The last round - You are not the body.

The last ten minutes at the bar are always the most interesting.
So I brought up aliens, and it went into atheism, reincarnation and micro-evolution very quickly.
So between a self-professed "atheist", and a liberal Christian.
So I say I believe in reincarnation, I agree with the Hindus (or Buddhists, in that sense they were really off shoots at a stage - well one form of Vishnu (Krishna) is Buddha).
Perhaps not the same today, but what they taught on reincarnation is the same.
Do I have any proof of reincarnation? I say, I better, you're reincarnating right now, in one "body".
So I say you were born as a little baby, now you have another body as a man in his thirties.
Your name is still the same, your identity has not changed.
How it can it be you had so many different bodies?
But then he goes, oh, but the blood molecules, the bones, everything has changed over time.
So I say yes, you have just proven my point.
You have changed bodies several times without noticing it.
From a tiny baby to hopefully an old man - and you tell me there's no reincarnation?
Even in this life there is constant re-embodiment.

a reply to: halfoldman

Cells reproduce, and replace your old cells. That has nothing to do with a claim that someone dies and then comes back in another body.

One has to understand the Hindu caste system to understand why they think that your actions in this life will determine the quality of the next life.

However, if you are having that conversation with an atheist, they likely got to that position because there is no good reason to belive in gods, or re-incarnation, or any number of other woo claims.

The real issue here is that you have accepted some belief that is intrinsically unproven. Not unprovable, but, unproven. You have accepted this belief with no real good reason for believing it. That calls your character and ability to think reasonably into question.

The point is you're changing bodies all the time.

You don't need to physically die to change bodies.

You are no longer an infant - but you changed bodies.

Not so?
If you tell me you're a 30-year-old man, and you haven't changed bodies since you were a baby, you are lying.

And yeah biology might agree - but have you changed?
Has your "soul" changed?

My dad marched in and out, but at least I was acknowledged.

Are you surviving?

No I haven't eaten in two days.

a reply to: halfoldman

You don't change bodies..... the body is changing.
All that is appearing is changing...... what is it that remains the same?
The appearance and the seeing cannot be separated....... like a self aware tv screen - the screens appearance is constantly changing but the screen is always present but rarely noticed because the moving image takes the attention.

The most perturbing thing about it all?
They're talking about the school, OK a connection.
Then you realize they went there ten years after you.
They have no idea what you're talking about.

Yeah - what did the one dude say? Stellenberg is the most diverse school in the area. I'm like WHAT? But very different now to how I remember it. It certainly wasn't diverse in my day. But that was a long time ago.

To them, you just walked out of a museum.

The past was another country.

Some might find it fascinating, but I know, not everybody likes museums.

They're looking at you askew ... who is this "funny" uncle?

So, what initially attracted you to the infantry?
I got to be quite honest (you know me to be otherwise?)
it was the men.

I mean what else is there?

I didn't go there for the pussy.

It was always, don't ask, don't tell.

But now there's Facebook, and now my sarge knows.

No problem so far.

I think they were more relieved that you had a regular sexuality at all.

Grumble, grumble ... all those anti-queer jokes that you told, while you got a gay brother covering your back.

Yeah but it's brothers.
They tell all kinds of jokes.

My bros I do forgive - being triggered goes with the job description.

You're what, you're "gay?"
What does it mean soldier?
OK, I see...
Oh, don't worry about that, I think we all get a little confused sometimes (cough).
Just try to be the best cannon-fodder you can be.

a reply to: halfoldman

Who are you talking to?
It looks as if you have the wrong thread?