A while ago I had come to a realization that I thought I would share.
Now technically, I don't believe in or disbelieve in God. I see no reason to really pick a side. I simply choose to live my life as if there is no God -- partly because I'm an only child and value my independance (and very much dislike anybody but me being involved in my affairs), and partly because of what I'm about to explain to you.
Humanity is the only known race that consciously knows its going to die someday. I'm gonna die and so are you. Big deal. I think this is one of two reasons why a lot of people today and throughout history have been obsessed with the afterlife (the second being that we are the prime species this planet has to offer-the top of the foodchain, smarter than anything else, etc, and we've developed a degree of arrogance because of this). A lot of people seem to believe that when you die, you'll go to heaven, or you'll live some sort of afterlife.
Personally, I feel that this is undesirable. I look forward to the fact that I'm going to die some day. I don't want to die right now or soon, but some day, I'd like to finally go. And when I go, I want to be gone. I don't want to think or feel or be. I just want to be gone. The idea that I would have to be around for all eternity is a fricken nightmare for me. So as you can imagine, I'm not real keen on the whole idea of souls and spirits and God.
I think it would be somewhat anticlimatic to die and be gone forever, though. I'm sure you I speak for everyone when I wonder what the point of ever living was if that just happens anyway. But it occured to me. Our children carry our DNA and our cells. They're made of the same stuff we are -- they're us reborn.
Now, my grandpa got really into tracing our family history back, and I got into it a little bit too. The furthest I've been able to trace my lineage was back to the Potato Famine, when a lot of Irish died or came over to the new world. A lot of those dead Irish are my relatives from way back when, and it occured to me that they live on in me. Although they're DNA has mixed with a lot of other families and is far less prevalent in me than in their children and grandchildren, it is without a doubt that as long as I survive, they are, technically, surviving. And when I have children, they will carry on my genes, and hopefully reproduce themselves, giving what I am eternal life (or life for as long as Humans exist). That's the whole point of having kids, is to allow our cells to continue reproducing even after we die.
Your child is 50% you.
Grandchild: 25%
Great Grandchild: 12.5%
Greatx2 Grandchild: 6.25%
Greatx3 Grandchild: 3.125%
Obviously your genes become less and less prominent in your offspring as generations pass, but they're always there. Our ascestors from 10 000 years ago live on today in us.
So, basically, in conclusion, I'm content to die someday and my only concern when I go is that I've left part of me behind. Who I am will be gone someday, but what I am will be around. At least for a little while.
Now technically, I don't believe in or disbelieve in God. I see no reason to really pick a side. I simply choose to live my life as if there is no God -- partly because I'm an only child and value my independance (and very much dislike anybody but me being involved in my affairs), and partly because of what I'm about to explain to you.
Humanity is the only known race that consciously knows its going to die someday. I'm gonna die and so are you. Big deal. I think this is one of two reasons why a lot of people today and throughout history have been obsessed with the afterlife (the second being that we are the prime species this planet has to offer-the top of the foodchain, smarter than anything else, etc, and we've developed a degree of arrogance because of this). A lot of people seem to believe that when you die, you'll go to heaven, or you'll live some sort of afterlife.
Personally, I feel that this is undesirable. I look forward to the fact that I'm going to die some day. I don't want to die right now or soon, but some day, I'd like to finally go. And when I go, I want to be gone. I don't want to think or feel or be. I just want to be gone. The idea that I would have to be around for all eternity is a fricken nightmare for me. So as you can imagine, I'm not real keen on the whole idea of souls and spirits and God.
I think it would be somewhat anticlimatic to die and be gone forever, though. I'm sure you I speak for everyone when I wonder what the point of ever living was if that just happens anyway. But it occured to me. Our children carry our DNA and our cells. They're made of the same stuff we are -- they're us reborn.
Now, my grandpa got really into tracing our family history back, and I got into it a little bit too. The furthest I've been able to trace my lineage was back to the Potato Famine, when a lot of Irish died or came over to the new world. A lot of those dead Irish are my relatives from way back when, and it occured to me that they live on in me. Although they're DNA has mixed with a lot of other families and is far less prevalent in me than in their children and grandchildren, it is without a doubt that as long as I survive, they are, technically, surviving. And when I have children, they will carry on my genes, and hopefully reproduce themselves, giving what I am eternal life (or life for as long as Humans exist). That's the whole point of having kids, is to allow our cells to continue reproducing even after we die.
Your child is 50% you.
Grandchild: 25%
Great Grandchild: 12.5%
Greatx2 Grandchild: 6.25%
Greatx3 Grandchild: 3.125%
Obviously your genes become less and less prominent in your offspring as generations pass, but they're always there. Our ascestors from 10 000 years ago live on today in us.
So, basically, in conclusion, I'm content to die someday and my only concern when I go is that I've left part of me behind. Who I am will be gone someday, but what I am will be around. At least for a little while.