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Life After Death The Evidence by Dinesh D'Souza Regnery Publishing The author is a well known conservative commentatator and Christian. As with his many video presentations, he makes his case here with clarity and elegance. It is reasonable to believe that heaven exists, argues the author. Science has now demonstrated that what we perceive as the universe is unimaginable. Since the universe exists, it is reasonable to believe that the unimaginable exists. The fact that heaven is unimaginable does not mean it doesn't exist. I was pleased to observe that the author approaches the topic of near-death experience with due caution. While it does not prove the existence of an after-life, we can take into account the claims of people who have experienced it, especially if they have nothing to gain by making such claims. The argument for an after-life on moral grounds is very well observed. The innocent suffer and die. Where is the justice in this? I immediately thought of Stephen Fry passionately condemning a god who would let this happen. What is really surprising is why Stephen Fry is so angry about this? As an atheist, he believes that life is ultimately without meaning. Some good people die young because that is the nature of the world we live in. But Stephen Fry is angry. He sees this as an injustice has been. Believers also share in his perplexity and even in his anger. But we also believe that since justice is not granted in this world, there must be another world where it is granted. Of course, those who commit evil in this world and get away with it will also be given justice in the life to come. What the author is so good at showing is the arrogance of scientism. The "science is everything" mantra simply does not work. It is dehumanising. That is why we do not observe it in our day-today lives. The really important decisions we make in life such as a choice of jobs and spouses are not made entirely by scientific means. Scientism is also unscientific: the Anthropic Principle and Big Bang Theory do not prove the existence of God. But they are pretty good indicators in demonstrating God's existence. Is the mind the same thing as the brain? The author notes that neuroscience research suggests a difference. If consciousness can survive the decaying brain, the case for life after death seems reasonable. The author has in this book made a convincing case for life after death. |