I love gervais, but i found that last line slightly telling. I know it was a joke, but maybe that is partly why the characters in life's too short were so so bad and even the ones in derek are just slightly too pronounced. Whereas from extras and the original office, the natural characters and conversations went to making those shows classic.

You know what really annoys me? So-called theists that trample over the idea that "we don't know what happens when we die", as if it were something never before considered in western philosophy. Shadows on a wall. That's all any human can know. Oh, but the voices (or "feeling" of a holy/unholy spirit) of "god" in your head confirmed that they're real because they said so..!? K...

Does anyone else not see the inherent security risk here? How does a god truly interface with a human mind and authenticate its validity beyond all shadows of doubt? Oh, you just know right? As if you're the expert on human perception. If the concept of demons or Satan be real, perhaps there is only that. Have you considered? Of course not, devout theist, the clause exists for a reason -- do not tempt. Never question. Does this sound like freedom... or tyranny at work?

Maybe the voice of "good" is in reality bad. Perhaps all voices from other realms (should you wish to believe such a concept) are the voices and feelings from another world bent on conquering our own. You don't know and you're better off ignoring ALL of this bullshit. One man's god is another man's demon and thus it's safe to just assume they're all demons, should you even fucking ignorantly consider believing this nonsense.

It's the only rational conclusion that I can imagine which takes into account the inherent security risks between potential "linked" worlds, and in which relinquishes fearful self interest and acquisition of "treasures" in the after life (afterlife class war much?). It's like clicking on an insane URL in an email from Sender: "God" h__p:/godisreal.com/eternity?reward=/script%3E%123.45.69%mansion%in%the%sky/script%3E!YOURMINDSASLAVENOW. Would you seriously do that? You have no idea and you didn't even consider that belief could lead to damnation. It's just too easy. And what do we say about things that are too easy? I know what that means in this life, thank you very much.

Now you're hacked. Idiot. And you call unbelievers stupid and sad. For fuck's sake you can't even control your own mind's will to sync with the known patterns of security that we use for survival in this world. You think you're going to be safe in the next? You're ensnared and if you have an eternal soul, I HAVE PITY FOR YOU.

All we really know is that we don't know. It's not a revolutionary idea and in my honest opinion, if there is a life after death, then facing the ultimate fear of your own mortality is a challenge for true fulfillment of an undeserving eternity.

To believe in an after life without question is not to admit ones mortality. Admitting your mortality is a sobering and freeing concept. Again, I continue to feel pity for those whose minds are not free to process this.

That was a bit of a rant you went off on, there... But, this bit reminds me of what most puzzles me about certain beliefs - How can something interact with the physical world without being, itself, physical? I see no way, logically, to have a being not constrained by the laws of the physical world and still able influence anything in it. If you can't have that, surely omnipotence, at least, goes out the window?

I just watched Derek recently and loved it. With all the dark shows (but still great. Oh god, i can't wait for the Breaking Bad finale) that's more common at the moment, seeing something sweet and lovely, sad and yes, simple was refreshing. I look forward to the second season

You might as well ask "How can something interact with something that is digital without being itself digital?" A failure of imagination does not discount the possibility of existence. Absence of evidence is not evidence of absence.

That said, I'm not putting any money on "an invisible magician did it" when I ask how something came about.