Eric Rasmusen’s Weblog

[Here's a repeat of a 2003 post.] Someone asked me to post on the afterlife, writing,

In relation to your post on Assurance of Salvation, perhaps you can set out on your website a justification for believing in an afterlife at all. Like you, I, too, am a Christian, but when I consider such facts as the Earth is one little planet in a universe of hundreds of billions of planets, and the fact that apes share 99% of their DNA with us, etc., I can’t help but wonder sometimes if there is an afterlife at all. So, unfortunately, I’m a bit of a doubting Thomas and need additional assurances there is an afterlife. I look forward to any comments you may post.

The “billions of planets” problem is easily resolved. Mark Twain puts it well in his story, Captain Stormfield’s Visit to Heaven. Captain Stormfield died and has been shooting through space for a long time, but he finally arrives.

I lit. I drifted up to a gate with a swarm of people, and when it was my turn the head clerk says, in a business-like way–

“Well, quick! Where are you from?”

“San Francisco,” says I.

“San Fran–WHAT?” says he.

“San Francisco.”

He scratched his head and looked puzzled, then he says–

“Is it a planet?”

By George, Peters, think of it! “PLANET?” says I; “it’s a city. And moreover, it’s one of the biggest and finest and–”

“There, there!” says he, “no time here for conversation. We don’t deal in cities here. Where are you from in a GENERAL way?”

“Oh,” I says, “I beg your pardon. Put me down for California.”

I had him AGAIN, Peters! He puzzled a second, then he says, sharp and irritable–

“I don’t know any such planet–is it a constellation?”

“Oh, my goodness!” says I. “Constellation, says you? No–it’s a State.”

“Man, we don’t deal in States here. WILL you tell me where you are from IN GENERAL–AT LARGE, don’t you understand?”

“Oh, now I get your idea,” I says. “I’m from America,–the United States of America.”

Peters, do you know I had him AGAIN? If I hadn’t I’m a clam! His face was as blank as a target after a militia shooting-match. He turned to an under clerk and says–

“Where is America? WHAT is America?”

The under clerk answered up prompt and says–

“There ain’t any such orb.”

“ORB?” says I. “Why, what are you talking about, young man? It ain’t an orb; it’s a country; it’s a continent. Columbus discovered it; I reckon likely you’ve heard of HIM, anyway. America–why, sir, America–”

“Silence!” says the head clerk. “Once for all, where–are–you– FROM?”

“Well,” says I, “I don’t know anything more to say–unless I lump things, and just say I’m from the world.”

“Ah,” says he, brightening up, “now that’s something like! WHAT world?”

Peters, he had ME, that time. I looked at him, puzzled, he looked at me, worried. Then he burst out–

“Come, come, what world?”

Says I, “Why, THE world, of course.”

“THE world!” he says. “H’m! there’s billions of them! . . . Next!”

That meant for me to stand aside. I done so, and a sky-blue man with seven heads and only one leg hopped into my place. I took a walk. It just occurred to me, then, that all the myriads I had seen swarming to that gate, up to this time, were just like that creature. I tried to run across somebody I was acquainted with, but they were out of acquaintances of mine just then. So I thought the thing all over and finally sidled back there pretty meek and feeling rather stumped, as you may say.

“Well?” said the head clerk.

“Well, sir,” I says, pretty humble, “I don’t seem to make out which world it is I’m from. But you may know it from this–it’s the one the Saviour saved.”

He bent his head at the Name. Then he says, gently–

“The worlds He has saved are like to the gates of heaven in number- -none can count them. What astronomical system is your world in?– perhaps that may assist.”

After Captain Stormfield mentions Jupiter, the clerk gets an idea of where to search:

He got a balloon and sailed up and up and up, in front of a map that was as big as Rhode Island. He went on up till he was out of sight, and by and by he came down and got something to eat and went up again. To cut a long story short, he kept on doing this for a day or two, and finally he came down and said he thought he had found that solar system, but it might be fly-specks. So he got a microscope and went back. It turned out better than he feared. He had rousted out our system, sure enough. He got me to describe our planet and its distance from the sun, and then he says to his chief–

“Oh, I know the one he means, now, sir. It is on the map. It is called the Wart.”

Says I to myself, “Young man, it wouldn’t be wholesome for you to go down THERE and call it the Wart.”

Well, they let me in, then, and told me I was safe forever and wouldn’t have any more trouble.

