Unfortunately, humans are sinful by nature. No matter how hard we try, we still do bad things. There is no amount of good that we can do to make up for our sinful nature. The only way to get to heaven is to believe in Jesus Christ, who sacificed himself to redeem us from our sins.

Yet there is an inherent flaw in your logic -- you cannot make up a solidly based opinion on the various theories of what are present. You cannot logically state, "I don't want to think there's nothing after death. Therefore there must be an afterlife!" with absolute certainty, because it is subjective. As for the "beyond the grave" experiences, I do not believe they have any credibility whatsoever. There's too many instances to ignore... that's like saying, "Well, between 75-95 percent of r.apes are never reported to the police. There's too many instances to ignore. Therefore, r.ape definitely never happened in 75-95% of instances!"

Excuse me for using such an example with such awful subject matter, but it's the one I think off of the top of my head. Also, advancing the human race is not really something we do consciously. Science - innovation - discovery - these things advance the human race. If you look back in history, you'll see how often the Church has attempted to thwart these discoveries, i.e. Sir Isaac Newton who had to renounce his. And why should it matter to you? Because this is your life, and life is amazing, and I'd rather spend my time enjoying my Earthly life than worrying about eternal life which, most likely, does not exist.

I know you won't change your opinion, but at least try and consider my side of the story. The Ben Franklin quote is what really provoked me into thinking this. It may seem "horrible", but just because reality is unfavorable doesn't mean we should refute it. Just because we're scared of death doesn't mean we should make up stories about what comes after. Well, actually, that is what we do to make us feel better about it.

That's horrible. I cannot see how anyone can accept such uncertainty, and meaninglessness. If the point of life is to "advance the human race," then I'd rather not live. Why should I advance something I have but 70 years to participate in? Why should it matter to me?

Besides that, what do you say to those who have "beyond the grave" experiences? Sure, many people are fanatics and I can accept that not all accounts will be wholly accurate, or totally true. But there are too many instances to ignore! There is something after this, and at the very least one should investigate the varying theories of what exactly is after life, in order to make up a solidly based opinion.

As for me, "I believe in Christianity as I believe the sun has risen: not because I see it, but because by it I see everything else." --C.S. Lewis. God is the answer. His Son is the solution. Eternity is at stake.

I agree! The Bible is supposed to be something of a art piece, every line is what YOU make of it. We have generalised and prejudiced views of everything. 

Check out my article, it kinda relates to yours. It's called Agnosticism and Morality.

If what Christians believe is NOT real, then no one has anything to worry about. We'll just be bodies in the ground. However, if what Christains believe is true... If I believe is true, you have a lot to worry about. 

We are posed with a choice. Believe in what Christ did for you, or don't. I just pose the question to you that if you died tonight, do you know where you'll be? The Bible is clear. There is only one way in to Heaven Through Jesus. And you are either for him or against him. There is no middle ground. 

God loves us all, so he gave us a way to lay our sins down and follow him. How can you go to heaven if you aren't even following Christ?