Are you afraid of dying/death?

Post Reply New Topic

life is pleasant.
death is peaceful.
it's that transition that sucks.

I was near that transition once, and inevitably I will be near it at least once again. I can't prove whether something good or nothing at all lies beyond, but either way I'm quite certain it isn't to be feared. What is to be feared: A death lasting decades instead of minutes, such as from smoking-related complications or another long term illness.

CENTURION:
Stabbed? Takes a second. Crucifixion lasts hours! It's a slow, horrible death!

MATTHIAS:
Well, at least it gets you out in the open air.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LxQgXgS5G3c

Last edited by sgrannel on 27 Jul 2008, 12:44 pm, edited 2 times in total.

Of course I'm afraid to die. This is the reason why I didn't commit suicide when my problems was at it's worst.

Not being afraid of death is not the same as undervaluing life. Life and death are just objective states of being and non-being. I do not fear death because it is inevitable, like I do not fear stupidity, pain or global warming. We attach importance to our life because we falsely conclude that this is all we can expect. We do not know what will happen when we die and I do not fear the unknown. I turn on the light and discover what it is I fear and so I no longer fear it. I would gladly die right now if that is what happens. There is no reason to fear it.

All in my opinion of course. Please express yours.

I intend to live forever. So far so good.

Becoming death, the destroyer of life topic

Since I was a kid, I tried to imagine death, just lying there, dead, and I could not. This frightened me. I did not imagine God, heaven, angels, etc. Just a dead body like a museum mummy. I did know that death is forever, and tried to imagine eternal nothingness. Very existential.

I came to the conclusion that being dead was boring, and that life was not. Since as a kid I did not want to be a bored, dead body not seeing the world, I decided life was the better option. I still feel that way.

I echo the sentiment that it's the transition that makes me uncomfortable. Burning up or drowning in a car or having limbs ripped off and bleeding to death in agony don't appeal to me. Not having to fear homelessness, starvation and other people's expectations anymore sounds very freeing.

[lighting another cigarette]

Besides, eventually you get so wrinkled no one will f**k you anymore, so why go on?

I just hope the next world has a huge library.

I love libraries too.

I understand people fearing the pain. That is highly understandable. However, I view pain as a messenger that something is wrong and needs attention. If I have lost a limb, I expect it will no longer matter.

I'm not afraid of death, I'm just afraid of dying... pain hurts me.


M.

I'm afraid of the people I love dying. The only hangup I have over my own death is how it would affect them.

Actually, there is no person alive today who ever 'invented' the concept of heaven. That was originated thousands of years ago when men (and women) feared all that which they did not understand, up to and including death.

I fear death in some ways (maybe I fear how I will die, or maybe when), but I've accepted that it's coming to me one day. I just hope it isn't painful and isn't too soon. If after death there is nothingness, why would a belief or non-belief in heaven even matter? On one hand, if you believe in such a thing, you would then (theoretically) have your bases covered (so to speak) if there IS a god up there, judging you. If there isn't a god or a heaven and death is a black, empty nothingness (absence of existence), then it won't matter what you believe because your brain is no longer functioning. You won't know one way or another. To even suggest that you might 'feel' anything or sense anything after death is to accept that there may be an afterlife. In essence, there is no real reason to fear death, save for one thing - it's the Big Unknown.

We always fear the unknown.

Pascal's Wager is morally bankrupt. Heaven is a farcical term and all the ridiculous fantasy books in the world will not convince me otherwise.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pascal's_Wager

If god has a right to judge me, then I can judge him. And I find him wanting in any sense, decency, wisdom or justice. If indeed such a being exists, then he deserves not my homage or even respect.

I'm not questioning your lack of faith. I could care less what you believe. If god exists, then maybe HE might care, but not me.

But, to carry this a little further... In judging God and then finding him unworthy of your respect, then you must therefore admit that he exists. You can't 'judge' something or profess to hate something which you don't believe is real. For that matter, you couldn't pay homage to it, either.

If god's existence means nothing to you, then why get on the forum to protest? you won't convince people who do believe in god that he isn't real. But I'll give you this: it won't matter to god what you or anyone else thinks. By the time you die, you're judged, period. That is, IF god is real. IF he's imaginary, then you have nothing to worry about. So, looking at it logically, why make all the noise?

I don't care what the Easter Bunny thinks of me, so why should you be concerned whether god judges you or not? Unless, perhaps, somewhere deep inside you're not as sure as you seem to be... but who knows? I'm not one to judge you. That's neither my right nor my concern.

We'll all find out when we die, won't we?

I was speaking hypothetically. I don't believe God, Lucifer, Yahweh, Apollo, Zeus, Mithras, Athena, Osiris, Jesus ever existed. I'm agnostic. It's of no concern to me whether they exist or not because if they do, I'll defy them as a sentient being and they'll do what?

This is my opinion and I don't expect anyone to share it.

Yes. I admit I'm deeply, instinctually scared of death - and I've been close to it the most undramatic and ordinary way during 3 years of starvation. However, I know that death would be the solution for me - the only logical solution because my life, as many other lives, has no value (no "special" skills or abilities to help mankind with, such as invent the cure for death, or a source of infinite resources so the "unworthy consumer of resources" category would lose its meaning). I think the only being who's not buirdened constantly by this (fearing the very thing that would end all fears and pains) is the immortal, the one who doesn't need to nearly-kill xyrself everyday to earn a living while knowing xe'll still die at the end.

No problem - I'll take it anytime. Its pain I don't like.

I've had brushes with death. It's made me not afraid of it.