Fear of Death

Originally posted by dottewell
I also agree; the problem is that you'll never have "done" enough. To take one example: the more you travel, the more you realise there are place you will never see, or places you will never see again.

Life is such a precious and beautiful thing, I doubt one can ever be completely reconciled to its absence.

Reconciliation (or, rather, the lack thereof) and fear are two different things.

Originally posted by vistesd
Reconciliation (or, rather, the lack thereof) and fear are two different things.

True. Call it "dread", then. The (reflective) knowledge that (a) my death is inevitable; (b) it gets ever closer; and (c) I'm not (and don't believe I can be) reconciled with my death, because the will to live is too strong.

Originally posted by dottewell
True. Call it "dread", then. The (reflective) knowledge that (a) my death is inevitable; (b) it gets ever closer; and (c) I'm not (and don't believe I can be) reconciled with my death, because the will to live is too strong.

Yeah, I think that’s it. Do you know that Neil Diamond song that ends—

“They sweated beneath the same sun,
looked up in wonder at the same moon—
and wept when it was all done
for bein’ done too soon.”

Originally posted by dottewell
True. Call it "dread", then. The (reflective) knowledge that (a) my death is inevitable; (b) it gets ever closer; and (c) I'm not (and don't believe I can be) reconciled with my death, because the will to live is too strong.

This is closer to it, but I'd personally still go for a less severe description.

Originally posted by scottishinnz
And, storybooks aside, precisely how many has that happened to?

Well, I am sure you have heard of near death experiences. Of coarse I am sure you would equate them much in the same way I would equate an account of an alien abduction. You would say that such accounts are pure rubbish. Such experiences would have been either made up entirely and/or chemical processes in the brain made them think they were experiencing something they were, in fact, not really experiencing. However, I find the most compelling stories are the ones in which the person says that they leave their bodies and look down where their physical body rests and actually are able to leave the room in which their body resides. Proof of such activity includes the person in question being able to recite conversations of other people in nearby rooms in which they should have had no knowledge of. I think the most compelling of such stories that I have heard was about a man who had been blind since birth. He had a near death experience and when he came back he said that he could see for the first time in his life once he left his body. He began to describe in great detail what it was like to see as well as some activity outdoors in great detail that he should have had no knowledge of. Of coarse such stories will always be mired in skepticism. That is, of coarse, unless you were there or it had happened to you!!!!!

Originally posted by twhitehead
[. I am certainly not afraid of death in the same way that many Christians I know are.[/b]

Really? If memory serves, I think that the early history of the Christian faith includes most who gave up their lives for their faith. All they had to do was recant to save their lives, however, they chose Christ instead.

Originally posted by Bosse de Nage
You won't be when you're dead.

The notion of my atoms' fate is perfectly absurd.

Edit--SPLASH

Perhaps we should start an "atom" cult? Then again, what happens if someone decides to "split" my atom? Is that then when you become nonexistant?

Originally posted by Starrman


There's a social aspect to death which, certainly for me, is in no small part due to religion. I was taught to fear death because judgement lay thereafter and certainly, given the view of heaven and hell I was taught, I was gambling with my soul. It took me a long time to reason this away and to realise that what I think we fear is not death, it's consequence.[/b]

So what of the justice of someone like Hilter? I suppose that if there be no God then such justice will elude him.

Originally posted by Bad wolf
That's interesting.
Personally I do try to ignore the fear of death, I just can't accept it; so much so that I have come to conclusion that I won't ever die, which seems kind of weird I know. 😕
Don't worry though, it's not like this spoils my life, it's at the back of my mind.

Technology is moving pretty damn quickly, maybe we can escape the cluthes of death itself in the future, I would certainly hope so... 😕

Technology? Please do not place your hopes in technology. We cannot so much as cure the common cold, let alone keep someone from dying. Technology is good in that it may help us extend our lives a little bit. However, be careful what you wish for. I have witnessed people who have done so and who have lived to regret it.

I saw your other post about how computers have advanced over the years. However, compared with the complexity of the human body computers are childs play. For example, what has medicine cured? Infections perhaps via the use of antibiodics? Then again such organisms are becoming immune to antibiodics. The role of a medicine is purely palliative if viewed from the perspective that we are all dying. Medicine can make this transition less painful and even help extend our lives a little bit, however, it cannot and will not ever "save" you.

Originally posted by whodey
So what of the justice of someone like Hilter? I suppose that if there be no God then such justice will elude him.

What has that got to do with anything? Justice is metered out by society in reflection of their ethics. Many people escape justice, but I don't see what that has to do with whether people fear death or not.

Originally posted by Starrman
What has that got to do with anything? Justice is metered out by society in reflection of their ethics. Many people escape justice, but I don't see what that has to do with whether people fear death or not.

My only point is that justice is a myth to a large extent unless overseen by a Higher Power.

Originally posted by whodey
My only point is that justice is a myth to a large extent unless overseen by a Higher Power.

Nonsense, you're just talking about absolute justice. I don't have a problem with relative justice, but that's for a different thread.

Originally posted by whodey
My only point is that justice is a myth to a large extent unless overseen by a Higher Power.

No. The correct conclusion (for the atheist) would be that if someone escapes justice while alive, they escape justice altogether.

The correct reaction would be to be as vigilant as possible that people don't escape justice while alive.

Originally posted by dottewell
I also agree; the problem is that you'll never have "done" enough. To take one example: the more you travel, the more you realise there are place you will never see, or places you will never see again.

Life is such a precious and beautiful thing, I doubt one can ever be completely reconciled to its absence.

I see. However, you cannot possibly expect to bring to justice all those who commit crimes against humanity can you? We have societal justice today yet we see when it fails at times.

Originally posted by whodey
My only point is that justice is a myth to a large extent unless overseen by a Higher Power.

Ever heard of karma?