"What happens when you die?"

[Wutaiflea]

I think you gave a good answer.

Its a bit much to go into decomposition and other such nasty-sounding things to a 5 year old, and I think it would've been wrong to pretend you believe in an afterlife just because it opens a few cuddly answers to the question.

Perhaps when he's older, you can discuss your beliefs in greater depth, and then he can form his own opinion, like the rest of us.

Congratulations on good cousin-ing.

 

[vaderaider]

Just tell them "your guess is as good as mine".

 

[emeraldrafael]

Its mostly a theological question.

I've noticed alot of people who start this kinda thread (or threads about religion and death and things of that nature which are beyond human comprehension) have no concept of god (or refuse to believe), whihc there is nothing wrong with.

But i jsut tell them what i was told (basic concept of heaven, though mine is more communistic really, but thats a different thread all together), and tell them that there really is no way of knowing. Death is like life, where you forge your on path in it.

But thats just me, Im Roman Catholic, so i kinda have to beleive it. more so i wnat to beleive it.

But you do choose to remain being Roman Catholic. I'm not saying that is wrong or right though.

No... not really. Its just what i put down on paper cause its easiest and its what i identify myeslf as if i have to go to church. I stopped beleive in organized religion becuase it just doesnt work. Religion is something everyone has to figure out on their own.

IN reality, I'm loosely christian. I beleive in the ten commandments (even then its kind of a stretch), the golden rule, and the mercy of god. I dont see the point for hell or the devil, and i beleive in the right to be gay, have abortions, or sex outside marriage (three huge No-Nos to catholics). So I'm not really that devoutly catholic. Its just where i take my lessons from, even though pretty much any religion at its core is the same , in my opinion alteast. If others disagree (I'm sure they do), thats fine. I'm not trying to flame bait.

Oh okay, I wasn't trying to be mean. It just didn't make sense to me when you said you believed in the afterlife because you're Roman Catholic. So you believe in a moral and just god so because of that you think there is an afterlife right? Is that it?

Why didnt it make sense? I mean, i get what you're saying but thats the key thing of Christianity. you go somewhere when you die.

And yeah. Pretty much. I just dont see us (humans) as loners. It doesnt make sense for us to be, then to die (or really anyhtign for thta matter), and nothing happen in the end. There's no point in living if there is at least to me. BUt the again I take something from every religion and every theory on death so i dont know. I just think there's something after. Plus it seems better then just looking at a five year old and saying you get put in the ground to rot and be eaten by worms, insects and (if) anything that digs you up.

 

[Harrowdown]

Why are people so easily offended? Why the hell are you offended at what someone believes? Sure, religion is bullshit, and you can't just go around claiming unproven fairytales are true, but why should anyone give a shit that you're offended? It's not like him saying that has harmed you or anything. It's fucked up when people start imposing restrictions on speech because they're offended.

This is why people get offended with the heaven/hell concept.

As for 'imposing restrictions on speech', the church has been doing that for centuries.

If you didn't realise from my post, i'm a pretty staunch atheist, so no need to tell me about idiot theists. My point is that offense isn't good grounds to condemn someones speech. Some people are offended by course language, but that's no reason to ban a rude book. California is offended by violence in videogames, but we all disagree with their approach, don't we? As for the churches history, which I agree is suspect at best, an 'eye for an eye' approach can lead only to a repeat of the past. Free speech is free speech, no matter how stupid it may be, and it's simply too bad if it's offensive to you.

 

[Serioli]

Tell them that they will become more powerful than you can possibly imagine.

(But only if they are struck down)

 

[Snake Plissken]

Why are people so easily offended? Why the hell are you offended at what someone believes? Sure, religion is bullshit, and you can't just go around claiming unproven fairytales are true, but why should anyone give a shit that you're offended? It's not like him saying that has harmed you or anything. It's fucked up when people start imposing restrictions on speech because they're offended.

I don't think that he means the IDEA of believing in an afterlife is offensive. I don't personally believe in an afterlife, but I don't find the idea of people wanting to believe in one offensive. I think the offensive part is the indoctrination of youth. Presenting that idea as the truth to someone when the idea doesn't fill any criteria of "truth" is what's offensive, especially when young children want genuine answers from someone who should know more than they do.

Nobody is offended at what this person believes, but they are offended about the fact that this is what that person would say around ANYBODY's child. I definitely would not want that as the one and only, this-is-the-TRUTH answer given to my child.

That being said, I wouldn't want anybody but me talking to my child about this sort of thing.

 

[Woodsey]

Tell them the truth, when you die if you're good and faithful you go to Heaven, if you're sinful, and unfaithful you go to hell.

So much for benevolence.

OT: I wouldn't know how to respond either. Chances are though that when you're dead, you're dead, although I can understand not wanting to say that to a 5-year-old xD

 

[The Unworthy Gentleman]

"That is one of the great mysteries of life, neither I nor anyone else knows yet. For all we know we get to go to a place of our wildest dreams where we can watch Ben 10 and play video games on a 100" screen all we want... boy I hope it's that."

I like to think that we're all one soul, growing into a God. When we finally enough wisdom collected from our lives we are ready to become one and take care of our 'children' on our own planet. But, that would be too difficult to explain to a minor, the upper one is better for keeping people's minds open.

For my views read this: It's a creepypasta, but a very wise one. [http://creepypasta.wikia.com/wiki/An_Egg]

 

[Harrowdown]

Why are people so easily offended? Why the hell are you offended at what someone believes? Sure, religion is bullshit, and you can't just go around claiming unproven fairytales are true, but why should anyone give a shit that you're offended? It's not like him saying that has harmed you or anything. It's fucked up when people start imposing restrictions on speech because they're offended.

I don't think that he means the IDEA of believing in an afterlife is offensive. I don't personally believe in an afterlife, but I don't find the idea of people wanting to believe in one offensive. I think the offensive part is the indoctrination of youth. Presenting that idea as the truth to someone when the idea doesn't fill any criteria of "truth" is what's offensive, especially when young children want genuine answers from someone who should know more than they do.

Nobody is offended at what this person believes, but they are offended about the fact that this is what that person would say around ANYBODY's child. I definitely would not want that as the one and only, this-is-the-TRUTH answer given to my child.

That being said, I wouldn't want anybody but me talking to my child about this sort of thing.

Nono, that's not what i'm saying at all. I don't care whether or not he's offended at the belief, the wording of the belief or even at the font being used. My point is that whether or not you're offended by something doesn't matter. Some people are offended by certain types of comedy, but that doesn't give them a right to condemn it. Atheists are sometimes offended by religion, and religious people are sometimes offended by atheism, but no group has the power to silence the other based on that. What i'm saying is that it doesn't matter if you're offended or not, unless the thing that's offending you also happens to be harming someone.

 

[FlyAwayAutumn]

Words cannot describe...

Just fucking awesome!!!

Thanks guys that's what I was going for.

 

[El Poncho]

That's for you to decide yourself.

 

[sabbat]

depends on how much i like the kid. knowing kids, probably not a whole lot, so, i'll give them the retarded atheist version. you die, soul ceases to exist, and body becomes a freaking tree.

And then the tree gets cut down and turned into bibles. (Cookie for reference)

Ah Irony at its finest. And all just because he said "God bless you".