How Can A Christian Be Afraid of Death?

I'm just wondering, how is it possible for a strong believer in catholicism or christianity be at all afraid of death? Isn't being afraid of death admitting you don't fully believe in your religion? Because if I was chrisitian and believed in heaven I would be looking forward to death. Heaven sounds amazing, unfortunately I don't believe it.

So my question is, how can a religious person be afraid of death when they claim to believe in an afterlife?

Also if you are a 100% believer in jesus christ or whatever, why are you spending your time on a video game forum or whatever? If I was a 100% believer in any religion, I would devote my entire life to it. How is it that someone can be a 100% believer in a religion and not devote their whole life to it since a human life only lasts for around 70-80 years but paradise in heaven is eternal?

Something about leaving the earthly realm, along with all of your friends and family to be judged on whether or not you'll enter eternal goodness, or rot for an eternity weighs on peoples minds. =P

they still a bit reluctant about their faith

It's a natural human instinct to be afraid of the unknown... and as much as some would like to claim otherwise, it is ultimately an unknown, and will remain so until we get there.

Plus, many also are likely concerned about those loved ones who would grieve terribly if they died.

I'm just wondering, how is it possible for a strong believer in catholicism or christianity be at all afraid of death? Isn't being afraid of death admitting you don't fully believe in your religion? Because if I was chrisitian and believed in heaven I would be looking forward to death. Heaven sounds amazing, unfortunately I don't believe it.

So my question is, how can a religious person be afraid of death when they claim to believe in an afterlife?

ColdP1zza

[QUOTE="ColdP1zza"]

I'm just wondering, how is it possible for a strong believer in catholicism or christianity be at all afraid of death? Isn't being afraid of death admitting you don't fully believe in your religion? Because if I was chrisitian and believed in heaven I would be looking forward to death. Heaven sounds amazing, unfortunately I don't believe it.

So my question is, how can a religious person be afraid of death when they claim to believe in an afterlife?

my_mortal_coil

How can you be afraid of a little suffering when "enternal paradise" lies just ahead? It makes not sense.

Also if you are a 100% believer in jesus christ or whatever, why are you spending your time on a video game forum or whatever? If I was a 100% believer in any religion, I would devote my entire life to it. How is it that someone can be a 100% believer in a religion and not devote their whole life to it since a human life only lasts for around 70-80 years but paradise in heaven is eternal?ColdP1zza

Given how short our time is on Earth, I'd prefer doing something entertaining than devoting my time to a God I'll supposedly get to spend the rest of eternity with anyway. Personal space, man.

[QUOTE="ColdP1zza"]Also if you are a 100% believer in jesus christ or whatever, why are you spending your time on a video game forum or whatever? If I was a 100% believer in any religion, I would devote my entire life to it. How is it that someone can be a 100% believer in a religion and not devote their whole life to it since a human life only lasts for around 70-80 years but paradise in heaven is eternal?MurasakiYugata

Given how short our time is on Earth, I'd prefer doing something entertaining than devoting my time to a God I'll supposedly get to spend the rest of eternity with anyway. Personal space, man.

But then you probably won't get into heaven that way? Well that is, if your christian.

Fear of hell, doubt in their own religion, not wanting to leave everything/everybody on Earth behind.

Being a Christian =/= immediate ticket to heaven.

A lot of people miss this.

Im Catholic and I'll admit...I am afraid to die. I don't think it matters what your believe in, it's natural to fear death. Thats kinda of like the whole point of life. To keep yourself from dying.

As just because your a Christian doesn't mean you have to devote your whole life to God. Its about enjoying life doing what makes you happy. That kinda goes for everyone. God does not expect everyone to be Priests or Nuns you know.

The truth is the lack of faith. We usually need to see something before believing in it.However, there is no exact physical way to prove God isthere because people have many different theories and beliefs of why things are the way they are. Faith is 100% of it

The truth is the lack of faith. We usually need to see something before believing in it.However, there is no exact physical way to prove God isthere because people have many different theories and beliefs of why things are the way they are. Faith is 100% of it

thegame458

I have faith that God doesn't exist.

Am I doing it right?

Being a Christian =/= immediate ticket to heaven.

A lot of people miss this.

supa_badman

You also missed reading my whole post.

Death is scary. No matter what your faith is. Fear and faith can coexist.

We may have faith that something great awaits after this life, but no man can claim to know what death is like. It is mysterious and it is something we have not experienced before. That warrants fear. We have no idea what's it's going to be like. Even Jesus Christ was afraid of death as evidence by his last prayer to god.

