I've thought about this question long and hard for years.
After endless questioning, I'm still questioning; however I've come to the conclusion that it doesn't matter.
The idea of an "Afterlife" is one meant to comfort human beings. We fear the idea of inexistence. We fear "Not being". I've, at times, thought there was a God and, at times, thought that there was no God. The only logical conclusion that I can come to is that my mind cannot comprehend God; therefor I cannot comprehend an afterlife.
That isn't to be said that there isn't a "Whole-ness" to everything. A collective unconscious of the universe. An all-encompassing "Is". Whether this is sentient or not is up for debate. I don't believe it is. The fact of the matter is that, no matter what you believe, we all come from the same thing. Whether this be the Big Bang, God, or a pink elephant, we all sprouted from the same seed. That, alone, connects us all. We are all one-in-the-same in origin. Even in the absence of an afterlife or a greater being, we still have that connection. This is reinforced by emotional and logical connections. No matter what, we must keep these connections strong, else we will lose our path.
The point of existence isn't what happens afterward. People concern themselves too much with what may happen after they die as a reason to help others on earth. This is a flawed thinking and is extremely narcissistic. That's the truth, whether you want to believe it or not. If it takes the punishment of an eternity in Hell to get you to do good for your fellow man during this life, you are a narcissist and are only watching out for yourself. Fear shouldn't be what guides you- Love should.
Love of your fellow man, no matter how far off the path this person is. Love all those around you and love every being. Don't mistake this love to neglect yourself. You must pay attention to yourself and further yourself to extend your reach to help and love those further than your physical reach. Love nature and the origin of existence. Never fool yourself into a false state-of-mind that says "I must be good because 'so and so' says I should." Don't just "Be good." Know what is right and wrong. Set those boundaries for yourself.
Learn to love and let live. There's a possibility that this is your only chance. Don't tangle your mind up in pointless endeavors of an afterlife. Just love because that's the only thing you can do.
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