Atheism and Death

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So I wasn't sure if this should be under religion or philosophy . . . . . so the powers that be feel free to move it. . . . .

Well a guy from my high school group died over the weekend. I posted a question to another board about christianity and the idea of permanence:

midnight wrote:

Death . . . . . . .
A guy from the group I hung out with in high school died last night. I didn't know him so well but he was one of my SO's closests friends. He doesn't take these things as well as some. I guess he never let go of that feeling that he can make things permanent and the way they should be. . . . . . I think this mind set is more prevalent in Christians because they are expected to make things permanent. . . . . [I think ] It is pure cruelty to raise people on the illusion of permanence. I think religions continue to perpetuate this illusion. They teach that marriage should be forever and faith means a permanence after death. . .

But its a response that I want to post here and get your opinion on. . . .

cumgranosalis wrote:

while i agree that it is more prevailent in christian, I also think that its even harder on those of us who are non-beleivers when someone even sorta close dies..as christians have the faith that their loved one will be in heaven, watched over by god and will some day be rejoined....us atheist believe that when someone dies they just die..its much harder to let someone go when you know that you will never see them again.

and my reply

midnight wrote:

it hasn't seemed all that much harder for me when I've lost people close to me. And since this guy was a homosexual I think that it is little comfort to christians that its possible he's burning in hell for all eternity. I tend to go back to the idea of returning to my un-born state. Kind of sounds pretty. A return to nothing sounds comforting to me. . . . . no judges, no hell, no heaven, just silence. Nothing to worry about.

Whats your opinion?

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Well, I too am an Atheist, and obviously it is sad when one close to you dies, but I also think it is important to realize that Death is just another natural thing that is GOING to occur to each and every one of us. So personally, I'm not as "sad" when it comes to deaths. I would rather think of what the great moments I had with this person, and be glad to have knowen them in some sort of way.

My Grandmother died like last fall, but because I had not seen her for like over 2 years, when I heard the news that she dies, I was kind of feeling "sorry" but it really didn't affect me much, because it was if I had never knowen her before, being away from her for such a long time.

I donno, I guess that the North American society needs to be tought a bit more about death. We are all scared of death, but do you even know what it's like? And obviously it's going to happen sometime in the Future. Do you feel sad that we take the lives of wild animals for no reason? Do you feel sorry for the family of that fish you cought in the lake and cooked up?

Don't be scared of death, because No one really knows much about it, all we know is what we see on the TV, and that is just trying to scare you more... Idea

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Atheism and Death
I don't believe anyone knows what happens when we die, so whatever brings the greatest comfort is what might be most helpful. I guess I am agnostic because I just don't know. However, all these judgments can't help anyone. How can any religion teach that a homosexual, for example, will go to hell? How do they know? More importantly, why would they decide to believe it? What part of their character requires such certainty as to follow any doctrine which brings pain to others?

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I personally believe in God or a higher power, but I do not believe in organized religion of any form and I take death of a loved one very hard including the death of my pets. I seem to be much more sensative in that area than most people I know and I really can't explain it. I'm also one of those people who cries during all sad movies and even some happy ones. When my father died I was only 21 and the funeral alone devistated me like you wouldn't believe and I haven't been to a funeral since.

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As an atheist, I take death very seriously, because I know this is our one shot at everything. I don't dwell on death. I accept impending non existence as a fact of the universe. I take it very hard when a loved one - anyone, actually - dies. But I don't let it get me down. I will continue to live my life to the fullest as long as I can.

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Those, who have a belief in God will have an easier time accepting the pains and trials of lifeand death than those without such a foundation.

Nonbelievers will endlessly debate this issue, but to what avail?

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edgarblythe- I agree with the first part of your post. I too believe that existence is our one shot, and when it's over, it's over. When I went through my supposedly "fatal" disease, I went through all the stages of grieving.

At that time I was in a support group with a number of other people who had cancer. They were dropping like flies. I realized that the hardest part of dying is that little by little, you give up everything that is important in your life. I learned to be comfortable with that. As far as the people who had died were concerned, I was happy to have known them, for whatever time we had together. I find that now, when someone dies, I am not too terribly disturbed about it. I focus more on what was, than what is.

On account of my experience, I find that I am not too disturbed by death. I am much more concerned with life, and getting the most out of it while I am able. I have come to the realization that life is very finite, for everyone. When I was able to accept that idea, death, of myself or others, death holds no terror for me!

