"And the moon shall be turned to blood" got me to thinking about my childhood and how I was plagued with debilitating fear thinking about the millennium, the second coming of Christ, the trek back to Jackson County, Missouri, and all the evil things that would occur on this earth. I became very fearful of death and the process of dying, in part, because of this and the idea of eternity which was a concept I could not wrap my linear brain around. I spent years being afraid of death which, of course, is not uncommon. Perhaps most people are. But here's my question: How does fear differ between religious people and non-religious people?

I tend to think that religious people may fear death more because of the idea of punishment for sin, particularly works-based religions like Mormonism. What do you think?

I agree with you. When a religious person is facing death they can easily fall into the trap of reviewing their life and second guessing what they should have done differently.

As an atheist I don't fear death. It is something that will happen to all humans and it is part of nature.

That was one of the ironies I discovered when I gave up religion. Suddenly death wasn't the scary thing I was raised to believe it was. It's natural, it happens to everyone and it doesn't involve a eternity of servitude, judgement, or torture, it's just over. I'm good with that.

Right. An atheist has no reason to fear death, where "death" is "the state of being dead," which in turn means, for most atheists, "the state of non-being that occurs following the state of once having been."

For many if not most theists, on the other hand, death, the state of being dead, is simply another form of life, the state of being alive, but one whose nature is unknown, uncertain, and therefore potentially terrifying. For where there is life, there is the possibility of suffering. In short, theists typically subscribe to the inherently anxiety-provoking belief that, when you're dead, you're not dead.

When one defines "death," not as "the state of being dead" but as "the process of dying," the atheist has no more and no less reason than the theist to fear it.

I don't want to die. I'll put it off as long as I can. I love life. I love my friends and family. Someday hopefully far off in the future I'll be dead and what is there to fear then? I can make myself sad now thinking about it but not fearful. Get used to it people. This is all we have. Make something of it.

Same here. Either there is some sort of afterlife, or there isn't. If not, I won't care because I won't exist. If so, it'll be something no one can tell you about. No one knows, they're just making things up.

I suppose "fear of death" is the reason religion got started in the first place.

If I was cremated, and my remains thrown under a tree or flower bed, I would be happy to be giving back to nature. That is comfort enough for me.

Yes, and then fear of death gave way to control and self-aggrandizing politics.

**wrong area** post deleted



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 06/06/2013 06:58AM by greekgod.

My fear of death definitely went through stages. At the pinnacle of my TMBness I couldn't stand the thought of doing what Elohim does for the rest of eternity, so my fear of death was based on boredom and monotony.

When I let go of god-beliefs and returned to the default position my fear of death was along the lines of being locked in a dark room till the end of time.

As my understanding of science increased I lost my fear of death when I realized that all the fermions and bosons that are "me" won't go anywhere when "I" die. The relationships between them will change, and are changing even now.

I now realize I am the universe. The universe is me. I'm just a wave on the ocean, and the ocean will keep on making waves because that's what the ocean does. Maybe I'll be a tsunami one day. Then I'll be a surfer's dream wave. Then I'll be a ripple on the water.

The point is, there is no such thing as death. There is only the changing relationships between fermions and bosons. So there's nothing really to fear.

But, that's not a message that will make religions any money, is it?

I would think that adherents of a faith where salvation is work-based may be more fearful than those who believe in salvation by the grace of Jesus death on the cross.

However, I think all people, religious or not, would be fearful of dying if they thought the process would be painful or prolonged. That's what scares me.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 06/05/2013 02:26PM by janebond462.

Toward the end of April, I had to dash across several states at the request of my lifelong best friend's son. She already has a long, drawn-out terminal illness, and has dealt with the gradual decline with incredible grace and courage. On top of this, she had a serious infection that had gotten into her bloodstream and was having heart issues.

There weren't even words for it. I sat at her bedside, clutching her hand, and both of us cried. We were fully aware that we would probably never see each other again. Both of us are atheists, so there aren't any illusions about being together in the next life.

The fear of separation after so many years of heart-to-heart closeness - that is so terrifying. She is still hanging in there, but I have a very bad feeling that it won't be much longer.

What a conundrum. You don't want to prolong the suffering of someone you love, but you don't want to lose them, either.

There's a saying: "Everyone wants to go to heaven but nobody wants to go today."

I was terrified by hell and brimstone Baptist sermons. Especially when we went to night revival meetings, I'd go home scared to sleep because I might die. It was easier if I only had to go to church in the morning. That way I'd forget a lot of it before bedtime.

