Atheist, Are'nt you scared?

Are you afraid of dying?

  • Atheist~Yes

    Votes: 41 15.1%

  • Atheist~no

    Votes: 153 56.5%

  • Believer~Yes

    Votes: 18 6.6%

  • Believer~No

    Votes: 37 13.7%

  • I don't know! :(

    Votes: 22 8.1%
  • Total voters
    271
I should have elaborated: Athiests are proud of their intelligence. Athiests have rationalized death, and realized that it should be nothing to fear (as all intelligent people have). And so they say that they are not afraid.

(The proud athiest would say that he doesn't fear death, because he knows he shouldn't. He's sooo rational that he has conquered fear.)
 
Are religious people not proud of their inteligence? Would conquering fear through the rationalization make you not afraid of death?
 
I'd say that - and this is a stereotype - religious people are less proud of their intellect because they acknowledge that it has limits.

And, my point is that it would not conquer your fear of death, but the proud athiests don't want to admit that. :p
 
What if I logically prove to myself that there is nothing to fear? Kind of like fearing a boogyman under your bed and then logically reasoning that your mom looked under the bed and told you that there was no boogyman and since your mom would not want for the boogyman to get you, you have a good reason to believe that there is no boogyman and thus nothing to fear.

(I'm talking about the fear of boogyman being there, not fear of boogyman in general... there is a difference)

EDIT: and here I go about logically proving something... :)
 
Klopolov, you were a kid once. Even if you logically proved to yourself that the vampire was not in your closet, didn't you get a little scared crossing the room?
 
About 80% of the Athiests here claim not to fear death.

That's as close to proof of a stereotype as you're ever gonna get.

(Btw, how is it counterproductive?)
 
cgannon64 said:
Klopolov, you were a kid once. Even if you logically proved to yourself that the vampire was not in your closet, didn't you get a little scared crossing the room?
Click to expand...

True, but I am not afraid of the vampire now! :) That might have to do with the difference in kid's logic and an adult's logic...
Before my grandmother passed away (and she was an atheist for all related purposes) she used to say that she was not afraid of dieing because she lived enough, seen enough and was tired. For a long time I've thought about it and could not understand how can one be tired of living... I think I've felt a distant shadow of that feeling about two years ago when I was going through a lot of bad things in my life... I think I sort of understand now... There are things that make one not afraid of dieing other than logic...
 
cgannon64 said:
63% of Athiests claim not to fear death.

That's as close to proof of a stereotype as you're ever gonna get.
Click to expand...

That presumes your theory is true. Naturally, that sort of thinking will allow you to "prove" whatever you like.

(Btw, how is it counterproductive?)
Click to expand...

Well, if I were to state that, "I'd say that - and this is a stereotype - religious people are more inclined to believe lies because they think biblical myths are true", I think many religious people would simply just ignore me. You might even say that the only ones that would be likely to respond would respond with flames, allowing me to further my own beliefs, labelling religious people as ones that simply won't listen to reason are generally narrow-minded and gullible, as it were. I don't think stereotyping is ever productive (at least outside of demonstrably factual stereotyping).
 
I'll have to relate my own experiences, then.

My grandfather died no more than a week ago. I went to visit him nearly every week for a few months. He never spoke of death - no one did - but watching him die made me consider all of it. I was actually first terrified by death before that, but it only truly hit me when he began to die. Nevertheless, I discussed his life with my mother and my grandmother, and it was a wonderful, full life. I realized that he must be at peace as he is dying, because it is so near, and he has lived for so long. But this did nothing to stop my own fear. The idea of living a full life was to me, like you, was completely alien. I could not relate to being at peace near death. I imagine I would go into horrible, shameful spasms of terror...

My point is, I don't think anyone can be completely freed from fear of death until it is close...

---
That presumes your theory is true. Naturally, that sort of thinking will allow you to "prove" whatever you like.
Click to expand...

Hmm. Notice that I said as "close to proof", not proof.
 
cgannon64 said:
About 80% of the Athiests here claim not to fear death.

That's as close to proof of a stereotype as you're ever gonna get.

(Btw, how is it counterproductive?)
Click to expand...

This time CG your really out of it. There is a 14% (75% vs 615) difference between atheist and theist that are afraid of death, which isn't much, in our insignificant survey, and there could be thousands of reasons to explain that dirrerence.

Saying that atheist are proud rationalist based on that information is meaningless, stereotypical and plain wrong.
 
cgannon64 said:
My point is, I don't think anyone can be completely freed from fear of death until it is close...
Click to expand...

Maybe your right, but since death hasn't been present in my life, I dont fear it. Maybe if I saw someone close to me die it would make me think different, but its not the case. Even if its the case, the fact is I'm right now not afraid of dying, maybe it will change, maybe not. The way I see it right now, I think of death as "the time when I'll finally find out, or not", and thats not frightening. And I'm being 100% honest.
 
Its not based on that information. Its based on anecdotal evidence from past experience arguing with them. All I did was apply it to this information.

EDIT: Perhaps you are being honest. I dunno. All I know is I'm not sure anyone can contemplate non-existence without a little fear, no matter how rational they are...
 
cgannon64 said:
Its not based on that information. Its based on anecdotal evidence from past experience arguing with them. All I did was apply it to this information.
Click to expand...

Then its an other thing, sorry. Its not wrong, nor meaningless, but still stereotypical ;)
 
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