What happens when we die?

[Kim]

Originally Posted by Canis-Equus

That said, i do not particularly believe in 'life after death', im not in the slightest bit religious im afraid that whilst i recognise the humans need to believe in a greater being, for many people they would be better learning to believe in themselves. That need to believe in a greater power, in the 'hereafter' I think has lead to us offering ourselves up to abuse.... its happened all through history, and its happening now with religious terrorists, and i daresay it will continue to happen so as nice as i think it is to be able to believe there is something better, we were put here by a higher being.... i just think its all a fabrication bourne of our own deep human need to have some kind of faith in something.....
Em

Whilst I know that we are entitled to our own views, as a committed Christian whose faith is very important to me I found your post quite offensive. I agree that some religious 'cults' can be quite dangerous, however my 'faith' is what keeps me going when times get bad. My Christian friends are non-judgmental, accepting, giving and loving. My church is the most welcoming, happy and friendly place I go to. I certainly do not agree with you that 'faith is a fabrication bourne of our own deep human need to have some kind of faith in something' What a load of rubbish! As you are not a Christian how could you possibly think you know why people have faith and make such a statement. It is not a need - it is a strong belief. I have seem many, many people come to faith, often when they are at a desperate point in their lives. The transformation in them is amazing. I don't expect you to understand or agree with the Christian faith, but please don't be offensive and make sweeping statments that you can't possibly know are true.

[Az]

Hi Kim, sorry you were offended by Canis-Equus' post - but it's her personal opinion. The great thing about discussion boards is to hear other peoples views, and what's even greater is that sometimes it makes us even if just for a second think, "well, what if..?" (Of course that works both ways always).

It's by discussing things with people we expand our own knowledge and push our own boundaries.

My point is we shouldn't take offense just because someone believes is something we don't, or believes what we believe is wrong. So long as the posts are not abusive or trollish or purposely argumentative.

[Snoof]

I am an atheist (although I'm aware that I might be wrong, I am absolutely not bothered about that possibility). I do believe that people build some beliefs out of a need to be the owners of the One Sole Truth. I do not believe in One Sole Truth.

Some of those beliefs would be, "You will go to hell if you're homosexual" or "You will go to hell if you don't burn this particular candle at this particular time" or "You will go to hell if you don't believe specifically what I believe." I think these beliefs are destructive to the self and to others in far too many cases to be bona fide beliefs inspired by a loving god.

If there is a god and he is not loving, then even if undeniable proof came to be that he exists, I would rather go to hell than call myself his follower. I'm a stickler for bad parenting. I know I put that bluntly, but I mean no offense. A need for tolerance has been hammered into me pretty harshly especially when it comes to sexuality and religion, and my beliefs are, as a consequence, quite blunt in nature. Again, I mean no offense.

That said, I have found that type of offensiveness in all walks of life - including various stripes of Paganism, Christianity, Islam (although Islam is not by any stretch the religion that is being touted as a valid reason for murder in recent history - much like Christianity is not by any stretch the religion that was being touted as a valid reason to set people on fire), and yes, atheism. It drives me to distraction that people must judge others on what they believe in in terms of a deity, rather than what they believe in morally. I have superficially studied a fair few religions in search of a solidified personal faith (which I found quite a while ago) and I am always stricken by the inherent similarities so many religions bear to one another.

I lost two of my loved ones - my mother and my only sibling, my brother who was 4 years older than me - in the span of a year (this was, however, many years ago now). And I came to realise that the only thing that matters to me and affects me, at this point in time while I am alive, is that they live on through me. They live on through the people I touch in ways they taught me to touch people (my brother was, for all intents and purposes, my second parent as my father was a workaholic who turned alcoholic after my mother died and became worse when my brother died). They live on through the things I do.

Is that them in their fullness? No. Is it enough? Not always. But is it enough for the world to continue to profit from the people they were while alive.

