How Would Your Life Change

[lattelady]

**This isn't meant to be a doctrinal debate. It's simply a thought-provoking question.

My husband and I celebrated 14 years of marriage in August and we went out for a night without our kids and talked the night away. It was awesome to "mine the depths of each other's souls" uninterrupted. :) But we asked each other this question and it was so wierd to think of the outcome:

HOW WOULD YOUR LIFE CHANGE/BE DIFFERENT FROM THE WAY IT IS NOW IF YOU KNEW THERE WAS NO AFTERLIFE? WOULD YOU BEHAVE DIFFERENTLY? IN WHAT WAYS?

Edited September 23, 2009 by lattelady

[Guest]

No, I wouldn't behave differently. And that's probably why I'm not an LDS poster child.

I once met this guy who is jewish waaaay before I became LDS. In one of our intense conversations, he told me, we don't believe in heaven or hell. We do good works because it is the formula that makes us happy here in earth, not because of fear that we will go to hell.

Ever since then, I have applied that to my life. Of course I believe in heaven and hell and God's justice. But, I also acknowledge that what is taught in the gospel is not just for the afterlife but for the good of all mankind here on earth.

Okay, so I haven't done any temple work for my dead relatives yet... still working on it. If there's no afterlife, then yeah, that wouldn't happen at all.

[Maxel]

If there was really no afterlife, no repercussions for what we do, I would go out on the town drinking. Get sexed up, blow a lot of cash, and then kill myself in some painless manner.

I'm not joking. The major motivating factor in my life is God. If He weren't real, I would rather cease to exist than continue this hellish existence.

[beefche]

No afterlife? As in this life is it?

Yeah, I think I'd act a little differently. Nothing too serious, but some things I'm just relying on faith to get to the next life so that I can understand it better.

[beefche]

If there was really no afterlife, no repercussions for what we do, I would go out on the town drinking. Get sexed up, blow a lot of cash

Ok, Max, you and I out on the town, dude! You bring the cash....

[Maxel]

No, I wouldn't behave differently. And that's probably why I'm not an LDS poster child.

Errr... I think acting morally even when the major incentives to do so are removed is very honorable.

Why does that make you not an LDS poster child?

[bytor2112]

Well, since I have done ALL the things Maxel mentioned and then some, I would likely continue in the current rendering of Bytor as my old ways led to unhappiness and would certainly have ended my life much sooner. And I love my family...my wife and my two sons.

[Maxel]

lol beefche. I don't think you'd want to go out with me when I'm in that mindset...

[lattelady]

Maxel, thanks for your transparency. Actually, my husband and I said pretty much the same thing; if we knew this was all there was, we would hope to make some moral choices because we have children and we'd like them to grow up, be happy, be good citizens, etc. But at the end of the day, if there was no God, and this life was all there was, I'm afraid I would live for me and what makes me happy--and in the process I would self-destruct. Is that called hedonism? It was just a scary thought to realize who and what I'd be apart from God.

[beefche]

lol beefche. I don't think you'd want to go out with me when I'm in that mindset...

With endless cash and no inhibitions, I'd show you a GREAT time and you'd forget all about doing yourself in....

[beefche]

Maxel, thanks for your transparency. Actually, my husband and I said pretty much the same thing; if we knew this was all there was, we would hope to make some moral choices because we have children and we'd like them to grow up, be happy, be good citizens, etc. But at the end of the day, if there was no God, and this life was all there was, I'm afraid I would live for me and what makes me happy--and in the process I would self-destruct. Is that called hedonism? It was just a scary thought to realize who and what I'd be apart from God.

That's interesting. I liked bytor's explanation that he found living for today as a way of unhappiness and has found happiness in this life through good living.

I do think I'd do some things differently, but I live my life now because of who I am now and who I want to be later--which is influenced by my religious beliefs to some extent. But, I've thought of this question before and really do think I'd be pretty much the same person I am now.

[Maxel]

With endless cash and no inhibitions, I'd show you a GREAT time and you'd forget all about doing yourself in....

Ummmm... *blushes*

[Over43]

**This isn't meant to be a doctrinal debate. It's simply a thought-provoking question.

My husband and I celebrated 14 years of marriage in August and we went out for a night without our kids and talked the night away. It was awesome to "mine the depths of each other's souls" uninterrupted. :) But we asked each other this question and it was so wierd to think of the outcome:

HOW WOULD YOUR LIFE CHANGE/BE DIFFERENT FROM THE WAY IT IS NOW IF YOU KNEW THERE WAS NO AFTERLIFE? WOULD YOU BEHAVE DIFFERENTLY? IN WHAT WAYS?

No, I don't think it would change much. Maybe an occassional cigar, and a Guiness, but no. I'm pretty set in my ways, regardless of what may or may not be "later on".

[Maxel]

I'm afraid I would live for me and what makes me happy--and in the process I would self-destruct. Is that called hedonism? It was just a scary thought to realize who and what I'd be apart from God.

I think that would be hedonism- which does lead to self-destruction.

The reason I wouldn't want to keep on living is because I have serious clinical depression. If there were no God and no reason to keep living, I'd rather end it than endure hardship upon humiliating hardship for the sake of brief moments of happiness.

