When atheists die?

Question

When you atheists die do you think it will be a lot like before you were born or what? just kind of nonexistent-that couldnt be so bad right?

wow people sorry about saying kind of non existent obviously you get the point

Answer 1

They will go to hell.

Answer 2

Hmm... I'm not sure what my athiest colleagues are saying exactly by talking about going back to non-existence. I think the language itself is unhelpful for these kinds of abstractions. I wasn't non-existent before I was born (well, conceived) I just didn't exist - that's a subtle difference but I hope you can understand what I'm trying to say.

My consciousness is an emergent property of my functioning brain. I am my body for all intents and purposes - so why call it 'mine' as if I'm something else, like my car, my body. I don't drive it around. It IS me. Humans are so used to mythical ideas that the language simply doesn't reflect the reality.

When my body ceases to function, process information, extract chemical energy etc - I will be dead. I won't vanish in to non-existence. I'll be a corpse. Theists like quoting the 1st law of thermodynamics - energy isn't created or destroyed, it is conserved. Yes, but after the insects and bacteria are done feeding on my rotting body that 'energy' won't be left for my soul, will it?

I don't think anybody becomes an atheist because of the pension plan. We're depressingly pragmatic but then if you're not a realist, you're a fantasist, yes?

Answer 3

Experientially, yes, EXACTLY like before I was born. The only difference is the arrangement of the molecules of my body. Before I was born, there was no body. After I die, there will be. A believer likes to make a distinction between John Doe and John Doe's body. An atheist doesn't. John Doe's body IS John Doe. Or put another way, John Doe was an event that produced what is left of his body.

Answer 4

Dead atheists are the same as everybody else, gren and mouldy and smelling some what off.

Apart from that, well nobody knows do they, so some will be surprised, some will be shocked, and those of us that think death is final well, we can hardly say I told you so, so even after death, we still won't have a clue!

Oh well, just have to enjoy the time we have, and don't waste it on your knees in some musty old building singing songs you no longer understand eh?

Answer 5

Yes, it is exactly like before you were born. On the one hand, you are nothing, so you don't think about the fact that you are dead. On the other hand, if the only time you can experience anything is when you are alive, you should experience as much as possible before it means nothing.

Answer 6

I think there is a pretty good chance that what people call "hell" IS non-existance. Anytime you hear of people who have passed to the "other side" and speak through mediums or whatever they all say the are in "Heaven" you never hear of people who are in Hell talking to anyone (saying Gee it's hot here), probably because they can't as they no longer exist.

Answer 7

I think Matt Bellamy explains the answer to that perfectly in his song "thoughts of a dying atheist."

"It scares the hell out of me
and the end is all I can see
and it scares the hell out of me
and the end is all I can see
yea yea yeaaaaa yea yea
yea yea yea
yea yea o aaa oaaaaaaa!!"

Answer 8

As far as I know, there haven't been any dead atheists that have come back to tell us how it is. If you reject the concept of the immortal soul, then obviously when the brain dies all consciousness goes with it - you black out permanently.

Answer 9

There is no wrong or right answer to this question, it is just people's opinions. Atheists would say that after death there is non-existence, people who believe would say that God would put them in hell or heaven. It's simple.

Answer 10

Yes, nonexistence is the same before death and after.

Answer 11

Yes exactly, and it's not limited to atheists. We actually, honestly and wholeheartedly believe that the same result awaits everyone regardless of their religious affiliation.