atheists: how did you deal with this

[willybilly30]

IV read several posts on no afterlife.

To be honest that thought scares the crap out of me.

Not existing just being nothing but a mindless corpse

It is so scary I about want too become the biggest health freak on earth and lock my self in a vault hoping nothing will kill me. In addition, thinking of never seeing my dad, grandma and uncle again and thinking their lifeless bodies in the grave is just awful.

How do you deal with this?

I think it is true though I mean I have seen no proof of an afterlife and people that get brain damaged are never the same so it must mean the true self’s in the brain.

However, part of me really does not want too believe this. I guess because believing a religion makes me feel safe and secure. However, if it is all a big lie then im feeling security in a lie.

 

The no god thing scares me too. I mean it was a comfort thinking a god was in control of the universe and my life. that it guided me and watched over me. If theirs no god controlling the universe then no ones in control. If the United States decided, it would have

No more government and no more laws would it not scare you.

 

However, theirs no proof of a creator and theirs no proof a god was guiding the world to begin with. I mean look at the animal kingdom they don’t have a single law they do what they want.

 

You all make so much sense. A part of me wants too listen but a part of me wants too not listen.

 

I do not know I guess I want to believe in god and afterlife so bad because it makes me feel safe.

 

Note: when I say god its not the Christian god I do not have a name for the god I believe.

I do not believe in the Christian god or the bible. I have no trouble leaving that behind and never looking back. However, leaving the whole idea of a creator is too scary for me too even try too do. Call me a coward I do not care loll. I hope I do not offend anyone.

The people here are the one ones I can talk to about this. I mean people in my town are not the kind of people you want to be saying I think their may be no god and it scares me what do I do.

[Cerise]

You have to be alive in order to be scared about death. When I die, the fear of death will die with me.

 

In the meantime, I find it helps to make the most of your life while you live it instead of worrying about existant or non-existant afterlifes. Not being able to see my family after they've died just urges me to appreciate them while they're alive.

 

Also, I find the idea of one person having supreme control over everything I say or do to be much scarier than the thoguht of there being absolutely no controlling force.

 

At least I can fight randomness.

[Metroplex]

Were you aware of existing BEFORE you were born? Where were you?

I think that after death, nobody knows what happens since nobody has come back to tell us, except Lazarus and the hundreds of saints that were raised back to life before/after jesus 'resurrection'... but apparently nobody wanted to ask them about the other side and they died again... Anyway, hope that helps you and don't worry about death, just live.

[Ouroboros]

Were you aware of existing BEFORE you were born? Where were you?

I think that after death, nobody knows what happens since nobody has come back to tell us, except Lazarus and the hundreds of saints that were raised back to life before/after jesus 'resurrection'... but apparently nobody wanted to ask them about the other side and they died again... Anyway, hope that helps you and don't worry about death, just live.

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Welcome Metroplex, and you brought up an interesting thought...

 

How come Lazarus didn't become a fervent preacher the second he was resurrected?

He must have seen heaven or hell for several days, and he must have had a truckload of impressions to talk about... but nothing written, not even mentioned that he saw something...

[crazy-tiger]

Er... I can't remember the last time I even thought about it...

 

 

To be honest, I know I'm going to die so the thought of dying doesn't concern me. Obviously I want to avoid it for as long as possible, but I know and accept that it's inevitable.

In the same way, I know that whatever happens after I die is also inevitable and nothing I can do will change it... so there's no point worrying about it.

 

That's it... that's how I deal with it.

[Guest Challenger]

Er... I can't remember the last time I even thought about it...

 

 

To be honest, I know I'm going to die so the thought of dying doesn't concern me. Obviously I want to avoid it for as long as possible, but I know and accept that it's inevitable.

In the same way, I know that whatever happens after I die is also inevitable and nothing I can do will change it... so there's no point worrying about it.

 

That's it... that's how I deal with it.

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I feel much the same way. I also know it's inevitable. At some point down the line, hopefully later than sooner, the guy with the scythe is going to collect me.

 

That doesn't scare me.

 

But if I didn't have a chance to finish raising my girls. . .that would really piss me off.

[Jose]

Welcome Metroplex, and you brought up an interesting thought...

 

How come Lazarus didn't become a fervent preacher the second he was resurrected?

He must have seen heaven or hell for several days, and he must have had a truckload of impressions to talk about... but nothing written, not even mentioned that he saw something...

104972[/snapback]

 

You should read, Lamb, or The Gospel According to Biff, Christ's Childhood Pal, by Christopher Moore for a pretty good fictionalized account of what Lazarus might have done after being raised from the dead.

 

 

 

 

 

Oh, and willybilly30?

 

I suffer through the same kind of fear. I deal with it by abusing prescription drugs such as Xanax, Ativan, Soma, Vicodin and non-prescription drugs such as MDMA, MDA, whatever the hell me and Foxy took last Friday, aminita muscaria mushrooms, and marijuana.

 

And before anyone accuses me of making light of a serious question, I'm not kidding. I know it's not healthy, but it's how I deal with the gut-wracking, stomach-churning, knees-go-weak fear of death that I experience on pretty much a daily basis.

 

I'm narcissistic and self-absorbed, so the thought of not being present in some form to witness the entirety of existence scares the shit out of me.

[willybilly30]

That’s a good lesson to think about

 

 

In the meantime, I find it helps to make the most of your life while you live it instead of worrying about existant or non-existant afterlifes. Not being able to see my family after they've died just urges me to appreciate them while they're alive.

[willybilly30]

I do not know were I was before I was born.

My mother’s womb I guess.

Im not sure what I was aware of.

It would be interesting to find out what a baby thinks.

I guess all I can do is live my life and hope theirs another one

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Were you aware of existing BEFORE you were born? Where were you?

