Thoughts on Death?

[startrekfan]

Those who have rejected Him in this life will have eternal separation from God.

 

that's not true. that's the kind of thinking that makes people afraid. and, puts money in the hands of people willing to teach that kind of stuff.

 

while i'm completely okay with you and anybody else believing that i feel like i should speak up for other people still trying to find their way.

[TaraMaiden]

Oh....... I could write reams and reams....

Death is more commonplace than anything else.

It's the great leveller.

It leaves no-thing and no-one untouched.

so it's natural that it should be a common aspect of anybody's thought process.

I think of my dying all the time, and know I must do better.

 

Just.... in everything.

[quankanne]

this is a pretty cool thread, OP, and I'm glad you started it! Something you said, I am more afraid of dying as someone I don't want to be. I want to go as the person I know I am, hits a chord in me: It's not death that I'm afraid of, but the idea of having lived a life that included regrets I could have prevented by choosing more wisely.

 

this is something I've been conscientiously doing since losing my brother suddenly 20 years ago, regarding my relationship with my parents, and it's branched out to include others over that period. I don't want to die knowing I could have done something differently but chose not to!

 

death is just the next adventure, IMO: It's nothing scary or unreal, just something else we all do. Of course, coming from a Mexican Catholic background, we've taken the sting and the fear away from it by poking fun/embracing it ... think of the Día de los Muertos holiday in November, with skeletons and ofrendas for dead relatives. It's a very natural thing to embrace.

 

Kathy's hospice work reminds me something that a hospice nurse I interviewed had told me not long after my beloved mom died: When someone announces they're having a baby, everyone who is excited about that new life rallies around, asking "Is she here? Did he arrive yet?" And heaven and earth rejoices with joy at the birth of that new child.

 

when someone is dying, that changes on the earthly plane, because we're saddened by the idea of losing someone we love; yet "on the other side," there's much joy and anticipation for the arrival of the one who left long ago to live their earthly life, and when that person arrives, there's a grand reunion with the one they love. That's my idea of an afterlife ~ one where we're reunited with those we love, and we're in perpetual adoration of the God who loves us so much he gave us life. Hokey? Possibly. But I find it a beautiful thought, even knowing I'm the one who grieves when I lose someone to death ...

[TaraMaiden]

I believe in one creator of all things, God the Father. Creative design is the only possible explanation for our existence. Evolution is a mathematical impossibility. .......blah, blah, blah.....because at death I will be reunited with God for all eternity.

 

I respect your right to believe all this if you want to.

I challenge your right to use someone else's thread to shove it down people's throats.

 

Start your own preachy thread, don't hijack someone else's.

[KathyM]

that's not true. that's the kind of thinking that makes people afraid. and, puts money in the hands of people willing to teach that kind of stuff.

 

while i'm completely okay with you and anybody else believing that i feel like i should speak up for other people still trying to find their way.

You may not believe what I said, but I do, and that is what is written in the Bible. I am stating my beliefs about death and the afterlife, which is what the OP asked for from other posters.

[KathyM]

I respect your right to believe all this if you want to.

I challenge your right to use someone else's thread to shove it down people's throats.

 

Start your own preachy thread, don't hijack someone else's.

Excuse me? I'm not "shoving something down people's throats". The OP asked what other posters believed about death and dying, and the afterlife. I posted what I believed, just like everybody else posted what they believe. I'm not hijacking this thread, I'm answering the OPs question, who asked what people believe about death and dying.

[oldguy]

I highly recommend a book called Journey of Souls.

Thank you, that sounds like a good read.

 

I have had some pretty incredible spiritual experiences not even asked for, whilst minding my own business getting on with my life. It has taken years to process what this means to me but yes, I believe that there are other levels of life and that there is another place which is really home.

Tell us about some of them if you don't mind.

 

this is a pretty cool thread, OP, and I'm glad you started it!

I agree,

 

death is just the next adventure, IMO: It's nothing scary or unreal, just something else we all do.

I like that.

 

Of course, coming from a Mexican Catholic background, we've taken the sting and the fear away from it by poking fun/embracing it ... think of the Día de los Muertos holiday in November, with skeletons and ofrendas for dead relatives. It's a very natural thing to embrace.

I also come from a Catholic back ground so I understand what you are saying. I also think that is the reason for my casual interest in a bigger picture; I never really bought into everything I was taught as a child.

 

I respect your right to believe all this if you want to.

I challenge your right to use someone else's thread to shove it down people's throats.

 

Start your own preachy thread, don't hijack someone else's.

