If you lived in a place with a low % of religious people

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Which country or region, if you feel comfortable sharing?

If most people didn't believe in life after death, what were ways that people coped with suffering and mortality?

Soviet Union, Denmark, UAE.

Most people in the UAE are Muslims, BTW.

There are only 15-20% of local population there, the rest are expats from all over the world (majority are from Europe though, but a lot of from Philippines, Australia, Shri Lanka, etc.). So, I would not say that most of them are Muslims.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Which country or region, if you feel comfortable sharing?

If most people didn't believe in life after death, what were ways that people coped with suffering and mortality?

Soviet Union, Denmark, UAE.

Most people in the UAE are Muslims, BTW.

There are only 15-20% of local population there, the rest are expats from all over the world (majority are from Europe though, but a lot of from Philippines, Australia, Shri Lanka, etc.). So, I would not say that most of them are Muslims.

Then you would say wrong. Both about "majority" being European, and not being majority Muslim. 27% are from India (which includes a mix of Hindu and Muslim expats), 12% are from Pakistan, 7% are from Bangladesh, 5% are Iranian, 4% are Egyptian, and many more Muslim countries are represented as you move down the list.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Paris, Tokyo, etc. All large cities I've lived in, basically.

Since I'm a research scientist, I am comforted by my knowledge that we are made from the dust of stars, our molecules have passed through multiple other life forms before belonging to us, and that we will be recycled, in the truest sense of the term, into multiple other life forms before the universe ends...if ever it does.

There is nothing more beautiful or more comforting to think that I will be USEFUL after my death. As for my conscience/soul/spirit, who knows? It's a mystery, but not a scary one for me. I don't fear death, I fear pain and suffering.

We are very similar in background, and thinking.

When my daughter was 3, we had three quick deaths to deal with and explain to her. So I said, the universe is made up of things like we can see and touch (matter) and energy, like the sun's rays. I said that when we stop being matter, we become energy, and the energy is everywhere around us, so the energy of all the people and animals we lose, surround us every day. She was perfectly content with that.

DP. Thank you for sharing--this is a wonderful way to express this.

Returning to dust is staying as matter, not converting to energy. Your carbon and other chemicals will nourish lots of microbes and micorrhizae, and maybe the odd plant or grass over your grave, which is a good thing, but you’re still matter. If you think people are matter, then you would think plants and fungi are matter too. I’m not sure how it works with cremation, but ashes are still matter not energy. The idea that on dying you become “energy” like the sun’s rays seems a bit like an article of faith, to be honest.

Your body's energy from before you died goes on, too. It's just not yours anymore.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Which country or region, if you feel comfortable sharing?

If most people didn't believe in life after death, what were ways that people coped with suffering and mortality?

Soviet Union, Denmark, UAE.

If you'd like to share, I'd love to hear your answer to the second question (not sure if you saw it).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Paris, Tokyo, etc. All large cities I've lived in, basically.

Since I'm a research scientist, I am comforted by my knowledge that we are made from the dust of stars, our molecules have passed through multiple other life forms before belonging to us, and that we will be recycled, in the truest sense of the term, into multiple other life forms before the universe ends...if ever it does.

There is nothing more beautiful or more comforting to think that I will be USEFUL after my death. As for my conscience/soul/spirit, who knows? It's a mystery, but not a scary one for me. I don't fear death, I fear pain and suffering.

We are very similar in background, and thinking.

When my daughter was 3, we had three quick deaths to deal with and explain to her. So I said, the universe is made up of things like we can see and touch (matter) and energy, like the sun's rays. I said that when we stop being matter, we become energy, and the energy is everywhere around us, so the energy of all the people and animals we lose, surround us every day. She was perfectly content with that.

DP. Thank you for sharing--this is a wonderful way to express this.

Returning to dust is staying as matter, not converting to energy. Your carbon and other chemicals will nourish lots of microbes and micorrhizae, and maybe the odd plant or grass over your grave, which is a good thing, but you’re still matter. If you think people are matter, then you would think plants and fungi are matter too. I’m not sure how it works with cremation, but ashes are still matter not energy. The idea that on dying you become “energy” like the sun’s rays seems a bit like an article of faith, to be honest.

Your body's energy from before you died goes on, too. It's just not yours anymore.

What is this energy, then? It sounds a bit like the concept of “soul.” Otherwise, you’re just matter.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Which country or region, if you feel comfortable sharing?

If most people didn't believe in life after death, what were ways that people coped with suffering and mortality?

Soviet Union, Denmark, UAE.

If you'd like to share, I'd love to hear your answer to the second question (not sure if you saw it).

Alcohol. In all three countries. A lot of mental hospitals in USSR where people could be locked involuntarily.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Paris, Tokyo, etc. All large cities I've lived in, basically.

Since I'm a research scientist, I am comforted by my knowledge that we are made from the dust of stars, our molecules have passed through multiple other life forms before belonging to us, and that we will be recycled, in the truest sense of the term, into multiple other life forms before the universe ends...if ever it does.

There is nothing more beautiful or more comforting to think that I will be USEFUL after my death. As for my conscience/soul/spirit, who knows? It's a mystery, but not a scary one for me. I don't fear death, I fear pain and suffering.

We are very similar in background, and thinking.

