MISCONCEPTION CORRECTION: Would you have gotten that game show question right? I wouldn't. That doesn't sound like the eternal life I've been taught. Looks like we need some new definitions.
Let's throw out immortality as represented in fiction. (I can already hear some of you nerds complaining. We can talk about your crazy ideas later) Biologically speaking, immortality is the absence of aging. This is often quantified by the Hayflick Limit which is the number of times a cell can divide before it can not continue. Even if this is achievable you still have to watch out for disease and physical trauma. Right now there are only a few species out there that are contenders for being biologically immortal. There's a couple simple organisms and a tree, but the best of the bunch is Turritopsis nutricula. It's a jellyfish that after it becomes sexually mature can fully revert to a sexually immature stage. That would be like if right before you hit old age (whatever age you currently think is unfashionable) you transform back into your middle school self. If that's my only option, I think I'd much rather take my chances than do that phase again.
How about on the religious end of immortality? When you read some commentary on Jesus' definition in this verse, two things keep popping up. First, the knowledge spoken of here doesn't mean you need some religious secrets to have eternal life. It's a mixture of faith and a relationship with God. Second, the translation of “eternal” refers not only to the quantity of life but also the quality. In Hebrew, eternal life is translated to “life of eternity, age” which directly relates to the idea of the age to come. In Jewish thought, the “age to come” is a time when the relationship with God is restored (pointing back to the Garden of Eden days). We're not talking about living forever on earth. You gonna die (unless we hit the stuff that happens in Revelations). It's a matter of your quality of life on the flip side.
If you still want to talk about immortality in fiction:
Let's throw out immortality as represented in fiction. (I can already hear some of you nerds complaining. We can talk about your crazy ideas later) Biologically speaking, immortality is the absence of aging. This is often quantified by the Hayflick Limit which is the number of times a cell can divide before it can not continue. Even if this is achievable you still have to watch out for disease and physical trauma. Right now there are only a few species out there that are contenders for being biologically immortal. There's a couple simple organisms and a tree, but the best of the bunch is Turritopsis nutricula. It's a jellyfish that after it becomes sexually mature can fully revert to a sexually immature stage. That would be like if right before you hit old age (whatever age you currently think is unfashionable) you transform back into your middle school self. If that's my only option, I think I'd much rather take my chances than do that phase again.
How about on the religious end of immortality? When you read some commentary on Jesus' definition in this verse, two things keep popping up. First, the knowledge spoken of here doesn't mean you need some religious secrets to have eternal life. It's a mixture of faith and a relationship with God. Second, the translation of “eternal” refers not only to the quantity of life but also the quality. In Hebrew, eternal life is translated to “life of eternity, age” which directly relates to the idea of the age to come. In Jewish thought, the “age to come” is a time when the relationship with God is restored (pointing back to the Garden of Eden days). We're not talking about living forever on earth. You gonna die (unless we hit the stuff that happens in Revelations). It's a matter of your quality of life on the flip side.
If you still want to talk about immortality in fiction:
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