I didn't see anything being shoved down someones throat & appreciate some one else input. This is an open forum, if you don't like what someone else believes, pass over it. 'Cmon, lighten up, don't scare people off if they are not in lock step. If yo don't believe what they do I assure you, you won't catch it.

Okay then, lets move on this & not let this develop into a thread killer.

 

I choose to ponder an afterlife simply because it’s more interesting. I think it’s ‘String Theory that proposes a multidimensional universe, that is fun to ponder; what if

“there are more things in heaven and earth, Horatio, that are dreamt of in your philosophy‘?

 

I tend to ponder an afterlife that hasn’t been created for the convenience & comfort of a religious following. Even in the “mysteries” of some of the more established faiths there is extensive room for interpretation. As an example; the definition of, The Spirit, has changed and morphed over time, one suggestion I considered was the, Common soul theory, most people who believe in an after life reject this because it suggests a loss of the individual to join commune as one soul. I’m not saying I believe this thought more than the next but I thought it was interesting and after trying it on & living with it for awhile I became unexpectedly comfortable with the idea. It even started to make sense It made me start to wonder if the drop of rain losses itself when entering the pond, or does it become the pond? And no, I wasn’t even trippin’ LOL.

 

I enjoy discussing the philosophy of an afterlife, unless someone has proof, then I’d love to hear about that.

Edited December 19, 2011 by oldguy

[thatone]

it's funny how close religion and science are, but they can't see eye to eye because of religion's ulterior motives (power, control, money).

 

first law of thermodynamics: "energy cannot be created or destroyed, only transformed."

 

how is that terribly different from the religious principle of eternal life? it isn't. it's the same thing. the only difference is one is a simple law of physics that no one owns or controls. a priest can't sell it to you, it has no followers who can exclude people they don't like, and it isn't selective or interpretational, it just is.

 

tool - parabola

a perfect circle - judith

 

the same guy wrote both. i think that's pretty close to my opinion.

Edited December 20, 2011 by thatone

[TaraMaiden]

it's funny how close religion and science are, but they can't see eye to eye because of religion's ulterior motives (power, control, money).

 

Actually, just as a matter of interest, Buddhism and Science meet frequently, and HH the Dalai Lama is both a consultant on some projects and a keen observer of many scientific matters. in fact, an excellent book.

 

the quantum and the Lotus

 

is one book that explores startling similarities between some buddhist viewpoints and scientific theories and facts....

 

Just thought you might be interested....

 

first law of thermodynamics: "energy cannot be created or destroyed, only transformed."

 

how is that terribly different from the religious principle of eternal life? it isn't. it's the same thing. the only difference is one is a simple law of physics that no one owns or controls. a priest can't sell it to you, it has no followers who can exclude people they don't like, and it isn't selective or interpretational, it just is.

 

Did you know that once upon a time, Christianity gave credence to reincarnation/rebirth? Interesting, huh?

 

http://www.near-death.com/experiences/origen06.html

[oldguy]

it's funny how close religion and science are, but they can't see eye to eye because of religion's ulterior motives (power, control, money).

 

first law of thermodynamics: "energy cannot be created or destroyed, only transformed."

 

how is that terribly different from the religious principle of eternal life? it isn't. it's the same thing. the only difference is one is a simple law of physics that no one owns or controls. a priest can't sell it to you, it has no followers who can exclude people they don't like, and it isn't selective or interpretational, it just is.

 

tool - parabola

a perfect circle - judith

 

the same guy wrote both. i think that's pretty close to my opinion.

You are correct. I attended a Catholic primary school which ironically blended science & faith very successfully. Unfortunately I've discovered that wasn't a universal concept in all Catholic schools.

 

Actually, just as a matter of interest, Buddhism and Science meet frequently, and HH the Dalai Lama is both a consultant on some projects and a keen observer of many scientific matters. in fact, an excellent book.

 

the quantum and the Lotus

 

is one book that explores startling similarities between some buddhist viewpoints and scientific theories and facts....

 

Just thought you might be interested....

 

first law of thermodynamics: "energy cannot be created or destroyed, only transformed."

 

how is that terribly different from the religious principle of eternal life? it isn't. it's the same thing. the only difference is one is a simple law of physics that no one owns or controls. a priest can't sell it to you, it has no followers who can exclude people they don't like, and it isn't selective or interpretational, it just is.

 

Did you know that once upon a time, Christianity gave credence to reincarnation/rebirth? Interesting, huh?

 

http://www.near-death.com/experiences/origen06.html

 

I have a friend who has made a living studying religious history & we have routinely discussed the multitude of compromises made, mostly before 300AD. Even though most of the material never made the "final cut", the vast majority of that is said to still exist & is being preserved. And although I am suspect of conspiracy theories, the church that maintains much of this material does not deny it's existence.

