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When I sit down and get totally serious about where I stand on religion and whatnot, I realize deep down there is no spirit, no god, and no afterlife. You peel off the layers of my imaginations and hopes and all you get is biology, chemistry, and physics.

It's true there is much to bring me joy in this life without belief in the invisible. But sometimes I think about death in a way I never have before and to be completely honest with you, it kind of scares me. I think about what it would be like to vanish from thought into nothing. It's possible this is worse than darkness because in the dark you at least have scary monsters to get accustomed to. I would eventually make friends with them because after all, eternity is a long time.

Sometimes, the thought crosses my mind, "Just choose to believe in it and your fear will vanish." it seems like a good reason to believe! But then, I could do the same thing with the housing market. "I believe the economy will turn around in a year and we won't be like Japan." But this just won't do! I can't believe my way through life. Truth sucks!

Anyone else think this way?

quark wrote:Anyone else think this way?

Well I just think you got to live this life to the fullest potential. Have the most freakin fun you can have and live it like a party! Spend time with those people you love, help people out along the way, and travel everywhere. Experience as much in this life as you can because you only get one.

Hell I think this way of thinking is way better than my Mormon way. I was always worried that I wasn't good enough and that I wouldn't make it to the CK. I didn't understand why people would say I got to live this life to the fullest because you only live once. I just thought that was silly because we live after we die. So I probably would have had a lot of more wasted days with a Mormon mindset plus I lived in fear of gods punishment. Not only did I live in fear I lived with a lot of guilt.

So yes we won't live after this life. It doesn't scare me because when I die I won't even know I'm dead I will just cease to exist. It's not like I'll have sad thoughts after I die or I won't have to worry about hell.

To be honest the thought of eternal life made me cry myself to sleep as a child.

For me it is a wash. Both concepts are scary.

I agree with Rambo, though. I am living my life better now than when I thought there was eternal life.

quark wrote:When I sit down and get totally serious about where I stand on religion and whatnot, I realize deep down there is no spirit, no god, and no afterlife. You peel off the layers of my imaginations and hopes and all you get is biology, chemistry, and physics.

It's true there is much to bring me joy in this life without belief in the invisible. But sometimes I think about death in a way I never have before and to be completely honest with you, it kind of scares me. I think about what it would be like to vanish from thought into nothing. It's possible this is worse than darkness because in the dark you at least have scary monsters to get accustomed to. I would eventually make friends with them because after all, eternity is a long time.

Sometimes, the thought crosses my mind, "Just choose to believe in it and your fear will vanish." it seems like a good reason to believe! But then, I could do the same thing with the housing market. "I believe the economy will turn around in a year and we won't be like Japan." But this just won't do! I can't believe my way through life. Truth sucks!

Anyone else think this way?

Peace my son. I once spent three days with one foot in the afterlife from day 23 -25 of epic Biblical, miraculous fasting. Went on to day 43 by the way. The afterlife is real and wonderful. The warmth of God's loving embrace permeates throughout. That is what Alma meant by everyone who dies returns to God. Not into his very personal presence but into enveloping arms of his love. It shines constantly like the warm lights of home. During those days of my fast it beckoned. I am a living witness, I so testify.

Rambo,

I agree we won't be bothered if we cease to exist. I also realize worrying about this is just like worrying about the economy or whatever else that is out of our control. We just survive, love life, and love those around is along the way.

But you have to admit, going from expecting something big after this life to expecting nothing creates a little discomfort, eh?

Look at my sig line. The fact is, death is scary all around. Everyone fears death. They say there are no atheists in foxholes. Well, I say there are no Christians in coffins. Death sucks for us all, no matter what you believe.

H.

Of course its scary, to be here one moment then ripped into nothingness never to be again. The only thing I've ever been told is try to compare it to before you were born. You did not exist at all in any form at that point, have no memory of before that and never will. Maybe that makes it more comforting to you, it only helps me a little when I sit up late at night pondering my own existence.

just me wrote:To be honest the thought of eternal life made me cry myself to sleep...

If you don't mind, can you say why?

It only scares me inasmuch as my life is good. I'm afraid the bad has outweighed the good for me. So no, disappearing into nonexistence seems like a net positive when all things are considered.

But that's all a pipe dream. There is an afterlife and we'll all have to deal with that.

Nightlion wrote:Peace my son. I once spent three days with one foot in the afterlife from day 23 -25 of epic Biblical, miraculous fasting.

This is BS... a failed attempt at religious suicide is a manufactured ruse.

To the OP... no... fear is an exercise in futility.