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The Afterlife

Chas Andres

This has been bugging me for quite some time...

People who belive in the 'classic' afterlife, Heaven and Hell, believe that what you do in your lifetime on earth determines if you experience an eternity of fire and brimstone, or of angels and love.

I just can't buy this... One of the curses of humanity is the ability to almost understand the concept of eternity if we really try, but we can never totally understand it...it's too large to grasp. In this classic scenario, let's say you cheat on your wife a bit, steal from your company, and maybe swerved just a little out of your way to run over a squirrel or two in your giant American SUV. You die from a heart attack that was brought on by eating too much red meat, and you wind up in Hell. You are stuck there for all of eternity.

Why?

We punish people for doing something wrong so that they won't do it again. If a dog pees on the floor, you hit it's nose with a newspaper, and hopefully after a few times, it'll stop. According to common theory, Hell is forever. So what's the point? After the first thirty years or so, you'll renounce all the things you did on earth. Another thirty, and you'll be looking for a way out, begging for mercy, and be willing to become a vegan celabate nun if you ever got another chance. If there's anything left of your dignity after that, another few years should take care of it. But it's not over. It never will be. A thousand years pass. Then another thousand. Than another thousand. Then a million. But you still haven't been there for 1% of the time you'll be there. In fact, you never will. millions and millions of years will pass, and nothing will ever change...

Why?

Sins feel bad. Our concience gets the best of us. We need to be scared of some red-horned boogeyman, even thought it doesn't make sense at all. If there was a God, and he wanted to punish the wicked, why doesn't he just blip you out of existance? Hell must take up lots of Hard drive space.

 Because humans can't comprehend not existing. Think about it. You can't do it. You can, however, comprehend devils poking you with sticks.

Of course, whoever came up with the concept forgot to factor eternity in when they thought of it.

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