 

A man named Joseph Campbell lectured & wrote extensively on the subject of world religions, faiths & even some myths & their similarities. His material, including video lectures are fascinating.

[BetheButterfly]

What are your thoughts about death? Are you afraid of it? Do you believe or hope for some sort of afterlife? If so, why?

 

This is an interesting thread.

 

My thoughts about death is that death is a journey covered in mystery. I am not afraid of it, but rather curious about it. I do know that I am not fond of pain and would prefer to skip that part of death, but my beliefs in the afterlife lead me to assume that the pain will be temporary.

 

I believe there is an afterlife because I have studied the Tanakh and the Christian Bible, and also believe in ultimate justice... that even though there are people who get away with crimes in this life, they will be judged by a Higher Power (The One and Only God) and those who have done good things will be rewarded by the Higher Power (the One and Only God.)

 

 

I think about my mortality multiple times per day. It is something that is almost always in the back of my mind during every task I perform. The constant reminder that I could lose it all in the next few seconds amplifies my meaning and purpose to life. It forces me to live in the moment to the point of it being hard to imagine myself in 2-3 years. It makes me happy knowing that I am healthy and appreciate the life I live, and it lets me live up to my full potential. By doing so, death is something I am no longer afraid of.

 

That is awesome that you are no longer afraid of death and that you are purposeful in life!!! Sad to say, some people just wander throughout life and don't appreciate it till it's almost gone.

 

I was taught to fear death mainly because it's taboo in our society. Over time however, I realized that death itself wasn't what I was afraid of. I am more afraid of dying as someone I don't want to be. I want to go as the person I know I am. Dying with regret or unfulfillment in my opinion is the worst punishment.

 

Why were you taught to fear death please?

I hope that this is it. I don't want to live in any kind of after life, nor do I want to be reincarnated as something or someone else. I believe in getting it right the first time, and one life is enough work for me. Existing after death seems meaningless to me, even a land of paradise would eventually turn to hell. If something has no end, then what's the point of it?

 

That is an interesting thought. I don't share your thought, because to me, paradise is about being with God and with people in a world without pain, hurt, sickness, death, and crime. I see that as a beautiful thing, not as something that is meaningless. However, this thought did remind me of Ecclesiastes.

[Eve]

*In response to Oldguy asking for me to share my spiritual experiences here*

 

Lol, Oldguy, even though I know I am not crazy (I got myself down to my Doctors in record time to make sure!) I can't possibly fully share my spiritual experiences here. I suppose there are too many disrespectful types, who I have finally, finally, finally accepted may never know, no matter what. I can get conflicted in myself by such types at times and don't want to go there with something as precious as what I have been permitted to share in.

 

Also some of it is scary. Like proper scary **** that went down. Most of it is good though but there is simply too much to say.

 

I kind of get 'called' when I am relevant to someone and wait for that in real life situations.

 

But thank you for your interest. There are plenty of people who have experienced similar things to myself though, reams and reams have been written.

 

Thanks again. I shall pray that your interest be answered and so it shall be.

 

Take care,

Eve x

[oldguy]

^

Shirley... you jest

[Ross MwcFan]

I believe in one creator of all things, God the Father. Creative design is the only possible explanation for our existence. Evolution is a mathematical impossibility. I believe our earthly life is a temporary existence. Our spirit is what will live on after our physical body is dead. I've been around death and the dying, since I was a volunteer at a hospice for a couple of years. Some of the patients have experienced seeing images of their pre-deceased loved ones before them in their final hours and days. Some of the volunteers have experienced seeing the soul rising from the body after death. People with near death experiences have reported experiencing an out-of-body existence where their spirit is aware of and can see the body below and separately during the time their life had ended and before they were medically brought back to life. Our spirit is what will live on and is eternal. At the death of our body, our spirit will be reunited with God in paradise if we are His followers. Our spirit will live in peace and happiness with God for all eternity. Those who have rejected Him in this life will have eternal separation from God. I don't fear death, because at death I will be reunited with God for all eternity.

 

God sure sounds like a nice person doesn't he?

[Surrealist]

I respect your right to believe all this if you want to.

I challenge your right to use someone else's thread to shove it down people's throats.

 

Start your own preachy thread, don't hijack someone else's.

 

What a load of rot. Someone stated their beliefs and it was you who came here to shove your opinion down someone else's throat.

 

Anyway... the most common so called scientific explanation for NDEs and similar experiences is the brain releasing chemicals at the point of death and hence the visions and hallucinations.

