An Atheist Transhumanist Critique of TheThinkingAtheist's "Afterlife" Video

Mr. Stolyarov, an atheist and transhumanist, critiques the video "Afterlife" - is a compilation of remarks by Seth Andrews (TheThinkingAtheist) and other famous YouTube atheists regarding the religious concept of life after death. However, the video goes beyond merely (correctly) critiquing ideas of the afterlife, and reflects an unfortunate acceptance of human mortality itself. The "Afterlife" video does present many interesting and valid insights, but it unfortunately throws the metaphorical baby -- indefinite human life extension, driven by scientific discoveries and technological innovation -- out with the bathwater -- religious myths of an afterlife, unsubstantiated by evidence and arising out of a desire to attain comfort in the face of mortality.

Commentators to whom Mr. Stolyarov responds include DarkMatter2525, DPRJones, Evid3nc3, HealthyAddict, Laci Green, Thunderf00t, Mark Twain, and Vladimir Nabokov. He invites any of these commentators (except, of course, Twain and Nabokov) to discuss these ideas further.

Remember to LIKE, FAVORITE, and SHARE this video in order to spread rational discourse on this issue.

Support these video-creation efforts by donating at The Rational Argumentator: http://rationalargumentator.com/index...

References:
- "Afterlife" - Video by TheThinkingAtheist - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eeMoOJ...
- "An Atheist Transhumanist Critique of TheThinkingAtheist's 'Afterlife' Video" - Essay by G. Stolyarov II - http://www.rationalargumentator.com/i...
- "The Movement for Indefinite Life Extension: The Next Step for Humankind" - Article by G. Stolyarov II - http://www.rationalargumentator.com/i...
- Resources on Indefinite Life Extension (RILE) - http://rationalargumentator.com/RILE....
- "The Real War - and Why Inter-Human Wars Are a Distraction" - Video by G. Stolyarov II - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bVwIp4...
- "How Can I Live Forever?: What Does and Does Not Preserve the Self" - Essay by G. Stolyarov II - http://rationalargumentator.com/issue...
- "Maslow's hierarchy of needs" - Wikipedia - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maslow%2...

• Category

  Education

[KevZen2000]

Natural death is not necessary, and truly we should do everything possible to make it obsolete, as people living forever would be beneficial. Sure there would problems, but the fact that you have the option to live forever, would dramatically enhance what you do. Death will always been around, such as murder; but in the future science will enable the majority to create a heaven of our own.

[GStolyarovII]

Agreed.

[Equis Igriegazeta]

These videos really need more views! They are very inspirational and take me away from pessimistic thinking. Thank you.

[GStolyarovII]

I greatly appreciate your kind words! Thank you!

[bizonc]

How can they think a person that has existed for hypothetical 500 years should be thrown to oblivion so a baby can be born? Unthinkable. Anyway, space delevopment and settlement and Earth has plenty of room and resources. I want a trillion beings to exist. More the better. People pro mortality have the really strong humain trait of fear of change and fighting progress.

[GStolyarovII]

Thank you. I agree in full, and I appreciate seeing that more people are recognizing the absurd nature of the common counterarguments against indefinite life extension. This seems to be an area where many even otherwise intelligent people fall into elementary logical fallacies, perhaps because they have been culturally conditioned to use these rationalizations for death, because the alternative of perceiving the problem and attempting to overcome it was unattainable for most of our ancestors.

[GStolyarovII]

@cobra35911 No “genocidal or reproductive” lottery is necessary, and, indeed, such a lottery would be contrary to the principle of individualism and to human rights. People tend to choose to have fewer children on their own, as a society becomes more technologically advanced and farm help is no longer necessary for most. In a technologically advanced society, most children become expenses, rather than income-earners for the family. Another way to address growing population is to colonize space.

[Midcal9]

You're so butthurtly deep.

[lifeschild1]

Your inability to comprehend is your inability to understand. 

[Midcal9]

Your comments make absolutely no sense.

[Laith Alkhalili]

You're full of shit man ..

[lifeschild1]

Life in heaven is death? Eternal invigilation; continuous unending prayer and cowering to the Deity; the loss of human consciousness; the emptiness of nothingness; the possibility of a anthropomorphically derived God who may torture and degrade his servants especially if his cable TV or laptop goes out; The list is eternal.

[lifeschild1]

"WHERE WE ONCE WERE BEFORE WE WERE BORN WE WILL ONCE AGAIN RETURN TO UPON OUR DEATH!"

Billions upon billions of living cellular compilations strive competitively to form the possibility of a succinct and complete unification of a newly formed body during the birthing process, but all fail in doing so but one and expire to be expelled by the initiating organism deploying such event in the processes. We are born dying to live from the onset of life. All living matter dies continuously.