Life is about choice

This letter is a reponse to a previous letter titled “Life After Death is a Theory”

David Johnson wishes to put religious beliefs into the realm of science. He asserts that: “We can expect more detailed revelations (related to life after death) in the decades to come.”

Unfortunately for me, I am 79 years old and will not be here to see those revelations because I will be dead before they come.

I choose to think of religion more in terms of philosophy and pragmatism than science. In terms of questions like ‘What existed before the Big Bang?; What is the meaning of life?; How can I live a happy life?; What is the spirit or soul?’ I don’t hold out any real hope that science will offer me much help, whereas Christianity (my religion of choice) does. It offers a good set of strong moral values and guidance toward happiness through faith. Faith is belief in that which is unseen. It’s not a scientific concept, although scientists have their own faith that theories that can’t yield to empirical evidence are still worth pursuing (e.g. string theory.)

There are, by the way, a few “scientific” studies that support certain aspects of religion. For example, there are studies that show that Christians (particularly those who own dogs) apparently live longer and happier lives than those who have no strong religious grounding. There are also a couple of studies that measured a body’s weight at the time of death and found that it got lighter, implying a soul leaving. Take these for what it is worth.

Consider Mr. Johnson’s question in personal terms: Will I go to heaven? I can’t possibly know, but I believe that I will, and, contrary to Mr. Johnson’s belief, I am not afraid to die. I also like what Socrates had to say when asked why he was willing to die rather than deny his beliefs: I’ll either spend eternity enjoying my friends or have the greatest sleep I have ever had (paraphrased.) My beliefs have made me very happy for many years. Why would I give that up just because science hasn’t supported or denied them?

I think that science does well to deal with questions of physics, and philosophers do well to deal with questions of the spirit. People do well to make their own choices as they gain knowledge and wisdom. Also, it appears to me that it bothers atheists that Christians seem happy with their beliefs, and that Christians don’t accept that the atheists are smarter than they are. If scientists prove that some day, I hope that I can see it form my rocker in heaven.

– James K. Loebbeck,

Polson