So, why are you unafraid of dying?

[[Lucas]]

People (religious, that is) want to believe they are going somewhere after death - that they are not just going to rot in the ground. So they worship in an effort to grant them entrance to heaven, to come back as a higher life form, anything - just something after death, because they are afraid of what will actually happen when they do finally die. So, it seems to me that fear of death is a basis for a person's choice to practice religion (in many cases- I'm not going so far as to say that the only reason practice religion is because of this).

So, basically, I figure that a major part of being agnostic/atheist is not working towards a life after death, because of the lack of fear of death. So, why are you unafraid of dying?

[Hard to put into words precisely these thoughts. Hope I communicated them clearly.]  

[E_Night]

Im not afraid cause i'll be dead when im dead and that'll be it. I mean everyones going to die no use being scared cause your gonna bite the big one all your life  

[Mechanism]

In a way, I'm constantly dying;
I mean, every time I change, the person that I used to be no longer exists.
I don't think it's a bad thing. Just another change.

Also, I don't think that life is 'sacred'.
Thus, it's not necessarily 'bad' when it ends.  

[Orichalcon]

[ Message temporarily off-line ]  

[Pistil]

I don't know why I don't fear death. I do know that adrenaline is my saviour in near death experiences though.

I've never feared death. Even when I was young and finally understood what death really was.

Now the question you pose is 'why?' I'm not sure if I can actually answer that. Perhaps it's just the mere acception of not ever knowing what happens when I die. Y'know what? I think that's it. I've accepted that I will never know, until it happens.  

[Superior Jazz]

Death is as a natural thing as life. There cannot be life without death. It will happen to everything eventually. It's simply a matter of when. Whether you're a fly, and will be dead in less than a day, or the General Sherman tree in California that is twelve thousand years old, it will happen. Someday.  

[Dathu]

I don't fear death, but I am not looking forward to it. I like living, a lot, and I would to keep living for as long as I can. I believe that when I die that's it. Death is the end. I just don't want to end. I don't dred it, but I'm not gonna rush to meet it, or act indifferent to it. I eat as healthy as I can and exercize so I can live a long and healthy life, and if I found immortality (not vampiric) I would choose to live forever. I just don't see myself getting bored with this place especially when this place is constantly changing. Of course I understand that for some people getting old is a long slow painful process, and for them death is a release of pain. But if I was a healthy old person, I still wouldn't want to die. Maybe I'm crazy though.  

[[Satan]]

I believe there may be an afterlife, just not a God. Where in the definition of Atheism does it say you don't believe in an afterlife? Even though I am an Atheist, I still tend to be a little superstitous. I believe in ghosts because I feel like I have witnessed a few.  

[aravier]

I dont fear death too mutch, but i do want to live, who doesnt...apart from scuicidals etc.
my head hurts when i think about whats after death, so i dont! biggrin  

[Dathu]

[Satan]

I believe there may be an afterlife, just not a God. Where in the definition of Atheism does it say you don't believe in an afterlife? Even though I am an Atheist, I still tend to be a little superstitous. I believe in ghosts because I feel like I have witnessed a few.

Yeah, I do believe in ghosts, but I don't believe they are the souls of the dead. I don't believe in an afterlife, so I think ghosts are just something yet to be identified.  

[The Amazing Mr. Tommyos!]

I'm not afraid of dying. Just because. I don't really know why. Probally because I've come so close to death so many times.  

[[Lucas]]

[Satan]

I believe there may be an afterlife, just not a God. Where in the definition of Atheism does it say you don't believe in an afterlife? Even though I am an Atheist, I still tend to be a little superstitous. I believe in ghosts because I feel like I have witnessed a few.

An afterlife is related to a higher power, i.e. God. Although I could be the only one who thinks that, I doubt it.

I believe that 'ghosts' (and other supernatural occurrences) are just beings from the fourth dimension passing through this dimension. Nothing spiritual to them.  

[Zambimaru]

I used to be afraid of dying, but after I reolized that the profession that I want to do can be really dangerous, I said to myself "I wont let that stop me" and it started from their. I belive after you die you just rot in the earth so whats their to be afraid of. I could get killed anyware, anytime, any place so I cant let the fear of dying rule my life.  

[Orichalcon]

[Lucas]

[Satan]

I believe there may be an afterlife, just not a God. Where in the definition of Atheism does it say you don't believe in an afterlife? Even though I am an Atheist, I still tend to be a little superstitous. I believe in ghosts because I feel like I have witnessed a few.

An afterlife is related to a higher power, i.e. God. Although I could be the only one who thinks that, I doubt it.

I believe that 'ghosts' (and other supernatural occurrences) are just beings from the fourth dimension passing through this dimension. Nothing spiritual to them.

atheism is different depending on who you ask. The term is very nebulous (I've seen at least 20 different definitons, and not just different wording. entirly different meanings). Personally, I don't think its a complete lack of all sprituality, just the lack of a creator being.

I think that once we enter this universe we are here for a very, very long time. Considering how long everything else here lasts, certainly a soul (sprit, consciousness, whatever you want to call it) lasts longer than an average of 65-75 years?

Then agian, I might be the only one that thinks so....  

[MightyHikaru]

Pure and simple fear of death isn't enough to make me put aside all logic and belive a more sophisticated Santa Claus. Regardless, it's way too soon to be asking that sort of thing. Come back in about fifty years and check my answer again.