• Quick note - the problem with Youtube videos not embedding on the forum appears to have been fixed, thanks to ZiprHead. If you do still see problems let me know.

Death

CriticalSock

Master Poster
CriticalSock
Joined
Apr 4, 2008
Messages
2,192
I'm just back from spending 4 weeks on holiday with my family, two of whom are JW's. Had a conversation with one evening and they wanted me to ask this question of the forum:

"Why are we afraid of death, why aren't we used to it?"

By "we" they mean all of humanity.

Please help, thanks!
 
As individuals, we aren't used to it because it only happens once, and it's the last thing that happens.
 
"We" aren't used to death because none of us has died. Yet.

As for why we're afraid of it, it's natural to fear the unknown. Also, from what we observed of other people's dying, it's sometimes a messy, painful, or undignified process.
 
I wasn't entirely sure of the point of the question I must admit, it can't just be we're afraid of death therefore god exists.

I'll get a few more responses (hopefully!) and then print this thread off and get a response from them.
 
a) because sometimes its painful
b) because it separates us from our loved ones
c) because religion has demonised it
d) xenophobia
e) possible zombie apocalypse/tribulation
:D
 
Last edited:
Because if we weren't afraid of death, we wouldn't have lasted very long as a species.
 
iknownothing said:
Because if we weren't afraid of death, we wouldn't have lasted very long as a species.
Click to expand...

are bacteria afraid of death, theirs seems to be a better survival strategy, theyve been around a few billion years compared to our few hundred thousand
i.e. not knowing what death is, is better than fearing it
;)
 
Marduk said:
are bacteria afraid of death, theirs seems to be a better survival strategy, theyve been around a few billion years compared to our few hundred thousand
i.e. not knowing what death is, is better than fearing it
;)
Click to expand...


Not when there are tigers involved.
 
I'm not sure what they mean by "afraid" of death. When I think of my own attitude toward my own death, the emotion I experience isn't fear so much as sadness.

Death is the end of all pain. Unfortunately, it's also the end of all pleasure. Since my life is more pleasurable than painful, I'd rather keep it going at the moment. If my circumstances changed so the balance went the other way, I expect I'd be quite happy to die.

When I think about the deaths of other people whom I care about, my emotion is also not so much fear as sadness. I know they're not experiencing anything, so sometimes I'm sad that "they missed this", but mostly I'm just sad for myself that I'm missing the pleasure of their company.

I suppose in certain situations -- driving on an icy mountain road, with hairpin curves and sheer thousand-foot drops -- I might be "fearful" of death, but I think it's just a healthy heightening of attention to avoid what I'd consider a premature end. When I think about my inevitable end someday off in the future -- I still imagine I'll die peacefully in bed -- what I feel isn't fear at all.
 
godless dave said:
As individuals, we aren't used to it because it only happens once, and it's the last thing that happens.
Click to expand...
Thats what I was thinking. Annilation sounds worse than boring because when you're bored you at least feel something. Jehovah believe that only a select few are going to be on a paradise earth and that only a very select few are actually going to Heaven.

The rest of humanity is not going to eternal torment but to the eternal dirtnap. There is no hell in JW doctrine. Quite frankly i'd rather be doing the dirtnap.
 
I watched my mother-in-law take her last breath, and immediately after she was turning cold. I was thinking, well that's it. Still haunts me, but that's part of the whole process. Now is our time to live.

Funny that more people are scared of public speaking than death.
 
I don't particularly fear my own death, I'd just rather put it off until I'm ready.

Humanity isn't a cohesive thing, it's lots of individuals with our own experiences of the deaths of others. None of us has any experience of our own death, so it's the great unknown.

154, why have you posted that link? It's just a list of reports of some people's deaths; some illnesses, some crimes, some accidents, some suicides.
 
CriticalSock said:
I'm just back from spending 4 weeks on holiday with my family, two of whom are JW's. Had a conversation with one evening and they wanted me to ask this question of the forum:

"Why are we afraid of death, why aren't we used to it?"

By "we" they mean all of humanity.

Please help, thanks!
Click to expand...


I can tell you that I'm not at all afraid of death. I don't believe in an afterlife, so what, exactly, would I be afraid of?
 
mactonite said:
I watched my mother-in-law take her last breath, and immediately after she was turning cold. I was thinking, well that's it. Still haunts me, but that's part of the whole process. Now is our time to live.

Funny that more people are scared of public speaking than death.
Click to expand...
yes it is scary isn't it? I didn't see my 93 year old stepdad die. I tried to leave before that. His situation was hopeless and watching his vital signs fade was depressing to say the least. As I was leaving the hospital a nurse stopped me and my mother and told us to come back. The old man had passed away as we were trying to leave.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Back
Top Bottom