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Goodbye Jesus

Had A Good Conversation With My Mom


lonelee

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Last week, I had this pretty good conversation with my mom. She knows everything now! She asked if I believe in evolution, and I said I had no reason not to. Then she asked if I believed in an afterlife, and I made it verty clear that I didn't. Then she said, "If there's no heaven, and we just die, what's the point of living? I might as well just kill myself right now." It wasn't until after I left her house (of course, that's always when these profound truths come to me!) that quality of life shouldn't be interpreted as quantity of time. We can have a perfectly fulfilling life right here and now, without the need for eternity. And I think that's really the message atheists need to get across to people. We're loving parents/children/friends and we should use this life to make the best of it! I really like the quote, "Ask yourself if the dream of heaven and greatness should be waiting for us in our graves, or if it should be here and now, and on this earth." Very powerful message we atheists can give!

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"If there's no heaven, and we just die, what's the point of living? I might as well just kill myself right now."

She got it backwards. If there's a Heaven waiting for you, you might as well kill yourself. If you know we have only this one, real life to enjoy, we should make the most of it.

 

Sounds like everything will be okay with you guys. It's good to have everything out in the open.

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Last week, I had this pretty good conversation with my mom. She knows everything now! She asked if I believe in evolution, and I said I had no reason not to. Then she asked if I believed in an afterlife, and I made it verty clear that I didn't. Then she said, "If there's no heaven, and we just die, what's the point of living? I might as well just kill myself right now." It wasn't until after I left her house (of course, that's always when these profound truths come to me!) that quality of life shouldn't be interpreted as quantity of time. We can have a perfectly fulfilling life right here and now, without the need for eternity. And I think that's really the message atheists need to get across to people. We're loving parents/children/friends and we should use this life to make the best of it! I really like the quote, "Ask yourself if the dream of heaven and greatness should be waiting for us in our graves, or if it should be here and now, and on this earth." Very powerful message we atheists can give!

I would perhaps say, if life isn't worth living except as a means to get to heaven, then why do we want to stay alive?

 

Our time is valuable because it is limited; our enjoyment is valuable because it will end. Vacations are not meant to last forever. Enjoy this time we have together. If you don't enjoy life, then an eternity of the same thing won't make it more enjoyable.

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Hey lonelee, I actually mentioned something like this a few months back. I remember someone here was saying that we (atheists) had nothing to to offer. No heaven, but no hell, either. I think it was argument that made atheism look unappealing. But I argued the same as you...that we have this life to live to the fullest, and if we focus on an afterlife, we're missing out on the relationships right in front of us. I don't think I'll be able to find that thread, but anyway, I think you've got it right, and your mom sounds too afraid to open her mind. Most Christians are, I think. Not only of the thought that there may be no god, but what if there is...they're afraid to venture away from the faith lest they get sent to hell! Fear is often the only reason (I think anyway) that people stay in the faith.

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You know what's interesting? Christians always talk about we should focus on the next life instead of our "earthly life" but when you look at their own lives, they clearly don't practice what they preach. Christians value their lives just as highly as anyone else; they want to live long and protect their lives just as much as atheists do. They say they are not afraid of death, and that death has lost it's sting, but if that's true, why do they still mourn their loved ones and take medicine to save their own lives? Christians should be happy about going dying, because their going to their place of eternal happiness. But that's just not how they live their lives.

 

On the other hand, there are Christians who really don't care about this life, and only think about heaven. It's very sad to see this. My grandma is always constantly talking about heaven, and about she "can't wait for Jesus to take her home". It makes me so sad to see that she's stopped living her real life because she is wishing so hard for her imaginary afterlife.

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It makes me so sad to see that she's stopped living her real life because she is wishing so hard for her imaginary afterlife.

 

I have gotten to the point, where with older people in my family that are religious, I have to say, "It is all they have known or there are happy and who am I to change what makes them happy, so I have to let it go."

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  • 3 weeks later...

It makes me so sad to see that she's stopped living her real life because she is wishing so hard for her imaginary afterlife.

 

I have gotten to the point, where with older people in my family that are religious, I have to say, "It is all they have known or there are happy and who am I to change what makes them happy, so I have to let it go."

 

Sounds sad but i guess is the truth , it kinda can heal you from missing them ... but even so , we have to live for the beauty - theres a lot of beautiful and wonderful things around , heaven or not , you gotta appreciate this life too. Is sad some persons only think on dying ... what about art , nature , music? all the things in this universe that can put an smile on your face?

 

Improve life - dontt make it worse ...

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Does it worry me that, if I am wrong about atheism, I will end up going to Hell? No. Actually, it worries me that I may be correct. Hell is not nearly as terrifying to me as oblivion. It would be great if there were an afterlife waiting for us. It would be a relief to know we could carry on learning and growing beyond the grave, even if it were in a place of suffering like Hell. Integrity will not allow me to change my views because of fear, and knowledge will not allow me the luxury of not fearing death.

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"If there's no heaven, and we just die, what's the point of living? I might as well just kill myself right now."

 

 

 

Yet these are the same kind of people who are bored out of their minds on a rainy Sunday afternoon.

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