I am a Protestant in the Reformed tradition. I believe in an afterlife and that we are saved by the irresistible grace of God. Those who God elects are irresistibly so, those who he does not, are not.
I'm on my way to Heaven, I wonder what place the LORD prepared for me and maybe what treasures I might have gathered by sincere good works while here on earth. Save your seat for the Rapture, hear, understand and trust the good news. God bless
I believe people would want there to be an afterlife, and that they find comfort in the concept that the good guys go to heaven and the bad guys get punished. But wanting it to be so does not make it so. My view is bleak; we are alone in a sea of lifeless star systems, there is no god and if we die it is for good. We get just one chance as an individual, so make it count. And as humanity I believe it is our sacred duty to survive, leave Earth and start spreading life and intelligence around the galaxy, because if we do not do so no one will. Why should we do this? Because life is beautiful, vibrant, magnificent, glorious; if you doubt this go walk in an old forest and contemplate what you see, make love to woman, visit a coral reef; these things are good and worth saving in themselves. It is not the afterlife which counts but the life of others that continues when we ourselves die.
I’m an atheist. Don’t believe in god(s) or an afterlife. Just the here and now, the universe, matter, etc. When I die that’ll be the end of me, and I’m just fine with that.
I believe most religions are with you on that point. The afterlife, however you choose to imagine it, isn't a second chance at life. It isn't a rebirth cycle. It's more like: "Life: The sequel". As you stated, it's a time for the good to be rewarded and the bad weeded out/punished.
To wish that the universe is structured for our benefit ("life everlasting") to me seems a bit selfish.
But if it's true, then it's neither selfish nor selfless. It just... is. Believing that the sky is blue isn't selfish or selfless or anything. I believe in an afterlife because I'm convinced by the evidence (in many forms) that the Bible is truth, and the Bible says there is an afterlife. If it said there was no afterlife, then I would accept that. I don't really see why it's selfish (or not selfish).