How do atheists cope with the thought of nothingness when you die?

How do youdeal with the possibility that death is the end?

Plenty of time to sleep :P

The same way I cope with the fact that I didn't exist before I was born.

The same way I cope with the fact that I didn't exist before I was born.

ProudLarry

How do youdeal with the possibility that death is the end?

CrocodileNuts

They dont. Makes me glad I am not an atheist.MoonMarvel

There's nothing to cope with.

When you die, you return to a state of non-existance, just like before you were born. There's nothing wrong with that.

[QUOTE="MoonMarvel"]They dont. Makes me glad I am not an atheist.Vandalvideo

[QUOTE="super_mario_128"]I don't see the point in worrying over it. Plus there's nothing to fear in a state of nothingness.CrocodileNuts

[QUOTE="Vandalvideo"][QUOTE="MoonMarvel"]They dont. Makes me glad I am not an atheist.MoonMarvel

How do you know that death isn't the end? Just because some guy wrote in a book that there is a heaven, doesn't mean it's true.

To be honest nobody will ever know what happens after you die. Maybe there is an afterlife, maybe there is blackness. It is just more insentive to be happy and enjoy your life while you got it.

However a lot of people don't want to believe it is the end, this is where all religions come from. They come out of our constant need to understand our own universe and understand death. Humans are the only creature in the world that knows of its own mortality. This makes us need to either make up a happy ending or try to accept the fact when we are dead, we are dead and there ain't no coming back.

I just don't like the fact that in a lot of religion's there is a heaven and a hell and the requirements to get into heaven are extremely steep or completley contradicts its self several time. In some interpretations of religion if you screw up once, you're done for and you'll never get to heaven while others are you can be a sinner your whole life but if you truely accept somebody into your heart as your "savior" then you go to heaven? I don't understand it all.

Being raised Catholic in a Catholic school I was nearly kicked out for asking to many questions. I never believed what they told me as there were so many contradictions and simply don't make sense. It made me throw out any of the science that I was learning outside of school and made me question everything. They didn't like this. When I was finally kicked out becuase I have ADHD and I wasn't allowed to take medication in school I completley lost faith in this. How can I possibly believe in a religion that throws me out for being a bit different? This isn't what is written in the Bible one bit.

So even at young ages religion itself always just seemed like a way for people to be happy and not worry about death, which is 100% ok with me. As I understand that people who believe in religion believe in a life after death, I wish they would also accept that some of us believe that there is nothing. Does it scare me? A bit. But what's the point of living life afraid?

[QUOTE="MoonMarvel"][QUOTE="Vandalvideo"] So....you are glad that you fear death....?Vandalvideo

[QUOTE="MoonMarvel"]They dont. Makes me glad I am not an atheist.Vandalvideo

he asked how they cope with it and I said they dont...Which is true.MoonMarvel

If you're going to steal a thread from IGN, at least change the thread topic

:|

How do youdeal with the possibility that death is the end?

CrocodileNuts

[QUOTE="MoonMarvel"]he asked how they cope with it and I said they dont...Which is true.spazzx625

[QUOTE="spazzx625"][QUOTE="MoonMarvel"]he asked how they cope with it and I said they dont...Which is true.MoonMarvel

[QUOTE="Jandurin"]why should anyone fear death. it's the only certainty in this life the great equalizer takes out the bad guys and the good guys completely indiscriminatelyVandalvideo

[QUOTE="Jandurin"]why should anyone fear death. it's the only certainty in this life the great equalizer takes out the bad guys and the good guys completely indiscriminatelyVandalvideo

it will be interesting to die, because then the question will be answered

The what?MoonMarvel

When you are born, the only you are guaranteed is that you're gonna die! Why fear death? I am a Christian, and to my friends here, there is a true God and Jesus is His name.

The 'only' way to avoid an eternity in hell, is to believe in Him!

If they can prevent the entropy of our DNA then the only thing that can kill us is violence and force!Vandalvideo

[QUOTE="MoonMarvel"][QUOTE="spazzx625"] How do atheists not cope with death? I don't understand what that even means...spazzx625

The lack of a God does not necessitate lack of an afterlife. Vandalvideo

I'm not beating around the bush....My comment was easy to understand and clear. Whats so hard to understand about not coping with something? They dont face it, they dont think about it, so they dont deal with it because to most there is nothing to deal with......Whats so hard to understand? And nobody told you what yo think...So I am double lost here.MoonMarvel

[QUOTE="spazzx625"][QUOTE="MoonMarvel"]:? I have no idea what you are thinking about here........MoonMarvel

Actually, we don't fear death BECAUSE of the belief in an afterlife. th3warr1or

Now i know why the suicide rate is high :P

[QUOTE="spazzx625"][QUOTE="MoonMarvel"]:? I have no idea what you are thinking about here........MoonMarvel

You make Jesus cry :(

[QUOTE="MoonMarvel"][QUOTE="spazzx625"] So why don't you explain what you mean instead of further beating around the bush? :) I don't like being told what I think, so I'd like an explanation of what you mean by atheists not coping with death.spazzx625

I think about nothing all the freaking time.Jandurin

I am not necessarily a atheist, but the idea of existence NEVER ending, regardless of where it would be spent, seems to be a sort of hell all within itself.

By living life instead of worrying about death? :|spazzx625

exactly.

this is the only life you get, so live it to the fullest with few regrets (hey, we all have a couple regrets).

This is sort of my main objection to religion; atheists are always asked "How can you lead a good life with no consequences for your actions in an afterlife?" My answer is that our actions have consequences immediately, and there is no great God or deity to forgive us for doing bad things, so we try to live the best we can. My "faith" is in my fellow man, and I give mankind the respect others give their respective God.