Atheos Dialogue: Falun Gong

Falun Dafa is the path. Upright lives achieve life after death.

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How can you be so confident there's no life after dying?

That's not my position at all. What makes you think that?

(laughing) You're the one who seems confident about your claim! How might a person go about determining if this really happens or not?

What proof do you have that there's life after death?

I'm not. What gave you the impression that I think that?

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Humanists or atheists come off as over-confident to me in their refutation of life after death.

That would seem to be a normal reaction to such a wild claim. Why would you be so upset about that?

Non-believers don't hold identical beliefs. I can't be sure about life after death, but I don't believe it occurs. My mind is open, though.

For me, I'm open to being convinced either way. What do you think happens to a person after death?

You are generalizing. Do you do this often to everyone you meet?

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You can study Falun Dafa, which explains how people live in a cycle of rebirth. I find it convincing & rational.

Wow. That sounds cool. How many years did you study Falun Dafa?

Fascinating stuff! How would you be able to tell if the Falun Dafa was incorrect in its thinking about life after death?

Sounds intriguing! If Falun Dafa was mistaken in some way regarding life after death, how would you discover it?

I find evolution convincing & rational, but I'm not assigning supernatural qualities to it. Are you saying T-rex has an after-life?

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Try out the meditation exercises—you may experience something without having to conduct a research study.

Meditation exercises... is that anything like Crossfit?

No research needed, huh? I find it interesting that you'd partake in something that hasn't been scientifically proven.

Perhaps. But how might someone go about discovering Falun Dafa could be mistaken on their claim about life after death?

Thanks. I might do that. If Falun Dafa was flat out mistaken about life after death, how would one figure it out?

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By dying, probably. That would be your empirical method.

True! Is there any way one could learn if her belief in life after death was mistaken in some way beforehand?

Indeed! But you really have no way to demonstrate a post-death existence to me in this life now. Does it work differently for animals?

Are you making jokes when my after-life may possibly be hanging in the balance?

Perhaps! But how might a person determine before death if life follows so they could adhere to a more reliable path?

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You can confirm what the Falun Dafa teaches is real, correct & upright without a scenario to disprove (or falsify) it.

We could never say what we'd accept to disprove life after death? What exempts Falun Dafa from that scrutiny?

Really? Shouldn't all beliefs be falsifiable so we can adjust accordingly if mistaken?

I see. Falun Dafa is exempt from falsifiability. Can you see the inherent danger in following something that can't be falsified?

If you discovered a command in Falun Dafa that ordered you to kill men over 35 who were deaf in just one ear, would you carry that out?

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When things are true, truly true, it wouldn't make sense to disprove them.

Not sure I follow. Shouldn't truth claims be falsifiable, even if only hypothetically?

Interesting. Hitler felt the same way about Jews.

That sounds like a dodge. Can we please stay on topic?

Should one believe things are 'true, truly true' if they cannot be demonstrated to be false?

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Demonstrations are forbidden to be shown to non-practitioners. This is why skeptics will never be convinced.

This sounds like 'Fight Club'. You don't know Tyler Durden by any chance, do you?

Would you mind elaborating how only practitioners of Falun Dafa can experience it?

That's convenient. Your belief isn't falsifiable & only practitioners can experience life after death? I'm being punked, right?

Only people that practice Falun Dafa can understand a demonstration of it?

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Ordinary humans are prevented from knowing supernatural things.

Are you saying one can never know if there's life after death unless one practices Falun Dafa & that practitioners are extra-ordinary?

Must one believe/practice Falun Dafa to know supernatural things & achieve life after death?

Ugh. (rolls eyes) Sounds like the No True Scotsman Fallacy. Does one cease being a 'normal' human once they start practicing Falun Dafa?

(audible sigh) Sounds like a cop-out. Are you really saying that if you practice Falun Dafa, you're no longer an 'ordinary' human being?

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No. Even if you don't practice cultivation one would still reincarnate, usually as a ghost.

If this was all true, I'd imagine there'd be ghosts all around us. Doesn't that freak you out at some level?

Can a person meet all Falun Dafa requirements, die, but then never experience another life afterwards?

How could we detect these ghosts?

Is it possible that a person could die & not have life afterwards, even if they precisely followed Falun Dafa teachings?

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I don't know. People come into direct contact with these truths after practicing, they just don't show it off or have the desire to.

Is it unethical to withhold this information from every living person?

If this stuff was really true, why aren't you working tirelessly to tell others about it?

Shouldn't such an amazing truth be available to everyone, regardless of one's position or membership?

Is it possible that the reason practitioners of Falun Dafa don't show it off is because they're afraid it really doesn't work?

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People have a predestined relationship (yuan) & your appointed time to know is now—everyone will do this in the future.

Is there any way you could be mistaken about your belief about life after death?

I have a pre-destined relationship with my comfy bed, but that doesn't mean I'm going to have a life after death

My appointed time to know is right now? Who exactly appointed this time to me?

I'm not sure how this relates to the claim about life after death.

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You want truth in life, I get that. However, going around trying to see what's wrong is a bad mentality.

Yes. I yearn for the truth. What is so bad about identifying mistakes in our thinking so we can improve going forward?

Yes, I want truth. But you seem content in unfalsifiable ignorance. Can't you see how sad that is?

Identifying beliefs that are harmful should be our main goal in life. You wouldn't start smoking because you know it's harmful, right?

I'm trying to figure out how people know what they claim to know—I want to know the truth too. Can we please get back to the original claim?

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You're trying to twist yourself around to trick me into admitting Falun Gong might be wrong & I should trust science.

The only person twisting around is you & your imaginary ghosts, you know what I mean?

That's not true. I'm trying to learn how you came to believe life after death is true by asking straightforward questions.

I'm not trying to trick you. I'm trying to figure out what's true & I want to understand how you arrived at your belief.

I find it interesting that you denigrate science & favor believing in something that cannot be proven.

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You suck. You're an atheist! You don't answer for people. You should be in despair! Don't ever therapize people again.

Where should I send my bill?

Sorry to end things on a bad note. If you want to talk again, please let me know.

Well, I'm here if you wish to talk again.

I should be in despair because I don't believe in Gods or ghosts? If so, you should be in despair for not believing in Zeus.