Are you afraid of death?

[Zach mit Kase]

I'm curious. Personally, I'm not afraid of dying. The world will not stop turning when I die. But I don't think that it's wrong to be afraid of death - certainly people have ambitions, cares, business that they don't want left behind. Some people are afraid it will hurt. Fear of pain is certainly understandable, pain is just not pleasant. I don't like it when I hear a fellow atheist saying that religion is just a way of ignoring the reality of death. While it may be, it's not a legitimate argument against religion. It seems to be used as a way of spitting on it. Certainly some of you don't want to die even if you realize that's unrealistic.

So are you afraid of dying? A simple yes or no will do.  

[Dathu]

Lemme put it like this: right now, when I think about being dead, I'm not scared. However, if I was face with death: a man holding a gun to my head, slowly dying in a bed, or falling to my death, I'd be scared shitless. It's instincts to fear death when faced with it, but I don't fear the act of dying. Honestly, I don't want to die ever! If I could I'd live forever because I really like what all the world has to offer, and I just don't see myself ever getting tired of it. When I think of dying I get more sad than afraid. I just don't wanna go, if that makes any sense. sweatdrop  

[Daffodil the Destroyer]

I definitely fear the way in which I might die. I'm scared shitless of the thought of being raped, beaten, shot, drowned, etc. That's just because I fear pain.

I don't worry much about the afterlife, which is what I imagine this thread is getting at. I don't believe in an afterlife, though I do concede that it is a possibility and I won't know one way or the other unless I die and find myself still conscious somewhere. I have residual nervousness left over from my religious upbringing, but mostly I don't concern myself with it overmuch. I'll let myself worry about it when it's an immediate concern.

I'm not afraid of ceasing to exist whatsoever, and I don't understand those who are.

 

[Paraldehyde Kool-Aid]

Of dying itself, I have no fear, any more than I fear going to sleep each night. But, certainly, whatever it is that might get me to that point may well be another matter. It represents an unknown, which is naturally a source of fear for most humans. But, as for the rest, I'll burn that bridge when I get to it.  

[Dathu]

Daffodil the Destroyer

I definitely fear the way in which I might die. I'm scared shitless of the thought of being raped, beaten, shot, drowned, etc. That's just because I fear pain.

I agree. Although, and totally off topic, I wonder who fears rape more: men or women, because with men it's not just rape it's homosexual rape. It's the my biggest deterrent for prison.  

[Labtech Soosh]

I'm deathly terrified of death. To stop existing, to stop enjoying my time here, to stop knowing I'll even be around... who the hell wouldn't be terrified of something like that!? I want to stay and witness all of the new things that we learn over the years, the future stories to be made, how our species will turn out, EVERYTHING! I practically waste my every moment of life by staring at random things and enjoying them simply because they're there...
gonk

I'm still hoping robotics will evolve to the point where my brain will be stuck inside a metal shell or the longevity gene is made into a succeful gene theropy product before I die.

I figure I have about another 60, maybe 70 years tops.

 

[Daffodil the Destroyer]

Why would anyone be afraid of not existing? If you don't exist at all, then you can't very well mind that you don't exist, now can you?

 

[Dathu]

xd Well, I dunno, there are people who are afraid of bunnies. When you compare it to that, fearing non-existence doesn't seem so unusual.  

[Labtech Soosh]

Daffodil the Destroyer

Why would anyone be afraid of not existing? If you don't exist at all, then you can't very well mind that you don't exist, now can you?

No, you wouldn't be afraid afterwards, but the thought of all this beauty I call life literally disappearing right in front of me would literally scare the crap out of me. I love my existence, I cherish life, I value it very much and I watch the leaves and animals move around every single day. So many vivid colors, so many things to learn, so many things to know, so many things to love...

I just loath the fact that one day I'm not going to know any of this ever happened, that everything I had witness would have been known for nothing. It's not about leaving my footprint in existance either, I just purely love everything around me. Sure I know my inevitable grim fate is the same as everybody else's, and I've come to terms with that, but I still fear for the end of my life.

