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the light at the end of the tunnel
| Philosophy 101 |
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the light at the end of the tunnel |
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Falling rain
since 2008-01-31
Posts 2178Small town, Illinois 
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I've read many books in my life time. And some were about life and death. And the supposed hypothesis on this is.. when you die there is a tunnel of light the supposedly goes straight to Heaven. But my question is that at the end of the tunnel weither that ligth is the light of Gods love or is it the light of falmes from Hell?? I know that no one here or anywhere else can answer this question. Cause nobody has risin from the dead resently. But this question is just of your opinion. And i do know that religion is your own thing that you can believe in or not. Im just curious on this.... like any other adolescent.. always questioning because everything is new. But now thinking about it everyone is always questioning, not just adolescent, since no one knows everything. Anyway back to the subject at hand. I just want your opinion. And please just make you respones short and sweet cause honestly i don't like reading long writing lol. Thanks!! XxZachXx |
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Stephanos
since 2000-07-31
Posts 3618Statesboro, GA, USA |
God's word teaches us that ultimately there is eternal salvation for believers in Jesus and perdition for unbelievers. I don't think that any particular vision of this is universal, as even tunnels and lights seem to be only symbols of traveling and destination. But I certainly believe that one's destiny depends upon the individual, particularly how one responds to the "light" one is given. I just read a book by N.T. Wright, where he explained that a disembodied "afterlife" is not what is focused upon in scripture, but the "life after the 'afterlife'" ... or the promise of a future restoration of the Earth and bodily resurrection. And while I personally think there may be something to an interim period (there are hints enough for this in scripture too), it doesn't seem to be the final goal, or the most important thing. We were created to live a bodily life. Only its good to think one may hope for such minus all of the sin, sickness, and pain that haunts our current bodily state. Sorry if that was too long. But these things can't really be distilled into quick sentences and soundbites.  Stephen |
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Grinch Member Elite
since 2005-12-31
Posts 2929Whoville |
quote: There’s a flaw in this statement, you even recognised it yourself: quote: A small proportion of people who have near death experiences talk of a light but even they haven’t experienced death and can add no real authority to the notion. Some people when near to death talk of an intense feeling of nothingness which could be taken that there is nothing after death but again this can only be taken as conjecture. Personally I believe death is the end of the line, that there is no heaven or hell beyond this mortal existence, but each to his own, if you wish to believe in an afterlife who am I to argue. |
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Falling rain
since 2008-01-31
Posts 2178Small town, Illinois |
Hmm interesting thoughts about this. It sure has opened my mind to more options of this topic. thanks for your ideas. XxZachXx |
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Essorant Member Elite
since 2002-08-10
Posts 4769Regina, Saskatchewan; Canada |
What do you think you were before being a living body? You were dead! You already rose from being dead! That is, you were born! First give thanks and make the most for being born the first time and rising from the dead. The next time will come when it is ready. |
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Falling rain
since 2008-01-31
Posts 2178Small town, Illinois |
true be that E. He will come when he is ready or planned. or when ever!! lol |
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Edward Grim Senior Member
since 2005-12-18
Posts 1154Greenville, South Carolina |
quote: It's an oncoming train. "Imagination is more important than knowledge." Albert E. |
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Bob K Member Elite
since 2007-11-03
Posts 4208 |
These discussions turn into people trading zen koans. Where are you after you're dead? What was your name before you were born? Nobody actually seems to meditate on them and give them the attention they deserve. Maybe we shouldn't for some reason and we need our koans handed to us by people with knowledge and authority in the meditative traditions to help us steer a better course. But I've seen folks chuck things like this around here and there before. How come we keep brings this stuff up? |
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Falling rain
since 2008-01-31
Posts 2178Small town, Illinois |
yea i know how ya' feel. i just stop talking about these kind of stuff. ~Zach~ |
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Bob K Member Elite
since 2007-11-03
Posts 4208 |
Essorant, Perhaps there are more classifications than "living" and "dead," perhaps not. I don't believe the matter is a settled as you seem to. I'm not entirely sure that the classification of an "I" or a "you" is terribly useful before there's sufficient myelination of the neuron sheaths. Call me silly, but until the wiring works, everything else in the computer (to use one of the so-so modern metaphors) is mere speculation. I've always found the whole issue of death and its survival beyond me. Those in the scientific community who want to say there is none seem to me in as much of a hurry to theorize in advance of data as those convinced that heaven and hell or a simple heartbeat away. Both seem to rely on the data of faith. It seems to me we'll get an answer more quickly than many of us would wish anyway. What's the answer to the question of "Is there Life after Death?" Pay attention to the life you're living now. |
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Bob K Member Elite
since 2007-11-03
Posts 4208 |
Essorant, Perhaps there are more classifications than "living" and "dead," perhaps not. I don't believe the matter is a settled as you seem to. I'm not entirely sure that the classification of an "I" or a "you" is terribly useful before there's sufficient myelination of the neuron sheaths. Call me silly, but until the wiring works, everything else in the computer (to use one of the so-so modern metaphors) is mere speculation. I've always found the whole issue of death and its survival beyond me. Those in the scientific community who want to say there is none seem to me in as much of a hurry to theorize in advance of data as those convinced that heaven and hell or a simple heartbeat away. Both seem to rely on the data of faith. It seems to me we'll get an answer more quickly than many of us would wish anyway. What's the answer to the question of "Is there Life after Death?" Weed the garden, tie your shoes, wash the dishes. |
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eternally_singing Member
