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Originally Posted by davem
Formendacil I suppose the difference between becoming an adult & the afterlife is that we know (barring accidents) that we will grow up – it has nothing to do with 'belief'. The afterlife is precisely a matter of belief, & hence is 'optional' from the point of view of whether we accept it or not. Its not about a 'fear' of entering into a 'higher' state of being, its whether the idea appeals.
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No, I'm inclined to think otherwise...
The afterlife is no more optional than adulthood- it's going to happen eventually. Just like the body inevitably matures, we all inevitably die. However, just as actually growing up- with regards to one's brain or maturity- isn't an automatic process, since people often tend to remain immature and childless past the time they OUGHT to become mature adults, I suppose it's possible for you to "refuse to grow up" or "refuse to have an afterlife"- but quite frankly, I don't think it's optional. You had to grow up, like it or not, and you have to go somewhere after death.
Now, it should be clear that I'm convinced there is an afterlife. But even if I were to say "no, there is no afterlife", I'd still have problems with your statement. What you seem to be saying is that the afterlife is optional. It isn't. If it exists, we're all going to go SOMEWHERE. If it doesn't, we're all losers, from the Pope on down. But either way, it isn't something that is optional.