I guess, I just don't want to see it end.
gonk

 

[Zach mit Kase]

Daffodil the Destroyer

I definitely fear the way in which I might die. I'm scared shitless of the thought of being raped, beaten, shot, drowned, etc. That's just because I fear pain.

I don't worry much about the afterlife, which is what I imagine this thread is getting at. I don't believe in an afterlife, though I do concede that it is a possibility and I won't know one way or the other unless I die and find myself still conscious somewhere. I have residual nervousness left over from my religious upbringing, but mostly I don't concern myself with it overmuch. I'll let myself worry about it when it's an immediate concern.

I'm not afraid of ceasing to exist whatsoever, and I don't understand those who are.

In which case you're agnostic rather than atheist. wink  

[Daffodil the Destroyer]

Leftover Zach

Daffodil the Destroyer

I definitely fear the way in which I might die. I'm scared shitless of the thought of being raped, beaten, shot, drowned, etc. That's just because I fear pain.

I don't worry much about the afterlife, which is what I imagine this thread is getting at. I don't believe in an afterlife, though I do concede that it is a possibility and I won't know one way or the other unless I die and find myself still conscious somewhere. I have residual nervousness left over from my religious upbringing, but mostly I don't concern myself with it overmuch. I'll let myself worry about it when it's an immediate concern.

I'm not afraid of ceasing to exist whatsoever, and I don't understand those who are.

In which case you're agnostic rather than atheist. wink

*sigh* This may come off as a little rude, so apologies in advance; I am so sick of having to explain this over and over to everyone who tries to tell me what my beliefs are. XD

Agnosticism and atheism are not mutually exclusive. Atheism comes from a lack of belief in gods. I lack a belief in any gods, therefore I am an atheist. Agnosticism comes from believing that it's impossible to know definitively one way or the other. I do think that it is impossible to know, therefore I am agnostic in addition to being an atheist.

At this point it should go without saying that it is also possible to be an agnostic theist. Following are two excerpts from a book about atheism that I personally think does an excellent job of explaining everything. I have posted them here before, so here they are again.

Atheism: The Case Against God. Author: George H. Smith (emphasis original to the author)

The prefix "a" means "without," so the term "a-theism" literally means "without theism," or without belief in a god or gods. Atheism, therefore, is the absence of theistic belief. One who does not believe in the existence of a god or supernatural being is properly designated as an atheist.

Atheism is sometimes defined as "the belief that there is no God of any kind," or the claim that a god cannot exist. While these are categories of atheism, they do not exhaust the meaning of atheism - and they are somewhat misleading with respect to the basic nature of atheism. Atheism, in its basic form, is not a belief: it is the absence of belief. An atheist is not primarily a person who believes that a god does not exist; rather, he does not believe in the existence of a god.

As here defined, the term "atheism" has a wider scope than the meanings usually attached to it. The two most common usages are described by Paul Edwards as follows:

First, there is the familiar sense in which a person is
an atheist if he maintains that there is no God, where
this is taken to mean that "God exists" expresses a
false proposition. Secondly, there is also a broader
sense in which a person is an atheist if he rejects
belief in God, regardless of whether his rejection is
based on the view that belief in God is false.

Both of these meanings are important kinds of atheism, but neither does justice to atheism in its widest sense. "Atheism" is a privative term, a term of negation, indicating the opposite of theism. If we use the phrase "belief-in-god" as a substitute for theism, we see that its negation is "no-belief-in-god"-or, in other words, "a-theism." This is simply another way of stating "without theism" or the absence of belief in god.

"Theism" and "atheism" are descriptive terms: they specify the presence or absence of a belief in god. If a person is designated as a theist, this tells us that he believes in a god, not why he believes. If a person is designated as an atheist, this tells us that he does not believe in a god, not why he does not believe.

