Atheist- What will you do?

hannibal

The other day I was watching a program on death row

inmates, and funny it seemed that most if not all seemed

to have "found God".They talked about jesus,and there at

peace, have faith,etc... It reminded me of a person who

was inactive when I was going to the meeting, he had a

heart attack,the next thing you Know hes attending meeting

again. I remember people talking,saying, It gave him a wake

up call.

Athiest, say you find out that you have a illness and

have six months to live, what will you do? Will you try

to "find God" just in case?

This is obveously a hypathedical, and no way am i try to

make fun of anyones belief system.I personally go back and

forth between arguements on bothsides of the issue(God or no

God)I personally think about it and try and figue out what I

would do. I just find it cerious how some try and become

religious all of a sudden in there late stages of life.

This is so so common. There is a brother in my own congregation that was inactive for many many years, but has recently sadly been diagnosed with the big C. He has now suddenly been reactivated, going to all the meetings, answering up, joining the school etc... as if the fear of God has been put into him. I sincerely hope that when I finally make my decision to go I won't later come back with my tail between my legs if something bad like that happens to me.

It's tough, isn't it? Facing your own mortality. Can you blame people for doing this? It's such a shame.

nonentity

It seems to me that it all depends on why a person is an atheist or agnostic. If it's by default then, being ill thought out in thefirst place, it is no surprise that a person might take a chance on God when disaster strikes.

However, if one arrives at one's opinion by actually thinking about the issue, there's no reason to do that. Carl Sagan is a good example of someone who, to his death, maintained his rationally arrived at beliefs.

nonentity

larc

Hanibal,

Finding God when you are in a tight spot, is a bunch of foolishness to me. So, God doesn't know what you are up to? If I had six months to live, I would spend lots of time with my kids and grandkids. I would travel to some places I have always wanted to see. I would go to live concerts. In other words, I would do what I do now, but with more intensity.

Perhaps, that is how we should live, "as if" we only had six months. The idea helps us sort out the important from the unimportant.

Matty

Larc, that’s spot on. But what about family pressures?

In these kind of circumstances, a "believing" spouse would be genuinely frightened of losing their mate, wouldn’t they – and so they may talk emotively about the “new system” and the “reward” to them, piling on the pressure, giving them new hope for the future - reminding them of why they turned to religion before. This can happen in any religion – just substitute “new system” with “heaven” (and of course hell!). Someone who has left a religion may be fooled all over again – all due to the demonstrativeness of his or her family. You need the courage of your convictions when this happens.

larc

Matty,

I think your last sentence answered your own question. I agree that you have to stand my your convictions and not allow others to influence you into activities that are simply a waste of time. To a large degree, we have to live out our own purposes if our life is going to be fulfilling.

forgetmenot

larc...about the "live your life like it was your last six months".
In intercultural communication studies, the have actually categorized this type of living. If a culture exhibits this, it is called a "being" cultural. They live for the now. They tend to be relaxed and easygoing (simplified example: Mexico). The other pattern a culture can exhibit is the "doing" culture. This is largely what the US is on. We are always looking forward to the future. We have plans.
When it boils down, someone from the "being culture" could be told that they are going to die tomorrow and be just fine. But some one from the "doing" culture would be freaking out.

After taking a class in this class, I wonder how anyone could press their particular beliefs on people. (Example: You need to be a Christian in order to be saved.) You have to be joking if you think that God (this great, all pervasive being) can only be reached one way. I would think that it limits God as much as it does humans.

Just some think'n.

Jewel

My Mom's been an active Witness for years and years, but this is why I don't try to give her my feelings about the whole thing. She lost a five yo daughter to a brain tumor many years ago and my father died suddenly when I was five. She's 75 years old now and I know that this religion gives her comfort. She actually believes that she'll see her little girl and husband again. It makes me very sad.

I would love to believe that there is something after death, but I just don't know. I don't think an imminent death would change that.

patio34

Hi Hannibal,

Great question. Reminds me of the saying "There are no atheists in foxholes."

However, I had quite the opposite experience facing a death-threatening disease, cancer, 3 years ago. It actually enabled me to break free from a mind-control cult. I have a thread up now called "Why Cancer Freed Me" or something like that. http://www.jehovahs-witness.com/forum/thread.asp?id=28542&site=3

Sure, it would be nice to believe that there's an eternal reward awaiting us--after all, isn't that the pull of religion in general? But then so would a pot of gold at the end of the rainbow and a Prince Charming for all the ladies. Myths all, it seems to me.

So, an atheist doesn't have a problem with their own demise. It's, as even the Bible says, "the way of all mankind." All things that have ever lived have died. It's not an extraordinary thing.

Since I have faced it, i can answer what i would do: be realistic and not put my hopes in fairy tales.

Thanks for asking.

Elsewhere

http://www.mindspring.com/~wjager/atheists-in-foxholes.html

"As every one knows, there are mistakes in the Bible" - The Watchtower, April 15, 1928, p. 126
Believe in yourself, not mythology.
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Atheist- What will you do?

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