Thermal Dynamics Disproves Afterlife

[Chris_com28]

Well I asked him about it recently and he said he doesn't know, but claims it's obvious to scientists. He also mentions it whenever the afterlife is mentioned in hopes of debunking it. He also seems think that it's really easy to find articles on it as if you can just type a few words into Google and it will come up. Though he did give me some hints about it. He said something how energy would have to be coming from somewhere else to keep the soul functioning. I think he's talking about the law of entropy. The same argument is used by Christians to debunk evolution, though they forget that Earth is not a closed system. The same may be said about our etheric astral bodies. It seems like a really weak argument.

I saw a video a while ago which shown evidence for an afterlife. I was going to post it here as a random treat, but I can't find it.

[Korpo]

The basic assumption underlying his thinking is that the physical body is important and the soul is powered by it. Problem is, nobody tried to state that. Many esoteric schools would have it rather that the physical body is just the least subtle aspect of your soul, and surely not the other way round.

Oliver

[ButterflyWoman]

Well I asked him about it recently and he said he doesn't know, but claims it's obvious to scientists.

Well, my friend said that he heard that some university in Wisconsin did some experiment or something that proved that humans evolved from clams or whatever. Who are you to question science?

He also mentions it whenever the afterlife is mentioned in hopes of debunking it.

Just tell him that it's okay if he chooses not to believe in an afterlife. He doesn't have to twist the laws of thermal dynamics to support his choice.

He also seems think that it's really easy to find articles on it as if you can just type a few words into Google and it will come up.

Perhaps he could put his money where his mouth is and cough up the articles?

Though he did give me some hints about it.

Hints? Why not give you the actual, you know, articles that supposedly confirm this theory of his?

It seems like a really weak argument.

And a really weak arguer, too.

Seriously, this person sounds like a blow hard to me. I've met plenty of them. They use arguments about how "if you did your research" or "everyone knows" or "science has proven" or whatever and then when you ask, genuinely and seriously, for specifics, they hem and haw and can't come up with the goods. This is a pretty good indicator that they don't know what they're talking about. If they did, they could give you the information you're asking for.

[Hibby]

no good scientist will make a claim he/she can't prove. Not even the greatest scientific minds will make claim to no afterlife. they'll say they don't believe in an afterlife and that's about it, but that is usually the peer pressure you get from being a scientist.

[Chris_com28]

The basic assumption underlying his thinking is that the physical body is important and the soul is powered by it. Problem is, nobody tried to state that. Many esoteric schools would have it rather that the physical body is just the least subtle aspect of your soul, and surely not the other way round.

I always thought that the soul (or the etheric body) powered the physical body. Please tell me how I'm wrong.

Well, my friend said that he heard that some university in Wisconsin did some experiment or something that proved that humans evolved from clams or whatever. Who are you to question science?

Lol. That's the kind of reasoing of his argument. Just mentions some study that can't be tracked down at all and claiming it as science. It's like the myths circling on the Internet that I occaisonally debunk.

Just tell him that it's okay if he chooses not to believe in an afterlife. He doesn't have to twist the laws of thermal dynamics to support his choice.

Well it's not ok. He doesn't believe something and he has to make everyone else belive the same thing as him or else his beliefs are worthless. I mean what use is it believing in something if other people don't believe you. That's the thing with trying to convince people of something. You spend all that time trying to make them see things your way you forget to make an argument that can't be blown down with a huff and a puff, like a house (or a man, maybe) made out of straw.

Perhaps he could put his money where his mouth is and cough up the articles?

I should tell that to him whenever he talks talking about that again. I could tell him that he really shouldn't keep mentioning it as Gospel unless he has the references to back it up. It's like someone trying to verify the Jesus myth (no offense to any Christians reading this) by saying that he wrote the Bible and that's that.

[And a really weak arguer, too.

Seriously, this person sounds like a blow hard to me. I've met plenty of them. They use arguments about how "if you did your research" or "everyone knows" or "science has proven" or whatever and then when you ask, genuinely and seriously, for specifics, they hem and haw and can't come up with the goods. This is a pretty good indicator that they don't know what they're talking about. If they did, they could give you the information you're asking for.

