Philosophizing religion and death

[Goodbyekitry]

I genuinely love to learn to understand other people’s philosophical stance and real life position.

Can members who believe in the afterlife share with me why they think god-fearing people are so afraid of death ??

It’s a layer to me pondering why society in general is so in denial about death’s inevitably (and ergo, who SI is soooo taboo to not even be permitted to be discussed ?

 

[I_waste_everything]

What is SI?

 

[may71]

What is SI?

Different things in different contexts, but in this case I think it probably means "suicidal ideation", thinking of suicide.

 

[may71]

Can members who believe in the afterlife share with me why they think god-fearing people are so afraid of death ??

Maybe they've done some bad stuff, and they're afraid of what they'll get.

Or maybe they don't really believe as strongly as they claim to.

Or maybe it's just a natural instinct or some aspect of personality that make some people especially afraid of death.

and ergo, who SI is soooo taboo to not even be permitted to be discussed ?

A lot of people can't stand to contemplate any kind of negative topic. Talking about happy things makes them happy, and talking about unhappy things makes them unhappy. They're really intolerant of being unhappy so they dodge unhappy subjects.

 

[BlackSheep 007]

Funny - we are in a forum for suicide - and talk about people who might fear death? Just a remark... smile!!

 

[SillyOldBear]

I don't think all Christians are afraid of death. Or, like me, they are only afraid of the dying process, and not actually being dead. If one truly believes death will lead to a better place they should not fear being dead. The dying process is another matter.

 

[LumberJack]

I don’t think it’s so much that god-fearing people are necessarily afraid of death. I think that more often the fear of death is primary, and frequently people manage this fear by finding something greater than themselves to identify with.

I share your concerns as well. When I was young I couldn’t understand why people who believed in heaven and hell wore seatbelts. If worldly existence is a vale of tears, then why not hasten one’s passage to their eternal rewards?

When I was even younger, I felt like my nihilism also justified suicide. In a state of depression, nonexistence beats the hell out of struggling to survive in a world that is harshly painful and ultimately pointless!

My current position is that I just don’t know what happens to the thing I call “me” upon the expiration of this human body. I don’t even know precisely what this “me” even is. Isn’t it necessary to be clear about what I am today before I start investigating whether there is an “afterlife” or not? I currently suspect that the question is less important than what can I do today that would reduce the suffering of all people, including myself.

Regarding the taboos over discussing suicide, I believe that culturally the larger topic of mortality is too unsettling for most people to contemplate. In society, we hide away from any awareness that death is even a thing. People who are near death are not included in daily life. Our cultural and entertainment tendencies are arguably an elaborate system of distractions from the fact that we all will die. For more on this idea, you might want to look into terror management theory at this link: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Terror_management_theory

 

[Lekatt]

The path out of fearing death is awakening. I think religion is what taught most to fear God and dying. But to listen to the truth is an awakening.

You will know the truth by its calm and peace. It lies within you, not out there somewhere.

"The Kingdom of Heaven is within you." " Ask and it shall be given." "Knock and door will open." "I came that you may have life, and life more abundant." "God is love." Jesus

 

[LumberJack]

The path out of fearing death is awakening. I think religion is what taught most to fear God and dying. But to listen to the truth is an awakening.

You will know the truth by its calm and peace. It lies within you, not out there somewhere.

I wish I learned this a lot younger than I did. I will need to pay more attention to the small voice of my intuition. As you stated, peace is the confirmation or not of whether a given action is successful. Thanks!

 

[Lekatt]

I didn't learn to listen until I was 50 years old. But better late than never.

 

[Goodbyekitry]

I’ve gained a great understanding , a clarity that can’t be but in to words. But what’s helped me understand it on a deeper level (though the path started to get me there via some psychedelic experiences, and, well, “love”. But, listening to Near Death Experiences , and some DMT experience stories have really been helpful and powerful for me .

 

[Goodbyekitry]

I don’t think it’s so much that god-fearing people are necessarily afraid of death. I think that more often the fear of death is primary, and frequently people manage this fear by finding something greater than themselves to identify with.

I share your concerns as well. When I was young I couldn’t understand why people who believed in heaven and hell wore seatbelts. If worldly existence is a vale of tears, then why not hasten one’s passage to their eternal rewards?

When I was even younger, I felt like my nihilism also justified suicide. In a state of depression, nonexistence beats the hell out of struggling to survive in a world that is harshly painful and ultimately pointless!

My current position is that I just don’t know what happens to the thing I call “me” upon the expiration of this human body. I don’t even know precisely what this “me” even is. Isn’t it necessary to be clear about what I am today before I start investigating whether there is an “afterlife” or not? I currently suspect that the question is less important than what can I do today that would reduce the suffering of all people, including myself.

Regarding the taboos over discussing suicide, I believe that culturally the larger topic of mortality is too unsettling for most people to contemplate. In society, we hide away from any awareness that death is even a thing. People who are near death are not included in daily life. Our cultural and entertainment tendencies are arguably an elaborate system of distractions from the fact that we all will die. For more on this idea, you might want to look into terror management theory at this link: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Terror_management_theory

Thank you- I will check that out

 

[carac]

I think maybe religious people fear death the same reason non religious people fear death - it can bloody hurt

That is a bit of a joke but I think seriously most people, no matter their belief would like a peaceful death

Maybe I have missed the point about fearing what happens after death, quite an interesting topic, I will have think more on it, possibly it is some natural inbuilt survival mechanism to fear death.

 

[Ziggy]

It’s a layer to me pondering why society in general is so in denial about death’s inevitably (and ergo, who SI is soooo taboo to not even be permitted to be discussed ?

It's fine if I die, but it would be unforgivable if I killed another. So my discussion can only be about me and nobody else, which is why I think there's a risk if what I say is taken as it can apply to others.

It would be nice if I could say "Everyone will go to heaven", but will I go to heaven? do I even believe in a heaven? There are so many questions... did I live a good life? will anyone care when I'm gone?, does it really matter?, if I say "no it doesn't" is that something I should be afraid of? Shouldn't it matter to someone else?

 

[Suyon]

I don't think fear of death and belief in an afterlife are necessarily contradictory. Even people who believe in heaven or another form of existence are still human. Death represents the unknown, separation from the people we love, and the end of the only life we have ever directly experienced.

On top of that, many religions teach that there will be a judgment, which can also create fear and uncertainty. Faith may offer hope, but it does not always erase the anxiety that comes with facing the unknown.

Perhaps the fear of death says less about a lack of faith and more about the human condition. The instinct to preserve our lives seems to exist regardless of what we believe. That is why, to me, faith and fear can coexist without one invalidating the other.

 

[Ziggy]

The instinct to preserve our lives seems to exist regardless of what we believe.

That's true of my cat. People are afraid of death because evolution favours it.