what do atheists think about what happens when you die?
@fightingistheonlyway (2658)
Canada
July 27, 2007 6:27pm CST
most of my atheist friends would say things like "you would rot in the ground" or "nothing" or "a dreamless sleep".
but, as an atheist, i have absolutely no idea what happens. the discussion of death is purely open, and none of my atheist friends and I make fun of people who come up with their own beliefs.. "lol"
anyways..
I thought i would make a discussion about what atheists believe about death, because, there are no real facts on it.. well, now that i think about it, there are, you become an "object" basically..but there are other theories..
so far i have only talked about the "nothingness" and "neutrality" that death brings.
there is another theory out their saying that usually, after our heart and organs stop functioning, our brains function radically for another 6-8 mins.
have you ever had a dream which seemed like it lasted for a couple hours but when you wake up only 2 mins have gone by? this is a theory that some have, that the last 6-8 mins that we have to live is just filled with dreams.. it could be an eternity.. we could even be living it RIGHT NOW! lol..
but, when thinking about death, you cant help but to think about the idea of "soul" and "spirit".. since i have yet to find a definition that sucums the other..i will assume that they are one, anyone have any good definitions to separate the two? (keep in mind the definition of MIND and BODY as well)
I really have no idea what "soul" is.. do we live outside of our minds? i dont think so.. but if not, when minds die, is it the end?
if there is a soul (same definition of spirit)..what the hell is it?!? lol..how can i exist without my mind? its so crazy.. its way too crazy..i live inside of my head, we all do.. our bodies all strive to keep our brains in order..the brain is like, the most important organ!
this debate then starts up the abortionist and euthanasia debates! is it our brain that controls us? or this non proven entity called SOUL? should we kill living things that cannot think but still use up resources? or should we let them live on life support living a crappy life?? and its not like we cant ask them about it..
i can understand why someone would be a "pro-life" person when they believe in spirit.. but its frkn laughable when they speak on the behalf of GOD saying that god is pro-life... really.. how stupid is that?
to believe in reincarnation means that you also believe in spirit (or soul, wtvr).. for when you die, you die.. period.
its nice to believe that your gonna go to heaven or hell.. but really.. open your eyes if you think that GOD is gonna judge you haha..
it would also be nice to believe that you gain all knowledge of the world.. if this was true, you would "join" or "be" god.
but if that was true, id be dead right now lol.. because its gonna happen anyway right?
but im afraid of death..
anyways.. i have no idea what happens.. what do you think?
3 people like this
6 responses
@Zorrogirl (1502)
• South Africa
28 Jul 07
its sad to see you dont believe in anything. the bible and quran at least have some history to support their stories. why are we alive then if there is nothing to live for? you come into the world in agony and go out of it in agony. why? all for nothing. everything has a beginning. where do we come from? i believe in Christ. he preached love, and i experience that love is true. so CHRIST is true!
2 people like this
@Zorrogirl (1502)
• South Africa
28 Jul 07
then what is it? theres so many things on this earth to prove a greater power exists. think about the creation of life. when the 2 types of dna cells come together, scientists have to this day, not found the reason for the 2 cells fusing. something makes it happen but they cant figure it out.
1 person likes this
@sarahruthbeth22 (43143)
• United States
28 Jul 07
I am not an atheist but I don't know what happens when you die. And all the ultra-religious may have theories but they don't know either.
1 person likes this
@sarahruthbeth22 (43143)
• United States
31 Jul 07
I agree with you fighting. If the only reason you are going along with a dogma is out of fear, that isn't true belief.And who thinks heaven or hell would be boring?
@fightingistheonlyway (2658)
• Canada
31 Jul 07
il be honest, i dint read the whole thing, its way too long lol..
..but..
i read the last paragraph..
if the only reason you believe in this stuff is because you dont want to go to hell, if this stuff was real, you would go to hell..
hell will also get boring and repetitive.. you will forget what "good" is and fall into a world where "bad" is the norm.
2 people like this
@rogue13xmen13 (14403)
• United States
28 Jul 07
If a person does not believe in God then they do not go anywhere. They just do not believe in God.
@rogue13xmen13 (14403)
• United States
30 Jul 07
Well, if you are an atheist you do not believe in any of those things now do you? Atheist do not believe in anything. I have nothing against that, but just to let you know, that is what an Atheist is. If you are an Atheist you do not believe in anything. Now, if you are Agnostic, you do believe in a force, energy, or a God, you just do not believe that it is rooted in religion.
@rogue13xmen13 (14403)
• United States
1 Aug 07
I would not say that Atheist are ignorant. They just choose not to see what others see, or they cannot see what others see, but to call them ignorant, that is below the belt. I have many Atheist friends, and I respect their point of views, they reasons for feeling the way they do, or for not believing. I respect what other believe, and I ask them to respect my beliefs. People believe in different things, and you need respect that and not judge them. You do not have any idea what others go through and why they do the things they do, or see what they see. Do not force your beliefs on others, that is not right and you know it.
@fightingistheonlyway (2658)
• Canada
1 Aug 07
atheists are not ignorant..
we ofcourse are open to the idea..
2 people like this
@Chiang_Mai_boy (3882)
• Thailand
28 Jul 07
Alan Watts was not an Atheist but I think he got it right.
"Underneath the superficial self, which pays attention to this and that, there is another self more really us than I. And the more you become aware of the unknown self -- if you become aware of it -- the more you realize that it is inseparably connected with everything else that is. You are a function of this total galaxy, bounded by the Milky Way, and this galaxy is a function of all other galaxies. You are that vast thing that you see far, far off with great telescopes. You look and look, and one day you are going to wake up and say, "Why, that's me!" And in knowing that, you know that you never die. You are the eternal thing that comes and goes that appears -- now as John Jones, now as Mary Smith, now as Betty Brown -- and so it goes, forever and ever and ever."
1 person likes this
@missak (3311)
• Spain
31 Jul 07
Mmmmm this a nice post! Since the Soul (or the spirit or whatever) is the subject of real free will and metaphysical actions such as improvisation, what happens when a soul leaves the body is totally free and improvised, totally different and original for each one, that is why it can't be studied.