That sounds like him alright. The amount of times he's tried to preach to me (and they say atheists don't care what people believe, complete BS) about how wrong I am. What's funny is that I don't even pick arguments. He sort of has this idea that because he's fairly intelligent and reads something he believes in then he must be right. It doesn't matter about all the other information to to contrary. He's also found of saying that OBEs are some mental illness or something because he read an article somewhere. Well I've also read articles and it never said that.

Well not to insult him too much, but it's good to get this off my chest. I'm kind of glad that he's moving out as I'm getting annoyed about him hinting that I'm stupid for my beliefs. I've spoken to him at times (when he's a little more open) and he just wish people wouldn't believe so blindly woild be more of a skeptic. Funny thing is that I hate blind faith and enjoy being skeptical and tried to get that across to him, though he's probably of the mindset that believers in the paranormal can't be skeptics. That one assumption really annoys me.

[ButterflyWoman]

Just tell him that it's okay if he chooses not to believe in an afterlife. He doesn't have to twist the laws of thermal dynamics to support his choice.

Well it's not ok. He doesn't believe something and he has to make everyone else belive the same thing as him or else his beliefs are worthless.

That's because he's NOT comfortable with his choice of beliefs in this case. He's afraid that he's wrong, and in his mind, being wrong has very serious negative consequences of some sort. In order to prove to himself that he's right, he has to prove that people with a counter opinion are wrong.

He sort of has this idea that because he's fairly intelligent and reads something he believes in then he must be right.

Because he can't risk the idea that he could be wrong. Watch him for a while. You'll see what I'm talking about. Other people MUST be wrong in order for him to be right, and the idea of him being wrong is something he will try to avoid at absolutely all costs. If he ever is caught in something that appears he was wrong, he'll "explain" why he wasn't really, and it was actually someone else who was wrong, while he was in the right all along.

It's fear. That's the core of this kind of behaviour. Oh, and it's nothing to do with atheism or any other style of belief or non-belief.

I'm kind of glad that he's moving out as I'm getting annoyed about him hinting that I'm stupid for my beliefs.

Don't be surprised if you hear the word "delusional", too. That's a favourite.

I've spoken to him at times (when he's a little more open) and he just wish people wouldn't believe so blindly woild be more of a skeptic.

Well, I feel the same way. A little discernment goes a long way. BUT, skepticism doesn't have to include scoffing, ridiculing, belittling, and so on.

he's probably of the mindset that believers in the paranormal can't be skeptics. That one assumption really annoys me.

That's because you're delusional. Duh.

[Hibby]

lol he sounds like the kind of guy to make straight forward conclusions without room for x factors, when you tell him what could be wrong with it he doesn't bother considering the possibility and thus isn't able to realise the possible flaws in his theory until it hits him hard.
I think arguments on religious beliefs are mostly psychology related, many (not all) atheist i've spoken to put themselves on a glass pedestal until they realise the glass is quite hollow. So they end up putting themselves above others but at the same time is afraid that the pedestal might break. When people do something that they have the slightest doubt in they'll try to drag other people along with them, when more than one person is at fault no one is at fault - Murphy's law ehehe.

Well, I feel the same way. A little discernment goes a long way. BUT, skepticism doesn't have to include scoffing, ridiculing, belittling, and so on.

there are quite a number of people out there who blindly follow their beliefs and that's probably where most of the skepticism comes from, but you can't really blame them, not everyone chooses to chases after the sun.

[Chris_com28]

lol he sounds like the kind of guy to make straight forward conclusions without room for x factors, when you tell him what could be wrong with it he doesn't bother considering the possibility and thus isn't able to realise the possible flaws in his theory until it hits him hard.

That sounds a lot like him. Also not being able to accept that he's right also sounds like him. I've observed this a few times.

[lightningbug]

this reminds me of the skeptics saying that NDEs are caused by the brain shutting down systematically. that they were witnessing their own brain shutting down causing the tunnel vision

and how many of the skeptics clinged onto it for dear life

it annoyed me to no ends considering they didnt first explain HOW YOU CAN SEE YOUR OWN BRAIN to begin with!

[CFTraveler]

Especially when it's 'off'.