Atheist, Are'nt you scared?

[punkbass2000]

Pain is a natural part of life. Doesn't mean I do not feel terror as something flies against my face at speed.

Yes, pain is important, too, but I think it's unpleasant. You could say I'm afraid of dying (well, I'm afraid that my death might painful), but I'm not afraid of non-existence. Not sure who said it, but I think some reasonably famous poet's (or something) last words were, "Here comes the mystery". I, too, am rather curious.

 

[punkbass2000]

I'm absolutely terrified of it, as any sane man should be. If you're not afraid of death, it speaks a lot about your quality of life.

That it's very good? Or just that you're capable of living in the present?

 

[IglooDame]

Though agnostic, I am for the purposes of your poll an atheist, and am scared of not being with my wife, not eating chocolate truffles, and not playing computer games, three things death has been known to cause. I'm also scared of suffering injury or disease, whether it be bad enough to be fatal or not.

Heaven? Which one? Is a Christian scared that the Muslims might be right after all? Or vice versa? Both religions are pretty clear that the proponents of the other are destined for hell, and if at some point in the future they can come to an agreement, I'll take note and perhaps realign my beliefs in accordance.

 

[YNCS]

Still, you didn't answered the thread's question.

A good number of years ago, I was an infantry soldier in Vietnam. I was in a situation where I knew that I was going to die. I lived with that realization for a year. People that I knew were dying around me. I became quite fatalistic about death (sorry, bad pun). I stopped worrying about death and my concern was being horribly mutilated (losing a limb or two, being blinded, having my genitals shot off, etc.). Compared to those things, death was nothing!

I've enjoyed my life for the past 36 years since I left Vietnam alive and more or less in one piece. But if I have a heart attack and die two minutes from now, oh well, that's how it goes. I've been living on extra time, since I know that I should have died in 1969 and I didn't.

So no, I'm not afraid of death.

BTW, if God exists and I get to meet him, I've got some hard questions for Him and He better have some damn good answers! And if He tries to blow me off, I won't stand for it.

 

[nonconformist]

A good number of years ago, I was an infantry soldier in Vietnam. I was in a situation where I knew that I was going to die. I lived with that realization for a year. People that I knew were dying around me. I became quite fatalistic about death (sorry, bad pun). I stopped worrying about death and my concern was being horribly mutilated (losing a limb or two, being blinded, having my genitals shot off, etc.). Compared to those things, death was nothing!

I've enjoyed my life for the past 36 years since I left Vietnam alive and more or less in one piece. But if I have a heart attack and die two minutes from now, oh well, that's how it goes. I've been living on extra time, since I know that I should have died in 1969 and I didn't.

So no, I'm not afraid of death.

BTW, if God exists and I get to meet him, I've got some hard questions for Him and He'd better have some damn good answers! And He better not try to blow me off.

I heard somewhere that most soldiers imagine they're either gonna die straight off, or make it through without a scratch. Is this true?

 

[~Corsair#01~]

That it's very good? Or just that you're capable of living in the present?

Well, if you're not scared of death, you must not have much to lose.

Death as "the undiscovered country" is pretty weak. Death is not being alive. I've had billions of years of not being alive, and I can safely say I'd rather go to hell than just have eternal nothingness. As least in hell there's something. All you'd have to do is allow dementia to set in, then go insane and start to enjoy pain. It's hope of a sort.

 

[YNCS]

I heard somewhere that most soldiers imagine they're either gonna die straight off, or make it through without a scratch. Is this true?

It certainly was true for me and for most of the soldiers I knew.

The best piece of fiction to come out of the Vietnam War is Tim O'Brien's The Things They Carried. If you read the section "How to Tell a True War Story," you'll get some idea of how many soldiers internalize war and their reaction to war. I recommend the book highly.

 

[nonconformist]

It certainly was true for me and for most of the soldiers I knew.

The best piece of fiction to come out of the Vietnam War is Tim O'Brien's The Things They Carried. If you read the section "How to Tell a True War Story," you'll get some idea of how many soldiers internalize war and their reaction to war. I recommend the book highly.

Thanks

I'll have to look into that book.

 

[Quentin]

I'm surprised to see how many people could view eternal torment as better than nothing. How can one value a life of no happiness?

Because one might not be able to imagine a torture one deems to be worse than non-existence. However, after reading this...

