I cant believe in god, but I fear death/hell, why?

Question

I dont believe in god, I'll never be able to say he or she doesn't exist because you can't prove a negative, but I can't bring myself to believe in god. Just like I can't believe in the tooth fairy or santa clause. But I don't want to die and am fearful of what occurs after death. But I have no idea if what happens is heaven/hell.

Everyone who's told me I'm going to hell or going to heaven has never been there him/herself so how can I how much countenance can I really give their opinion since they have no special knowledge on this issue since you cant die and come back (unless you're a character in a book that may or may not have been held intact over multiple thousands of years).

So what do I do? Just believe out of fear of hell? Thats not true belief. Belief just for the sake of it is fine if there is only one god, but what if there are multiple gods as there are so many different interpretations of religion? What if I dont pick the right one?

Should I pick the faith my friends and family have so we at least all go to the same half of afterlife if their religions view of said afterlife is correct so we can all be together?

How can I overcome this fear of death/hell that everyone has and most perpetuate from the same basis of limited knowledge (none of them have died previously)?

Answer 1

Well let me start off by saying that I don't fear death or hell, however I do fear how I may go out. Death is inevitable, and is a price we pay because of sin.
It seems to me, that you may need to look into religion{read and study} to find one that best suits you. God wants your love, and yes I fear God, but not God, but the wonders that God does and the anger that God can instill against His enemies.
To me, there is only 1 God, not a multitude of them. To me also there is only one religion, but this is for me to decide and one that you my friend will have to sit and consider for yourself. You can read the Bible and decide if God is right for you

Answer 2

I feel like this too, I am a scientific person and to me there is no proof at all that God is there. I mean scientics have proven that the Earth was made from some kind of bacteria or something like that I can't quite remember, so this gets rid of the whole God created Earth in 7 days. The thing I would really to know is who was the person who thought of God because in book this person has an amazing mind by far since people to this day because in a story. I understand that God is good bla bla bla, and by the way I am a christian I just don't study it or preach my religion. If fact I think I belive more in Jesus then God and by the way there is no way that Mary could have gotten pregnant by God if God was never and person, just a soul. Anyway I think that people should just believe in whatever they want because in the end it really does not matter, we are all going to die. As well there is no proof that heave or hell exist so as far as I am concerned I think our souls (if we even have souls) become recarinated into something else. I think that when I die I will become another living creature because why would God waste a soul, I think if there really is a God he would recycle our souls into other creature of this world.

Answer 3

Maybe some part of you does believe, because why else would you have the fear? When I was doubting GOD and JESUS, and I did, someone made me think about some things and I will tell you, it made sense to me, and I am not pushing you to believe anything, I am just telling you this because what you are feeling iswhat I felt.

The bumble bee bounces or dances so many times away from their nest to get their pollen, and " counts that" many times the same way back. This is how they remember their nest. Also their is the sun for light during the day and moon and stars for light at night. Did you know that water is the only substance that gets lighter when it freezes? Why is that? So that it doesn't crush the earth when it does. Think of all of the lakes, rivers, ponds, streams, icebergs in the ocean, that could freeze and crush the earth. How could evolution do that? The big bang theory?
In my opinion, someone miraculous had to create something so perfect, so amazing and think of something so detailed.

It amazes me the the human body can heal itself? That our bodies are made the way they are, the skin protects and the bodies procreate.

Thinking about these miracles, the way that everything is on Earth, has helped me think about how things are to help us survive.

Answer 4

Well, for starters if you look at Christianity and the bible, the bible has been PROVEN correct. How might you ask. Did you know they found pieces of Noah's Ark? Don't believe out of fear of hell because that is not true belief and you'd wind up there anyway. If you get a bible and start reading, you may find that you'll get to understand. If you don't already have one, there are thousands of different types of bibles out there. My choice is the NIV bible. If you start with Genesis, you can see how we were created. Did you know that you can look at the atoms that make people up, but scientists don't know what holds the atoms together? Strange isn't it. That's what I suggest. I hope it helps! Hopefully I'll see you in Heaven!

