Atheists/Humanists: Do you feel anxiety over death?

[Anonymous]

No anxiety over death. I am scared of being trapped in my body, could not talk or move. Since I heard this story on NPR, I would wake up in the mid of the night and dare not feel back to sleep -

http://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2015/01/09/376084137/trapped-in-his-body-for-12-years-a-man-breaks-free

[Anonymous]

I'm kind of a humanist raised in a religious family and among religious people. I don't actually think any of us are in a better situation regarding the anxiety of death because of our beliefs or lack thereof. Someone can be a believer of anything religious and still have fear and anxiety over death because whatever narrative that is adopted doesn't mean the person really really believes it.No one knows what happens after death.No one...even if they say they do. I find religion to be more an internal socialized thing. Even if you say you don't believe, some stuff is still there waaaay deep inside,but even that does not take away the fear. People don't want to die. They don't want to leave what they know,the people they love, the world that they see.

Everyone lives and everyone dies. There are no other options. If it is that natural, how bad could it be?

[Anonymous]

I just fear being away from my children.

I told them that if there IS an afterlife (b/c even as a non-believer, you never know . . . ) they'd had to find each other and then find me.

We made a pact.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I don't like the idea of death, but I accept it, as a part of the great good luck of being born in the first place.

I certainly prefer accepting the reality of life and death to the fantasy I was taught to believe as a child of everlasting life, as long as I followed the rules of an invisible god who was both loving and incredibly cruel.

I understand that some people are wired to feel that there's something "out there" but many more are forced to believe it and to fear eternal punishment if they don't.

What a waste. Life is to be enjoyed.

This, though I was raised by people who weren't sure about an afterlife. It actually makes me much more focused on making this one life we have as good as it can be for as many people as possible. We only get one shot at existing; why wouldn't we help others, try to reduce suffering, etc..

Death kind of sucks, but without it, life would be totally different.

[Anonymous]

Yes I do, because I have young children. If it weren't for them I may not care about dying, to be honest. I worry about not being here for them and the sadness they'd feel at my passing.
I don't talk about it with anyone because no one around me wants to have morbid discussions and some are quite superstitious.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'm kind of a humanist raised in a religious family and among religious people. I don't actually think any of us are in a better situation regarding the anxiety of death because of our beliefs or lack thereof. Someone can be a believer of anything religious and still have fear and anxiety over death because whatever narrative that is adopted doesn't mean the person really really believes it.No one knows what happens after death.No one...even if they say they do. I find religion to be more an internal socialized thing. Even if you say you don't believe, some stuff is still there waaaay deep inside,but even that does not take away the fear. People don't want to die. They don't want to leave what they know,the people they love, the world that they see.

Everyone lives and everyone dies. There are no other options. If it is that natural, how bad could it be?

YOu really can't make that generalization about everyone, though, can you? I know people who naturally don't believe -- didn't believe as children, although they were taught to believe by their parents and society.

[Anonymous]

Nope.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Nope.

I mean sure, we all experience a little anxiety. But it doesn't overly worry me. Mostly I just hope that when I die, it's not painful - and that someone clears my browser searches & cache! I don't have any anxiety about life itself ending.

I worry about trying to get more out of this life. Being happy, being healthy, being kind, trying some new things & experiences.

Same here - including the clearing of the cache!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:20:52 again. I don't feel anxiety about actually dying, or the pain of death. I feel anxiety about never being conscious again for the rest of eternity.

Me too. It's strange because of the atheists I know, there seems to be an almost macho reluctance to admit being afraid of death. My husband says that he fears the process of dying, not death itself. I'm an atheist and I will fully admit, the idea of ceasing to exist forever depresses the shit out of me.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So...whenever religious people talk amongst ourselves about stuff like this, I have literally never heard anyone put down atheists or even reference atheists at all.. Not even, "at least I'll feel smug that I wasn't an atheist!" No religious person talks like that, unless they are a cartoon on TV or an actual fanatic. Most people who are believers (and also not fanatic Christian evangelists, which most of us aren't) are happy to just let atheists do their thing and never bring it up.

There are all sorts of variations on the idea that there are no atheists in foxholes. It comes up repeatedly. I've heard it individually as well as in movies, books, everywhere. There are plenty of religious people who are rather loud about their conviction that dying atheists find god just before death. Surely you have heard this before?

Atheist here who actually believes that the whole "no atheists in foxholes" is largely true, but so what? I myself am a pretty strong atheist yet I will catch myself praying when I'm in strong turbulence on an airplane. This is not a true "finding God" experience however. It just shows that when people are in a desperate situation they will grasp to whatever hope they can muster. It certainly not evidence that God actually exists.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The idea of dying young gives me anxiety. I want to grow old and watch my kid grow up and all that. But it's a sense of sadness

I think it's sad our lives are short compared to the universe. But I've come to acceptance about that. I just want to see my kids grow up, that's all.

