It was a conversation I overheard...I imagine that many Atheists must be regretful for not believing in God when they get closer to death and that's one of the reasons they adopt religion as they get older. What are your thoughts?
2007-12-07 10:53:26 · 47 answers · asked by Anonymous in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
Having worked in nursing homes for many years & witnessed many deaths I'd say no. Those who believe take comfort in their beliefs but I've never known an atheist to convert on their deathbed.
2007-12-07 11:00:20 · answer #1 · answered by Mimkat hate the new Yahoo Answers so has retired. 7 · 5⤊ 1⤋
Let's just assume for a second that you are right about "seeing (your) God" at the moment of death. Do you think that if a person that lived a moral life but did not believe in God would be turned away while a "believer" that lived an immoral life would be welcomed with open arms? I do not believe in your God because it is illogical to do so. Yet I live a more moral life than most of the religious people that I know. I seriously doubt that any true atheist would "adopt" religion out of fear of God any more than a person over the age of 16 would leave out cookies and milk on Christmas just in case Santa really existed.
2007-12-07 11:05:56 · answer #2 · answered by punkmilgob 1 · 1⤊ 1⤋
Everyone, (in my very humble opinion!) will have the opportunity to go to the light, whether they believe in God or not.
Life is about being you and loving yourself as much, if not more, than a God, as, just like God, we are all truly spiritual, in my opinion.
I believe that everyone's true home is the spirit world and we all return there once we've had the experiences we've decided to have on Earth and a belief or disbelief does not change that.
2007-12-07 12:13:39 · answer #3 · answered by Pat 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
You can say I am lumped in with Atheists, because I am. I don't believe in a God or anything else of the sorts. What I do believe in is my home, all our homes, Earth. All the evidence we need to know for being the product of Earth is there, and nothing shows us that God exists in any form but its respective religious texts. I'll go write a book about a deity and bury it - someone will find it in hundreds of thousands of years and there we have a new religion.
2007-12-07 11:08:42 · answer #4 · answered by clown1342 2 · 1⤊ 1⤋
Are you sure that people adopt religion as they get older.
I worked with plenty of elderly people and can assure you that only the "staunchest" of believers were bothered about seeing the light.
I think it's unfair to suggest that none believers might take up religeon as a last minute thing.
2007-12-07 12:15:32 · answer #5 · answered by helenateverquest 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Nope.
I will go to my grave knowing I did the best I could because I only had one shot at it.
I will also have the ones that truly count around me on my death bed, and I will share my last moments with the memories of a life well lived.
Then when I'm burnt/buried/turned into a diamond, I will have a day-long party in celebration of my life.
2007-12-07 10:59:25 · answer #6 · answered by jonnyAtheatus 4 · 3⤊ 1⤋
Being Atheist, I wish there was life after death - just for a few minutes to watch the faces of the religious going
"OOOooooohhhh SSShhhhiiiittttteeeee !!!! we've wasted our time ""
2007-12-07 11:22:32 · answer #7 · answered by John W 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Not at all. That makes as much sense as me saying that deep down, even Christians know that Thor is the real god and will give up their pretensions about any other gods when they are close to death.
2007-12-07 11:20:57 · answer #8 · answered by t_rex_is_mad 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋
If you mean the fluorescent light over their hospital beds, yes. If you mean "the light of the truth of God's existence," no. Neither do Christians. That blissful feeling of returning to a divine parent in an eternal paradise is a biological consequence of a dying brain.
2007-12-07 11:08:49 · answer #9 · answered by Pull My Finger 7 · 1⤊ 1⤋
Two points. One -- there are a lot of stories that float around in cyberspace about this or that prominent non-Christian that "sees the light" on their deathbed; Charles Darwin, Carl Sagan, etc. Most, if not every last one of them, is contradicted by family members and witnesses that were actually there. Two -- it would seem to me that becoming religious simply because one fears dying as a pretty lousy reason to do so. I thought religious beliefs were supposedly based on faith, not fear.
2007-12-07 11:00:01 · answer #10 · answered by spam_nachos 4 · 2⤊ 1⤋