Amos

The reality is that in our afterlife we will have no sickness or pain while our good works will acompany us there until we die our second death, and that is also part of our "THIS is it."

Dark Jedi

You have hit upon the very reason man invented gods... fear of death.

I fear death, and want no part of it. I choose, however, not to comfort myself with mythology.
"I intend to live forever or die trying" -Spider Robinson

openeyes

Funny!

I care about death because my kids are too young to be left parentless at this point. A few other people would miss me too. Chances are that I'll make it to old age, and the thought of "sleeping" and never waking up or not having consciousness doesn't bother me. As it Warren's example, the alternative is more unsettling to me. (And I actually like my extended family for the most part!)

mjbeam

Are you bothered that there won't be 77 virgins for you when you die? Are you bothered that there aren't leprechauns with pots of gold at the end of every rainbow?


-Mike

Rhea

Nope. The afterlife aspect does not bother me even a smidgen.

The only worries I have about death are:
1) not wanting to leave dependents who suffer from my loss (minor children)
2) There's a lot to do in life, it'd be nice to do some more while I'm able.


But neither of these has anything to do with afterlife, now do they?

1) My dependents will be equally adrift whether I am gone or in a heaven or in a hell. Absolutely no difference to them. And if I really sit down and think about it, the idea of being in a heaven and NOT BEING SAD about my motherless minor children is extremely disturbing and therefore heaven is actually the WORST of the possible after-death choices.

2) If I'm just poof gone, I won't really care about #2 anymore, will I?



So I can't see any reason at all why a lack of after life would cause me concern in any way.

and I'd be interested in your return comments about my view on this! Why do YOU think that any earthly cares that you currently have are solved by an afterlife?

iridium

What's there to come to terms with. Since it's apparent to me from an early age that there is no evidence of the existence of a soul and that it is purely asumed to exist and invented through the desire of an afterlife etc, I've not lost anything to come to terms with. Everything simply is and I accept it, pure and simple.

Black Leaf

Your glib question is perhaps unfair. I know you believe that a soul and an afterlife is as silly a belief as Santa Claus or the Easter Bunny, but I think that worry about death and life is a far more basic and compelling worry then these other inventions.

I guess at this point I am worried about death and the afterlife. Perhaps that somehow means I am not well adjusted, but then again that is why I was seeking opinion from people who could show me some enlightenment.

Godless Wonder

Fear dying, not being dead. I was never taught that there was any afterlife, so I never had the trauma of having such a belief destroyed. I've always known that this life is all there is. Not that this has made me act any differently, I still find myself acting like I've got all the time in the world moreso than I would like.

I remember seeing Chris Rock on the Tonight Show (I think) once, and he said something about (what I took to be) his outlook on life. He said he always had this feeling that he would by dying soon, like "It's almost over!" Like he had to rush and hurry up and do the things he wanted to do, I got the sense that he lived with a real sense of urgency. Whether he actually does or not, I don't know, but I do wish sometimes that I had a little more of that sense of urgency than I do. My lack of belief in any afterlife doesn't seem to compel me to behave any differently, probably because I've lacked such a belief for my entire life and it's my default whenever the subject comes up (whcih is about the only time I think about it) so it's not like it's weighing down on my psyche as it might be for someone who grew up with a belief in an afterlife that is subsequently discarded.

Rhaedas

Well, you can spend the rest of your life worrying about the end, or you can live your life to the fullest now. Which is more fulfilling? If you live that life well, and then get some type of afterlife too, then that's a bonus.

The fact is, there is either an afterlife or not, and no amount of hand wringing will change that. Evidence (or lack thereof) points to nothing after death, so why not enjoy your existence now, and let what happens at death happen.

I agree that death doesn't concern me at all, but I sure as hell don't want the dying part to be a long term painful one. I hope for either a quick death, a peaceful in-my-sleep death, or best yet, the goal of transhumanism, extreme long life, with death by choice, if I eventually get bored with near-immortality.

Jamie_L

A lot of atheists clearly are very comfortable with the thought of their eventual non-existence. Many find the notion of eternal life as horrific as others find the though of non-existence.

I'm not one of those atheists. I am terrified of death, and would like nothing more than to discover that I'm wrong, and that we all get to hang around after we shuffle off this mortal coil.

I would also like nothing more than to win the lottery. However, my desires have nothing to do with reality. Such is life.

Jamie