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As I said, I live my life to the fullest. I am no less happy, generally speaking, than the devout believer. I quickly recover from the grief of a lost one; when I say I take it hard, I do not mean to say I spend my days wrapped up in pain. I can be feeling the most excruciating loss and still go out with friends to enjoy a fine meal or movie. The immediate sensation of the loss affects not just myself, but most people I know of, regardless of their spiritual state.

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New Haven wrote:

Nonbelievers will endlessly debate this issue, but to what avail?

From where do you draw this conclusion?

sweetcomplication wrote:

How can any religion teach that a homosexual, for example, will go to hell? How do they know? More importantly, why would they decide to believe it? What part of their character requires such certainty as to follow any doctrine which brings pain to others?

Personally I think its a combination of ignorance, choosing not to investigate the foundations of their belief system, and survival instinct. Of I think thats all mixed in with fear. A dangerous cocktail no?

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midnight wrote:

New Haven wrote:
Nonbelievers will endlessly debate this issue, but to what avail?

From where do you draw this conclusion?

sweetcomplication wrote:
How can any religion teach that a homosexual, for example, will go to hell? How do they know? More importantly, why would they decide to believe it? What part of their character requires such certainty as to follow any doctrine which brings pain to others?

Personally I think its a combination of ignorance, choosing not to investigate the foundations of their belief system, and survival instinct. Of I think thats all mixed in with fear. A dangerous cocktail no?

Where: from online discussions by people who don't believe in God.

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sweetcomplication wrote:

How can any religion teach that a homosexual, for example, will go to hell? How do they know? More importantly, why would they decide to believe it? What part of their character requires such certainty as to follow any doctrine which brings pain to others?

Source: Teachings from the Torah and Qu'ran

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I am an atheist and believe in 'the nothing' after death. The boy believes that there is some kind of afterlife. So I asked:

"Would I have to believe in your version of afterlife to have an afterlife if there truly was one?"

'No. I don't think it matters what you believe. If there is one, you will be there.'

Meaning when I am dying I will believe that I will just cease to be. He will believe that I will continue to exist on some plane. No matter what we believe, I'll still be gone and he will be left with only memories which, afterlife or not, will never be made again.

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Sugar quote:[

"The boy believes that there is some kind of afterlife."

Which "boy" ?

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THE boy.

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Oh, that boy.

Everything dies. I'm not sure why we're so spooked by that. Worrying about it doesn't change anything, except perhaps to make it happen sooner.

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How's that for a trite, pointless post?

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Not trite, patio - no more so than mine, anyway. Hmm.. Wait, let me restate that...........

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I just read your post, and I rather like it. Round and round and round about something that can't be resolved. Just because I'm of the opinion that religion is superstitious hokum doesn't really give me the ability to challenge it's unproveable claims -- and even if it did, so what?

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New Haven wrote:

Those, who have a belief in God will have an easier time accepting the pains and trials of lifeand death than those without such a foundation.

Nonbelievers will endlessly debate this issue, but to what avail?

My personal experience is that religious people have a much harder time with death than do people who are either agnostic or atheistic.

Most of the religious people I know are filled with fears about death -- strange ideas about punishments and torture throughout eternity if they do not toe a line none of them seem to toe in any case.

The religious people I know seem constantly to be begging their gods to be kind to people who have died -- and seem driven to pray for the souls of those departed humans - a fairly decent indication that they fear what may possibly happen after death.

They are constantly trying to please their gods so that they will be rewarded with...whatever...and constantly warning about what will happen to the people who do not try to please their gods.

Most agnostics and atheists I know are rather fatalistic about death and seem not to worry about it excessively and compulsively, as do their religious counterparts. Their philosophy seems to be: You live; you die. If there is anything after death, we'll deal with it then.

How anyone can suppose, as New Haven does, that "...those, who have a belief in God will have an easier time accepting the pains and trials of lifeand death than those without such a foundation..." is beyond me. I can only suppose it comes from people who are substituting wishful thinking for logic.

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Frank Apisa wrote:

How anyone can suppose, as New Haven does, that "...those, who have a belief in God will have an easier time accepting the pains and trials of lifeand death than those without such a foundation..." is beyond me. I can only suppose it comes from people who are substituting wishful thinking for logic.

Well said Frank. I second that!

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Atheism and Death

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