Ask HN: Turn dying Christians into a messenger service to the afterlife? | Hacker News Reader

Ask HN: Turn dying Christians into a messenger service to the afterlife?

12 pointsamichail14 comments

In particular, consider a service where Christians on their deathbeds memorize messages from friends and relatives to take to their dead loved ones in the afterlife.

Is such a service feasible?

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Since we are going this direction, how about funding an army of sinners that will ultimately battle Lucifer?

In the mean time, the folks preparing for this battle will have to engage in all manor of sinning. Orgies, binge drinking, adultery, buggery, taking the Lords name in vain, swearing allegiance to Lucifer, etc...

Thoughts? What should we call this army? What sigil shall we present?

Awesome idea. I suppose non-christians could also serve as message couriers as well to people who went to the other place?

You can try to sell photos of heaven (although he got mocked for it), so I guess you could sell this.

http://www.bbc.com/news/blogs-trending-35944680

It reminds me of Chinese Funeral Money, which has expanded to other goods. http://www.planetslade.com/hell-money.html

I would much rather someone sell a service of "take messages to the afterlife" than set themselves up as a medium and pretend to speak to the dead, but it's still a bit icky.

Only if you can "sell it". Business are not about solving big problems, they are about selling. Create enough hype, make sure it "sounds cool" and make sure you target right economic group.

Maybe a Christian coder could set up a Facebook server on the other side, though I'm not sure what the protocol would be for communicating with it from here.

Do you really think old people who are dying, would be interested in memorising messages in their final days?

What would be the price incentive?

Good question. My sister recruits patients for drug studies. Usually terminal patients. They are often very willing - it can make their short remaining time meaningful and useful. It can possibly be the most important thing they have done for years.

So, memorizing messages could be a very great comfort to folks missing a loved one. A devout dying person could think that an important achievement.

Why, when prayer does exactly the same thing? And its free and immediate. And no chance for mistranslation etc.

The 15th century Roman Catholic Church would totally back this Kickstarter.

You might want to move your calendar a few days!

i suppose that "possible" depends on the denomination or sect, as their beliefs differ as to whether things or ideas can be transmitted across such a divide. But, if you're asking this because of a loved one you've lost, i am sorry for your loss.

It would be impossible to offer such a service without many people considering it to be a fraud.

Just imagine the screaming if someone made a post about this about Muslims.

You're right, of course, but context makes a big difference. Those two religions have vastly different positions in the English-speaking world. And the post doesn't appear to be putting down anyone's faith, just asking a weird question. And then the submitter has a long and singular history on HN, and I mean singular literally: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=926350.

So as long as no one gets vicious I think it's ok.

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