Immortality vs Afterlife - Question for religious but also applies to everyone

[Tacitursa]

Yestaday i was reading another one of those articles about nano-technology and humans prolonging their life or even becoming immortal and it could start happening within the next 20 years.

Let's say in 20 years they make some huge breakthroughs and we can extend our lives by another 100 years or even become somewhat immortal.

This applies to everyone really , I know atheists may not beleive in an afterlife but may not want to be immortal for pure bordom reasons etc.

My question is would you take the option or would you prefer to die naturally of old age?

Would god be mad at you for manipulating life?

I think this would be the greatest test for those with faith. I mean if your going to a nice perfect heaven after you die why would you want to stick around?

[Helm]

I'd go for immortality if it was still possible to die. I'm sure this nano-technology would cost millions even if there was such a thing though.

[Tacitursa]

It would be possible to die. Being immortal with nano-tech would just mean we wouldnt age and our cells would regenerate or could even be completely replaced if damaged too badly. You could still die by injury and trauma to the heart/brain etc.

I dont think the other kind of immortality is possible in this universe. You would need some kind of special power or cells made out of indestructible matter.

[Helm]

I can see something like that going badly wrong in a sci-fi kind of way though.

[Groundtotem]

One side of me wouldn't mind living longer and the other thinks that it's unnatural. I can also see a problem with living space and the use of resources. The earth would get more crowded then it all ready is.

But it would be cool to be able to live for lets say 200 years and perhaps even more.

Edit: Since i am atheist living as long as possible should be my ultimate goal i guess.

[Arch-hereticK]

It'd be almost impossible to live forever even if you were "immortal," maybe a few thousand years tops, then you'd have to be killed by something before that. You can only dodge cars for so long.

[Fiyenyaa]

It'd be almost impossible to live forever even if you were "immortal," maybe a few thousand years tops, then you'd have to be killed by something before that. You can only dodge cars for so long.

This is true. If all this development means is that you don't age, statistics will get the better of you sooner or later.

As for the OP - putting aside any practical considerations, sounds great. As long as there is some capacity to end your own life if you want to, immortality sounds great.

[Gordon Freynman]

I would definitely take the option of immortality, so long as I still had the ability to die, so semi-immortality I guess. The thought of being able to witness huge and exciting advances in science and technology, exploring the far reaches of the galaxy, and perhaps encountering other intelligent alien races (non-hostile ones anyways) is far too enticing for me to pass it up.

[Arch-hereticK]

If this nano procedure is widely available then if you don't have it you will be shortening your life rather than not lengthening it. Know what I mean?

[Helm]

It's not how long you live it's what you do with it that really counts anyway.

[Arch-hereticK]

It's not how long you live it's what you do with it that really counts anyway.

Oh going all sentimental are we?

[Helm]

You would have less motivation to really do anything if you had a thousand year stretch. Besides you need to get shut of the older generations to spare some room for the newer generations coming in, old age and death is good for that, it's the reason why we evolved to do it.

[Monarchist]

There is something glorious about the natural 30-80 year process (depending upon where and when you live) of human life. To elongate it beyond even 100 years sounds very tedious. Many atheists I've talked to use, as one of their central arguments, the idea that they'd simply become bored with Heaven's eternal wakefulness. This idea sounds rather like that, but on Earth. Why would any atheist who finds the idea of an afterlife boring want to be immortal? It's a tad inconsistent. As for me, I couldn't fathom taking this ... Youth Serum for reasons only of selfishness! Can you imagine the pain I'd have to endure in listening to this increasingly atheistic society complain more and more about rights that don't exist? It would go on and on forever, and every day with a Democrat or Liberal would just run into the next and the next and the next until I lost my mind from all the nonsense!

I will love as long as God wants me to live, like any others. To presume that we can make ourselves immortal by some anti-entropic robots is like presuming that we can clone beings and give them moral conscience. We're inching closer and closer to play-acting God. Like the speed of light, we can inch closer and closer -within 0.00000001% - to God-like power, but that last digit will forever escape us. Everything to the contrary is just denial.

[Helm]

This idea sounds rather like that, but on Earth. Why would any atheist who finds the idea of an afterlife boring want to be immortal?

A few several thousand years in a paradise would be great, a few hundred years on Earth would be kind of nice. Several trillions of years of continual existence as yourself would eventually drive you insane from sheer boredom.

And it's more like 0-120 years of life for a human rather than 30-80, 0 being far more common than 120.

[Tacitursa]

Many atheists I've talked to use, as one of their central arguments, the idea that they'd simply become bored with Heaven's eternal wakefulness. This idea sounds rather like that, but on Earth. Why would any atheist who finds the idea of an afterlife boring want to be immortal? It's a tad inconsistent.

Thats mostly down to heaven being so safe and predictable and you cannot be harmed or hurt in anyway. Being immortal on earth is far different because its dangerous and it doesnt revolve around you which makes things a lot more interesting.

[Ludicus]

...as long as God wants me to live

Wants?
In my opinion, the doctrine of predestination, even from a religious perspective, is particularly stupid.
Let´s "pray" that Haiti as a nation will repent and turn back to God. Well, at least it was a catastrophe of biblic proportions...

[Helm]

Wants?
In my opinion, the doctrine of predestination, even from a religious perspective, is particularly stupid.
Let´s "pray" that Haiti as a nation will repent and turn back to God. Well, at least it was a catastrophe of biblic proportions...

You could argue that the power of God is demonstrated in the way nations seem to pull together to provide aid to people in this kind of situation. It's not like there's anything in it for them.

[Ludicus]

You could argue that the power of God is demonstrated in the way nations seem to pull together to provide aid to people in this kind of situation.

Helm, I really like your posts.

[Space Wolves]

Well, as much as i may love to live forever, circumstances may change where life just sucks for example, plus living long, and almost having an immortal life is great, however some of us would always ponder on the (afterlife) part and may choose to end it soon after. Living eternally is great but there is a reason we die near our natural expiration dates.

[Adrian]

To not die is the holy grail can you imagine ?

Death is the worst thing that can happen to be nothing I would like to live forever no matter the cost