since 2007-12-18
Posts 123PA, United States |
Interesting question. However it made me think – why is hell full of fire? To me that is one person’s view of hell which has been spread. I would believe that hell is what one fears most. Also couldn’t the light be another place, such as purgatory, if you believe in it. And why is heaven light? Couldn’t it be what one loves most or a place and time one loves most – and what if that favorite time be twilight or deep night? So, I guess all those questions were just my way of saying- we do not know what is waiting for us. Plus, I am not too anxious to find out- I will wait and enjoy what I have now. Though I must admit, it shall be interesting to figure out more questions about why we cannot know if the light at the end of the tunnel is heaven or hell. |
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serenity blaze Member Empyrean
since 2000-02-02
Posts 27738 |
Ed Grim? lawsy man... *karen misspelled her own name twice while collapsing laughing* I know it's late, but wanna go to I-hop?  *whoo-wooo!" |
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Essorant Member Elite
since 2002-08-10
Posts 4769Regina, Saskatchewan; Canada |
Bob, quote: It may not be settled to you, but it is to me. Just like there is such thing as a content way of arranging things in one's house, without always needing to rearrange them over and over again, that becomes very comforting and familiar, and by being comforting and familiar contributes to being "home". Likewise , there is also such thing as a content answer, without always needing to change and rearrange it everyday. I don't want to come home to a different home everday, and believe it or not, I don't want to come home to a different answer everyday either. |
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Bob K Member Elite
since 2007-11-03
Posts 4208 |
Dear Essorant, That seems a perfectly fine way of doing things to me, Essorant. I've been meditating a couple of hours a day or more now for probably 30 years and a long time ago I was sitting watching a woman I was very fond of and her face started to slip away like thin masks, one after the other. You remember Lucretius talking about atoms peeling off objects and creating sense impressions in the eyes of observers? These were thin masks of this woman's face, but in every guise I could possibly imagine, crone, kore, child, her mother, her possible children, boys and girls; certainly more than I have the inclination to talk about here. The experience went on for close to an hour while I watched; it was quite profound, the kind of experience I'm told happens when you take LSD or some sort of psychoactive drug, which I've always been fearful of doing. Occasionally while meditating I have been through places like this, and I respect their peculiar reality. I suspect attempting to hold onto them would prove unwise in terms of long term health. My personal preference is to try to be home wherever I am; though I am a complete failure at this as I am at so many other things. I've tried returning to the same place every night, but I find it's never there for me the way I remember it. I'm very fortunate to have Elaine. I'm glad you can return home every night. That is a very fine thing. Your, BobK. |
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Bob K Member Elite
since 2007-11-03
Posts 4208 |
Dear Essorant, That seems a perfectly fine way of doing things to me, Essorant. I've been meditating a couple of hours a day or more now for probably 30 years and a long time ago I was sitting watching a woman I was very fond of and her face started to slip away like thin masks, one after the other. You remember Lucretius talking about atoms peeling off objects and creating sense impressions in the eyes of observers? These were thin masks of this woman's face, but in every guise I could possibly imagine, crone, kore, child, her mother, her possible children, boys and girls; certainly more than I have the inclination to talk about here. The experience went on for close to an hour while I watched; it was quite profound, the kind of experience I'm told happens when you take LSD or some sort of psychoactive drug, which I've always been fearful of doing. Occasionally while meditating I have been through places like this, and I respect their peculiar reality. I suspect attempting to hold onto them would prove unwise in terms of long term health. My personal preference is to try to be home wherever I am; though I am a complete failure at this as I am at so many other things. I've tried returning to the same place every night, but I find it's never there for me the way I remember it. I'm very fortunate to have Elaine. I'm glad you can return home every night. That is a very fine thing. In the meantime, it's helpful for me, when I can, to do the dishes. I hoping to graduate to cleaning my room on a regular basis, and I've decided to use loafers so the whole business about tying my shoes will remain moot. Yours, BobK. |
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Essorant Member Elite
since 2002-08-10
Posts 4769Regina, Saskatchewan; Canada |
Somehow I had some success at being in the same place. I still live in the same country, same province, same city, same neighbourhood, same house, and sleep in the same room in that house, in which I was raised from childhood. Not only that but I work at the same and only workplace that I ever had. It seems the story of my life may be said in two words: "Same place." |
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Ron
Administrator
Member Rara Avis
since 1999-05-19
Posts 8669Michigan, US |
Ess, you remind me of a friend who came to visit me in Michigan a few years back. She had been here before, during the same late summer period, and professed to have greatly missed the peace and quiet of our rural life. She said she even missed the field after field after field of tall corn so common to this part of the Midwest. "I love that nothing ever changes here," she said as we drove from the airport. "Not true," I replied, pointing towards one of the passing corn fields. "That's not the same corn that was here last year." |
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Jrocc New Member
since 2008-10-28
Posts 7Australia, Vic |
Ess I respect your choices, but to be honest i like to attack change head on. I don't believe it is very healthy to always be seeking change, but to stay in the same situation is to never grow. I think like Ron said, you have changed but you don't know it, such as maybe the same workplace, but a different job, or the same house with different people. Although in saying that, it is the places that we base ourselves in that we take part of our identity from, so is it wise to change your identity? Is it wise to always be the same? I do not know for i have not had enough life expirience yet, but i believe that if you do change, make sure it is the right change because you do not want to change back. As for the topic which i may have gotten off hand, sorry about that, i personally believe that the light at the end of the tunnel is determined by which tunnel you take. The outcome of your life depends on how you live it. |
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