Life After Death?
Crossed: A Pastor and an Atheist Debate
Gary’s Statement
I envy other life forms on Earth. Humans alone must contemplate their eventual non-existence. Most religions provide a solution for their followers – we don’t really die, we just “pass” into another realm of existence. On top of that, it’s much better! There will be angels flying around; 72 virgins waiting for Mr. Right to free them from their loneliness and despair; and, you can hang out with the god that you were raised to believe exists. Naturally the only way you will ever encounter that god is after you die.
Common sense should be enough to tell us there is no life after death. However, I offer this as evidence…every single life form that has ever lived on Earth has died. One hundred percent of them are no longer physically or cognitively functional. Most have disintegrated into dust. What reason is there to invent an alternative?
Among my earliest memories are those of my Catholic parents and parochial school teachers informing me that if I do everything they tell me to do, when I die I will be among the fortunate that get to be with the one, true god. After all, everyone else’s gods, all 2,500 of them are imaginary. Talk about motivation for an undeveloped mind!
When I got to college, I began to think more logically. It occurred to me that this whole life after death thing was not only implausible, but absurd. I realized it is nothing more than a way to offer religious followers a carrot to maintain contributions. For those who have always assumed they would go to heaven or be reincarnated, this is bitter medicine.
Death is depressing and inevitable. But once you reject the bizarre notions of an afterlife and accept your eventual non-existence, it frees you from all the doubt and fear. There is nothing to think about – when you die, it will be exactly the same as it was before you were born. That wasn’t so bad, was it?
Bill’s Statement
Is there life after death or is this one of the many “bizarre” Christian beliefs, comforting the fearful and filling the pews? How can rational people believe such fairy tales?
These aren’t Gary’s questions, per se, but they reflect their spirit. Gary believes there is no evidence for belief in life after death. Science suggests otherwise.
In the Gospel of John, Jesus says, those who know God have “eternal life.” For Jesus, death will not destroy our relationship with God. Offered to the living, eternal life is less an “after life” and more the assurance our relationship with God will not end upon our death. Yet, it qualifies. There is “life after death.” Our life with God continues even after death. But science allows us to say more.
The Law of the Conservation of Energy (real physics!) tells us energy can’t be created or destroyed. If energy can’t be destroyed, our life’s energy must live on after we die!
Years ago, I had the privilege of participating in the autopsy of someone I visited as a hospital chaplain. Words can’t describe the difference between the person I had prayed with hours before and the carcass we were cutting. The force, or energy, which had given this woman life, what Christians call her spirit, was no longer present in her body. But where was it?
The Law of the Conservation of Energy tells us energy can’t be destroyed. So the power, the energy that gave this woman life must still live (perhaps returning to its source?). Though her flesh is no more, according to the laws of physics, this woman’s life force lives on!
Where does our life’s energy go? Christians speak of heaven and hell…streets paved with gold…a blazing furnace or fiery lake…all attempts to express an inexpressible mystery. Only God and those who’ve gone before know, but science proves, whatever form it takes, there is life after death!
Gary’s Reply
I would say that Bill and I have a fundamental disagreement on how the Law of the Conservation of Energy works. That physics law uses examples such as the transfer of energy from a soccer kicker’s foot to the ball. It is quite a non-scientific stretch to somehow equate that with a human being’s “life force living on” after death.
Look, I’m all in favor of everlasting life. I’m also in favor of all humans living in perfect harmony with each other and eliminating disease. The thing is, that isn’t what we have here on planet Earth. We have pain and joy, freedom and slavery, agony and ecstasy, and life and death. You can’t just wish away the unpleasant parts. You can learn to cope with them and in so doing, make life more pleasant for yourself and those around you.
We are slowly moving toward a more realistic and progressive understanding of how the universe functions. I am quite confident that future discoveries will not include locating heaven, hell, or any of the other fanciful places religions invented.
Bill’s Reply
“And yet, the strange thing is, I’d say I was probably happier before I lost my religion.” An anonymous young woman from England, reflecting on what she lost and gained having given up her belief in God, came to this conclusion. There’s no larger purpose in life. No way to assuage guilt or redeem broken relationships. Life becomes a matter of counting the days until one dies. No wonder she was happier before!
The Christian hope of resurrection to eternal life is not some absurd fantasy created to deny the reality of death. We know death is real. We grieve. We mourn. We miss the love of those who have gone before. Nevertheless, having experienced the love of God through the love of Jesus Christ in this life, we trust we will know the fullness of God’s love for eternity.
I can appreciate why Gary might think us foolish. But having witnessed the power of God to bring life from death in Jesus Christ and in the lives of so many others, it makes perfect sense to me.
Agree Statement
Gary and Bill agree death is part of life. Regardless of one’s beliefs about life after death, we should live this life in such a way as to bring justice, joy, love, and peace to those with whom we share this precious gift.