Do you fear death?

by onacruse 122 Replies latest jw friends

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  franklin J

  no
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  Room 215

  Yes; I dread it. If one agrees that a religion's capacity to inspire its practitioners to face death with equanimity is its main mission, then JWism fails miserably.
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  Stefanie

  I was in so much pain this week that death seemed it was the only answer. I realized that I dont fear death.

  I just fear the pain my babies would feel.
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  xLaurax

  The only time that i start to fear death are times like now.... after drinking!! The other time i say what the hell...live now and not for tomorrow.I will die a happy woman if i have done what the hell i want. I would rather live 10months of doing what i want than live 10 years of the jw shit!!!

  xLaurax
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  Kenneson

  I don't relish the thought of dying and I don't intend doing anything to precipatate it, but I know it's inevitable. I try to accept everything that happens to me now (both the pleasant and the unplesant) , so that when death stares me in the face I can accept that too. Everything that happens to me now I place in God's care and I do the same with death. So, that way, I don't worry about now or later.

  I like the AA motto: "God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can and the wisdom to know the difference."
• 

  got my forty homey?

  I dont wish to die, but they're are times that I wish I was dead, no more work, bills, pain, but then I think of my wife and family and the devastation it would cause. But I know that I will probably die soon due to my taking so many pills, drinking alchol, being overwieght, quick to anger and stress.

  Who cares, I mean how bad can the afterlife be? We have no proof there is a afterlife, its got to be better than this meaningless nightmare of suffering called life.
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  Special K

  I'm not quite sure of fear of death itself is what I fear.

  I think it's fear of death prematurely that bothers me.

  My kids are tooooo young and not ready to have to bury their mother.

  It makes me very uncomfortable when my husband and I travel together. I worry that if we were in an accident that we both might be killed at the same time.

  Or ... fear of some terminal disease that my children have to see me waste away in pain.

  sincerely

  Special K
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  DanTheMan

  My very-believing Catholic mother has never doubted for even a second that when she dies she will go to heaven to be with Jesus.

  I wish I had that sort of firm belief that this life isn't all there is. Because, well, I've got two strikes and Pedro seems to be the guy who's pitching to me.

  I think the worst part for me is that I was so taken in by romantic movies when I was a kid, I grew up with these ideas of being a big hero and winning the affections of a beautiful, radiant woman who I would live with happily ever after. Now I know that that isn't the reality for *anybody* but the emotion of that sort of thinking is still in my psyche a good bit I guess. And lord knows the babes just aren't knocking down my door or anything.

  I fear dying without ever having had crazy-good sex. LOL
• 

  onacruse

  Interesting range of thoughts.

  Not to generalize, but I sense a subtle fatalism in many of the opinions.

  If you will indulge me , here's why I feel very positive about some form (or continuation) of life after (or, in lieu of) death:

  1) The observable physical nature of the universe clearly indicates "law and cause." Insofar as life is concerned, this predictability is what enables "foresight," which is indispensable for action. In this sense, as Fouillee says: "All life, all action, is a conscious or an unconscious divining. Divine or you will be devoured."

  2) This "cause-effect" phenomenon is like yin-yang: two essences of the same thing. As Liebniz says: "The whole effect can reproduce the entire cause or its like,"...causa aequat effectum.

  3) This leads to (or, rather, comes from ) Anaxagoras: "Nothing comes into being and nothing passes away."

  Our "being," in and of itself, and simply because it "is," requires our continued "being." (Thus my statement above, that we have a 'proprietary' right to life).

  And no, I'm not simply trying to be obtuse (or, at least no more than usual)! LOL These ideas have been hashed for millenia, and with clearer meaning than I ever imagined, until this last year, and even within the last few weeks.

  SAHS, welcome to JWD...it'll be interesting to see your further thoughts.

  ((Stefanie)) Gosh, what's going on????

  Scoots: yeah, gal, good to see ya again!
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  maybesbabies

  I'm not afraid of dying, I'm afraid of growing old and not being able to hold my bladder.........

  Great post, Craig, gives one much to think about............

  Tamar (of-the-going-off-to-think-about-dying-but-not-right-now class)