I thought of an inverse question to this one **Afterlife: Who wants one? http/boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php=3ft=3d357122 **
I tried to think of what a corresponding befuddlement an atheist would have with most who believe in afterlife.
I came up with this:
Why do most religious people not want there to be life on other planets? (If you think that’s the case, of course)
I can understand that some people don’t think there’s life elsewhere just because of difficulties calculating the odds, etc. But even if there was an intelligent designer, why wouldn’t s/he/they want to put life on other planets as well?
And why would you not even want to find life “out there”?
And would you want those others to be in your same heaven, or should they have their own, segregated heaven?
I think meeting E. T. in the afterlife might be fun.
And Alley Oop and his faithful dinosaur.
(I do sort of wonder what Jainists would want with all the gnats they spared LOL)
I’m not religious - never have been, never will be.
I’m agnostic, leaning heavily toward skepticism.
I want an afterlife to exist (with conditions), but I’m quite skeptical that it does.
I want life to exist on other planets, and I am almost certain that it does.
If god does exist, I believe that he can do so without the trappings of religion. Some religions/denominations deserve respect, others don’t. The ones that don’t, IMO, are typically fundamentalist in nature and attract slow-witted, often dangerous people. Many non-religious people unfairly categorize all denominations, and religious people in general, as being the latter, slow-witted type. My assessment is that the average religious person is ethical, moral and intelligent. You don’t have to be religious to believe in god or an afterlife. I accept good science without hesitation and I believe that the scientific method should be trusted whenever it can be employed. I don’t believe that science and faith in god or allowing for the possibility of an afterlife are necessarily mutually incompatible. There are intelligent people and intelligent arguments that span the spectrum from atheism to deism. Typically, it is the fringe at either extreme that make the most noise, but have the least intelligent arguments to contribute. While dismissing the fringe is wise, dismissing an entire community that is in opposition to your own beliefs is unproductive, close-minded and a bit elitist. While I am quite skeptical of the existence of god/creator/afterlife, I do not accept the argument that these things are analogous to believing in Santa Clause, the Easter Bunny…or any other pure fabrication of mans imagination. I have my reasons for believing this to be true, and those reasons are valid for me.
Not being religious, I can only offer my opinion. Some religions elevate mankind to a privileged position worthy of god’s attention. Since we are arguably the most advanced species on earth, that tenet is easy to adhere to, so long as earth is the only celestial body that harbors life. Allowing for the possibility of other potentially more advanced life forms substantially erodes the privileged position argument. This is just another religious trapping that I disagree with.
And give up my chance for post-mortal alien sex, not on your life.
