2019)

Perhaps we are basing eternal life on humanity not living in perfect harmony. Supposing that we could live forever in a peaceful, harmonic place? Regardless of the streets of gold and jewels. That does appear to be useless in a perfect place of harmony. 
Still though even in a perfect place, eternity seems like forever.


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## j_seph (Apr 18, 2019)

atlashunter said:


> Wife and I were talking about this last night. People who say they want eternal life haven't given much thought to what eternity means.


Even you cannot understand what eternity means. Not saying that to be a the rear end of a donkey either. All we can understand is 80/90/ maybe 100 years. No more death, no more sorrow, no more pain, no tears in heaven. If we cannot even comprehend that how could we possibly even begin to touch on eternity?
Everlasting life I do not believe is going to be getting to go hunting and fishing when you want or all the time if ya like. If


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## Artfuldodger (Apr 18, 2019)

I'm thinking about some of the things I enjoy as a physical human. Even as a spiritual human, eternity is still a long, long time. I think I'd like it better if it is just spiritual. I don't see the need to return for a renewed body. 

Unless this eternal life is physical. Then will need a body to continue to enjoy what we enjoy as physical humans. Music, gold, jewels, gardens, fountains, rivers, bread & fruit, the wind, sun, and rain.


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## Artfuldodger (Apr 18, 2019)

j_seph said:


> Even you cannot understand what eternity means. Not saying that to be a the rear end of a donkey either. All we can understand is 80/90/ maybe 100 years. No more death, no more sorrow, no more pain, no tears in heaven. If we cannot even comprehend that how could we possibly even begin to touch on eternity?
> Everlasting life I do not believe is going to be getting to go hunting and fishing when you want or all the time if ya like. If



Do you believe it to be physical or spiritual?


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## Artfuldodger (Apr 18, 2019)

j_seph said:


> Even you cannot understand what eternity means. Not saying that to be a the rear end of a donkey either. All we can understand is 80/90/ maybe 100 years. No more death, no more sorrow, no more pain, no tears in heaven. If we cannot even comprehend that how could we possibly even begin to touch on eternity?
> Everlasting life I do not believe is going to be getting to go hunting and fishing when you want or all the time if ya like. If



I do see what you are saying. We are basing what eternal life means by how we feel about what a physical eternal life would be in the physical existence that we know. I'm sure that is what my Dad is basing his feelings on.


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## Artfuldodger (Apr 18, 2019)

j_seph said:


> Even you cannot understand what eternity means. Not saying that to be a the rear end of a donkey either. All we can understand is 80/90/ maybe 100 years. No more death, no more sorrow, no more pain, no tears in heaven. If we cannot even comprehend that how could we possibly even begin to touch on eternity?
> Everlasting life I do not believe is going to be getting to go hunting and fishing when you want or all the time if ya like. If



I don't guess we will dwell on what our loved ones are still experiencing down on the earth.  No more death, no more sorrow, no more pain, no tears for us but our loved ones will still be experiencing all of that. Unless we sleep and all go at the same time.

Maybe our vision of what they are still suffering through will be blocked from our souls.


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## atlashunter (Apr 18, 2019)

j_seph said:


> Even you cannot understand what eternity means. Not saying that to be a the rear end of a donkey either. All we can understand is 80/90/ maybe 100 years. No more death, no more sorrow, no more pain, no tears in heaven. If we cannot even comprehend that how could we possibly even begin to touch on eternity?
> Everlasting life I do not believe is going to be getting to go hunting and fishing when you want or all the time if ya like. If



You're right. I can't wrap my mind around eternity. But I can wrap my mind around finite but very large periods of time and multiples thereof. Considering those spans fail to even scratch the surface of eternity it's enough to make me realize eternal life is not something to wish for. If someone offered me a one way ticket to immortality I would not take it regardless of the promised conditions. If we are going to fantasize to cope with our mortality I think the fantasy of living as long as we wanted and not a moment longer superior to immortality.


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## ambush80 (Apr 18, 2019)

Imagine permanent, eternal bliss.  How would you know how good it was unless you had something to compare it to?   You'd have to retain some memory of discomfort or suffering to compare it to.


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