I have heard that the death of an atheist is devasting for them, because they have no comfort, nothing to hold on to, no hope in eternal life in Christ. It's like a cartoon I saw of an atheist"s tombstone that read: All dressed up and no where to go!
2007-09-28 16:00:07 · 27 answers · asked by puracastidad 2 in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
No, death is no threat for a lot of us. It's all a part of the circle of life. There is nothing to fear, just sweet oblivion. No threat of hell and no promise of heaven. It's beautiful if you take a closer look at it.
2007-09-28 16:08:26 · answer #1 · answered by Shawn B 7 · 9⤊ 0⤋
It depends on the particular atheist and what they believe.
I've probably said this a hundred times here, but the word "atheist" does not mean a person without spirituality. Buddhists are atheists, and they believe in reincarnation. For them, death means that they shall return.
Some Satanists and Wiccans are atheists.
Some atheists believe that when we die, there will be nothing.
What is your definition of comfort? For an atheist, one who doesn't believe in reincarnation, one who believes that the end is the end, comfort might be the knowledge that they've lived their life the best that they could, and that their legacy will be their children, or things that they've done to improve society. At the end, they are tired, and ready to rest. Perhaps those they love are with them. They are certainly unlikely to worry if they've committed the unpardonable sin for the moments when they lost faith.
2007-09-28 23:31:30 · answer #2 · answered by Deirdre H 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
You shouldn't believe everything you hear. Especially when you hear it from bigots spreading hatred.
Personally I make no claims about what will happen after death. I just don't believe in gods. No matter what, I would think anything would be more comforting than the Christian belief in hell. In my opinion if I had to guess either death is like going to sleep ( which I find very comforting ) or else quantum immortality is correct ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quantum_immortality ). But no matter what, I prefer reality to believing in a fairy tale like Christianity . Not that I would have any choice to believe in anything so obviously ridiculous anyway.
2007-09-28 23:15:34 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 0⤋
Well you have obviously heard wrong. Unlike you we do not waste our lives fantasizing about death and the halos and wings we think will have. We enjoy our lives and live them as full as we can.
As someone who has been with a close relative Atheist at their death, I can assure you that the deep satisfaction with a well lived life, good times great friends and family, is indescribably preferable to a pathetic yearning for something that we all know is not real.
2007-09-28 23:40:21 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
I don't know why it would be devastating. I have no belief that anything at all will happen. It'll just be like going to sleep forever. Holding on to some unprovable religious belief seems pointless to me.
I know a lot of people need the security blanket of religion to tell them that they somehow live on after death. That's fine. I don't. I find my meaning here, in this life, not in what some religion wants me to think happens afterwards.
2007-09-28 23:16:45 · answer #5 · answered by Cap'n Zeemboo 3 · 2⤊ 0⤋
Just because someone believes something different doesn't mean they are going to hell or going to have a devastating afterlife. They do have comfort and things to hold on too like the people that they love and that love them.
Also if there is a God and an afterlife, then just because someone doesn't believe in him during their life, doesn't mean they can't begin when they die.
2007-09-28 23:09:10 · answer #6 · answered by Ciao Bella 1 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Atheists just don't believe there's a god. It has nothing to do with whether they continue to exist after death. A friend of mine is an atheist, and he thinks we probably do have some sort of existence after death.
Buddhism is a non-theistic belief system, but most of them believe in reincarnation and eventually that we become extinguished. Becoming extinguished (the end of existence) is not seen as a bad thing in Buddhism. It's seen as a good thing because it means freedom from the continual cycle of birth and rebirth. Life is suffering, and as long as we are reincarnated, we will suffer. But suffering ends whenever everybody reacher Nirvana (nothingness=extinction).
2007-09-28 23:07:15 · answer #7 · answered by Jonathan 7 · 5⤊ 0⤋
What a trite way to share that lame little joke. If you are a loving person, should you not be concerned for the souls of the eternally damned atheists? That little saying applies to every body in a casket.
2007-09-28 23:10:39 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Wow, the person asking the question couldn't have gotten it more wrong.
I guess I always imagined death to be like that part of sleeping where you don't dream. You know when you doze off and then open your eyes and 5 hours have passed but it feels like 2 seconds? I guess kind of like that only without the waking up part.
2007-09-28 23:10:55 · answer #9 · answered by Tony AM 5 · 2⤊ 0⤋
I think you hear wrong. Yes, we die, but that's just an expected part of life. Our family and friends hold each other and extend comfort and love. We live on in the memories of the living.
2007-09-28 23:08:33 · answer #10 · answered by Pirate AM™ 7 · 3⤊ 0⤋