The conversation as it's unfolding in this thread, though, contains a number of as-yet unquestioned presumptions that originate from the Judeo-Christian tradition (primarily the Christian aspect thereof), even beyond the mere existence of an afterlife, e.g.
- The idea that we will be "perfected" or "perfect" in an afterlife, whether in our behavior or in our attributes or both;
- The idea that the afterlife is for "eternity," as opposed to some lesser duration;
- The idea that the afterlife will be improved relative to this world, e.g., characterized by an absence of pain and suffering (and perhaps even the potential for whitewater rafting without fear of pain and suffering
Prim). Of course, while it's not been mentioned here, in most belief systems only some subset of the deceased get to enjoy this improved afterlife - others are relegated either to
hell (:)), to purgatory, or to simply ceasing to exist (as in some variants of Jewish eschatology). In any event, assuming that there is a further existence, I would hesitate to characterize it in utopian terms; given the myriad ways that this existence falls short of utopia, how could we presume the next one would be so much better (apart from our wishes that it could be so).
Assuming that there is a subsequent existence that meets these parameters, the next question is how much of "us" - our human essence - will be left to enjoy them. The parameters are game-changing and would remove much of the good and bad of what it is to be human as we understand it. For example, if we are going to exist eternally, we either would lack physical bodies or have different ones that function and age differently (or not at all). But so much of the human experience is tactile and sensory, including many of the best parts, from intimacy to the delight of a good meal shared with friends to the comfort of a delicious night of sleep after a long day's work. As tinwë noted, it is difficult to imagine how love and caring could be separated from pain and suffering. (This isn't quite what I believe he was saying, but it warrants raising: will we be capable of romantic love in this afterlife? If so, will it always be requited and will every relationship continue for eternity? If these things do not happen, will relationships end and will rejection occur without people feeling any heartbreak? And if this can be true, were their feelings really love in the first place?) Also, what would it mean to be perfect - or at least, to behave perfectly? Will everyone be sufficiently omniscient to be able to act at all times considering and protecting everyone else's feelings, such that no one experiences any hurt?
These are just a couple of examples. I recall from my childhood being told in a Christian context that the answers have to do with heaven being beyond our ability to imagine or comprehend. Perhaps, but if heaven is beyond the human ability to understand, it seems to be because it is removed from the very parameters that define human existence. So, something that is linked to each of us could hypothetically exist in this afterlife, but it then seems to me that the beings existing in the afterlife would be materially different than their counterparts here on earth, so much so as to call into question whether they could both be said to represent the same person.
