Here are two contrasting views on the concept of life after death:

Atheistic View

• Atheists see no reason to believe in an afterlife or any form of existence beyond physical death.
• When we die, our bodies decay and our brains cease to function; essentially, we cease to exist.
• The idea that non-existence didn’t bother us before birth, so it won’t bother us after death, is a common atheist perspective.

Theistic View (from ex-atheists)

• If there is no God, then we are merely matter and energy, and when we die, our physical bodies break down and return to the natural world.
• Without a supernatural God, there is no logical basis for believing in life after death; instead, we become “fertilizer for the soil.”
• The alternative is that if there is a supernatural God, then it’s possible to believe in an afterlife.
• Believing in life after death due to fear of death is seen as cowardly; instead, one should rely on evidence and logical arguments.

Arguments for Life After Death (from ex-atheists)

• The fine-tuning of the universe suggests a supernatural Creator, which provides evidence for a God who could facilitate an afterlife.
• Historical evidence, such as the accounts of Jesus’ resurrection, provides empirical support for life after death. Specifically:
  • The apostles claimed to have seen Jesus risen from the dead and were willing to die for their testimony, even when faced with torture and persecution.
  • This willingness to die for their beliefs suggests that they genuinely believed in what they saw, which provides strong evidence for the resurrection of Jesus.

Conclusion

• Based on these arguments, it is logical to believe in life after death, which carries significant moral implications.
• The combination of empirical evidence for a Creator and historical evidence for Jesus’ resurrection provides a robust foundation for believing in an afterlife.