Judged by someone who believes in reincarnation

Paul1 · #1 by **Paul1** » Apr 30, 2017 3:29 pm

At least not judged by a theist!

I was at a party, discussing what happens after death, one guy said he thinks we are reincarnated. He asked me what I think, to which I explained I think our consciousness and who we are as people dies as our neurons die. To which he (typically!) responded: Science can't explain everything. Enter: *eyes rolls*.

Later while travelling on the subway together, he asks: "But don't you think there is such a thing as fate or destiny? Like if you bump into a friend that day, it was destiny?". Me: "Well it's just coincidence isn't it? We all live in the same city, so the chance of me bumping into someone is higher".

He continued to elaborate that he believes that we join a collective consciousness in the afterlife. Then we can choose to be reborn again with a set of life challenges that we choose. Of course there's many logical holes in this idea, however being polite to an acquaintance, I'm not gonna pick on them, I merely said out of genuine curiosity: "Oh, that's a very interesting idea" (I enjoy sci-fi so...).

I acknowledge to him by saying: "Isn't it coincidental that all the variables of the universe are such to give rise to life?". So I then tried to explain the multiverse theory, and explained that many of the parallel universes would be dead, that there are no coincidence under this theory because every possibility is tried out. At this point, he pretty much looked at me as if I was bat-shit crazy and went cold on me. I was like... you think my ideas are crazy?!?! Jesus effing Christ!

A half-hearted hand shake later and I guess that guy will never talk to me again!

Pebble · #2 by **Pebble** » Apr 30, 2017 5:03 pm

No great loss, i would have thought.

laklak · #3 by **laklak** » Apr 30, 2017 5:09 pm

Just look at them pityingly and say "This is your first time around, isn't it?"

Manticore · #4 by **Manticore** » Apr 30, 2017 7:02 pm

Or "Wait a minute... I remember you now. You were a chicken last time around weren't you?"

monkeyboy · #5 by **monkeyboy** » Apr 30, 2017 7:36 pm

This collective consciousness and choosing to come back with your own chosen set of challenges sound cool. I might try out being immensely rich, devilishly handsome playboy fanny magnet with a weird metabolism which allows me to eat anything without gaining weight, healthy despite appalling habits and having immunity from laws such as possession of controlled substances and being super intelligent. It might be a bind at times but I'd be willing to give it a shot. Imperviousness to serious injury would be something to increase the challenge along with a permanent cheerful disposition and a good dose of dudeism.

laklak · #6 by **laklak** » Apr 30, 2017 8:07 pm

Not me. I want to come back as the one-legged, blind son of a poor Bengali fisherman. Then I want to get leprosy.

Paul1 · #7 by **Paul1** » May 07, 2017 5:36 am

HAHA! Oh you guys gave me such a laugh. I'm gonna come back but be stillborn, straight back to the collective. Maybe make a couple miserable in the process. Cos why not, right?

surreptitious57 · #8 by **surreptitious57** » May 07, 2017 5:46 am

He does not seem to like the idea of being dead for ever even
though it never actually seems to bother the dead themselves

PensivePenny · #9 by **PensivePenny** » Jun 07, 2018 2:53 pm

laklak wrote:Just look at them pityingly and say "This is your first time around, isn't it?"

It took a second to sink in.

How about, "Why would you believe in fate if you believe in reincarnation? I mean, if we bumped into each other on the street, how could it be anything OTHER THAN coincidence? Weren't we bound to run into one another eventually in at least ONE of our lifetimes?"

:rofl:

laklak · **#10** by **laklak** » Jun 07, 2018 9:18 pm

"Say, ain't we walking down the same street together, On the very same day"

Everything tracks back to a Paul Simon lyric.

PensivePenny · **#11** by **PensivePenny** » Jun 07, 2018 9:20 pm

Everyone knows Art Garfunkel was the real talent.

Hamster · **#12** by **Hamster** » Jun 08, 2018 6:23 am

I used to believe in reincarnation.
But that was in a former life. I think it's complete bollocks in this one.

Arcanyn · **#13** by **Arcanyn** » Jun 08, 2018 8:20 am

Paul1 wrote:
He continued to elaborate that he believes that we join a collective consciousness in the afterlife. Then we can choose to be reborn again with a set of life challenges that we choose.

So, basically, if horrible things happen to you, it's all your fault because you chose for them to happen.

Cito di Pense · **#14** by **Cito di Pense** » Jun 08, 2018 10:16 am

laklak wrote:"Say, ain't we walking down the same street together, On the very same day"

Everything tracks back to a Paul Simon lyric.

A man walks down the street
It's a street in a strange world
Maybe it's the third world
Maybe it's his first time around
Doesn't speak the language
He holds no currency
He is a foreign man

Alan B · **#15** by **Alan B** » Jun 08, 2018 11:39 am

What would be useful is if we had a collective conciousness whilst alive in the real world. Then perhaps we wouldn't be in such a mess, what with overpopulation, pollution, driving other species to extinction, wars, religions, etc., etc.

Cito di Pense · **#16** by **Cito di Pense** » Jun 08, 2018 12:14 pm

Alan B wrote:What would be useful is if we had a collective conciousness whilst alive in the real world. Then perhaps we wouldn't be in such a mess, what with overpopulation, pollution, driving other species to extinction, wars, religions, etc., etc.

What would be useful is when Jesus comes again to save us.

aban57 · **#17** by **aban57** » Jun 08, 2018 12:18 pm

Cito di Pense wrote:
Alan B wrote:What would be useful is if we had a collective conciousness whilst alive in the real world. Then perhaps we wouldn't be in such a mess, what with overpopulation, pollution, driving other species to extinction, wars, religions, etc., etc.

What would be useful is when Jesus comes again to save us.

The problem here is that since we're our own biggest threat, saving us means killing us all.

Cito di Pense · **#18** by **Cito di Pense** » Jun 08, 2018 12:27 pm

aban57 wrote:
Cito di Pense wrote:
Alan B wrote:What would be useful is if we had a collective conciousness whilst alive in the real world. Then perhaps we wouldn't be in such a mess, what with overpopulation, pollution, driving other species to extinction, wars, religions, etc., etc.

What would be useful is when Jesus comes again to save us.

The problem here is that since we're our own biggest threat, saving us means killing us all.

Be serious, just for a change. See? There's no point to being serious about this.

aban57 · **#19** by **aban57** » Jun 08, 2018 12:30 pm

Cito di Pense wrote:
aban57 wrote:
Cito di Pense wrote:
Alan B wrote:What would be useful is if we had a collective conciousness whilst alive in the real world. Then perhaps we wouldn't be in such a mess, what with overpopulation, pollution, driving other species to extinction, wars, religions, etc., etc.

What would be useful is when Jesus comes again to save us.

The problem here is that since we're our own biggest threat, saving us means killing us all.

Be serious, just for a change. See? There's no point to being serious about this.

Indeed, why would I be serious in a thread about reincarnation ?

Cito di Pense · **#20** by **Cito di Pense** » Jun 08, 2018 12:34 pm

aban57 wrote:
Cito di Pense wrote:
aban57 wrote:
Cito di Pense wrote:

What would be useful is when Jesus comes again to save us.

The problem here is that since we're our own biggest threat, saving us means killing us all.

Be serious, just for a change. See? There's no point to being serious about this.

Indeed, why would I be serious in a thread about reincarnation ?

You're not interested in reincarnation. You're interested in saving us, or the rationality thereof. If you're not, forget I said anything.

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