I think that after death, nobody knows what happens since nobody has come back to tell us, except Lazarus and the hundreds of saints that were raised back to life before/after jesus 'resurrection'... but apparently nobody wanted to ask them about the other side and they died again... Anyway, hope that helps you and don't worry about death, just live.

104968[/snapback]

[Mythra]

It is a scary thought when you first start to think about it. That's one of the reasons why religion is so popular.

 

After awhile, it becomes no big deal to think about ceasing. At least for me, that is.

 

You have something in common with every single living thing that exists or has ever existed on the earth.

 

I don't want to live forever. I'm glad that my life has an ending someday. And, for now, it just makes me want to get everything I can out of it while it's here.

[Megistias]

IV read several posts on no afterlife.

To be honest that thought scares the crap out of me.

Not existing just being nothing but a mindless corpse

 

I do not know I guess I want to believe in god and afterlife so bad because it makes me feel safe.

104957[/snapback]

 

 

Why can't you just have an afterlife without any gods ?

 

I mean, isn't it entirely possible that we are something before we are born and something else again after we die ?

 

Do we need gods for that ?

[Guest Challenger]

(HanSolo)

How come Lazarus didn't become a fervent preacher the second he was resurrected?

 

And how about the man from 2 Kings 31:21? He disappeared completely from Scripture following his pre-Christ resurrection.

 

And how about that crew of saints from Matthew 27: 52-53? They sort of fell down on the job, didn't they?

[willybilly30]

Not existing doesn’t bother you?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

That doesn't scare me.

[willybilly30]

doing that would make me more afraid. i do unhealthy things too. im thinking of becoming a health freak tho. i dont want too speed it up. if were dying id like too say well atleast i tried too live a long life.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Oh, and willybilly30?

 

I suffer through the same kind of fear. I deal with it by abusing prescription drugs such as Xanax, Ativan, Soma, Vicodin and non-prescription drugs such as MDMA, MDA, whatever the hell me and Foxy took last Friday, aminita muscaria mushrooms, and marijuana.

 

And before anyone accuses me of making light of a serious question, I'm not kidding. I know it's not healthy, but it's how I deal with the gut-wracking, stomach-churning, knees-go-weak fear of death that I experience on pretty much a daily basis.

 

I'm narcissistic and self-absorbed, so the thought of not being present in some form to witness the entirety of existence scares the shit out of me.

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[willybilly30]

Why don’t you want to live forever? your life that terrible?

 

 

 

 

It is a scary thought when you first start to think about it.  That's one of the reasons why religion is so popular.

 

After awhile, it becomes no big deal to think about ceasing.  At least for me, that is.

 

You have something in common with every single living thing that exists or has ever existed on the earth. 

 

I don't want to live forever.  I'm glad that my life has an ending someday.  And, for now, it just makes me want to get everything I can out of it while it's here.

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[willybilly30]

No, we do not need gods for that.

Reincarnation is scary too I mean you loose this life and who you are and begin another one. But its better than not existing. i think its possible.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Why can't you just have an afterlife without any gods ?

 

I mean, isn't it entirely possible that we are something before we are born and something else again after we die ?

 

Do we need gods for that ?

104998[/snapback]

[Guest Challenger]

Not existing doesn’t bother you?

 

 

That doesn't scare me.

105018[/snapback]

 

It doesn't scare me because I can't control it. In all likelihood when I go I'll just go back to wherever I came from, if there is anything to return to.

[Ouroboros]

Not existing doesn’t bother you?

105018[/snapback]

Not really. Not anymore. It was more scary, when I was Christian and wasn't sure if I had everything right with God and would go to Heaven. It scared me that I could be wrong in my faith, and had missed doing something that God supposedly somewhere in the Bible demanded me to do, and by not doing it, God would condemn me to Hell. Now I'm happy, safe and content with the realization that there is nothing after death. There could be, but I'm not sure, and I don't think so. But it doesn't scare me.

[willybilly30]

i wish their was a afterlife and everyone went too it no matter what religion or what the beleave.

i dont guess any religion beleaves that lol.

but wishing wont make it happen.

[Guest Challenger]

i wish their was a afterlife and everyone went too it no matter what religion or what the beleave.

i dont guess any religion beleaves that lol.

but wishing wont make it happen.

105038[/snapback]

 

So be happy with the life you have. It is yours, completely, to do with as you will.

 

Man, nothing can be greater than that.

[willybilly30]

Reminds me of the saying

Eat drink and be merry for tomorrow we die

I don’t know who said it though

 

i guess all i can do is try to make heaven a place on earth

 

now I got an 80s song in my head i cant think who sings.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

So be happy with the life you have. It is yours, completely, to do with as you will.

 

Man, nothing can be greater than that.

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[Guest Challenger]

For me it's "Eat, drink and be merry, for tomorrow I live.

[qadeshet]

let me assert my firm belief that the only thing we have to fear is fear itself—nameless, unreasoning, unjustified terror which paralyzes needed efforts to convert retreat into advance.

 

FDR

 

Unreasoning fear is our greatest enemy. Why do you fear Death? All things must die in order to make room for new life. Accept it and move on.

[willybilly30]

I would not fear death if I knew id be alive after it.

 

 

 

 

 

quote=qadeshet,Nov 10 2005, 07:47 PM]

let me assert my firm belief that the only thing we have to fear is fear itself—nameless, unreasoning, unjustified terror which paralyzes needed efforts to convert retreat into advance.

 

FDR

 

Unreasoning fear is our greatest enemy. Why do you fear Death? All things must die in order to make room for new life. Accept it and move on.

105074[/snapback]

[willybilly30]

That sounds more positive

 

 

 

 

 

 

For me it's "Eat, drink and be merry, for tomorrow I live.

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