Smith, cont'd

Atheism may be divided into two broad categories: implicit and explicit. (a) Implicit atheism is the absence of theistic belief without a conscious rejection of it. (b) Explicit atheism is the absence of theistic belief due to a conscious rejection of it. {Daffodil's note: Smith uses these terms instead of "soft" or "weak" atheism and "hard" or "strong" atheism.}

(a) An implicit atheist is a person who does not believe in a god, but who has not explicitly rejected or denied the truth of theism. Implicit atheism does not require familiarity with the idea of a god.

... As defined in this chapter, the man who is unacquainted with theism is an atheist because he does not believe in a god. This category would also include the child with the conceptual capacity to grasp the issues involved, but who is still unaware of those issues. The fact that this child does not believe in god qualifies him as an atheist. Since these instances of nonbelief are not the result of conscious rejection, they are best designated as implicit atheism.

...The category of implicit atheism also applies to the person who is familiar with theistic beliefs and does not assent to them, but who has not explicitly rejected belief in a god. By refusing to commit himself, this person may be undecided or indifferent, but the fact remains that he does not believe in a god. Therefore, he is also an implicit atheist.

Implicit atheism is conveniently ignored by those theists {Daffodil's note: and atheists} who represent atheism as a positive belief rather than the absence of belief.

...(b) An explicit atheist is one who rejects belief in a god. This deliberate rejection of theism presupposes familiarity with theistic beliefs and is sometimes characterized as anti-theism.

... Atheism is not the absence of belief in god plus certain positive beliefs: atheism is the absence of belief in god.

 

[Athena_Ritashe]

I must say that Socrates has influenced me most on my view of death:
"since no one knows whether death, which they in their fear apprehend to be the greatest evil, may not be the greatest good. Is there not here conceit of knowledge, which is a disgraceful sort of ignorance?"

"either death is a state of nothingness and utter unconsciousness, or, as men say, there is a change and migration of the soul from this world to another...Now if death is like this, I say that to die is gain; for eternity is then only a single night. But if death is the journey to another place, and there, as men say, all the dead are...Above all, I shall be able to continue my search into true and false knowledge; as in this world, so also in that; I shall find out who is wise, and who pretends to be wise, and is not."

The only reason I would fear death is if there was a hell awaiting me, and hell is not the product of a hypocritical God but a tool of manipulating the masses of believers. I do not fear death because there is no point in fearing it. This is something that is beyond my control, so the best thing to do is to live life to the fullest and learn to enjoy the time I have here.  

[=X-Sparker + AquaKiller=]

I'm not afraid of death.
The last time I tried, my mind went blank when I thought about death.
I was trying to think what it would be like to die,
and my mind just froze, like I couldn't move it at all.
My head felt like it became a strange emptiness,
which is probably just what death is.
And then I thought about the world,
how much it sucked,
and how that's why it's worth living,
and then I was overwhelmed with a love of this planet.

So, no. I'm not afraid of death. I would, however,
like to live as long as I can in this world that I love.
(I mean, if I really have to die in a given situation
it's not like I can do anything about it)

 

[Zambimaru]

I believe in living life to the fullest, so I don't let the idea of dieing scare me. While I do have some dangerous hobbies, I don't go looking for trouble since I know any unnecessary situation could be my last.  

[Zach mit Kase]

Daffodil the Destroyer

Leftover Zach

Daffodil the Destroyer

I definitely fear the way in which I might die. I'm scared shitless of the thought of being raped, beaten, shot, drowned, etc. That's just because I fear pain.

I don't worry much about the afterlife, which is what I imagine this thread is getting at. I don't believe in an afterlife, though I do concede that it is a possibility and I won't know one way or the other unless I die and find myself still conscious somewhere. I have residual nervousness left over from my religious upbringing, but mostly I don't concern myself with it overmuch. I'll let myself worry about it when it's an immediate concern.

I'm not afraid of ceasing to exist whatsoever, and I don't understand those who are.

In which case you're agnostic rather than atheist. wink

*sigh* This may come off as a little rude, so apologies in advance; I am so sick of having to explain this over and over to everyone who tries to tell me what my beliefs are. XD

Agnosticism and atheism are not mutually exclusive. Atheism comes from a lack of belief in gods. I lack a belief in any gods, therefore I am an atheist. Agnosticism comes from believing that it's impossible to know definitively one way or the other. I do think that it is impossible to know, therefore I am agnostic in addition to being an atheist.