I don't believe I will go anywhere when I die. I believe I will stay where I am - die in my body and remain in my son, my beloved, my friends, my family. But ultimately, I will see what happens, and worry about what happens, when I get there. In the meantime, I'm busy living life, enjoying life, and making the most of what I have.

And if I'm wrong, and if my being wrong causes me to be cast in some form of hell or whatever you wish to call it... Then I will know that I was true to myself and true to my loved-ones.

[ceiron]

im an aethist although at times im drawn towards agnostic beleifs.lol

i beleive when we die we will jsut go and thats it, nothingness.

i beleive religionand that was created solely to control people and to priovide a some form of afterlife theory as most people cant cope with the prospect fo just dying imo.

[Canis-Equus]

I am sorry if you are offended, I certainly did not set out to offend anyone.

I was once a Christian, or I thought I was.... even if I wasnt, I am a human being and on those grounds alone, I think i am entitled to my opinions about human beings and their needs.

Interestingly you say that some people turn to Christianity (as im sure they do to many faiths) in a time of crisis. Does this not bear out what I said about people needing to believe in something higher, stronger, more powerful than themselves? I think it does, and I can safely say that in my case, I did and ditto in the cases of other people i know well.

I think you do need your faith, your post clearly confirms that and i cant see anything wrong in that either... my point was that because people need faith and often need or want or choose to put it in some 'higher' being, they are open to abuse.... some more than others. This has been shown in history and current events over and over again.

Please do not presume to know me.... I have been through things in my life that i wouldnt wish upon my worst enemy, lesser things have broken many other people who i know. Do not presume that because my faith does not have a label, that i have no faith.

I do have my faith, i dont recall saying i was entirely faithless.... my faith is in knowing who i am, why i am, what i am all about.
Its a faith i question many times and it is all the stronger for that, i need to have that faith in myself, without it i doubt id be here after some of the events of my earlier life.

When i am in a time of crisis, i turn to myself i look and see how and why something has happened and how i can either solve it, or grow from it.

Perhaps i am to scared to put my faith into something else, perhaps when i die ill find i was wrong, but like snoof has said, i have made my decision on where i place my faith for good reasons, as i am sure you have, and i will have been true to myself.

Em

[Nicola]

I believe in something. I just don't know what. I certainly believe we go on and am not afraid of dying. I just don't want to go for a long time yet.
My mum was 43 when she died and I can sense her being around quite a lot. Maybe it's wishful thinking but it is comforting.

[Kim]

Hi Em, well I have obviously offended you too. Like you, not my intention at all. Of course you are entitled to your opinion, I know many non-Christians and aethists and I do not have a problem with them at all. I also did not presume to know you either - not sure how you came to that conclusion I too have had many awful things happen in my life, most of whichI would never discuss here. The sentence that particulalry offended me was 'faith is a fabrication bourne of our own deep human need to have some kind of faith in something' - perhaps I took this the wrong way, but I felt in some way you were belittling people's faith. I did not come to faith out of a crisis but it has certainly helped me during my life. The trouble with the written text is that is can often be taken the wrong way. As I said to Az, I think religion is a highly emotive subject and perhaps best avoided.

PS to Az: I can assure you that I DO NOT take offence just because someone believes something I do not. I would never have lasted long on any forum if I did and if you read back over any of my posts you will see that this is not the case.

[Canis-Equus]

Ahh.... see what you mean.

No no, i was thinking about this earlier... and i think we all do need faith, and id never rubbish anyones.... the people i have met who now have no faith in anything at all are most certainly not in a place Id like to be!
I just think that because we need it and we will seek to find it, there are those who will always abuse that need.

And yes..... religion is always a sticky one!

Em

[Kim]

Thanks Em. I understand now what you were saying and I agree with you!!! I don't think I always explain myself properly when I am upset!!

[Kazz]

I have no opinion honestly I have no opinion either way. However I will tell you one thing
I hope we meet up with those we have loved and those who have loved us.

But I am not sure if there is an afterlife. I am open to all options