Are you afraid of death or the idea that one day you will cease to exist forever?

Question

This question is for atheists and agnostics especially. I am agnostic and I will admit death frightens me.

Answer 1

I believe in God, and I know dying is just another part of life, so I'm not afraid. If as you say, you really don't believe in anything, then why are you afraid?

Answer 2

I'm an agnostic also, but with what you could call mystical and ultra-skeptical tendencies.
Matter, the existence of other people, the distinction between your identity and that of other people, these are all things whose face values I doubt. For practical reasons, I have to assume they're pretty much true in my day-to-day life. The universe seems to be consistent enough. But really, the idea that matter exists (or not) has no more rational weight than the idea the soul exists (or not).
So existence is really just a series of experiences. When you die, two things can happen: Either you cease to have experiences, or you continue to have them. If you cease to have experiences, what's the problem? There's no suffering in that. If you do continue to have experiences, I don't see the problem there either: my whole life, the nature of my experiences changed as I matured and lived in new environments. It'll just continue to be a series of evolving experiences.
I do experience, sometimes, that visceral fear of death, simply because I am human. But these moments are few and far between. I have made peace with the idea it has to happen some day.

Answer 3

You know that being agnostic means you don't believe or participate in any of the religions we are accustomed to hear of. But you can be of spiritual belief or your own personal belief what ever it is . I am also agnostic , being brought up catholic and after extensive study of it and other religions I ended up refusing them all , and made my own that removed all fear of death . It is difficult to come to this conclusion if you are young ... My self almost 60 was able to look at my past and collect all the little instances that my life has been at the verge of extincion ... Why did'nt I died ?? ,and concluded I have been saved by my helping spirit ( some thing like an Angle ) that has protected me because my destiny is a long life , I have a purpose to complete on this earth ... So with this so obvious to me I believe we dont die , only the body does your spirit will most likely return in a new body to continue the spirits learning , and this believe has removed the fear of death in me , I am ready for when it comes , don't get me wrong , I am not looking to die , as is very sad to have to live my loved ones , but there is nothing to fear . To me God is every thing in existence , you are God , I am , so is the neighbour , we all are the essence of God , God is pure Love , It does not differentiate between the tree in your back yard or me, Dont be afraid of death, it is the opposite of Birth , do your own search and you will find hints of truth of what Im telling you.

Answer 4

No. I don't fear death. I was with both my mother and my father when each of them died. Their passings were peaceful - they had no more pain - their life mission was complete.

I know that when I die my life mission will be complete & therefore I will deserve release from this life.

I will never cease to exist forever because I have children and grandchildren & therefore part of me will continue. Not that that is superimportant to me. I believe that I need to do the best I can do while here on earth. And some days my best is not very good, and some days I do not do my best. But overall, I am a moral person trying to become better on an ongoing basis & trying to help my fellow man/woman/child. Therefore I don't fear death or the hereafter of the absence of a hereafter. I am willing to accept what is and am comfortable with that.

Answer 5

Understandable especially if you are agnostic and or an atheist. Not believing in something bigger than yourself, would be scary. Just thinking that you'll decompose and have no other relevancy than pushing up a tomato or potato or whatever, however there is purpose in that as well. You'll contribute to the chain of life even while in death.

Answer 6

I believe that after death my spirit will be alive.

But previously I doubted whether this is true and I was fearful about what if I just don't exist after I die. At that time, this thought gave me some courage that if I don't exist after I die than there is nothing to be afraid of because after I die I just won't exist and I won't even be thinking or have emotions. Therefore, I can make of life as much as I can until I live and let death come whenever it comes and not to think about death.

Answer 7

We atheists are nothing like what the church leaders are fond of charicaturing us as. We are freethinking individuals who are able to see the Big Picture without the blinders of religion. We do not live in despair, quite the contrary; freethought is incredibly refreshing, liberating, and empowering. We are not nihilists, but lovers of life who see it as all the more precious because there's no eternal afterlife. We do not need the bribe of heaven or the threat of hell to be good people, we believe in being good for its own sake. Through science and reason, we know more about the true nature of the world we live in than your religion could ever hope to offer.

The fear of death is a natural thing, which is why you need to think hard about living your life for the moment. We are not the enemy of christians and other theists. Our quarrel is with irrationality, wishful thinking, superstitions, intellectual dishonesty, and all other forms of thinking that keep mankind mired in darkness, ignorance and hate.

Answer 8

Yes. I never thought about dying when I was in my 20's and 30's. But I think about it a lot now (I'm 44). Everytime someone I know dies, someone close to my age, I worry even more. I realize that death is a part of life, but I want to live a long, long, time. I read somewhere once that dying is either "everything", (i.e. heaven, God), or it is nothing (i.e. I'm dead, no God, no afterlife, dead and I don't even know it, like a fruit fly). Good question.

Answer 9

no i am not afraid of death there's no point in being afraid of death my friend because death is the only thing is this lifetime that's guaranteed to every man woman and child to be afraid of death is to be in denial of the existence of death and who's to say that oyu would have ceased to existed you would have existed in the hearts of the people who know and love you

Answer 10

Not to worry. One of two things occur. !) You cease therefor it is immaterial or 2) You make the journey as described by those that have experienced near death.