There is nothing more important than life.

I have always hated the idea of a "heaven". Taking religion out of it, the idea of ascending to a "better place" has always got to me, because THIS is heaven. Everything you hope for and seek in this 'heaven', is achievable right here. Literally everything you know of, your way of thinking, your knowledge, EVERYTHING has been obtained through this reality. There is no need to look for something that might or might not be real, because you're living what you're searching for. Life is all we have. This is it. Our one chance to enjoy the only consciousness we will ever possess. That's why life is the most important thing ever, because with nothing being before it, and nothing coming after it, it's all we actually have.

And I disagree with Verity. My life is more important to me than it is to other people. Other people might hold you dearly, but they will always move on. They will continue on with their lives, and you'll become just a memory to them. If you're life is over, that's it. You have no memories, you have no past, it's all done. You don't have the opportunity to be happy that you impacted someone's life, or the chance to see how you effected people, because it just ends. The only time your life is not the most important thing, is when you're holding someone else's life above yours, which really can only come about with a wife/child.

^^^
"heaven isn't some place that we go to when we die, it's that split second in life where we actually feel alive"

But why must you go somewhere when you die? This feeling of "aliveness" can be gained here. The whole idea of aliveness was build here. Anyone that has ever felt 'alive', has done so in this realm. There is no point living, waiting for something that might not happen, especially because everything that a heaven can give you is more than possible here.

yo @Dave

I believe we are infinite, and if you understand that concept it's self explanatory but that means we've always been and we'll always be. With that being said, I strongly believe me and you are the same EXACT person (obviously we are different) but we are male, and female.. nothing outside these, two make a whole MALE AND FEMALE is everything, all female the same, all male the same.

we obviously dress ourselves up differently call ourselves different names and take different paths, but we are all one conscious being (two counting female)

@Dave I understand that, but I know Grizz and I know that his children value his life above their own, because they don't understand life yet, they depend completely on him because they're so young, that's what I meant I guess. I hold a couple peoples lives above my own and value their lives above my own life, it's just personal perception on what life means to me

yeah, Verity... i understood directly where u were comin from because u kno tha REAL meanin behind this thread... but ive gained more insight than i had purposely intended on initially. @Dave, i feel u. we miiiight need to talk that over one day. @Jason, on a broad scale...yeah i see exactly whaa u mean.... basically. u cant put in penny's and take out dollars. Heir, u made a GREAT point in ur first post, but became more irrelevant w/ each rebuttle.

Im using this thread for a personal reason, buuuut it has sparked a great debate. Continue plz.

Despite my bad runs with depression, life is the most precious thing of all. From my experience I've learned to value the lives of others as higher than my own. That's why I wanted to join the Military, I know it's kind of ironic, "The Soldier that takes lives values life" type of deal, but it's because I value the lives of my own people so high. I would GIVE my life for a total stranger if it meant the preservation of their's. Each to their own though.

Life is intricate. I also believe that religion ruins life and people (thats debatable on another day). We all have morales, values and things that we want and need. Hell some people need everything they want. The best thing about life is no individual is the same as another, Thats why you have to value who you are. No matter how much of a parasite or a benefit to society you are. You have to remember whatever you do, whatever you accomplish no one before or after will do it like you.

And I'm not trying to say "Fuck everyone not american". If I was deployed in England, Germany, even Iraq, I would give my life if it meant to protect a civilian. Human life is too precious.

I don't think that's shallow at all, and that's pretty much what I was trying to say. Life is more of a principle than anything else. "Living" and the value of one's life can be measured upon how closely one lives their life according to that principle.
Life isn't absolute...just because we're alive doesn't mean we're absolutely living. Like every polarity, the opposite is inherent. Just like there is no mountain without a valley, there is no life without death...so death is ever-present even when there is life and we can't claim to be absolutely living. We're either living or dying, but while we're living, we might be dying as well simultaneously.