I stopped worrying about death and my concern was being horribly mutilated (losing a limb or two, being blinded, having my genitals shot off, etc.). Compared to those things, death was nothing!

I have changed my mind. "Nothing" is sooo much better than eternal torment.

EDIT: And also there is always that thought in the back of my mind that as long as I don't "die", there is hope. Eternal torment is hence better in the sense that for the optimist, there is at least some hope in salvation. If I don't exist... well, then I just don't.

 

[Richard Cribb]

I am an atheist and I am not afraid of dying, and I don't consider myself being messed up because of that.
Some years ago I came close to dying due to serious illness, and I remember at that time just accepting death as a possibility, there are circumstances when going on living is worse.
Like immortality as a Swiftonian struldbrug...
Death is natural, it is the great equalizer and simply a dreamless sleep. I have been lucky enough to have won twice in nature's lottery, first being born at all, secondly to have had the opportunities to have a good life.
What really scares me though, is that there are still people today, centuries after Enlightment, who still believes in the eternal torture chamber called Hell...

 

[luiz]

I agree with you on Hell, luce.

How can people love a God that condemns many to eternal damnation? It nevet made sense to me.

"I am an all-loving God, but if you disobey me I'll sentence to you to an eternity of unthinkable suffering!"

 

[Bozo Erectus]

I agree with you on Hell, luce.

How can people love a God that condemns many to eternal damnation? It nevet made sense to me.

"I am an all-loving God, but if you disobey me I'll sentence to you to an eternity of unthinkable suffering!"

Well according to what Ive heard from some Christian fundamentalists is that Hell is really just non existence. According to them, at the 'End of Time' god will ressurect everyone who ever lived, and decide whos been naughty and whos been nice. The naughty ones will die forever and the nice ones will spend eternity telling god how awesome he is. Personally, I prefer death.

 

[cgannon64]

God doesn't send 'em to hell, luiz, they send themselves.

 

[luiz]

Well according to what Ive heard from some Christian fundamentalists is that Hell is really just non existence. According to them, at the 'End of Time' god will ressurect everyone who ever lived, and decide whos been naughty and whos been nice. The naughty ones will die forever and the nice ones will spend eternity telling god how awesome he is. Personally, I prefer death.

I guess it depends on the Christian denomination. I can respect the notion of Hell=non-existence, but there are still people who believe in physicall hell, where Satan tortures the damned forever.

 

[Mise]

But assuming theres no afterlife, you of course wouldnt be aware that you cant compare anything.

Yeah, but I'm aware now, and I can say that I would prefer to be alive than to not exist! Of course, when I'm dead, I won't be happy or sad, I'd just be dead. But right now, I'm enjoying life, its fun, and death would mean that all comes to an end. I don't like it when fun comes to an end. And when it does, I like looking back on it. Death would be a bad thing, and I fear it.

God doesn't send 'em to hell, luiz, they send themselves.

"But ociffer, I didn't get drunk, the alcohol did it!"

 

[IglooDame]

Well according to what Ive heard from some Christian fundamentalists is that Hell is really just non existence. According to them, at the 'End of Time' god will ressurect everyone who ever lived, and decide whos been naughty and whos been nice. The naughty ones will die forever and the nice ones will spend eternity telling god how awesome he is. Personally, I prefer death.

Kind of ironic given that the nice ones got there in the first place by frequently telling God how awesome he is, no?

Say, you don't think that since the people in charge actually enjoyed the work of frequently telling God how awesome he was, that they'd presume that heaven consisted of more of the same eternally, do you?

 

[cgannon64]

I don't understand your quote; it exactly proves my point.

 

[punkbass2000]

Well, if you're not scared of death, you must not have much to lose.

I disagree. One can enjoy life and still be at peace with death.

 

[Mise]

I don't understand your quote; it exactly proves my point.

I'm saying that God is the drunk guy, and blames the people (the alcohol) when he gets drunk (they all go to hell).

 

[SanPellegrino]

Stop saying it's made up!! There have been people who "passed out" then went to heavenly good places, so that counts as evidence, even if it may be lying. Why can't atheist be more tolerant!

I don't know if there is an afterlife or not, but (like others mentioned here already) the concept of a beautiful Paradise/Valhalla/40 virgins for everybody etc. involves too much wishful thinking and are just too "human" IMO, and I am pretty sure some people will be disappointed that day.

btw, the "pass out" experiences you mention can be explained a good deal by luck hormones the body produces under great stress as a relieve.