A shoutout to all you crazy R&Sers: Does an afterlife take away meaning from your life on Earth?

Question

This isn't me trying to prove to you that God is or isn't real, just stating my opinion. 
As great as an afterlife seems, don't lyou think going to a "better place" takes away purpose from your life right now? We only have 80 ish years to live, and that time gives everything so much more meaning. By having an afterlife, it's like saying you don't really need to find purpose in this life, because the next one is the one that counts. When I think of that, it sort of makes me think that I would just want to get this life over with, and only do a half-assed job at it, rather than live it to its fullest.
"Take death for example. 
A great deal of our effort goes into avoiding it. 
We make extraordinary efforts to delay it and often consider 
its intrusion a tragic event. 
Yet we'd find it hard to live without it. 
Death gives meaning to our lives. It 
gives importance and value to time. 
Time would become meaningless if there were too much of it.
If death were indefinitely put off, the human psyche would end 
up, well, like the gambler in the "Twilight Zone" episode."
I find this incredibly deep and very true, especially the part about time,but when I think of religion, I think it takes meaning away from something so well put such as the quote above (taken from an inspirition to the Our Lady Peace album Spiritual Machines.)

Gorgeoustxwoman2013 · Accepted Answer

Hopefully not.

"A man's ethical behavior should be based effectually on sympathy, education, and social ties and needs; no religious basis is necessary. Man would indeed be in a poor way if he had to be restrained by fear of punishment and hope of reward after death." - Albert Einstein, "Religion and Science", New York Times Magazine, November 9, 1930

Dr pushpinder k · Answer

I think no,
because one can not expect a better afterlife,
if one does not try to better the life in the present,
so I believe,
the present life is as meaningful as the after life is.
I am an agno-myst
and I believe in reincarnation,
which I think is a process of evolution of individual consciousness
in it's attempt to attain the absolute consciousness or the existential truth.

Anonymous · Answer

Great question! The answer is no. The reason I am put on this earth is to shine my light and share the amazing word of Jesus Christ. And touching one persons life would make my entire life on earth so meaningful.

Message me if you have more questions. I would love to answer.

Candygirl · Answer

No. I'm here on this earth to warn others about hell and sin and tell them they can get to heaven if they choose Jesus the only way to heaven. I also get rewarded for everything I do hear on the earth for God.

If this life was all there is and that was it then what would be the point of living if we are all going to die and that was it.

chemical_willpower · Answer

Yes it does, and I don't even believe in an afterlife.

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A shoutout to all you crazy R&Sers: Does an afterlife take away meaning from your life on Earth?

5 Answers