Posted on 06/19/2014 10:34:45 AM PDT by 6ft2inhighheelshoes
After reading Jon Gabriels recent piece regarding funerals, it occurred to me that ever since I learned about mortality (at about age four), Ive wanted absolutely nothing to do with it. Ive kept in shape and have always enjoyed lots of butter (I knew it was good for me before Time announced it!). But I still know that, in the end, death is a place where we are all equal.
Science and technology will eventually find a way for people to live a very long time, if not forever. The first to benefit will be the very wealthy, but the technology will presumably become accessible to the masses with time. Or will it? Should it? If you were given the choice to live 1,000 years in good health or die a natural death at 90, which would you choose? And what if the only choices were natural death or Highlander-style immortality?
:)
“it” = mankind
Or heaven. At that time scale they are identical.
Um, no. No God.
Our immortality is what we leave behind us when we go.
The lifetime of each person generally spans four generations, a generation being 20-25 years, and a seculae (natural century) being 80-100 years. Self-centeredness should not survive beyond the first 20-25 year segment of a life. And at least two of those segments should be spent planning for, and preparing subsequent generations for survival.
Why would want to hang on to this old body when I have a much better one coming soon enough?
Why would want to hang on to this old body when I have a much better one coming soon enough?
Yes, one less thing to worry about.
Perhaps the immortal guy in the short story should try prayer. But I’m not sure it would make any difference.
Yes, sounds very plausible that, back in the 1960s, the technicians and engineers and doctors who designed the first artificial hearts would go to the effort - and accept the legal risk - to include a "suicide switch" in the event that "something" might not be "right." In fact, the investors (universities, etc.) insisted upon it!
I mean: It was in their interest to give the patient that option, right?
Filling out the Death Certificate (cause of death: activation of "suicide switch") was no problem, either, right?
Also, if I recall correctly, the "suicide button" was conveniently located right next to the "recline bed" button.
Regards,
I wouldn’t mind living an extra 1000 years even if i had to work at a mcDonalds, I would spend my free time researching history and archiving things for future generations.
Since 1,000 is an eyeblink in terms of time compared to the afterlife, i don’t think a few extra 1,000 years would be all that much except having family memebers who preceeded me complaining that I was late to heaven...
My choice would be to live 1,000 years in good health.
And what if the only choices were natural death or Highlander-style immortality?
Immortality (even the Highlander could have guillotined himself).
Regards,
I enjoy life, but when it ends I’ll be curious about what comes next. Would like to see my grandparents again.
We all may have to take immortality as a seriously condsidered option in order to avoid the oppresive death taxes the libs love so damned much...
The IRS will enforce immortality...leaving the only inevitable thing.
DK
I think eternal youth is what people are really after and what I think we will have with Jesus.
Ponce de Leon was looking for the fountain of youth when he came to Florida.
The only problem with living for 1000 years is if all the world’s economies crash and/or the whole world goes full blown Socialism, then the next 1000 years are going to be the Dark Ages II with even worse horrors and might not be worth living through.
I don’t know ... Where there’s life, there’s hope.
Maybe some day we’ll grow up.
Timeline of the far future
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Timeline_of_the_far_future
Things like this make me sad and feeling cold...
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