MidTnAg said:
CaptMermethyl said:
The questions above are critical to answer what follows. Judging from your previous responses and the questions themselves, there are assumptions by both repliers and you that need to be aligned first.
Example:
IF you do NOT believe that anything non-material exists, then one must establish that in order to answer your question.
In fact, if you establish that non-material things exist, which they do, then it is much easier to answer your questions.
1- What lives after we die?
- nothing lives in the sense of 'life' in the material universe. Life is respiration, reproduction, etc... it is a state of material being. A non-material essence, such as your spirit, isn't 'alive' in technical terms, but it is aware with will, intellect, reason, etc.
2- What does it do and where does it go?
- there is no 'where' in the non-material existence. 'Where' describes a location in the physical universe within space and time. Does a concept have a 'there'? No, it is outside of the material. Does a law of physics have a 'there'? nope. It exists outside of the material.
Now, if you go back to the questions above, you can see that once we establish:
1- the non-material exists (i.e. law of nature, concepts, etc)
2- that humans have non-material aspects (i.e. souls, spirits, minds, intellects, wills, etc.)
3- THEN, we could talk about the life beyond the material- that of the spirit- and how it is unbound by time, place, matter, etc.
I don't consider the non-material aspects you mention as part of the human body. I think of them as sort of characteristics. Humans have many characteristics but, in my opinion, they all die when our body dies.
You apparently believe that some of our non-material aspects actually survive our death?
Which ones?
What happens to them?
Why do they survive and the others don't?
I would ask you this: you believe they are characteristics, or perhaps emergent phenomenon. Is it possible to use the scientific method to quantify these things?
soul, spirit, will, intellect, mind.
Let's focus on free-will.
If free-will is inside the physical universe, then it is simply an illusion- because it is a product of eons of physical and chemical reactions which make us seem to choose one action over another. Imagine a chemical reaction in a test tube. No decision-making goes on inside the test tube to produce the outcome. It simply just does it based on physical laws.
Following from this, if you believe human free-will is merely an illusion, and is actually chemical/physical reactions, then you *should* take a few stances that might make you uncomfortable:
1- there should be no punishment, because people aren't actually choosing to do bad things
2- your very understanding and choosing to believe that the scientific method is a proper way to find knowledge is actually just an illusion- you're not choosing anything
3 - you cannot trust your senses, as all interpretation is merely a pre-determined reaction
4 - you, with your identity, your personhood, is just an illusion. You are no more special than dust or rocks.
5 - human rights do not exist. Crimes like rape and slavery are neither good nor evil.
Furthermore, again, to use words like "live", "die", "survive", for things that are immaterial (not made of matter, nor affected by time, nor occupying a space) is nonsensical.
So, back to your questions above:
Which ones? those that are immaterial (not bound by space and time- I would say
the spirit is a good summary answer here.)
What happens to them? any number of things.
Why do they survive and the others don't? this question makes no sense (see above). But, to make an attempt- they 'survive' because the immaterial are not bound by space and time, and therefore cannot 'die'.
As a note- as CS Lewis said-
"There are no ordinary people. You have never talked to a mere mortal. Nations, cultures, arts, civilizations - these are mortal, and their life is to ours as the life of a gnat. But it is immortals whom we joke with, work with, marry, snub and exploit - immortal horrors or everlasting splendors."Humans, by the sense they are made up of the immaterial, are immortals. (not bound by space/time in those facets of their essence.)