When my daughter was 3, we had three quick deaths to deal with and explain to her. So I said, the universe is made up of things like we can see and touch (matter) and energy, like the sun's rays. I said that when we stop being matter, we become energy, and the energy is everywhere around us, so the energy of all the people and animals we lose, surround us every day. She was perfectly content with that.

DP. Thank you for sharing--this is a wonderful way to express this.

Returning to dust is staying as matter, not converting to energy. Your carbon and other chemicals will nourish lots of microbes and micorrhizae, and maybe the odd plant or grass over your grave, which is a good thing, but you’re still matter. If you think people are matter, then you would think plants and fungi are matter too. I’m not sure how it works with cremation, but ashes are still matter not energy. The idea that on dying you become “energy” like the sun’s rays seems a bit like an article of faith, to be honest.

Your body's energy from before you died goes on, too. It's just not yours anymore.

What is this energy, then? It sounds a bit like the concept of “soul.” Otherwise, you’re just matter.

Um….. matter is energy. Every atom has electrons and quantum forces that are joined through energy. The atomic bomb is based on this concept. E=mc^2 defines this.

I know that it’s kinda scary to even touch the idea that we don’t have souls, because our perceptions are biased into thinking this. But, one piece of evidence of how our consciousness is basically chemicals and hormones is when we fall in love. Many people call it finding our soul mates, but a lot of it is chances and a hormone called oxytocin. When we eliminate that hormone, people drastically change and “feel” unloved- and sometimes lose their soul mates. In fact, if we eliminate the avenues for oxytocin formation and bonding in babies, they tend to become sociopathic and their brain plasticity reduces much earlier than those in loving/oxytocin rich environments.

Meaning- I know to think your have a soul. But that feeling is truly very easily manipulated with hormones.

As for atheism- and souls- most atheists just don’t believe in god. It’s kinda like how you probably are only of one faith- and don’t believe in any of the Hindu gods. Atheists just think- well, if I don’t believe in all of these other gods, what is one more?

So as easily as it is for you to not believe in Zeus or Thor, it’s that easy to just not believe in your god. Because for all of the reasons you give for not believing in Krishna, we don’t believe yours.

[Anonymous]

New Zealand is very secular, except for the 4200 people who put down Church of the Flying Spaghetti on the last census. People are suspicious of political candidates who dare to mention religion.

Rather than asking how the irreligious cope with mortality, my question is why do people limit their whole lives to earn an imaginery ever after. If you think there is no eternity, you try to live your best life now.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Paris, Tokyo, etc. All large cities I've lived in, basically.

Since I'm a research scientist, I am comforted by my knowledge that we are made from the dust of stars, our molecules have passed through multiple other life forms before belonging to us, and that we will be recycled, in the truest sense of the term, into multiple other life forms before the universe ends...if ever it does.

There is nothing more beautiful or more comforting to think that I will be USEFUL after my death. As for my conscience/soul/spirit, who knows? It's a mystery, but not a scary one for me. I don't fear death, I fear pain and suffering.

We are very similar in background, and thinking.

When my daughter was 3, we had three quick deaths to deal with and explain to her. So I said, the universe is made up of things like we can see and touch (matter) and energy, like the sun's rays. I said that when we stop being matter, we become energy, and the energy is everywhere around us, so the energy of all the people and animals we lose, surround us every day. She was perfectly content with that.

DP. Thank you for sharing--this is a wonderful way to express this.

Returning to dust is staying as matter, not converting to energy. Your carbon and other chemicals will nourish lots of microbes and micorrhizae, and maybe the odd plant or grass over your grave, which is a good thing, but you’re still matter. If you think people are matter, then you would think plants and fungi are matter too. I’m not sure how it works with cremation, but ashes are still matter not energy. The idea that on dying you become “energy” like the sun’s rays seems a bit like an article of faith, to be honest.

Your body's energy from before you died goes on, too. It's just not yours anymore.

What is this energy, then? It sounds a bit like the concept of “soul.” Otherwise, you’re just matter.

Um….. matter is energy. Every atom has electrons and quantum forces that are joined through energy. The atomic bomb is based on this concept. E=mc^2 defines this.

I know that it’s kinda scary to even touch the idea that we don’t have souls, because our perceptions are biased into thinking this. But, one piece of evidence of how our consciousness is basically chemicals and hormones is when we fall in love. Many people call it finding our soul mates, but a lot of it is chances and a hormone called oxytocin. When we eliminate that hormone, people drastically change and “feel” unloved- and sometimes lose their soul mates. In fact, if we eliminate the avenues for oxytocin formation and bonding in babies, they tend to become sociopathic and their brain plasticity reduces much earlier than those in loving/oxytocin rich environments.

Meaning- I know to think your have a soul. But that feeling is truly very easily manipulated with hormones.

As for atheism- and souls- most atheists just don’t believe in god. It’s kinda like how you probably are only of one faith- and don’t believe in any of the Hindu gods. Atheists just think- well, if I don’t believe in all of these other gods, what is one more?

So as easily as it is for you to not believe in Zeus or Thor, it’s that easy to just not believe in your god. Because for all of the reasons you give for not believing in Krishna, we don’t believe yours.

Telling your daughter that the people she loves are around her as matter might be true, but it’s a little woo-woo and she’s not hearing it that way. As you know. But you do you.