Spiritual Reorientation 4: Eternal Life is Eternal Death

a reply to: g0dhims3lf

I like how people throw the word "meaningless" around. Like in this thread about spirituality. Meaning comes from the intelligent agent. Not intelligent in terms of knowledge but in awareness of ones self. Meaning can be given to ANYTHING. Therefore spirituality is most certainly meaningful depending on who you ask and to say otherwise is only to deny a preference. Denying a preference is senseless because essentially its just projecting ones lack of meaning to another meaning, having no affect on either.

Good perception. I agree.

But when I say meaningless, its because no meaning can be found within it. You're right to say the meaning must be given to it, or supplied to it by the one who's considering it. The meaning is always generated within the intelligent agent. Since this is so, it must be assumed that it is I who is supplying the meaning to my words, and no one has to agree with it. It is up to them to determine if what I say has any validity, and they can prove me wrong and convince me by proving the opposite.

a reply to: Aphorism

Yup then someone can prove them wrong and so on and so forth.

The absurdity of life lies in the nature of consciousness, because however seriously we take life, we always know that there is some perspective from which this seriousness can be questioned

~ Thomas Nagel

That which seems the height of absurdity in one generation often becomes the height of wisdom in the next

~ John Stuart Mill

Doubt is not a pleasant condition, but certainty is absurd

~ Voltaire

a reply to: Aphorism

Sure, it's an interesting idea. Most people think their bodies are just air bags anyways.

We are comprised of 75% water. The bacteria in our bodies outnumber our cells 10 to 1. 99% of an atom is just empty space. In all actuality, "air bags" is a pretty good description. What accounts for "you" is a small fraction of what you see in the mirror.

a reply to: Aphorism

See if have you right, as the direction of your thread seems illusive.

If what you are saying is valid, we're pointless bipedal carbon
based organisms with a body make up of 75% water. And despite
any amount of intelligence, should know nothing of truth vs lies,
good vs. evil, love vs. hate.

Yes no?

a reply to: Aphorism

Hi Aphorism, thanks for replying. At first I was going to ask you about 'the way of life' but perhaps the term self explanatory.

Over the years I have written the odd bit of prose...all bad. I sometimes mention things like, my magical travelling companion, the old dear friend, even the beloved. Although this reads as though projected outwards it really always is directed at and an expression of the body...myself.
I can't sing the body electric like Walt Whitman but I share in my own small way his reverence for the beauty and mystery of life.

I am a little curious though, as regards your own perspective on such things. When I use the word 'magical' in the paragraph above for instance does that 'sit' with the way of life?

originally posted by: Aphorism


The body animates itself. "Breath" is a word describing the air we inhale and exhale.

The body keeps the animation process (life) going. What animated your body were your parents' bodies as their parents' bodies animated theirs, and so, all the way back until when life began. Like passing a flame from one candle to the next to the next... but what lit the original flame?

Spirit is the feeling of being alive, if that feeling must be defined. Religion is believing that this spirit is part of something grander.

Spirit is just a human derived concept, really, and is totally subjective in meaning. So I don't see the point in debating it...

a reply to: Aphorism

“Wait and see,” they tell me. “You will be surprised”. They’ve learned this speech from their doctrines: “Wait and see, -

wait and see....you the unwashed masses have to wait for their reward in the afterlife whilst us priests enjoy the fruits of your labour now. Give us your donations give us our tax free status let us drive our large cars and molest young children we are untouchable. After all fear of hell will keep you in line.

Yes indeed Eternal death is what they sell well

originally posted by: randyvs
a reply to: Aphorism

See if have you right, as the direction of your thread seems illusive.

If what you are saying is valid, we're pointless bipedal carbon
based organisms with a body make up of 75% water. And despite
any amount of intelligence, should know nothing of truth vs lies,
good vs. evil, love vs. hate.

Yes no?

If you are pointless, it is because you have decided to be so. Likewise, no one has any right to give you a "point" except yourself.

originally posted by: Aphorism

Perhaps it was better that they were not born at all, these nihilistic ones, who have yet to make sacred anything in the world but their symbols and stories.

If you were born a nihilist, you would be born "dead."

Obviously, we are born alive, and somehow some of us realise death without physically forfeiting.

If you want to know one of the means by which immortality is obtained, some have unwillingly experienced pain beyond what most can comprehend, and still, did not give in to their tormentors.

For a strange reason, they regained consciousness.

I'd admit, the experience of life would be dull, the only thing that they hold on to is a permanant sense of security.

As you know, many have killed, and have died, to be absolutley safe.

You are dealing with individuals whom are fantastically old, and they have gone through the full-gamut of experiences, if I can share with you, I recollect being sacrified for a nuclear bomb - I was a baby, put in a bomb, so the enemy could not take revenge, lest I remembered the horrific experience.

I'll tell you what - I lived.

a reply to: SystemResistor

If you were born a nihilist, you would be born "dead."

Is a bag of chips packaged as "eaten"? Nihilists have every reason to make the most out of their lives because it's the only chance they get. And if there's no real point, then why not do everything that makes you happy? Moping around just puts salt in the wound. Be happy, and die knowing that you couldn't have lived a better life. Or more to the point, knowing that you would have wanted no other life than the one you lived.