My atheist friend

[Sethomas]

I actually agree, thus a few years ago I had this phase where I believed in God but not the soul so I stopped paying any attention to religion and such.

I do agree that most popular notions of the afterlife are pretty absurd, but I think that doesn't preclude the possibility of something that's probably incomprehensible. If there is post-mortem consciousness, I doubt it resembles people dancing in white robes in clouds while others burn in lakes of boiling oil for ever and ever and ever in saeculo saeculorum. I think existence itself is pretty absurd in itself, so what harm is a little faith that maybe some experience of the self pervades after death? Well, it CAN be harmful when you believe in a reward of 72 virgins or whatever, but still.