I'm not an atheist, and I don't have any problems with those who are. This is not a thread to debate what is atheism and what isn't, or the pros and cons of that, if I may say, but an honest appeal from a theist to gain some insight and information from atheists on how they may approach their own decline and death.
The scenario here is that you have a terminal illness. Your body is in serious decline. You've tried everything that science and pseudo-science can do, and the fact which you're having to face and address is that you're going to die. Not 'someday' in the distant future, but soon, although you don't know exactly when an in what manner your body will ultimately fail. And your body is failing, and making no secret of it. Your mortality is vividly present to your body and mind.
How do you 'deal' with your impending death and non-existence?
What, if anything, might your loved ones say to you or intellectually help you with towards that?
I fail at solving this problem, as I don't have it. I have a view of the universe which includes an afterlife. Death is a part of life, and life continues. But I can't hope to convince a life-long atheist to adopt this view at the end just to make themselves feel better.
So what would you think? How would you deal with it? What would you advise?
Locked at OP's request that the thread was getting derailed
esquared
Anandtech Forum Director
The scenario here is that you have a terminal illness. Your body is in serious decline. You've tried everything that science and pseudo-science can do, and the fact which you're having to face and address is that you're going to die. Not 'someday' in the distant future, but soon, although you don't know exactly when an in what manner your body will ultimately fail. And your body is failing, and making no secret of it. Your mortality is vividly present to your body and mind.
How do you 'deal' with your impending death and non-existence?
What, if anything, might your loved ones say to you or intellectually help you with towards that?
I fail at solving this problem, as I don't have it. I have a view of the universe which includes an afterlife. Death is a part of life, and life continues. But I can't hope to convince a life-long atheist to adopt this view at the end just to make themselves feel better.
So what would you think? How would you deal with it? What would you advise?
Locked at OP's request that the thread was getting derailed
esquared
Anandtech Forum Director
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