Ideally, one should be devoting their whole life to what they believe. But we don't live in an ideal society. We have mouths to feed and bills to pay, and we have to work around this life in order to survive. You can still do all of that with respect to your faith.

I believe Jesus said our faith was the size of a mustard seed. So obviously people don't know there is life after death, but they have faith. Also its a natural reaction, leaving behind your friends,family, familiar surriounds, worrying about what it will be like, or worrying you haven't done enough etc.....

[QUOTE="supa_badman"]

Being a Christian =/= immediate ticket to heaven.

A lot of people miss this.

ColdP1zza

You also missed reading my whole post.

Just because people are Christians and love and believe in God, does not mean they fear nothing, we are still only human. Though we are not found of the idea of death (Who is?) , that does not make us look forward to being with God in Heaven any less. :)

And just because people are Christians, doesn't mean they can't do anything besides what they are called to do. We can still live. :P :)

Wait so anyone claiming to be religious can't have time to enjoy themselves? Those 100% devotees are usually the one's who become extremist. God never asked us to devote 100% of our time to him. He wants us to live righteously. Even Jesus had a day job...jeremiah06

If you're a strong enough believer, then you wouldn't be

If you're a strong enough believer, then you wouldn't be

RobboElRobbo

I want to say that most of this forum is wrong. I go to church, and I pay attention. Sometimes.

One of the homilies did state that it is good to doubt. It means you care. And then there was a whole story about it.

We fear the unknown.

To be afraid of the unknownis to be human, you can't feel courage if you have neverfelt fear. Being a Christian doesn't change that. Being a Christian just means you will have God to walk with you, and help you through life's hard times, if you fall, he'll be there to pick you up. Nothing is impossible with God. I can assure you that.

[QUOTE="RobboElRobbo"]

If you're a strong enough believer, then you wouldn't be

VideoGamerNerd

Yep. Though I'm a tad nervous for death seeing as I sin

Fear of going to hell, maybe.

[QUOTE="VideoGamerNerd"][QUOTE="RobboElRobbo"]

If you're a strong enough believer, then you wouldn't be

RobboElRobbo

Yep. Though I'm a tad nervous for death seeing as I sin

Everyone sins. If we needed not to sin for God to love us, we'd be screwed.

[QUOTE="RobboElRobbo"][QUOTE="VideoGamerNerd"] Is this coming from a believer himself?GabuEx

Yep. Though I'm a tad nervous for death seeing as I sin

Everyone sins. If we needed not to sin for God to love us, we'd be screwed.

What I meant was I continue doing things that I already know I shouldn't be. I listen to music all that time that goes against my beliefs, I'm in lust with this girl at school, etc. Yet I don't have the willpower to change any of that

If you're a strong enough believer, then you wouldn't be

Yep. Though I'm a tad nervous for death seeing as I sin

[QUOTE="RobboElRobbo"][QUOTE="VideoGamerNerd"] Is this coming from a believer himself?VideoGamerNerd

Yep. Though I'm a tad nervous for death seeing as I sin

Isn't it sinning to say that god is very forgiving? That's limiting him, and we're supposed to fear him aren't we?

I'm just wondering, how is it possible for a strong believer in catholicism or christianity be at all afraid of death? Isn't being afraid of death admitting you don't fully believe in your religion? Because if I was chrisitian and believed in heaven I would be looking forward to death. Heaven sounds amazing, unfortunately I don't believe it.

So my question is, how can a religious person be afraid of death when they claim to believe in an afterlife?

Also if you are a 100% believer in jesus christ or whatever, why are you spending your time on a video game forum or whatever? If I was a 100% believer in any religion, I would devote my entire life to it. How is it that someone can be a 100% believer in a religion and not devote their whole life to it since a human life only lasts for around 70-80 years but paradise in heaven is eternal?

ColdP1zza

You can be a Christian and have some time to devote to other areas of life you enjoy. It's not a bad thing. The most important thing for me is to live righteously. A Christian who wants to get on a game site message board every now and again is all right. A Christian who wants to play Chess is fine. I'm just not seeing anything wrong with these things personally.

As far as being afraid to die, everyone is scared of something. Being afraid of something is part of being human and is natural. There is nothing wrong with being afraid of Death whether you are a Christian or an Atheist.

[QUOTE="GabuEx"]

[QUOTE="RobboElRobbo"]

Yep. Though I'm a tad nervous for death seeing as I sin

RobboElRobbo

Everyone sins. If we needed not to sin for God to love us, we'd be screwed.

