To most people the thought of death and/or dying evokes feelings of fear and trepidation. People from every category or sect of life fear death; young, old, big, tall, short, stout, athletic, weak…even samurais…okay not samurais. But you get my point; most people live in fear of the shadow of death.
Why is this? Who do people fear death? Probably for the same reasons people fear most other things…because it is unknown. No one has ever experienced death and come back to tell us about (don’t you dare bring up near death experiences…that is a rant for another time). I’ve never talked to anyone who said, “You know…yesterday I decided to die for a little and it was pretty good, I think I’ll just go ahead and die for a bit more tomorrow.” If I met someone who said that to me I might end up committing myself the same day.
Death is the great unknown. There are as many ideas about death and what happens when we die as there are (I don’t know…some large quantity)….apples (?!?!?). The point is, no one knows what death is, so it is impossible to have an accurate or perhaps even reasonable idea as to what happens when we die. In the end, everyone ends up believing what allows them to sleep at night.
Whether it be: upon death you reach the pearly gates where some funny joke is made and then you enter heaven; or you get turned away from the gates and go to hell; perhaps you spend a bit of time in purgatory; or even return as a frog, or a spider, and if you were really good you may even come back as a human; some people think that when you die, you die and that’s it; others believe that your soul carries on in this world; and still others picture a plane that gets crossed upon death. Clearly the possibilities are endless. But, despite all of these comforting outcomes people still fear death.
As much as I try to understand people’s fear of death I cannot. Don’t get me wrong, I love life. In fact, I would much rather be alive than dead. But, at the same point I don’t fear death because there isn’t a whole lot I can do to prevent it (other than listen to the general surgeons warnings and perhaps avoid base jumping). I believe that after I die there is no more, the end, finito, ‘so long and thanks for all the fish.’ I’m not going to get my hopes up about some benevolent God, because if I’m dead and he doesn’t exist then I’ll never know any better, so why think about it. By the same token, if a benevolent God does exist, then I greatly look forward to holding council with him/her/it/dog/plasmatic blob after my demise. I would have quite a few questions for him;
1) Why do the Leafs continue to suck? Why didn’t you make John Ferguson fire Pat Quinn a long time ago?
2) Do you fart? If so, is that what thunder really is?
3) Do your farts smell? Do they smell by human standards, or only Godly super-deitical standards?
4) Are you the only God? If not, who is the laziest God?
5) Are female gods hot? You know, by human standards?
6) What is that thing growing out of your arm?
7) Can you shoot lighting out of your ass? I’ve always told people you could.
8) Thanks for the free-will thing. It makes for great conversations which result in the decision that free-will doesn’t exists so that we can do what ever we want.
9) Why?
a.
b. George W. Bush
c. Annoying guy in the Alexander Keiths Commercials
d. Crazy religious fervites
e. Not add an extra couple of inches ;-)
10) Who really is faster, Superman or The Flash
4 comments:
Yup. I've fantisized after death conversations with God, too. I plan on entering our discussion wagging my finger at Him.
Why does he hold me so accountable for not only my every deed...but even my motives, when He sat back last night and watched one animal after another devour whatever came down the path? Who devised that system?
And I'm really irked that He answers the prayers of people at Friday night football---but can't seem to get housing for Katrina victims. Disgusting! Where are His priorities?
Much of this could be solved if He would just get a consort. SHE would set him straight!
It is my feeling that people, in their grief and loss at the death of a family member, mourned themselves into the place where the concept of an afterlife was necessary. They could prepare for it, they could embellish tombs with artifacts, they could provide ceremony for grieving, they could hope for greater life, a second chance. We die wishing we had a second chance to correct wrongs, to reach new levels of prosperity. It took a heaven to allow us to dream. That keeps hope alive.
Now, it may just be human fantasy, but it is mired in deep feelings and need. Man finds what he needs to carry on - these myths and legends embody richness. If man did not have them, where would the tomb of the Pharoh be, or the dance of the dervish.
The evolution to human beings has provided some interesting twists along the way. Perhaps the adaptation to a much more social animal lead to the physiological 'need' for explanation. The need for life after death.
death conversations with god? hehe. I just wrote an entry about that.
ou are a sick sadist. You chose to give people the freedom to choose religions by not making the impetus on people to believe clear enough. You didn’t even give some people a chance to be exposed to your supposed word of salvation. You were nothing but a psychotic tyrant who sought to dominate his created universe and toy with the lives of the individuals you created. You do not deserve to be god. Most people would’ve done a better job than you.
I have no respect for people like you - nor for people who support you despite the unfair treatment you’ve given mankind. Who are you to allow sickness, famine and sufferring to occur and persist? Who are you to judge people? Why did you even give them the chance to commit mistakes if you knew from the very beginning that they would’ve made the same sins?...
http://lateralus.wordpress.com/2006/05/16/right-in-two-part-ii-thank-your-god/
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