Originally posted by twhitehead
If your beliefs cannot withstand honest criticism, then you need to reexamine your beliefs.

[b]And I am positive that Taoman was disillusioned by the lack of open-mindedness in this forum.
By open-mindedness, do you mean a refusal to accept as true any old nonsense that someone comes up with? If not, what do you mean by it and why do you feel it i ...[text shortened]... ou believe that you existed before birth - or something along those lines, it is not very clear.[/b]

My op was unclear in that it puts you up against a brick wall of uncertainty.
I don't think any worldly or temporal logic would assist you here.

You may want to call this a cop out, I would say that I am simply unable to explain other than to say that in my own contemplation, over many years, this is what I came to believe about the nature of eternity.

Also I'm not a fan of the term "afterlife" because of the futuristic conotations.

Originally posted by Ghost of a Duke
'Eternal' is without end, not 'without beginning.'

You mean "goes on forever", and not "always existed"?

Originally posted by karoly aczel
You mean "goes on forever", and not "always existed"?

Indeed.

Originally posted by Ghost of a Duke
Indeed.

Well it is not clear .

Originally posted by karoly aczel
Well it is not clear .

You stated, 'the only sense I can understand 'eternal ' is having 'always existed'.

I provided an alternative understanding of 'eternal' that simply means something doesn't have an end. I agree 'it is not clear' but that sentiment did not come across in your above statement.