Answer 5

I believe. People who tell you where you will go are not supposed to tell you that because it's a judgement call. If a believer told you this they are wrong because they are not allowed to judge anyone.
I think people pick a religion they are comfortable with. I go to a church that is multi-denominational because I don't think there is one true religion. The only religions I do not approve of are ones that advocate violence, killing, mass suicide; those sorts of things.
I have looked in the Bible and in states nowhere that there is one true religion.
Now...fear of death. I believe we fear death because we don't know what it is, really. We don't understand it. It is an unknown, and as you said, no one has come back to tell us what comes after life. It is also final. So, I think fear of death is normal and I have no exact solution for this fear.
Hope I answered some of your questions. Remember, these are mostly my opinions, but I hope they helped.

Answer 6

You raise very interesting questions. Seeking the answers to the questions you have raised may help you find the correct path and belief for yourself. Someone once asked the question "why doesn't he believe in God"? The answer was said to be "because he hasn't needed God yet".
The concept of God and religion is something that is different for everyone. That is why there are so many different beliefs. Everyone must find his own way and answer.

Answer 7

You are wondering and have the fear. It is better to believe in Jesus and the Bible than take a chance and be wrong.
Many have seen the light at the end of the tunnel, during a death, and God sent them back to complete their missions here on earth. What is there that gives better evidence than the moon and stars and air we breathe and the love for others and for you. The trees, flowers, animals, all came from one place and that was GOD.
The Bible says He is the one and only God and have no other God's before ME. Don't chance it.

Answer 8

You fear death. We all fear death. You fear ending up in hell for not believing. If not believing is just cause to be thrown into hell then you will be in good company. How many Buddhists and Hindus must be in hell just because they didn't believe? How many Jews? I cannot tell you If there is more than you see now but I hope there is. I cannot tell you which is the right faith. But I can tell you that if you pick one to pick one that " feels " right to you. One that you are comfortable with. It might not be the one your Friends and family belong to but if it fits you join.

Answer 9

Please do yourself a huge favor. Go to your local bookstore or library and get a copy of C.S. Lewis' book "Mere Christianity". In it Lewis, a professor at Oxford, outlined his spiritual journey from a position of hardcore atheism to one of theism and finally Christianity. Lewis did all of this through rational thought; no one was more rigorous in rationality than he. Furthermore, he was a very reluctant convert. Lewis did not want there to be a God; God would have claims on his life and, he believed, would disrupt the joy of life. He was wrong as he came to discover. But I point this out to show you that he was not one wishing to escape the misery of life who created a God for comfort and consolation. Lewis also writes about how he came to believe Christianity was, above all other belief systems, correct. Now, if you get this book and give it a serious read, you will have given yourself real food for thought. At least at that point, you will have a basis for making a decision. Wouldn't you agree that you owe yourself at least that much?

Answer 10

Tell me, if I was to take money from you at the store and buy something that you sent me to get for you, would you trust me? Say if the thing cost $5. And if I didn't come back with it the most you would be out of is $5. Would you hand me the $5 and trust me to came back and not have it ruin your day if I hadn't?

Now let's apply this hypothetical with Christianity. If God said that He would save you if you trusted Him, even though you might not know Him or understand Him completely, would you try it if it only meant that you were going to trust Him so far, and then not at all if nothing happened?

So I am saying, I did not know God when I decided to trust Him. I was suicidal. I had nothing to lose if God proved to be false, so I tried it, and He has proven Himself to me ever since.

The thing about understanding Him is: You won't until you take the first step. If you WANT to know Him, that's ONLY because He wants you to. It's impossible for us to want to know God unless He is drawing us to Him. It's against the sin nature of man to want to know God after all.

So I am not putting a time limit to your experiment, please don't consider it as a Pascal's Wager. It's a free test to see if God wants you. He let's you know what you need to know. If my hunch is correct, He does want to know you.

Answer 11

fear of death is normal - it's an unknowm it's an absense of life, it usually involves pain or serious illness to achieve. And our society actively promotes that fear, vs. other societies that are more accepting of death as a natural part of existence.

There is no "right" religion - anyone who tells you otherwise is trying to fool you - or themselves.

There may be a "right" religion for you - or the "right" religion for you may change and evolve as you grow spiritually. Don't be afraid to start seeking just because of others' narrow-mindedness. If you were a divine entity, would you care by what path people sought wisdom - or would you prefer that people sought wisdom, period? Exactly.

Don't be paralyzed by too many choices - get your feet wet, and wade on in untilyou find your own swimming hole. Just don't be misled into selling your swimming trunks by zealots of any stripe.