Why is reincarnation more appealing than eternal death?

[Jebus]

I live in a world where every religion I have heard of has a detailed plan of what happens after one dies. I believe the reason that no religions speak of a higher power who doesn't provide us with an afterlife is that this idea is unappealing to the followers. I live in a country where a majority believe in reincarnation but I fail to understand how this concept can appeal to the masses. If the next me has no recollection of the previous me than I feel like the next me is a completely different person/animal. The idea of being dead for eternity is certainly not appealing but I fail to understand how anyone could be more attracted to reincarnation.

[miniboes]

Well, is living not better than not living? Would it not feel good to know you would be able to live again, to feel all the sensations again? Even without memory of a past life that sounds quite cool to me. Also, you might be able to fly if you happen to reincarnate as a bird or flying insect!

[Monkey]

I agree. If I do not go forward with any memory then everything that is the essence of "me" is lost and it makes no difference whatsoever whether or not I would be reincarnated.

[PrincessPeach]

Help me figure this out I suck at percentages and I can't figure out how many total animals there are world wide!!
There are 1.3 million discovered different species of invertebrate animals
If reincarnation were to exist the chances of a human becoming a wild, lets say a wild lion would be..
There is an estimated 30,000 wild lions left ...
The chances of you being reincarnated into a dairy cow would be...
260,042,606 the number of dairy cows slaughtered in the year 2011..
The chances of you being reincarnated into a chicken would be...
50million chickens are killed world wide for their flesh and about 300million hens are locked up for their eggs.
The chances of you being reincarnated into a wild tiger would be..
There are only estimated 3,200 wild tigers left in this world..
There are an estimated 90billion marine animals slaughtered each year...
There are an estimated 7billion humans..
In the US alone there are over 100 million animals in research facilities..

I've been thinking about this for quite some time I just can't figure out the stats who wants to help
I am glad I don't believe in reincarnation!
People want to live off the idea that they will be reincarnated into something beautiful like a lion but; chances are they would be reincarnated as a livestock or research animal!
http://www.currentresults.com/Environme ... pecies.php
http://www.dairyco.org.uk/market-inform ... Ii6Q3tqGVA
http://www.upc-online.org/chickens/chickensbro.html
http://adaptt.org/killcounter.html
http://www.peta.org/issues/animals-used ... -overview/

[miniboes]

People want to live off the idea that they will be reincarnated into something beautiful like a lion but; chances are they would be reincarnated as a livestock or research animal!

This is true, but was not the case when the myths originated. I don't know the specific rules of reincarnation, but could you not be an ant or fish?

[brimstoneSalad]

This is true, but was not the case when the myths originated. I don't know the specific rules of reincarnation, but could you not be an ant or fish?

It depends on your karma. If you acquired bad karma during your life, you're reincarnated into a shittier life (like an untouchable, and then a non-human animal, on down the chain from cows to pigs to dogs to insects, etc.

If you acquire good karma (which they spend a lot of effort doing), you're reincarnated into a higher caste, and then into higher non-earthly planes, becoming a Deva or something else (basically a god-like being).

Eating meat is a good way to get reincarnated into an animal suffering in a factory farm. It is some kind of poetic justice.

[PrincessPeach]

It depends on your karma. If you acquired bad karma during your life, you're reincarnated into a shittier life (like an untouchable, and then a non-human animal, on down the chain from cows to pigs to dogs to insects, etc.

If you acquire good karma (which they spend a lot of effort doing), you're reincarnated into a higher caste, and then into higher non-earthly planes, becoming a Deva or something else (basically a god-like being).

Eating meat is a good way to get reincarnated into an animal suffering in a factory farm. It is some kind of poetic justice.

Who defines karma?

I don't believe in karma

[brimstoneSalad]

Who defines karma?

I don't believe in karma

The Vedas define Karma, although I don't think they do so very clearly. Reincarnation isn't real, so karma is kind of irrelevant.
Abrahamic religion speaks instead in terms of sin, but it's very similar.

Although there are also many beliefs that what people do in this life comes back to them, particularly in new-age circles, and Wicca. It has a supernatural element in common belief, but it's based on something real too, that is the general tendency of bad stuff happening to bad people due to the actions of other people in upholding social ethics:
When people are jerks, they tend not to get as much help from others, and will often be sabotaged.

That, of course, isn't a perfect system, and it relies on a general statistical trend with plenty of unfortunate outliers who will never get what they [arguably should] have coming.