Atheists--what message of hope could you offer the dying? A reasonable question, what would you say?

Question

Souper---I must respect your answer,. what's right is right. Not many like you around.

Answer 1

I guess thats' the downside of Atheism. It isn't like religion where there is teaching of moving on. So it is flawed, however religion can be just as flawed if one uses it instead to justify evil deeds (Fred Phelps)

Answer 2

No idea of how many times this answer is dragged out ....it is my personal take on death......

Life should NOT be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in
an attractive and well preserved body, but rather to skid in sideways, champagne in
one hand - strawberries in the other,
body thoroughly used up, totally worn out and screaming WOO HOO - What a Ride!"

Answer 3

But Zarathustra remained standing, and the body feil right next to him, badly knocked about and broken, but not yet dead. After a while consciousness returned to the shattered one, and he saw Zarathustra kneeling beside him. "What are you doing there? he said at last, I have long known that the devil would trip me. Now he will carry me to hell. Do you want to fight him?"

"By my honor, friend, answered Zarathustra, there is nothing of which you speak. There is no devil and no hell. Your soul will be more quickly dead than your body: fear no more!"

The man looked mistrustful. "If you speak the truth, he then said, I lose nothing when I lose my life. I am not much more than an animal, that one has taught to dance, by blows and small wounds."

"Not so, said Zarathustra, you have made danger your profession, that is nothing to scorn. Now you go to ground for your profession; for that I will bury you with my own hands."

As Zarathustra said this, the dying man answered no more, but he waved his hand, as though he sought the hand of Zarathustra to thank him.

Answer 4

Well, it couldn't be any worse than the fundamentalist Christian message of doom and hellfire if the dying person is not "saved." To be humane, whether a religious believer or not, is to provide comfort to the dying. Grace, as Mother Teresa once said, is holding someone's hand while they are dying.

Answer 5

Everyone must face death, and everyone is scared by it. I guess it would depend on the situation. I wouldn't preach about atheism to a xtian, or to a terminally ill kid. Everyone has to come to terms with their own death.

I'd just be there for them, listen, ask them about their life and make them feel good about the good things that they've done in their life and their accomplishments. Yes even if they were xtians, I'd still listen, especially if they were friends of mine.

Answer 6

I told my mom, who was in hospital in a coma, that we would all survive without her if she was tired of struggling to stay alive and, like when we used to watch on TV all the time,... if she sees a light ... go there. Then I kissed her. She passed on peacefully right after I said that.

Answer 7

It wouldn't be false hope, which is what religious people do. I think being a comfort to any dying person is good enough. What comfort do you offer? A promise of heaven. Oh please.

Answer 8

That I would keep an eye out to see that their families were looked after.

Answer 9

"This was asked yesterday or a few days ago. (And answered very well, I thought)

Not that you'd bother reading it, of course."

I don't think LoG CAN read. He's a copy/paste bot incapable of independent thought.

Answer 10

You have done so many good things in your life, you have made a difference, people will remember you. You will live on.