[Misshalfway]

Well, I would definitely think differently about behavior and choices. If there wasn't an afterlife, that would make me as lots of questions about morality and the purpose for living. It would most certainly change where I found peace and why.

Sometimes I think that this would be a comfort as religion sometimes ties one up in knots or limit ones perspectives. Other times I think this situation would be so heartbreaking that I wouldn't know how to process tragedies. I think there might be more suicides, more wars, etc. and I wonder if the human race would survive as long as it has. And then I might say....who cares.....

[ploomf]

Not much would change for me except I'd get to sleep in on Sundays. I'm too lazy to change much else.

[hordak]

Nothing would change. I beleive in the Atheist wager.

You should live your life and try to make the world a better place for your being in it, whether or not you believe in god. If there is no god, you have lost nothing and will be remembered fondly by those you left behind. If there is a benevolent god, he will judge you on your merits and not just on whether or not you believed in him

I think if your motivation to "be good" is purely driven by fear of punishment or anticipation of reward you will be unpleasantly suprized when God reads you like a book. As a parent i know motivation is equally, if not more important then action.

[Guest Godless]

I've been through the type of transition that you're describing, and I can honestly say that it hasn't changed me much. My views on things like sex, drugs, and alcohol has changed, as has the way I view concepts like happiness and purpose. But I think the essential qualities that have always made me who I am have remained the same. I still strive to treat others with compassion. I still try to maintain a positive attitude towards life regardless of how bad things get. So basically, my lifestyle has changed, but my personality hasn't (much).

[Maxel]

The problem with ideas like the Atheist wager is that it's insufficient to motivate people with serious psychological problems to move forward. For instance, the reason I don't want to live is because I have severe clinical depression- it makes it impossible for me to function at a normal level. I won't be ready for marriage or even living healthily on my own for a while (and I'm almost 22). It's a horrible life, made better only by the knowledge that there are better things in store for me AND a never-ending source of strength I can lean on while on this earth life.

If there was no God, those who say "what's the point?" would be the wisest ones, IMO. The reason that any belief that morality is superior to immorality stems from the existence of a God.

[lattelady]

As messed up as our world already is, I do fear that it would be a beyond-scary free-for-all if we all realized this life was all there was. The whole "eat, drink, and be merry for tomorrow...we all die" thing. I would love to think that in and of myself, I would be a good person. But I know me all too well. Maxel, I too have struggled several times in my life with depression--even with suicidal thoughts. I know if it weren't for God, I would've sought an early end to my pain. But God gave me reason to hope that things could get better. And I thank Him that they did.

[Misshalfway]

Nothing would change. I beleive in the Atheist wager.

Quote:

You should live your life and try to make the world a better place for your being in it, whether or not you believe in god. If there is no god, you have lost nothing and will be remembered fondly by those you left behind. If there is a benevolent god, he will judge you on your merits and not just on whether or not you believed in him

.

If I knew (to some certain degree) that there was no God or life after this one, I think perhaps I would live like this. I would see the goodness in people and appeal to that for prosocial trends and peaceful, healthful practice.

But this still doesn't answer the deepest questions of the soul. I also wonder if mankind would search for excellence in areas such as moral character or in attributes such as humility. Science would do what it does, and it would be just as limited.

It would be interesting to see the history of the world play without a belief in God/gods woven into cultures. How would we as humans have evolved without it?

[ploomf]

I think it depends on how you define good as well. I think most people are basically good people. If everyone in the world suddenly knew that there was no God I don't think there would be this huge outbreak of murder and rape and robbery and what have you. I think there would be more people having sex outside of marriage, less marriage and more just living together, more abortion, more drinking, ect. Some people would say that wasn't a bad thing, some people would say it is.

[hordak]

If I knew (to some certain degree) that there was no God or life after this one, I think perhaps I would live like this. I would see the goodness in people and appeal to that for prosocial trends and peaceful, healthful practice.

But this still doesn't answer the deepest questions of the soul. I also wonder if mankind would search for excellence in areas such as moral character or in attributes such as humility. Science would do what it does, and it would be just as limited.

It would be interesting to see the history of the world play without a belief in God/gods woven into cultures. How would we as humans have evolved without it?

As a whole who knows there are very few cultures without a belief in God/Gods. However

Ashoka the great, a Buddhist , was the first emperor to ban, slavery. He also banned the death penalty, and provided wells, inns, medical herbs, engineers and Drs to the neighboring countries.

(of course i should note while many Buddhist don't believe in God they do believe in Karma, a reward /punishment system so it's pretty much the same.)

[Moksha]

Fortunately, we will never get such a confirmation either for or against those things which are metaphysical. I'm in agreement with Maxel about belief in God helping to make life worthwhile. With a leap of faith, we can transcend any lack of confirmation. With this faith we can lead ethical lives - far from the hedonism that some have described.

[lattelady]

I know that just by watching my kids from birth up (and though biased, I believe I have great, well-behaved kids), man isn't by nature good. I didn't teach my kids to rebel, lie, steal, etc., but they figured that out on their own. When they were very small, and I would tell them "no no", to keep them safe from danger, they would look me in the eye, smile, and then disobey. I think it's in the heart of man, naturally, to defy authority and buck the rules--even as they pertain to God.