by Jim Yount
Joe Kowalsky recently called our attention to a long article in The
Watchtower magazine (from 1999), written by and for the Jehovah Witnesses but
without a by-line, entitled Is Everlasting Life Really Possible?. Most of the
article focuses on continued life from a purely religious perspective, but
attempts to show how the view of modern science supports the bible.
One of the 23 points (paragraphs) in the article discusses cryonics, then The
Watchtower writer concludes that we have this desire to live forever because
the Creator intends to see that the desire is fulfilled. To quote from the
article:
"10 Modern efforts to try to satisfy man's inherent desire for everlasting
life are no less remarkable. A prominent example is the practice of freezing a
human who succumbs to disease. This has been done in hopes of restoring life at
some future time when a cure for the disease has been developed. A proponent of
this practice, which is called cryonics, wrote: "If our optimism proves
justified and it is learned how to cure or repair all damage-including the
debilities of old age-then those who 'die' now will have an indefinitely
extended life in the future."
"11 Why, you may ask, is this desire for everlasting life so embedded in our
thinking? Is it because "[God] has put eternity into man's mind"? (Ecclesiastes
3:11, Revised Standard Version) This is a matter for serious reflection! Just
think: Why would we have the inherent desire to live eternally-forever-if it was
not our Creator's purpose that this desire be satisfied? "
The author then poses the question: "Should we trust science, and the efforts
of man to give us eternal life, or trust to God?" He answers: (again quoting)
:
"Really, though, human efforts have proved totally ineffective in stopping
aging or in conquering death."
The author goes on to expound one of the major tenets of the Jehovah
Witnesses: that earth shall be made an earthly paradise, where men shall live
forever, in the flesh, under God.
Those cryonicists who are believers, might be disappointed that the author
did not allow for the possibility that God would work through man to accomplish
this "life everlasting." None-the-less, it is heartening that at least one
Christian writer believes that there is nothing wrong with the desire to be
immortal, and sees the desire fulfilled as physical immortality upon this earth,
not spiritual (extra-corporal) immortality in heaven!
Any reader who wants the complete text of this article should click here.