Death

I find death to be a very interesting subject.  Although many do not share that view.  Most of the people with whom I associate tell me if you have the right theological belief system then at some point in the future you will be awarded a new perfect body and live again in a wonderful paradise.  Of course, if you choose wrong and in many cases the wrong choice can be of a relative minor theological point, then you perish in eternal damnation irregardless of how you lived your life.  You will be judged the same as child killers.  Some will say their punishment will be worst but what can be worst than eternal damnation.

Now that I am 60 I have watched numerous people die.  These include my parents, my first wife, and one of my best friends who sadly was a year younger than me.   Where are they?  That is the unanswered question.  Many have opinions but so far there is no empirical evidence to support any particular opinion.  Near death experiences are interesting but since their evidence is entirely subjective and as of now there is no experimental model to investigate this phenomena, these experiences give us no empirical information.

I wonder what would happen to religion if death no longer posed an issue.

My comfort in this issue relates to the fact that I do not remember existing before I was born.  Some say I did but I have no recollection of it.  The possibility I did not exist before I was born does not bother me.  So, if I will no longer exist after I die then it seems to be the same thing.

My Christian friends expect go to "heaven" and live a blissful life.  One major question I have concerns the question of free will.  Assuming we have some measure of free will now (yes, I realized that is an assumption) then would one have free will in heaven?   If so, what would stop individuals from making the same poor choices they make in their physical life.  If, indeed, God has some sort of plan to allow individuals to have both free will and make only good choices, it would be nice if he would implement that plan now.  The world would be a much nicer place.