 

What this fails to address however, is peoples' conscious thought and cognitive function when outside the body. I was just reading this topic on another forum where someone whose doctor was talking with the nurse about the clinical death of the patient. The patient was outside his body watching the entire discussion with complete clarity of what was going on including the discussion. When he returned to his body and awoke, he reminded both doctor and nurse of the discussion, the nurse freaked out and the doc stormed off and didn't want to hear it.

 

My cousin had a sudden health crisis when he was a kid and was watching medical staff urgently scrambling to resusitate him, from the ceiling looking down. That is one's soul. Souls are like butts, we all have them. And I believe in the exact same faith as KathyM. Kind regards.

[betterdeal]

I fear death. I'm having too much of a good time to die now.

[Lostinlife4now]

Do I fear death? No not at all.... I have an 8-year old little angel up there waiting for me....and I love the Lord Jesus....

[TaraMaiden]

What a load of rot. Someone stated their beliefs and it was you who came here to shove your opinion down someone else's throat.

1: I posted before her....

2: How did i do that, exactly?

 

 

....That is one's soul. Souls are like butts, we all have them.

 

what a load of rot - just to throw your line back at you......

A transmigrating soul doesn't exist.

You can't in one breath declare what scientists have discovered happens in NDE's and then put your own slant and interpretation on it as a definable fact.

It might be your opinion, but that's all it is....

 

 

Opinions are like butts - we all have them, and sometimes, they stink....

[Belle Vie]

I have been developing a nihilistic outlook, which both increases my fear of death and interferes with any pleasure I might take in life. It's incredibly ironic and depressing to think that death is the end and to have that thought ruin my enjoyment of the present moment.

 

Trying to get past that outlook, but that's where I am.

[worldgonewrong]

The only aspect I fear about dying is dying too soon, before I can live to see my children have their bearings in this world. I just want to see them as adults, self-sufficient, before that happens.

 

As for how Death affects me: we all go. Two of The Beatles are dead. The Marx Brothers are dead. We're all just passing through. The misperception that a lot of us have is that Death is something to get through, like a pass or fail; well, we ALL take the test of Death and pass it, if you get my drift.

 

I'm a Christian too, so I believe better things await us, past this fallen world.

[TaraMaiden]

I have been developing a nihilistic outlook, which both increases my fear of death and interferes with any pleasure I might take in life. It's incredibly ironic and depressing to think that death is the end and to have that thought ruin my enjoyment of the present moment.

 

Trying to get past that outlook, but that's where I am.

 

Death isn't the end - but it's not the beginning either....

I'm work in progress, personally....

 

As Voltaire once famously said,

"It should really be no more surprising to be born twice, than it was to be born once....."

It will be interesting to see where I land next..... !

[mercy]

When I think of death I think of this song, it's exactly how I feel.

 

[Thieves]

I hope that this is it. I don't want to live in any kind of after life, nor do I want to be reincarnated as something or someone else. I believe in getting it right the first time, and one life is enough work for me. Existing after death seems meaningless to me, even a land of paradise would eventually turn to hell. If something has no end, then what's the point of it?

 

This is how I feel, too. I used to be alright with the idea of being reincarnated (still kind of am), but nowadays, I've realized that when I think of death... I don't think of anything particular. It's just blank. That's it. And so that's why I feel that too many people focus on death and what happens afterward too much. You could spend your whole time preparing for something while perhaps not living the life you do have as fully or freely as you could.

 

At the same time, I feel like I'm quite spiritual in my thoughts. Not necessarily in a religious way, but... I do feel like I have a great visceral connection to the earth and to the people around me, and that fulfills me in a positive way.

 

What I believe means most in this life is helping others, being a genuinely good person with a good soul, valuing life for what it is, and living my passion (or artistic purpose) as much as I can. I think those are all things that people across all religions can relate to, and I don't see how I can go wrong with that simply because I choose not to do all of that under a certain god's name (and especially one that will punish me for not doing so.)

[verhrzn]

Thoughts on death: cannot get here soon enough.

[TaraMaiden]

(...)

What I believe means most in this life is helping others, being a genuinely good person with a good soul, valuing life for what it is, and living my passion (or artistic purpose) as much as I can. I think those are all things that people across all religions can relate to, and I don't see how I can go wrong with that simply because I choose not to do all of that under a certain god's name (and especially one that will punish me for not doing so.)

 

"The Purpose of life is to be happy and to make others happy.

Generate unconditional Compassion. if you cannot do this, then at least, do no Harm."

 

HH the Dalai Lama.

 

Cool dude.....and not a God in sight.....