What Does It Even Mean to Exist Forever?

[Colanth]

I can prove it, I just don't feel like it right now.

Thank you, M. Fermat.

[Alias]

Has anyone contemplated that the eternal we are looking for with our mind, is veiled by mind?
Whatever you see your self as, is a label and comes from mind, is it not?
A theist should say, god

Oops - burden of proof right there, and no one has ever met it.

God/one expressing as many is everything, end your search and you will know.

Siddharta and Jesus is two of many.
Adyashanti and Eckhart Tolle is two of many that lives today.

[Jmpty]

I can prove it, I just don't feel like it right now.

Thank you, M. Fermat.

You are welcome. Exponentially so.

[Colanth]

Has anyone contemplated that the eternal we are looking for with our mind, is veiled by mind?
Whatever you see your self as, is a label and comes from mind, is it not?
A theist should say, god

Oops - burden of proof right there, and no one has ever met it.

God/one expressing as many is everything, end your search and you will know.

I'll search for whatever you can produce evidence of.  So far, no one has produced any evidence of any god.  So the burden is still yours.

[Colanth]

I can prove it, I just don't feel like it right now.

Thank you, M. Fermat.

You are welcome. Exponentially so.

Oh, I thought marginally so.

[Jmpty]

Look, I'm working on it. OKAY?!!

[Alias]

I'll search for whatever you can produce evidence of.  So far, no one has produced any evidence of any god.  So the burden is still yours.

God = One expressing as many
It is your burden to prove where the separation is.

[Plu]

What does "One expressing as many" even mean?

[Alias]

What does "One expressing as many" even mean?

That what you can not understand, life, is one.
It express as form.
Your try to understand this, is also an expression.

[Sargon The Grape]

What does "One expressing as many" even mean?

That what you can not understand, life, is one.
It express as form.
Your try to understand this, is also an expression.

[youtube:2qp3qhit]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m_mDTLphIVY[/youtube:2qp3qhit]
I can forgive some bad grammar, but you aren't even trying.

[aitm]

What does "One expressing as many" even mean?

That what you can not understand, life, is one.
It express as form.
Your try to understand this, is also an expression.

Bring on the vegamatic...

[Colanth]

I'll search for whatever you can produce evidence of.  So far, no one has produced any evidence of any god.  So the burden is still yours.

God = One expressing as many
It is your burden to prove where the separation is.

I'll grant your "one expressing as many".  Now explain how thew many created the universe (before they existed, since there was nothing - including the many - when it was created).  And explain how "the one expressing as many" died for the sins of the many.  (Not that you can, since that's semantic claptrap.)

[Plu]

I'm gonna side with Hijiri Byakuren. This guy apparently doesn't speak English and is talking through some kind of translator, I'm guessing.

Unsurprisingly, when you put gibberish into a translator, it spouts amplified gibberish on the other end.

[Colanth]

I actually understand what he's saying, Plu.  (I've encountered the assertion before.)  That doesn't make it any less nonsense.

[Aleps]

Some theists think that they will exist forever in Heaven while others burn (exist) forever in Hell.  What does that even mean?  My 42 year old physical self does not look much like my 10 year old self.  And I certainly don't have many of the same interests as I did when I was 3 years old.  Can it even be said that those previous versions of me still exist?  I think an argument could even be made that since my molecules and thoughts are constantly changing, that even the version of myself that existed 5 seconds ago doesn't exist anymore and will never exist again.  How is it possible for a person who doesn't exist to experience Heaven or Hell?

Of course, theists will say that souls are immortal and never change.  But it they never change, then how can they ever experience pain or pleasure in the future?  If I have a soul, whatever that is, I'm fairly confident that it isn't currently experiencing pain or pleasure.  Something would have to change for my soul to suddenly feel eternal pain or pleasure.  Such a change would mean that the previous version of that soul no longer exists and is no longer "my" soul.  Why in the hell should I worry about a soul that I don't even self-identify with?  Sure, I may feel sorry for a soul that happens to be burning in Hell for all eternity but I'm certainly not going to stop living my life because of it.

I do understand that "previous versions" of myself determine everything about the "current version" of myself and that I have memories of the previous versions that no one else has.  But that doesn't mean that those previous versions still exist.

Any thoughts on this so that I can clarify my views on this subject are most welcome.

This is what freaks me out about Star Trek transporters. How do I know the guy that comes out the other end is really "me"?