What problem does the afterlife solve?
I’m not sure I agree with my dead buddy Ludwig on this one. I’m not convinced the afterlife is needed to solve any problems. My Christian friends claim it solves the problem of evil, allowing our medieval desires for vengeance the comfort in knowing that somewhere our transgressors will pay for their insults. This doesn’t satisfy me though, because “evil” is far too subjective for an “All-That-Is” entity to be concerned with. My atheist friends claim that the afterlife, for believers, solves the problem of fear. Fear of death, fear of loss. And although I’d say the philosophy on continuing life does offer some comfort, I’m not happy with that response either. The thing we really fear the most is change – the unknowable – and I’d say looking forward to an endless sleep is a lot less unsettling than the prospect of an immortal life of godknowswhat!
If there is an afterlife (and I for one am rock solid in my belief in the continuation of life) then I suspect it has little to do with the problems of humanity. As fantastical as this idea is: existence, All-That-Is, may not be all about us. I have a sneaking suspicion that instead we’re all about it.
E.A.A Wilson is an author, minister of metaphysics, mom and reluctant bureaucrat. Her comic fantasy novel “Ascension Denied” is set in purgatory but is nonetheless available now, online, at all major retailers. You can follow her here:
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