No, you're right, it is an arrogant position and I freely admit that. I guess it's a case of you don't miss what you never had re: the 1900's.
It might be, as Bill Hicks says, 'just a ride'.
Confessions of an anxious Athiest.
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No, you're right, it is an arrogant position and I freely admit that. I guess it's a case of you don't miss what you never had re: the 1900's.
It might be, as Bill Hicks says, 'just a ride'.
Man of Honour
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I'm not in the category of people you've asked for opinions being neither avowedly atheist or religious (more of an apathetic agnostic) but I can't say that the concept of not existing is a worrying one - I'd give fair odds that I'm not going to be aware of it when I cease to existence and even if I am there's almost certainly nothing that I can do about it.
To an extent my somewhat blase attitude does come from the position I've taken (or perhaps it was no conscious choice on my part, I may never have had a chance of doing otherwise depending on your point of view) - the threat of my non-existence isn't one that generally has any appreciable impact on my life as it stands and so there's little point in me worrying about it except, possibly, as an intellectual exercise. Ok so there's obvious steps I try to take against dying unexpectedly e.g. not walking into traffic without looking but it's not from a particular fear about not existing. If you can somehow demonstrate there's a good reason to be concerned then I might have to re-evaluate my position.
To an extent my somewhat blase attitude does come from the position I've taken (or perhaps it was no conscious choice on my part, I may never have had a chance of doing otherwise depending on your point of view) - the threat of my non-existence isn't one that generally has any appreciable impact on my life as it stands and so there's little point in me worrying about it except, possibly, as an intellectual exercise. Ok so there's obvious steps I try to take against dying unexpectedly e.g. not walking into traffic without looking but it's not from a particular fear about not existing. If you can somehow demonstrate there's a good reason to be concerned then I might have to re-evaluate my position.
Think back to the worst pain you've ever felt, now imagine that pain constantly, 24/7.
Now imagine living forever with that pain and realise the blessing of mortality.
Frankly I don't care about how or when my life will end because I'm highly unlikely to have any say in it so I'll just hope it's a good one and leave it at that.
I'd be very disappointed if I'd spent years of my life worrying about religion though, it's a story, it's clearly not real, now stop being a prat and do something that will put a smile on your face when you're too old and weak to get out of bed and memories are all you have.
Well this is quite a heavy subject lol.
I am an agnostic atheist. I believe that eventually science will be able to explain everything. We have been slowly uncovering the answers through science over millennia (some knowledge does get lost along the way but on the whole it has been slow but steady progress). Religion or faith has not advanced our understanding of anything over the same timescales.
If proof comes to light that demonstrates the existence of a god then I will be happy to believe. I can't see that ever happening though, and it would have to be absolutely conclusive proof.
As for the religious concepts of a prophet or Jesus for example, it is perfectly possible for an incredibly talented and persuasive person to have carved out a reputation as "son of god" for personal gain perhaps initially or simply to be famous, and happy to die to cement that fame. I'm not saying this is what I believe but it's certainly a more plausible explanation to me than an actual prophet or "son of god".
Generally I'm not comfortable discussing it with many people because usually the religious ones (even people in my family are included in this) get offended by what I have to say.
I take comfort from the fact that I'm not wasting any of my short life practicing religion. I feel good that I don't have to rely on a religious framework or fear of god to be a decent human being.
I am an agnostic atheist. I believe that eventually science will be able to explain everything. We have been slowly uncovering the answers through science over millennia (some knowledge does get lost along the way but on the whole it has been slow but steady progress). Religion or faith has not advanced our understanding of anything over the same timescales.
If proof comes to light that demonstrates the existence of a god then I will be happy to believe. I can't see that ever happening though, and it would have to be absolutely conclusive proof.
As for the religious concepts of a prophet or Jesus for example, it is perfectly possible for an incredibly talented and persuasive person to have carved out a reputation as "son of god" for personal gain perhaps initially or simply to be famous, and happy to die to cement that fame. I'm not saying this is what I believe but it's certainly a more plausible explanation to me than an actual prophet or "son of god".
Generally I'm not comfortable discussing it with many people because usually the religious ones (even people in my family are included in this) get offended by what I have to say.
I take comfort from the fact that I'm not wasting any of my short life practicing religion. I feel good that I don't have to rely on a religious framework or fear of god to be a decent human being.
I apologise for my binary categories, it was just for ease purposes! It's interesting what you say about it being an intellectual exercise; I think that this all stems from over thinking, but I think that it's an important question.
I don't really worry about this, it's just interesting. I take your point re: pain, I guess that I've not ever experienced this so it's hard to imagine.
