What is the difference between eternity and immortality?

Answer 1

To begin to answer this question we must understand the relationship between life and time.

Life is existence, Time is a measure of existence or duration.

Life can either be bound by Time or be beyond Time.

Having understood this, we consider what Eternal or Eternity means... it simply means without beginning or end i.e. not bound by Time. Thus Eternal Life is Life beyond the constraints of Time.

Immortal or Immortality on the other hand means exempt from death. This can be a bit confusing; but if we consider that the death of an entity is a cessation/expiration of the entities Time, then Immortal can be understood as exemption from cessation of Time. In other words, as long as Time exists, an Immortal continues to live.

How are Eternal and Immortal similar? Eternal and Immortal both imply a duration of life beyond mortal or human reference... in other words we could say an Eternal or Immortal being has lived and lives forever.

How are Eternal and Immortal different? Eternal has no beginning or ending since it is beyond Time; Immortal being bound by Time has a beginning and theoretically an ending ... if and when Time ceases!!!

It stands to reason that an Eternal is also Immortal but an Immortal is not Eternal, just as a New Yorker is also an American but an American is not necessarily a New Yorker. We could say that the difference between Eternal and Immortal is in the Quality as opposed to the Quality of Life.