I don't know. I'd really like to see my grandkids grow up too.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So...whenever religious people talk amongst ourselves about stuff like this, I have literally never heard anyone put down atheists or even reference atheists at all.. Not even, "at least I'll feel smug that I wasn't an atheist!" No religious person talks like that, unless they are a cartoon on TV or an actual fanatic. Most people who are believers (and also not fanatic Christian evangelists, which most of us aren't) are happy to just let atheists do their thing and never bring it up.

There are all sorts of variations on the idea that there are no atheists in foxholes. It comes up repeatedly. I've heard it individually as well as in movies, books, everywhere. There are plenty of religious people who are rather loud about their conviction that dying atheists find god just before death. Surely you have heard this before?

Atheist here who actually believes that the whole "no atheists in foxholes" is largely true, but so what? I myself am a pretty strong atheist yet I will catch myself praying when I'm in strong turbulence on an airplane. This is not a true "finding God" experience however. It just shows that when people are in a desperate situation they will grasp to whatever hope they can muster. It certainly not evidence that God actually exists.

Just because you do it, doesn't mean it's "largely true." There is a whole organization of Military atheists who make it clear that there ARE atheists in foxholes.

I've never prayed during airplane turbulence -- even when I was a believer. I didn't think God caused it and didn't think he would get us out of it. But that's just me.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So...whenever religious people talk amongst ourselves about stuff like this, I have literally never heard anyone put down atheists or even reference atheists at all.. Not even, "at least I'll feel smug that I wasn't an atheist!" No religious person talks like that, unless they are a cartoon on TV or an actual fanatic. Most people who are believers (and also not fanatic Christian evangelists, which most of us aren't) are happy to just let atheists do their thing and never bring it up.

There are all sorts of variations on the idea that there are no atheists in foxholes. It comes up repeatedly. I've heard it individually as well as in movies, books, everywhere. There are plenty of religious people who are rather loud about their conviction that dying atheists find god just before death. Surely you have heard this before?

Atheist here who actually believes that the whole "no atheists in foxholes" is largely true, but so what? I myself am a pretty strong atheist yet I will catch myself praying when I'm in strong turbulence on an airplane. This is not a true "finding God" experience however. It just shows that when people are in a desperate situation they will grasp to whatever hope they can muster. It certainly not evidence that God actually exists.

Just because you do it, doesn't mean it's "largely true." There is a whole organization of Military atheists who make it clear that there ARE atheists in foxholes.

I've never prayed during airplane turbulence -- even when I was a believer. I didn't think God caused it and didn't think he would get us out of it. But that's just me.

Seriously? What is this organization of Military atheists who are trying to spread the word that there are no atheists in foxholes? I've never heard of this group.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So...whenever religious people talk amongst ourselves about stuff like this, I have literally never heard anyone put down atheists or even reference atheists at all.. Not even, "at least I'll feel smug that I wasn't an atheist!" No religious person talks like that, unless they are a cartoon on TV or an actual fanatic. Most people who are believers (and also not fanatic Christian evangelists, which most of us aren't) are happy to just let atheists do their thing and never bring it up.

There are all sorts of variations on the idea that there are no atheists in foxholes. It comes up repeatedly. I've heard it individually as well as in movies, books, everywhere. There are plenty of religious people who are rather loud about their conviction that dying atheists find god just before death. Surely you have heard this before?

Atheist here who actually believes that the whole "no atheists in foxholes" is largely true, but so what? I myself am a pretty strong atheist yet I will catch myself praying when I'm in strong turbulence on an airplane. This is not a true "finding God" experience however. It just shows that when people are in a desperate situation they will grasp to whatever hope they can muster. It certainly not evidence that God actually exists.

Just because you do it, doesn't mean it's "largely true." There is a whole organization of Military atheists who make it clear that there ARE atheists in foxholes.

I've never prayed during airplane turbulence -- even when I was a believer. I didn't think God caused it and didn't think he would get us out of it. But that's just me.

Seriously? What is this organization of Military atheists who are trying to spread the word that there are no atheists in foxholes? I've never heard of this group.

A quick google of “Military atheists" brought up this: http://militaryatheists.org

It's headquartered here in DC. Here's a recent article, linked to on the main page of the website: http://militaryatheists.org/news/2016/06/chaplains-are-atheists-in-foxholes/

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:What are you all going to be about your sins when you die?

Sinful, I guess.