New life after death?

Mistake - they would be looking forward to an eternity, not a life , of blissful mayhem (life would be over)

Just as well they know nothing. Jeni

Then there are the Mormons, who can baptise their ancestors posthumously into their faith so that they can meet up with them in heaven. That would not please any Viking or Aztec ancestors, who were looking forward to a life of endless killing, rape and pillaging or cutting out the hearts of living sacrifices. Luckily for them, the Mormons need to know their exact names and connection to them before they can sign them up.

Nothing! They are dead or do we still think when we are dead? If so, do we know we are dead, or just think we are?
I think I have a head ach e coming on!

When you see some of the people who reckon they are a reincarnation of Cleopatra or Genghis Khan or whoever, you do wonder what the original owner of the personality thinks of it all.

.....and then there is serendipity which is wonderful.

Which bits does he agree with, grannyactivist? I would have thought that believers in a god would think that it arranged everything, so nothing could be a coincidence.
When I was at a convent school, we were told very forcibly that any dabbling in spiritualism, ouja boards, mediums, etc. was sinful. I was surprised when that well-known Catholic Cherie Blair was reported to have talked Tony into some hocus-pocus involving crystals and rebirthing.

I love coincidences and probability theories. Many are contra-intuitive. For example, if a number has come up in the lottery 50 times, the chance of it coming up again remain at 1 in 49. Noel Edmonds and his victims don't seem to understand this. And why should coins come down 50/50 heads and tails if you do enough trials - the more trials you do, the closer you get to equivalence.
Considering the billions of events which take place every second, it would be a great coincidence if none of them coincided!

My husband (a full on Christian) is actually in agreement with a lot of the thinking about coincidence expressed on this thread. It's his pet research subject at the moment.

I like the cut of your jib, feetlebaum. I have been trying to make an anagram of your user name, but nothing has come up so far. There is a Le Baume in France - any connection?

I was born the day after Marconi died... and guess what - I listen to the wireless!

yoga, they won't use my blood not because it's unhealthy but because it's loaded with the painkillers I need but which for someone else might be a bother! Like you, I was a regular donor at one time, then they started just taking platelets (I had a high count apparently and platelets are useful for treating leukaemia) — take out a half litre of blood, spin out the platelets, pump the red blood cells back in, take another half litre, etc., five times. That way I could donate every month because making platelets takes hardly any time whereas you need a few months' gap if they take your red blood cells in whole blood. Then, coinciding with the Aids/HIV scare they made all the rules much stricter and decided the painkillers that I'd been taking all along (which they knew about) plus the fact that I was on the borderline to be heavy enough to give blood anyway, meant it wasn't a good idea for me to be a donor. Oh well, did my bit while I could.

I carry a very old and tatty organ donor card, but think I'd better do the online one. I am very much in favour of the opt-out system.
Frankly, if there's anything worth having, they're welcome.
I'd also be happy with being used for research ........ as long as there was a bit of me left to be sprinkled in my favoured spot.

bagitha - I was really surprised when I filled out the online organ donor form that no mention was made of previous cancer treatment, so Ifilled it out anyway! If it's OK for organs to be used, why can't they use blood too. Doesn't apply to me now as I'm passed the age limit for giving blood but I was just wondering. Always just a bit put out as I was only a few pints away from getting my "gold badge" - another failure

It seems to happen all the time in our family, like making way,I'm sure it's just coincidence. My Mother died just a few weeks before my Grandaughter was born,and my mother -in-law died just a week before her youngest great grandchilld was born.It may all be rubbish as DCMG suggests, but I like the flow and continuation of life theme. Love the poem from Mishap

There was a story in the newspapers some time ago about a recipient who had developed cancer after receiving a kidney from someone who had been suffering from undiagnosed cancer. They were tracing everyone else who had received an organ from that donor. However, if cancer has been cured I would expect it not to matter.
If I die in France I am not sure whether they would use any of my organs.
However , it is much more likely that I will die in New Zealand and I have already conacted the service there and found out what I need to do.

Interesting question, yoga. I haven't been able to be a blood donor for a long time, but I'm still registered as an organ donor. I guess they won't be using my blood in any organs they might use. The cancer thing is another question though. You'd think that, if it mattered, you'd have to declare it when you register as a donor.

I second Gally's suggestion that we should have an opt-out system instead of the present opt in. I wonder if we can have any influence on the powers that be.

One question I have that no one seems to be able to answer is "can you be an organ donor if you have had cancer and since been given the all clear?" I had breast cancer many years ago and as soon as I was diagnosed I was stopped from being a blood donor. Does the same apply to organs?

In the Hans Anderson story, the mermaids and mermen become part of the froth on the waves when they die.

We are made of the same atoms that make up the universe. It is fitting that we return to them when we die.

em...meet you there

The reference to atoms returning to their source reminded me of the conclusion to Philip Pullman's Dark Materials trilogy. I like that idea, which is why I have told my children that I don't want to be confined to a designated spot after I go. I want to be nowhere and everywhere.

Thank you for kind comments about poem.

I have no belief in an afterlife - I just think our atoms return to the cosmic soup whence they came.

There is however a very powerful emotional response to a death and birth in quick succession - the one highlights the other: the pain of loss and the joy at the miracle of birth.

For me the juxtaposition of the two events felt quite hard - mostly when my GC have been born there has just been the excitement of a new life and lots to look forward to; but the death of my mother at the same time was a stark reminder of mortality and how it applies to the little new one too, which is not usually the first thing that enters one's mind when a new child is born. It felt like a difficult time.

I am sure that we all live on in what we have done and said and how these have impacted on others; this in their turn affects how they relate to others - and so on ad infinitum. We are all immortal in that sense.

Like Gally I carry a card and am also registered on-line as a donor. My family know of my wishes, too.
I'd just like to pick up on what silverfoxygransaid. Many years ago, my sister-in-law, who I hadn't seen for a very long time and who knew very little about what path my life had taken in the earlier years, told me that she'd had a dream that involved my partner's (and her husband's) late father. She'd been very fond of the man and was terribly upset when he died. The dream she had was in the early 80's and her father-in-law had been dead for at least 25 years. She dreamt that she'd been worrying about him and if he was ok where he was. He spoke to her and said that she shouldn't worry about him. He had a 15-year-old boy that he had to take care of and he was just fine. There wasn't any way at that time that my sister-in-law could have known that I'd had a baby who had died of cot-death in 1968. What she told me has given me enormous comfort over the years, as it has her.
I think we should just believe in what we believe in. No mathematical workings-out etc would shake my faith in what I do believe in. I'm not a religious person, but I do think we do 'move on'.

I am registered on-line as a donor as well as carrying a card, but apparently it only works if your nearest and dearest are aware of your wishes. I think we should push for an opt-out system rather than the opt-in one we have at present. So many 'bits' are wasted daily. Can't remember if there has been a thread on this before but maybe we should start one if not.

That is true Greatnan my Aunt donated her corneas and she was 80.

I think old corneas are still useful.

That's true Greatnan. But I don't reckon they'd want my over-the-hill bits.