True, but for a lot of atheists its the belief in some form of 'magic' based on ancient texts/folk tales that is the irrational pov to start with. For a lot of atheists our 'consciousness' is a bunch of neurons, when they stop firing our consciousness ends. Deity or no deity - the idea of some magical soul/afterlife or reincarnation has no basis other than stories and 'belief'. We're born, we find a partner, we reproduce, we hopefully see our offspring reproduce then we die - the vast majority of people are forgotten within two generations.
Its not that surprising that the OP is troubled by this and I wouldn't have thought he'd be alone in his views - surely there are a lot of atheists for whom the idea of death is pretty scary. If they're coming at it from a science background then 'spiritual' beliefs not involving a deity aren't going to be any more plausible than beliefs that do involve one. I think for people like the OP the knowledge that a part of you, your DNA and the influence you've had over them, will live on within your offspring and be passed down to some extent over generations to come. If people want to consider that a continuation of their consciousness in some abstract way then that's one thing - though for someone who's arrived at atheism from a skeptical viewpoint - being 'spiritual' in the sense of having to subscribe some belief to something which has no basis to it probably isn't going to work.
You are your own god, everything you think exists, exists only in your conscience, the universe and everything in it is a figment of your imagination, other beings are simply projections in your psyche. When you die everything ceases to exist, every single thing in the universe dies with you. Always cheers me up when I think about it that way anyway.
If you do not know what the term New Atheism applies to then you really need to read a bit more before telling me what I should or should not know.
You could start with Victor Stenger: The New Atheism; Taking a Stand for Science and Reason for example.
I don't know why you keep on saying it, it doesn't impact on anything I have to say on the subject, either now or any other time you have said it.
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Tbh, I couldn't care if a bus hit me dead tomorrow. Although I really wouldn't want that to happen due to what my family would have to go through!
When your dead your dead, nothing more, in peace. Enjoy what you got now and put off the worrying till tomorrow!
Rich people have a tendency to put their names on things. Most people that are afraid of the end are afraid of being forgotten. Do stuff to get you noticed and get your name written on things, be it books or buildings and you'll be remembered long after death.
You have a boring life then. I wouldn't want to be hit by a bus, I'm going paintbawlin' at the weekend, if I die tomorrow I wouldn't get to do it, not to mention all the other things in life I've yet to do. It would seriously suck not getting to know how the song of ice and fire epic ends.
Soldato
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Death doesn't frighten me, I don't welcome it and am in no hurry to get to it, what hurts me is the pain that my demise will cause my loved ones. But I know that they, and the rest of everything, will continue when I am gone as it all did before I arrived.
Keep in mind that being Atheist and rejecting religion are not the same.
Keep in mind that being Atheist and rejecting religion are not the same.
my dad is a scientist and although he's never straight right out said it, i know he doesn't believe in the afterlife. he's more of a 'you're dead, that's it. it's the one thing that's certain in life'.
my mum, i'm not so sure. she's lost all her immediate family and goes to church as often as she can. she's never straight right out said it, but i believe, that she believe's in the afterlife.
i'm torn between the too. i pretty much think that once you're dead, that's it. i would like to think i would like to see my family again once we're all dead but then i think about in what form, age would we take and then my head gets scrambled and i stop thinking about it.
the best performance you can give in life is to your family and faith comes when you need it. do that, and you wont go far wrong. after life or not.
my mum, i'm not so sure. she's lost all her immediate family and goes to church as often as she can. she's never straight right out said it, but i believe, that she believe's in the afterlife.
i'm torn between the too. i pretty much think that once you're dead, that's it. i would like to think i would like to see my family again once we're all dead but then i think about in what form, age would we take and then my head gets scrambled and i stop thinking about it.
the best performance you can give in life is to your family and faith comes when you need it. do that, and you wont go far wrong. after life or not.
I have no interest in this. I enjoy the experiencing of life, not the legacy.
Man of Honour
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I didn't think you were all that bothered about other categories answering, just thought I'd explain my position a bit further. For me personally it's not an important question but I can see why it exorcises others.
I don't think it's a question of wanting to be hit by a bus, it's that GSWAudio will have no control over it and (more than likely) won't know anything about it. There's no doubt loads of things they could do but if they're not in existence and not aware of what they are "missing" then what difference does it make to them?
I'm not afraid of death itself, I'm just afraid of a slow, painful one.
I am not special, there is no "place in heaven" for me, I'll just be recycled just like everything else. Nothing I can do about it so why worry? Live life with no regrets.
I am not special, there is no "place in heaven" for me, I'll just be recycled just like everything else. Nothing I can do about it so why worry? Live life with no regrets.
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