by ashitaka 19 Replies latest jw friends
"I think if you don't beleive in God death is a very bleak prospect."
Yes, death is kind of a downer.
On the other hand, I don't see much partying going on at the church
funerals I have been to, and I don't see many Christians rushing to
off themselves, so I suspect that the "bleak death" concept is something
that athiests and religious persons have in common.
Ahh, death schmeth. Try it and see if you like it. Die on the pillow/cushion/chair/recliner. Just don't fall asleep. Actually I guess they call that meditation.
"There's no such thing as a soul. It's just something they made up to scare kids, like the boogeyman or Michael Jackson." -Homer Simpson
Cool pic Introspection. I got the T-shirt Brody wears in Mallrats for Christmas and love it!
I don't need to fight
To prove I'm right
I don't need to be forgiven.
I think the only way to achieve immortality is by what you accomplish while you are here. You can make a difference to one or many and that difference lives on after you.
I enjoy this irony; if you contribute to the greater good for the greater good you will have immortality. You can spend your whole life praying, schlepping books or whatever your god wants and achieve, well, nothing.
In a nutshell, live it like it's all you get. That way, if there's more, you'll have only a pleasant surprise waiting for you.
Regards,
Julie
"I enjoy this irony; if you contribute to the greater good for the greater good you will have immortality. You can spend your whole life praying, schlepping books or whatever your god wants and achieve, well, nothing."
Absolutly true. I want what no one can give me I guess. Confirmation that I really am a good person in my own right.
ashi
Ashi, the funny thing about that is a reaaaaallly good person doesn't seem to need confirmation that he is good, or even that he's a person.
:I want what no one can give me I guess. Confirmation that I really am a good person in my own right.
You're only half right, confirmation of such is attainable but it comes from you. Like no one can give you honor, no one can give you the confirmation you seek. Of course on the up-side, once achieved, no one can take these things from you either.
Regards,
Julie
I hate to get all biblical and everything, but isn't there some proverb or something about for those seeking honor, is it honor?
The whole time I was growing up I wanted to go to heaven. As a JW I was told I could not go to heaven, and I was destined to live on this earth, I never enjoyed that prospect. When I left the JW faith I was content that I would live in heaven after I died, and was excited about this. I never feared death, I still don't. What I fear is those who die that I love and care for. It is the loneliness they leave us with that makes death so unpleasant. Also as a parent or a partner of others we fear our death for them, because we will be leaving them.
I feel that there are those who need an afterlife dream to endure the day in and day out of living. Death is not an easy thing for us to deal with. Nobody knows what is on the other side, not even John Edwards If it comforts those to think they will have a place to go, that is all that matters. Who would want to live their whole life in fear of not having an answer, if an answer is what you seek.
Where will I go when I die? Where have I been before I was born? I still don't know, and don't really think that much about it. As Julie said this is the life we are living now. I tend to think that if we live this life to the fullest, and accomplish all that we set out to, when it ends we can say we have no regrets. And we may get a sweet suprise for us
I was really fortunate to work with so many older people who were on their deathbeds, they were willing to share their knowledge with me, and I hope that I have learned from them. The ones who said they had no regrets had such a peaceful appearance, and those who did not seemed to be in turmoil. But needless to say the whole dieing experience is a horrible one, unless you are fortunate to die quickly. I never could understand why so many had to suffer after living their whole lives as good upright people. I still don't understand that.
Ashi, as long as you are content in your mind, and live each day as if it is your last, I don't think you can go wrong.
wendy
My personal view of an afterlife is somewhat agnostic. Since I see no positive evidence that there is life after death, I've got to live with the assumption that this life is the only one. If it happens to be true that there is an "afterlife" and I make it, then great, but if there's nothing, then I suppose I'll be as affected by it as I was for the eternity before I existed .
As far as death is concerned, I hope that I will be able to live to a fairly old age before the inevitable happens, but of course you can't fully control that. I just try to be as good a person as I can be, and be a positive influence on those I know. There's not much else that anyone can do, whether they believe in god or not.
