Death and believer

[Aepervius]

There is something which has disturbed me for a long time. As an atheist, I see death as the final irreversible stopping of the life function of a being. So when a human is dead, all that form this human being is forever lost to me. So losing somebody make me terribly sad as I know I will never see that person again.

Now why religious people seem to display the same type of sadness ? Most religion I know of have some kind of afterlife where you have a chance to join or live forever with your kin (especially if you were a courageous warrior and died on the battlefield. They even send a fat singing lady on a horse to get you after death ...). So basically if people REALLY believed in that afterlife stuff, they should not be TOO sad as it is only a temporary separation, and they will meet each other at some point in time.

I will forward the following point (a bit trollish) : in reality except a minority people DO realise they will never meet again the people dying, and they DO realise there is no afterlife. Which is why they display such a great sadness and bereavement.

Discuss.

 

[bokonon]

I will forward the following point (a bit trollish) : in reality except a minority people DO realise they will never meet again the people dying, and they DO realise there is no afterlife. Which is why they display such a great sadness and bereavement.

Discuss.

I don't think it necessarily follows.

I remember in my college days when I was less experienced and more emotional, tearing up when I said goodbye to my girlfriend, even though I expected to see her again in a couple of weeks.

I think one can experience sadness over separation, even if one firmly believes the separation is only temporary.

 

[Denver]

I think religious faith, as well as atheism, is not always an absolute. People are complicated, and don't all believe the same thing, even when labeled as the same thing. Some religious people may indeed rejoice at a loved one being in heaven. Others may grieve, but then be comforted when reminded of the afterlife. Some may struggle with conflicts between their feelings, and their beliefs, their whole life. An atheist may adopt other coping mechanisms other than deity-based ones (infinite universes, etc).

So I think it;s a spectrum of complex behaviors, which comes into sharpest relief at the most extreme life situations.

 

[Aepervius]

Point taken. But it still sound strange to me that while believing in afterlife, people *seem* to behave as if they did not.

 

[Beerina]

You are correct. One would not sob and feel such deep sorrow if they were really saying "Oh no! I'll never see him again. He is dead, destroyed! Ahh, well, see ya later dude, in anywhere from a few decades to a few seconds."

 

[Beerina]

It just occurred to me that such deep sorrow is prima facie evidence of not truly believing in the resurrection power of Jesus. This, in turn, implies the crier is, in fact, going to Hell.


Obviously, a thread like this is started with tongue in cheek, to point out that believers really don't believe, even if they think they do. However, as just stated, the situation for them is far more perilous than they realize.

 

[Mark6]

There is something which has disturbed me for a long time. As an atheist, I see death as the final irreversible stopping of the life function of a being. So when a human is dead, all that form this human being is forever lost to me. So losing somebody make me terribly sad as I know I will never see that person again.

Now why religious people seem to display the same type of sadness ?

Not all of them do. I had seen religious people who do in fact act as if the loved one only went away for a few years, and are looking forward to meeting him/her again.

 

[shadron]

The separation anxiety is far older and more embedded in our brains than religion is. It is believed on a far deeper level.

 

[BobG]

Not all of them do. I had seen religious people who do in fact act as if the loved one only went away for a few years, and are looking forward to meeting him/her again.

I have seen this also and even though I disagree with these people, I admire them immensely.

That said, a miniscule amount of people react this way. The vast majority of believers react with profound gried knowing full well that they will never see their loved ones again. And the reason for this reaction is, indeed, as the original poster stated that they say they believe while in reality the don't.

These people do show their hand; how many times have you heard them say that they will never see "such and such" again. This, by their own admission, is a statement testifying to their disbelief in what they say they believe.

At this point, I'd like to mention one of these people who truly believes; Desmond Doss.

Desmond Doss is a World War II Medal of Honor recipient. He is a fundamentalist and, in general, I don't have any respect for fundamendalists but Desmond is truly different.

Desmond Doss put his life in extreme danger for an extended period of time. It was not like that of someone who spontaneously gives his life without thinking. Desmond knew what he was doing but firmly believed that if he were to die, he would go to heaven.

One may ask why he bothered to save so many lives if their death would bring them to heaven. The reason is because religion takes the viewpoint, hypocritically I may add, that life on this earth must be prolonged as long as possible.

Desmond Doss truly believed that if he were to die, he would immediately go to heaven and he also truly believed that life on this earth must be prolonged as long as necessary which is in accordance with his religion.

I admire this man! In a crowd of hypocrits, he stands out as a paragon of virtue!

Bob Guercio

 

[Aepervius]

I would like also to point out that people keep saying "there is no atheist in a foxhole" but it seems to me "there are very few true believer in that foxhole". Actually that foxhole seem to be really devoid of people except for a few "true" believer.

 

[Darth Rotor]

There is something which has disturbed me for a long time. As an atheist, I see death as the final irreversible stopping of the life function of a being. So when a human is dead, all that form this human being is forever lost to me.

But it isn't.

http://www.lifegem.com/

You can make a diamond from the ashes of your loved one. "All that form" isn't lost forever, and it's great bling.


DR

 

[Darth Rotor]

It just occurred to me that such deep sorrow is prima facie evidence of not truly believing in the resurrection power of Jesus. This, in turn, implies the crier is, in fact, going to Hell.

That would make more sense, Beerina, if my wife and kids weren't crying and most sorrowful as I went off to sea some years back, and more recently went off to participate in that unpleasantness in the Mid East.

 

[shandyjan]

I really think it doesnt matter what the belief for the future is, grief happens in the now, and shock can come into it. Missing someone isn't decreased by the thought of seeing them again, or knowing they are in a better place. That's human emotions, not something you can control.