What I meant was I continue doing things that I already know I shouldn't be. I listen to music all that time that goes against my beliefs, I'm in lust with this girl at school, etc. Yet I don't have the willpower to change any of that

How long did the shepherd search for his one lost sheep after leaving his ninety-nine?

God is every bit as faithful and perseverant.

Being a Christian =/= immediate ticket to heaven.

A lot of people miss this.

supa_badman

[QUOTE="VideoGamerNerd"][QUOTE="RobboElRobbo"]

Yep. Though I'm a tad nervous for death seeing as I sin

RobboElRobbo

Isn't it sinning to say that god is very forgiving? That's limiting him, and we're supposed to fear him aren't we?

Isn't it sinning to say that god is very forgiving? That's limiting him, and we're supposed to fear him aren't we?

RobboElRobbo

At the time when the Bible was written, there was little to no differentiation between the concepts of "fear" and "reverence". If we are truly to understand that we are to fear God as we understand the word today, then how is this reconcilable with 1 John 4:18: "There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love."

Only tyrants demand fearful obedience. If God were such a tyrant, then why would anyone even want to go to heaven to be with such an entity?

Also if you are a 100% believer in jesus christ or whatever, why are you spending your time on a video game forum or whatever? If I was a 100% believer in any religion, I would devote my entire life to it. How is it that someone can be a 100% believer in a religion and not devote their whole life to it since a human life only lasts for around 70-80 years but paradise in heaven is eternal?

ColdP1zza

You're missing the point. I believe in Jesus Christ 100%. Doesn't mean I am reading the Bible every second of my life.

I am not afraid of Death, I am afraid of DYING. The pain part of it.

[QUOTE="RobboElRobbo"]

Isn't it sinning to say that god is very forgiving? That's limiting him, and we're supposed to fear him aren't we?

GabuEx

At the time when the Bible was written, there was little to no differentiation between the concepts of "fear" and "reverence". If we are truly to understand that we are to fear God as we understand the word today, then how is this reconcilable with 1 John 4:18: "There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love."

Only tyrants demand fearful obedience. If God were such a tyrant, then why would anyone even want to go to heaven to be with such an entity?

Well, from what small bit I've learned, it's that God is infinitely powerful and we are supposed to have a love/fear relationship with him, right? It's just a human fear of infinity and as soon as we stop fearing him it's putting a limit on him

[QUOTE="RobboElRobbo"]

Isn't it sinning to say that god is very forgiving? That's limiting him, and we're supposed to fear him aren't we?

At the time when the Bible was written, there was little to no differentiation between the concepts of "fear" and "reverence". If we are truly to understand that we are to fear God as we understand the word today, then how is this reconcilable with 1 John 4:18: "There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love."

Only tyrants demand fearful obedience. If God were such a tyrant, then why would anyone even want to go to heaven to be with such an entity?

[QUOTE="ColdP1zza"]

Also if you are a 100% believer in jesus christ or whatever, why are you spending your time on a video game forum or whatever? If I was a 100% believer in any religion, I would devote my entire life to it. How is it that someone can be a 100% believer in a religion and not devote their whole life to it since a human life only lasts for around 70-80 years but paradise in heaven is eternal?

bbkkristian

You're missing the point. I believe in Jesus Christ 100%. Doesn't mean I am reading the Bible every second of my life.

I am not afraid of Death, I am afraid of DYING. The pain part of it.

Your missing mypoint. If your are a 100% believer, you don't have to devote your life to christianity, but why would you not? Do you not want an assured place in heaven, I"m sure you sin. This is just a short existance so why not devote it to god so that you can live in paradise eternally?

Wait so anyone claiming to be religious can't have time to enjoy themselves? Those 100% devotees are usually the one's who become extremist. God never asked us to devote 100% of our time to him. He wants us to live righteously. Even Jesus had a day job...jeremiah06

Again, you don't have to, but why would you not? Human life is such a short existance, why not spend it devoting your life to god so that you will for sure have go to heaven?

Just because people are Christians and love and believe in God, does not mean they fear nothing, we are still only human. Though we are not found of the idea of death (Who is?) , that does not make us look forward to being with God in Heaven any less. :)

And just because people are Christians, doesn't mean they can't do anything besides what they are called to do. We can still live. :P :)

VideoGamerNerd

Why are you not fond of the idea of death? I would await death with bated breath, if I believed that it would lead to eternal paradise?