Any but the most egoistic philosophy must grant that an individual person is trivial compared with the entire world, even without going to the rest of the Universe. This is as true for the atheist and the Hindu as for the Christian. One escape is what one might call the Nietzschean, to say, “Well, I think I’m the most important thing in the Universe, and who cares what anybody else thinks!” This is also a completely natural response; the typical person really does believe he is the most important being in the Universe and deserves special treatment from God, Man, and Nature alike. The difficulty is that this is not a rational response. Not everybody can be the most important, and it is implausible in the first place that a person is important compared to, say, a mountain. So I wouldn’t call this response so much a philosophy as an assertion. (A philosophy could be constructed to support living by such assertions, but it would have to be something along the lines of “Well, I’m not really important, but I’ll feel better if I persuade myself that I am, so I should try to fool myself.”)

The Christian response is Captain Stormfield’s meek response, which says, in effect, “I’m of no intrinsic importance, nor is the Earth, but God has for some reason of his own selected me. So now I’m very important.” Thus, a person has importance only because of the power of God. The very fact that God is so great is why a person can be non-trivial. Thus, any theology which tries to increase the importance of Man by diminishing God is doomed to failure; it is like trying to make a light bulb more important by dismantling the power plant that feeds it.

All this, however, serves only the point that Man is small compared to the Universe. Immortality and the Afterlife is a separate point. On this, however, the Bible is clear, at least in the New Testament. There was some controversy about immortality at the time of Jesus, so he addressed this directly in Luke 20 [+/-]Luke 20 [20:1]One day, as Jesus was teaching the people in the temple and preaching the gospel, the chief priests and the scribes with the elders came up [2]and said to him, "Tell us by what authority you do these things, or who it is that gave you this authority." [3]He answered them, "I also will ask you a question. Now tell me, [4]was the baptism of John from heaven or from man?" [5]And they discussed it with one another, saying, "If we say, 'From heaven,' he will say, 'Why did you not believe him?' [6]But if we say, 'From man,' all the people will stone us to death, for they are convinced that John was a prophet." [7]So they answered that they did not know where it came from. [8]And Jesus said to them, "Neither will I tell you by what authority I do these things." [9]And he began to tell the people this parable: "A man planted a vineyard and let it out to tenants and went into another country for a long while. [10]When the time came, he sent a servant to the tenants, so that they would give him some of the fruit of the vineyard. But the tenants beat him and sent him away empty-handed. [11]And he sent another servant. But they also beat and treated him shamefully, and sent him away empty-handed. [12]And he sent yet a third. This one also they wounded and cast out. [13]Then the owner of the vineyard said, 'What shall I do? I will send my beloved son; perhaps they will respect him.' [14]But when the tenants saw him, they said to themselves, 'This is the heir. Let us kill him, so that the inheritance may be ours.' [15]And they threw him out of the vineyard and killed him. What then will the owner of the vineyard do to them? [16]He will come and destroy those tenants and give the vineyard to others." When they heard this, they said, "Surely not!" [17]But he looked directly at them and said, "What then is this that is written: "'The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone'? [18]Everyone who falls on that stone will be broken to pieces, and when it falls on anyone, it will crush him." [19]The scribes and the chief priests sought to lay hands on him at that very hour, for they perceived that he had told this parable against them, but they feared the people. [20]So they watched him and sent spies, who pretended to be sincere, that they might catch him in something he said, so as to deliver him up to the authority and jurisdiction of the governor. [21]So they asked him, "Teacher, we know that you speak and teach rightly, and show no partiality, but truly teach the way of God. [22]Is it lawful for us to give tribute to Caesar, or not?" [23]But he perceived their craftiness, and said to them, [24]"Show me a denarius. Whose likeness and inscription does it have?" They said, "Caesar's." [25]He said to them, "Then render to Caesar the things that are Caesar's, and to God the things that are God's." [26]And they were not able in the presence of the people to catch him in what he said, but marveling at his answer they became silent. [27]There came to him some Sadducees, those who deny that there is a resurrection, [28]and they asked him a question, saying, "Teacher, Moses wrote for us that if a man's brother dies, having a wife but no children, the man must take the widow and raise up offspring for his brother. [29]Now there were seven brothers. The first took a wife, and died without children. [30]And the second [31]and the third took her, and likewise all seven left no children and died. [32]Afterward the woman also died. [33]In the resurrection, therefore, whose wife will the woman be? For the seven had her as wife." [34]And Jesus said to them, "The sons of this age marry and are given in marriage, [35]but those who are considered worthy to attain to that age and to the resurrection from the dead neither marry nor are given in marriage, [36]for they cannot die anymore, because they are equal to angels and are sons of God, being sons of the resurrection. [37]But that the dead are raised, even Moses showed, in the passage about the bush, where he calls the Lord the God of Abraham and the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob. [38]Now he is not God of the dead, but of the living, for all live to him." [39]Then some of the scribes answered, "Teacher, you have spoken well." [40]For they no longer dared to ask him any question. [41]But he said to them, "How can they say that the Christ is David's son? [42]For David himself says in the Book of Psalms, "'The Lord said to my Lord, Sit at my right hand, [43]until I make your enemies your footstool.' [44]David thus calls him Lord, so how is he his son?" [45]And in the hearing of all the people he said to his disciples, [46]"Beware of the scribes, who like to walk around in long robes, and love greetings in the marketplaces and the best seats in the synagogues and the places of honor at feasts, [47]who devour widows' houses and for a pretense make long prayers. They will receive the greater condemnation." (ESV)
:

27 Then came to him certain of the Sadducees, which deny that there is any resurrection; and they asked him,
28 Saying, Master, Moses wrote unto us, If any man’s brother die, having a wife, and he die without children, that his brother should take his wife, and raise up seed unto his brother.
29 There were therefore seven brethren: and the first took a wife, and died without children.
30 And the second took her to wife, and he died childless.
31 And the third took her; and in like manner the seven also: and they left no children, and died.

32 Last of all the woman died also.
33 Therefore in the resurrection whose wife of them is she? for seven had her to wife.
34 And Jesus answering said unto them, The children of this world marry, and are given in marriage:
35 But they which shall be accounted worthy to obtain that world, and the resurrection from the dead, neither marry, nor are given in marriage:
36 Neither can they die any more: for they are equal unto the angels; and are the children of God, being the children of the resurrection.
37 Now that the dead are raised, even Moses shewed at the bush, when he calleth the Lord the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.

38 For he is not a God of the dead, but of the living: for all live unto him.
39 Then certain of the scribes answering said, Master, thou hast well said.
40 And after that they durst not ask him any question at all.

There are plenty of references to the afterlife scattered through the Gospels. Here are some of them:

But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal:
(Matthew 6:20 [+/-]Matthew 6:20 [20]but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. (ESV)
)

And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.
(Matthew 10:28 [+/-]Matthew 10:28 [28]And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather fear him who can destroy both soul and body in hell. (ESV)
)

Notwithstanding in this rejoice not, that the spirits are subject unto you; but rather rejoice, because your names are written in heaven.
(Luke 10:20 [+/-]Luke 10:20 [20]Nevertheless, do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven." (ESV)
)

24 Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life.
25 Verily, verily, I say unto you, The hour is coming, and now is, when the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God: and they that hear shall live.

26 For as the Father hath life in himself; so hath he given to the Son to have life in himself;
27 And hath given him authority to execute judgment also, because he is the Son of man.
28 Marvel not at this: for the hour is coming, in the which all that are in the graves shall hear his voice,
29 And shall come forth; they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life; and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation.
(John 5 [+/-]John 5 [5:1]After this there was a feast of the Jews, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem. [2]Now there is in Jerusalem by the Sheep Gate a pool, in Aramaic called Bethesda, which has five roofed colonnades. [3]In these lay a multitude of invalids--blind, lame, and paralyzed. [5]One man was there who had been an invalid for thirty-eight years. [6]When Jesus saw him lying there and knew that he had already been there a long time, he said to him, "Do you want to be healed?" [7]The sick man answered him, "Sir, I have no one to put me into the pool when the water is stirred up, and while I am going another steps down before me." [8]Jesus said to him, "Get up, take up your bed, and walk." [9]And at once the man was healed, and he took up his bed and walked. Now that day was the Sabbath. [10]So the Jews said to the man who had been healed, "It is the Sabbath, and it is not lawful for you to take up your bed." [11]But he answered them, "The man who healed me, that man said to me, 'Take up your bed, and walk.'" [12]They asked him, "Who is the man who said to you, 'Take up your bed and walk'?" [13]Now the man who had been healed did not know who it was, for Jesus had withdrawn, as there was a crowd in the place. [14]Afterward Jesus found him in the temple and said to him, "See, you are well! Sin no more, that nothing worse may happen to you." [15]The man went away and told the Jews that it was Jesus who had healed him. [16]And this was why the Jews were persecuting Jesus, because he was doing these things on the Sabbath. [17]But Jesus answered them, "My Father is working until now, and I am working." [18]This was why the Jews were seeking all the more to kill him, because not only was he breaking the Sabbath, but he was even calling God his own Father, making himself equal with God. [19]So Jesus said to them, "Truly, truly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of his own accord, but only what he sees the Father doing. For whatever the Father does, that the Son does likewise. [20]For the Father loves the Son and shows him all that he himself is doing. And greater works than these will he show him, so that you may marvel. [21]For as the Father raises the dead and gives them life, so also the Son gives life to whom he will. [22]The Father judges no one, but has given all judgment to the Son, [23]that all may honor the Son, just as they honor the Father. Whoever does not honor the Son does not honor the Father who sent him. [24]Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life. He does not come into judgment, but has passed from death to life. [25]"Truly, truly, I say to you, an hour is coming, and is now here, when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God, and those who hear will live. [26]For as the Father has life in himself, so he has granted the Son also to have life in himself. [27]And he has given him authority to execute judgment, because he is the Son of Man. [28]Do not marvel at this, for an hour is coming when all who are in the tombs will hear his voice [29]and come out, those who have done good to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil to the resurrection of judgment. [30]"I can do nothing on my own. As I hear, I judge, and my judgment is just, because I seek not my own will but the will of him who sent me. [31]If I alone bear witness about myself, my testimony is not deemed true. [32]There is another who bears witness about me, and I know that the testimony that he bears about me is true. [33]You sent to John, and he has borne witness to the truth. [34]Not that the testimony that I receive is from man, but I say these things so that you may be saved. [35]He was a burning and shining lamp, and you were willing to rejoice for a while in his light. [36]But the testimony that I have is greater than that of John. For the works that the Father has given me to accomplish, the very works that I am doing, bear witness about me that the Father has sent me. [37]And the Father who sent me has himself borne witness about me. His voice you have never heard, his form you have never seen, [38]and you do not have his word abiding in you, for you do not believe the one whom he has sent. [39]You search the Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; and it is they that bear witness about me, [40]yet you refuse to come to me that you may have life. [41]I do not receive glory from people. [42]But I know that you do not have the love of God within you. [43]I have come in my Father's name, and you do not receive me. If another comes in his own name, you will receive him. [44]How can you believe, when you receive glory from one another and do not seek the glory that comes from the only God? [45]Do not think that I will accuse you to the Father. There is one who accuses you: Moses, on whom you have set your hope. [46]For if you believed Moses, you would believe me; for he wrote of me. [47]But if you do not believe his writings, how will you believe my words?" (ESV)
: 24-29)

