What if this is as good as it gets?

Question

My parents did their best bless their hearts; good schools, nice house, caring, nurturing, Christian morals...I deploy to Iraq next month and I'm afraid to die. Maybe I'm the odd person out but I believe in Cosmology and evolution; I just can't take the Old or New Testaments literally. I believe that when we die it is over and we had our chance. If this is so then why are we killing each other so casually, why do we keep bringing babies into situations too terrible to think about. It makes me crazy thinking about it sometimes. Thanks for any comments.

Answer 1

I feel for you. I hope you do well over there and do not experience anything that hurts you physically or psychologically. It's natural to fear death. That's why there are so many people who believe in something like the afterlife--it gives them comfort to think that, with all of life's suffering, this isn't the only life they have. You can choose to believe that sort of stuff, but is seems to me you aren't able to. Neither am I. You don't need god or anything else supernatural to feel good about yourself or what you do. You don't need a diety in your life to make what you are doing worth while. You are serving in the military for a reason. Find that reason and hold onto it. That's what will keep you sane over there.

Answer 2

You have to live with what life gives you. No one knows when the they will die; it's part of the rules of life. If you want to live, then you have to accept the fact that someday, sometime, you're going to die. It is best not to ponder these questions to much; as there are other philosophies that exist that can soothe your worries. Best suggestion: ever heard the country song: "Live while you are dying?" Listen to the words, it makes sense, and is a pretty good way to go through life.

And keep your head down and your back to the wall in Iraq.

Answer 3

I salute you, and wish you safety and a short deployment.

Your questions are understandable. When you're put in a situation where people are killing each other like it's the latest fad, you have to wonder about the things we value in life. Unfortunately, humans have a strong animal instinct still left in them from evolution and a strong superstitious tendency and they revert to them all too often. "Must please tribal god... must kill heathen!" It's hard to keep believing that people are capable of incredibly good acts and not just incredibly evil ones, but you have to keep believing it. It's true, and it doesn't depend on the New/Old Testament being true. Best wishes to you.

Answer 4

Thats a pretty harsh philosophy.
a) you are young. It can get better or worse based on your attitude. You make your fate. On the other hand, you might die tommorrow, so you should also be straight with jesus.
b) If someone told you that you have to believe in 7 day creation to be a good christian then those people do not really know the Bible. Many stories like the 7 day story, garden of eden, and noahs ark have details built into them wich make it imposible for them to litterally true. I believe this was done on purpose so people would look for the true meaning and not be lazy and just say its a literal truth.
c) When you are in love with someone and you marry them. You will probably want to have a baby with them.

The world is only as bad as you want it to be.

You sound to me like you are in a bit of a depression. You should open up to the holy spirit and let it lift you up.

Answer 5

Firstly, good luck with your deployment.

Secondly people have the "oh well, its our lot in life" attitude because of conditioning. Instead of creating a greater life, people still think the "you have to get a good education, get a good job, find a carrer path and you'll be successful" model works. That view is archaic and unfortunatly only leads to "more of the same".
In the case of most people you are correct, many people should not be bringing children into the world from the point of view you have put forward. Harsh, may be.

Answer 6

Being in a life/death situation with fears and insecurites is not a good idea. You always have the choice to do your best.
Others are needing you more than you need to be afraid.

Some parts of being who you are are only learned by knowing you are close to and able to lose life. It can make you think thoughts that you need to think, but would not have.

Answer 7

it's normal to be afraid of dieing. you just have to be strong and stay safe. i have 3 cousins out there right now. 1 in iraq and i think the other two are in baghdad. they have been going back and forth since this thing started. i don't know if i believe it's all over when we die and we wont get a second chance and i don't know if i believe in afterlifes. i don't know what to believe anymore. i kinda forgot what else i wanted to write because my neice keeps on distracting me. so, i shall end this thing. you take care now and be safe out there. we will be praying for all those who are out there. alohas and jah bless.

andra

Answer 8

If this is as good as it gets, then make sure you enjoy it.

You shouldn't kill people casually or bring babies into terrible situations. That's true regardless of whether or not this is as good as it gets.

Answer 9

God Bless you. I would be frighten too.
I believe as you do, but not 100 percent.
Have faith, you WILL come home alive and well.
Do not even think any different.
There will be an angel on your shoulder all the time.
With all my caring and love to you.

Answer 10

I'm sorry for your deployment,(i was in Viet Nam71), not a good time. None of want to die! But their is life after this death, listen to your parents silly girl, they've done rite by you!!