At this point it should go without saying that it is also possible to be an agnostic theist. Following are two excerpts from a book about atheism that I personally think does an excellent job of explaining everything. I have posted them here before, so here they are again.

Atheism: The Case Against God. Author: George H. Smith (emphasis original to the author)

The prefix "a" means "without," so the term "a-theism" literally means "without theism," or without belief in a god or gods. Atheism, therefore, is the absence of theistic belief. One who does not believe in the existence of a god or supernatural being is properly designated as an atheist.

Atheism is sometimes defined as "the belief that there is no God of any kind," or the claim that a god cannot exist. While these are categories of atheism, they do not exhaust the meaning of atheism - and they are somewhat misleading with respect to the basic nature of atheism. Atheism, in its basic form, is not a belief: it is the absence of belief. An atheist is not primarily a person who believes that a god does not exist; rather, he does not believe in the existence of a god.

As here defined, the term "atheism" has a wider scope than the meanings usually attached to it. The two most common usages are described by Paul Edwards as follows:

First, there is the familiar sense in which a person is
an atheist if he maintains that there is no God, where
this is taken to mean that "God exists" expresses a
false proposition. Secondly, there is also a broader
sense in which a person is an atheist if he rejects
belief in God, regardless of whether his rejection is
based on the view that belief in God is false.

Both of these meanings are important kinds of atheism, but neither does justice to atheism in its widest sense. "Atheism" is a privative term, a term of negation, indicating the opposite of theism. If we use the phrase "belief-in-god" as a substitute for theism, we see that its negation is "no-belief-in-god"-or, in other words, "a-theism." This is simply another way of stating "without theism" or the absence of belief in god.

"Theism" and "atheism" are descriptive terms: they specify the presence or absence of a belief in god. If a person is designated as a theist, this tells us that he believes in a god, not why he believes. If a person is designated as an atheist, this tells us that he does not believe in a god, not why he does not believe.

Smith, cont'd

Atheism may be divided into two broad categories: implicit and explicit. (a) Implicit atheism is the absence of theistic belief without a conscious rejection of it. (b) Explicit atheism is the absence of theistic belief due to a conscious rejection of it. {Daffodil's note: Smith uses these terms instead of "soft" or "weak" atheism and "hard" or "strong" atheism.}

(a) An implicit atheist is a person who does not believe in a god, but who has not explicitly rejected or denied the truth of theism. Implicit atheism does not require familiarity with the idea of a god.

... As defined in this chapter, the man who is unacquainted with theism is an atheist because he does not believe in a god. This category would also include the child with the conceptual capacity to grasp the issues involved, but who is still unaware of those issues. The fact that this child does not believe in god qualifies him as an atheist. Since these instances of nonbelief are not the result of conscious rejection, they are best designated as implicit atheism.

...The category of implicit atheism also applies to the person who is familiar with theistic beliefs and does not assent to them, but who has not explicitly rejected belief in a god. By refusing to commit himself, this person may be undecided or indifferent, but the fact remains that he does not believe in a god. Therefore, he is also an implicit atheist.

Implicit atheism is conveniently ignored by those theists {Daffodil's note: and atheists} who represent atheism as a positive belief rather than the absence of belief.

...(b) An explicit atheist is one who rejects belief in a god. This deliberate rejection of theism presupposes familiarity with theistic beliefs and is sometimes characterized as anti-theism.

... Atheism is not the absence of belief in god plus certain positive beliefs: atheism is the absence of belief in god.

Before I continue, I just want you to know that I'm not trying to fight with you. "Implicit atheism" seems to be another way of saying "agnosticism leaning towards atheism", since what you seem to be saying that you haven't entirely rejected the idea of a god but that you prefer to believe that there isn't one. I'm under the impression that agnosticism and atheism are mutually exclusive because agnosticism says "maybe" while atheism says "certainly not".