2 In my Father’s house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you.

3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.
4 And whither I go ye know, and the way ye know.
5 Thomas saith unto him, Lord, we know not whither thou goest; and how can we know the way?
(John 14:2-5 [+/-]John 14:2-5 [2]In my Father's house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? [3]And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also. [4]And you know the way to where I am going." [5]Thomas said to him, "Lord, we do not know where you are going. How can we know the way?" (ESV)
)

And of course the Book of Revelation has lots about immortality, including:

4 And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them: and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years.
5 But the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection.
(Revelation 20 [+/-]Revelation 20 [20:1]Then I saw an angel coming down from heaven, holding in his hand the key to the bottomless pit and a great chain. [2]And he seized the dragon, that ancient serpent, who is the devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years, [3]and threw him into the pit, and shut it and sealed it over him, so that he might not deceive the nations any longer, until the thousand years were ended. After that he must be released for a little while. [4]Then I saw thrones, and seated on them were those to whom the authority to judge was committed. Also I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded for the testimony of Jesus and for the word of God, and those who had not worshiped the beast or its image and had not received its mark on their foreheads or their hands. They came to life and reigned with Christ for a thousand years. [5]The rest of the dead did not come to life until the thousand years were ended. This is the first resurrection. [6]Blessed and holy is the one who shares in the first resurrection! Over such the second death has no power, but they will be priests of God and of Christ, and they will reign with him for a thousand years. [7]And when the thousand years are ended, Satan will be released from his prison [8]and will come out to deceive the nations that are at the four corners of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them for battle; their number is like the sand of the sea. [9]And they marched up over the broad plain of the earth and surrounded the camp of the saints and the beloved city, but fire came down from heaven and consumed them, [10]and the devil who had deceived them was thrown into the lake of fire and sulfur where the beast and the false prophet were, and they will be tormented day and night forever and ever. [11]Then I saw a great white throne and him who was seated on it. From his presence earth and sky fled away, and no place was found for them. [12]And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Then another book was opened, which is the book of life. And the dead were judged by what was written in the books, according to what they had done. [13]And the sea gave up the dead who were in it, Death and Hades gave up the dead who were in them, and they were judged, each one of them, according to what they had done. [14]Then Death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire. [15]And if anyone's name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire. (ESV)
: 4-5)

Thus, if you accept the general accuracy of the New Testament, there is little doubt that death does not end a person’s existence. You do not have to believe in inerrancy to come to this conclusion; the passages are numerous enough, in enough books, and in such complete logical accord with the rest of the New Testament that you must believe the New Testament is thoroughly wrong if you are to disbelieve in an afterlife. You can’t just believe that a few of its books are forgeries or that some passages are later insertions; you have to throw out pretty much the whole thing as a source for theology. You can do that, of course, but then it becomes much harder to know much about theological questions and you should not be surprised if you are left with little confidence about what God is like, what Man’s future is, or any other question that is hard to answer conclusively from non-Biblical historical and scientific evidence.

It is, of course, common, perhaps even normal, for non-Christians to believe in the immortality of the soul, even without Biblical evidence.

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