I'd turn it the other way. Why do so many people want to believe that this life is all that there is? There is no proof either way and I think it's best to keep an open mind.
For me I believe in rebirth so - not like a permanent heaven or hell type afterlife, but rather rebirths very much like this one, could be a human, animal or whatever. Just seems very unlikely to me for various reasons that awareness stops when I die. I think it must continue in some form, and of the various suggestions for that, the one that makes most sense of what I see in my view is this idea of rebirth.
But I most definitely don't "know" this. It is just a good "working hypothesis" that works for me. I can't prove or disprove it. But neither can scientific athiests, or Christians or Muslims, Hindus etc prove or disprove their preferred beliefs in a way that others not of their persuasion find convincing.
For more, see Robert Walker's answer to Is it possible to be buddhist but have different views of the afterlife?
For me I believe in rebirth so - not like a permanent heaven or hell type afterlife, but rather rebirths very much like this one, could be a human, animal or whatever. Just seems very unlikely to me for various reasons that awareness stops when I die. I think it must continue in some form, and of the various suggestions for that, the one that makes most sense of what I see in my view is this idea of rebirth.
But I most definitely don't "know" this. It is just a good "working hypothesis" that works for me. I can't prove or disprove it. But neither can scientific athiests, or Christians or Muslims, Hindus etc prove or disprove their preferred beliefs in a way that others not of their persuasion find convincing.
For more, see Robert Walker's answer to Is it possible to be buddhist but have different views of the afterlife?
About the Author
Robert Walker
Writer of articles on Mars and Space issues - Software Developer of Tune Smithy, Bounce Metronome etc.Studied at Wolfson College, Oxford
Lives in Isle of Mull
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