To be sure, the concept and question of "life after death" does much to frame the "identity" question. That is, when one considers the nature of the self, at the most basic and pressing level, one wants to know if that nature is infinite or temporal. Of course, removing the body and the physical and social trappings of life places this question in stark relief, on display and for careful and intense musing. Although many have taken this issue and concluded that there is a kind of existence independent of the body, perhaps most famously, Descartes and his "I think therefore I am" theory of "mind," the mere existence of thought does little to confirm anything logically. In fact, a simple and non-theological "mind-based" identity theory like the one Descartes espoused is necessarily flawed. This is due to the fact that the presence of faith as a component in any discussion of the concept of self is largely ignored by all (including Descartes) except in theories based on religion. .

             The simple fact is that in all possible conclusions about self, its nature, as well as its role and ultimate destiny, are grounded in faith. Given this fact, it not only makes sense to turn to religious tradition as a source of information about the nature of identity, which is based on faith no less than non-religious theories, but it points to the folly of choosing any other theory given the comparably inferior temporal definitions they may offer.

             Science, Atheism, and the Faith Involved in Both.

             John Perry"s book, "A Dialogue on Personal Identity and Immortality" is indeed an interesting read. Although through reading his work the one begins to understand the many different viewpoints on human existence and identity, much of one"s ultimate conclusions must be based upon some form of faith. When I say "faith" I do not necessarily mean a specific religion.