Damn religion.

iwhisper Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
>
> I tend to think that religious people may fear
> death more because of the idea of punishment for
> sin, particularly works-based religions like
> Mormonism. What do you think?

That is very true.

One way I look at it is not the fear of death but the fear of life. If you really believed in the cult then you would kill yourself before you turned 8 to insure you get to the CK. Life is just one huge obstacle course and if you trip up you are screwed. FOREVERANDEVERANDEVERETC...!!!!111!22!!!!

This would have to make you hate life and wish for the day you died (of natural causes of course.)

Since I've accepted that death is "Boom Boom, Out go the lights" I find my self appreciating each day and the miracle of my conciousness that is manifested in nature.

No guilt trip, no shame. Just conciousness.

Oh and some Pat Travers Band.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U4XbV3gCm2Y

Thich Nhat Hahn summarized life and death so succinctly.

I can't quote exactly but what I remember is this.

Just as flower blossom in the spring, and disappear in the winter, all that it means to us as human beings is that the conditions were right for their existence, and then the conditions were no longer right for their existence.

Human life is the same. I exist because the conditions were right for my existence, and when I die (IF I DIE) the conditions are right for my non-existence. So I believe, in a strange manner, that reincarnation isn't a soul going from body to body, its just a matter of being conscious when you're conscious, and not-conscious when there are no conditions for consciousness.

Another thought.

I always thought "things exist. it's not the case that things don't exist." I.E. there is matter, there is intelligence, there are communications between organisms. But there's plenty that doesn't exist. You can't have matter without the space between that gives place for matter to exist. Non-existence, it seems to be, is an essential concept to understand in lieu of understanding existence.

That being said, what's scarier? Existing forever in some form, or ceasing to exist? After a billion years, you might want to cease to exist. It's all a matter of perspective. Either scenario must exist. Right? You either exist forever in some form or cease existing. How can it be any other way?

Wow I wish I could be so comfortable with death. My biggest fear is that their is nothing out there, we die and cease to exist. That really terrifies me, much more than the idea of hell. I will never see my loved ones again, and I will fade into oblivion.

How do you come to terms with that? The only plus side is that life becomes extremely precious and I try not to waste it.

"The only plus side is that life becomes extremely precious and I try not to waste it."


That is the crux of it. Life is extremely precious and should not be wasted doing masonic hand shakes and wearing magic underoos.

Why would someone want to live for an eternity? Think of the ramifications. There is no out. You can't die, you're already dead. If it sucks it will suck forever. Imagine mormon heaven for ever and ever and ever.

If I had my way I would vote for reincarnation on different planets, assuming different life forms. I'm bored with the hairless ape look.

Oh yuck, Mormon heaven sounds like my idea of hell. I don't believe in that at all. But I WANT to believe their is something more after death, whether reincarnation as you mentioned, or maybe some form of second life, just something. The idea of Mormon heaven with handshakes and having spirit babies forever is not appealing at all.

It just really scares me to think that if I die, I will never see my son again. That's very hard to truly digest and come to terms with.

Keep in mind no one knows for sure what awaits us.

For all I know the Morg could be true...maybe a .000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000001% chance anyway.

I like to think we'll see our loved ones again and if I'm wrong I certainly won't care.

Life really is a grand illusion. Just have to figure out how to use it.

Although raised in a fairly strict mormon household, I never remember being afraid of death or hell or divine punishment as a young person. Now, at 50, I can see death on the horizon. I fear death, yes. I fear non-existence, being snuffed out. It's instinctual, and anybody who says they don't fear death I think is I think putting on a show of machismo. But I still have no fear of any sort of after-life punishment or hell.

It was only later in life that I read a lot and learned that the fear of hell is and was a strong, even paralyzing force in a great many religious people's lives.

The snuffed out part is unnerving.

What I've puzzled over is our so-called pre-existence. I don't remember being alive on a cloud, playing a harp and watching my relatives do nasty things to themselves.

If I don't remember my previous life then how can I say I had a previous life.

I can't.

So when I die, I might still exist but if I don't remember this life then I never really existed in this life.

It's like everything's in the moment.

I'm way more focused on living. I missed out on so much of it.

I feel love much more intensely. That was a surprise.

When i'm gone, I want my friends and family to say: I loved her, and she loved me.

That's enough. Anything else is extra.