A real question for Atheist's?

Question

What do you think happens to us after we die? Do we just blink out and become nothing? If so, is that scary to you? I sometimes question my faith and wonder about this. Is it possible to believe in life after death without believing in a God? I understand your problems with organized religions...do any of you believe in God in your own way, apart from what religion is trying to say?

I phrased the question "a real question..." because I have an honest interest in your thoughts. I realize there are a lot of people who "ask questions" but are really just slandering and trying to cause trouble. I have wondered at times if my own fear of death is a contributing factor in my faith. This why I ask if you have fear or not. My main fear is of not being able to reunite with a certain person I loved very much who has died. Sigh...I am not trying to cause trouble

Answer 1

Yes you can believe in life after death without believing in God. What happens after we die, no one knows with 100% accuracy...we just don't and there is nothing wrong with it. It is scary, well yeah. By nature we fear when we don't know and what we don't understand.

No atheists do not believe in a God in their own way. If they did, they wouldn't be atheist, they would be theists who are just spiritually free from the confines of organized religion.

Atheists believe that nothing happens after death; you composed in a casket. Is that scary to them, sure, why not. Death is along the lines of "fear of the unknown". But quite frankly, you know you're dying but you don't know you are dead. Death in inevitable but everyone is afraid of it. Some more or less than others but everyone is afraid of it. Someone might not be afraid of the concept of dying, but more so of when and the impact it will have on their family and friends.

I do not claim to be an atheist, nor do I claim to be a believer. For me the concept of heaven is used to help people feel at eased when faced with the fear of death. It's a soothing and relaxing thought to think that we will continue to live on. I also think that the concept of hell is nothing more than a means for societies and religion to scare their citizens and followers into compliance with laws and obedience.

Does that mean that I think there is no God? No. Does it mean I believe there is a God? No.

That being said I just want to extend my appreciation to you. Why? Because you are asking:
A) a genuine question and
B) You aren't ridiculing or putting atheists down for not thinking like you and trying to convert them/us.

It's very hard to find, I assuming, Christians like you on this forum. And for that I thank you on behalf of the Atheist and Agnostic community.

Answer 2

The whole idea of a singular male creation deity is unnatural to me. And that there was something wholly formed and 'perfect' that would create anything in the first place w/o any reason.
Being 'perfect' there's no motivation. I know there's the question 'Who made God' and the typical (automatic) response is 'With God, anything is possible' Which brings me to the unnaturalness of the religion. For the sake of argument, we'll say there is a God and it created everything. Now, wouldn't it create nature to represent itself in some way?
I think it would be much more plausible to think that there was energy first. It eventually evolved into spirit...which eventually became souls as humankind developed.
I've had 2 NDE and they were quite different. In both experiences, they were extremely different. The one I had when I was five, I remember 'floating' at the top of the room. But, that was years ago and I can't even say with 100% certainty that it is not a false memory, based on a whole lot of other factors that time, memory and different sources of influence 'corrupted'. The one I had more recently (25), I remember a point where I felt the 'nothing' feeling. It seems real b/c I only 'felt' anything, after the fact. But, when I was a wee bit more observant, I felt more rested than I ever have. Still, I was on a lot of different medications so, again, I can't saay anything with certainty.
But, my automatic reaction is to fear death, but when I actually think about it, I am not scared but very curious as to what happens.
I see nothing in nature, or around me, that reflects a singular creation deity, much less a male one. I see that many ideas work better than one in any form of rule (how well have monarchies and dictatorships worked?) and females are necessary, not just helpful, in creating life. I can't do it on my own but at least I would have the possibility.
The way everything is formed and the way everything functions, monotheistic religions seem very unlikely.
I'm perfectly comfortable with the opinion that just b/c I don't know, there could be an answer still. And, I don't believe there is eternal punishment b/c that's unnatural and why would anythig create us, leave no direct proof and then have us suffer for giving us a choice?

Answer 3

Humans don't have souls, they are simply beasts, the only beasts of the field capable of contemplating their own death and have created the idea of an everlasting soul to manage their own terror. Besides, an afterlife doesn't even make sense. Things that are eternal have no beginning and no end, which means that we should have also had a before-life as well.

It's a crappy truth to grasp, I'll admit, the idea that humans as a whole are nothing more than animals, that nothing we do here matters and that when we die, we experience only oblivion. Yes, it can be scary, but will fearing it make it any less true? There is nothing that can be done to stop it, so you can either embrace it or continue believing that you do have a soul, that you are special and that you are going somewhere after this life is over and done.

Answer 4

I don't think anyone really knows what happens after you die. But it appears that you turn back into the earth. I honestly do think that no one can say because there is not evidence to support that your conciseness leaves you, nor is there any evidence to support it stays and goes someplace else. The reason I am an atheist is because I do not believe in a higher power of any kind. The earth and universe are so huge and seem so barren to most Christians. They feel very alone and need some "Reason" for everything. There is a beauty in just having things happen for no reason at all that they don't understand.

Answer 5

Once you die that's it! You simply don't exist any more! It would be scary but I just try to live my life one day at a time. The Buddhist and Jain's believe in life after death without a God. No I do not worship. I think you might like the Baha'i' religion, check it out sometime!

Answer 6

Death is an unknown more vast than the universe itself, we cannot guess for 100% certainty what happens because we do not yet fully understand consciousness.
Personally I think it will be the same as before I was born, question I suppose one could pose on this, is was there nothing or do I simply not remember?
I think it will be blissful nothingness and that is why I love this earth, I love my life, I love the people I choose to have in my life, I love the flaws of humanity and the progression of society and that is also why I get so very annoyed at religion which i feel holds back all these wonderful things.
And no, Im not at all scared of death - Im scared of missing out on life, Im scared of pain but certainly not hell. ☺

Answer 7

I'm not sure what happens after death, but I'm not too concerned.

If there is an afterlife based on merit, I believe actions will prevail over worship. Good people are good people, regardless of a belief system. I don't see them being punished for not believing one thing or another.

If there's a spiritual life to follow, then I'll follow on.

If we cease to exist, then none of it really matters anyway.


Ultimately, the best thing a person can do (in my opinion) is lead a good life, enjoy it to the fullest, and deal with death & beyond when you get there.

Answer 8

I believe in a power greater than myself and that power is LOVE. Available to all who seek and it is everywhere...sound familiar???

I don't know if I die and that's it...it doesn't matter. But while I am here I prefer to act in a manner that is respectful of other people, the planet and it's other inhabitants.

In some ways religion is right but many of the followers try to force it upon others in ways that are quite distasteful.

Consequences cure bad behavior but LOVE is the ONLY thing that heals.

Which is where I put my money.

Peace.

Answer 9

Sigh. Yes, we blink out and cease to exist. That's not scary, it's just something that happens to us all, and if you want to experience it, go under general anaesthetic.

No - an atheist doesn't believe in god by definition. Believing in an afterlife without god is possible, I suppose, but a bit silly, and certainly wrong.

CD

Answer 10

> What do you think happens to us after we
> die? Do we just blink out and become
> nothing?

We become plant food.

> If so, is that scary to you?

Not really. I like what Mark Twain said: "I do not fear death; I was dead for billions and billions of years before I was born, and I did not suffer the slightest inconvenience from it."

> Is it possible to believe in life after death
> without believing in a God?

I suppose?

> do any of you believe in God in your own
> way, apart from what religion is trying to
> say?

No.