The Death Thread

[pimpdave]

So of course participation here is completely voluntary, but I am curious.

It is said that the most common fear, worldwide, is public speaking. Second to that is death. So it's a pretty universal fear.

Let's get a dialogue going. PLEASE keep flames about someone's reasoning out of this. Here is some food for thought:


"Were you to live three thousand years, or even thirty thousand, remember that the sole life which a man can lose is that which he is living at the moment; and furthermore, that he can have no other life except the one he loses. This means that the longest life and the shortest amount to the same thing. For the passing minute is every man's equal possession, but what has once gone by is not ours. Our loss, therefore, is limited to that one fleeting instant, since no one can lose what is already past, nor yet what is still to come -- for how can he be deprived of what he does not possess? So two things should be borne in mind. First, that all the cycles of creation since the beginning of time exhibit the same recurring pattern, so that it can make no difference whether you watch the identical spectacle for a hundred years, or for two hundred, or forever. Secondly, that when the longest- and shortest-lived of us come to die, their loss is precisely equal. For the sole thing of which any man can be deprived is the present; since this is all he owns, and nobody can lose what is not his."

-Marcus Aurelius, Book II, Verse 14

[Snorri1234]

People who don't fear death are rare.

And they certainly won't be posting on the internets.

[pimpdave]

Wow, a bunch of votes already.

Can someone go shill this poll in both the Jesus Freaks sub-forum and the Godless Heathens? I'd really like to get a good sampling of responses, considering the division appearing in the results.

[Juan_Bottom]

People who don't fear death are rare.

And they certainly won't be posting on the internets.

I can, unfortunitly, admit that there was a time when I did not fear death. I was a hardcore atheist then. Now, I'm 50/50... I'm not afraid for myself, but rather, I always worry about the people that I care about. If I died in a homemade hanglider accident, what would that do to them?(actually nearly happened. twice.)

I can remember a time as a boy when I was watching T2. And I was amazed at how much stuff the terminator was going through. You can acheive so much if you can conquer your fear of death.

[Snorri1234]

People who don't fear death are rare.

And they certainly won't be posting on the internets.

I can, unfortunitly, admit that there was a time when I did not fear death. I was a hardcore atheist then. Now, I'm 50/50... I'm not afraid for myself, but rather, I always worry about the people that I care about. If I died in a homemade hanglider accident, what would that do to them?(actually nearly happened. twice.)

I can remember a time as a boy when I was watching T2. And I was amazed at how much stuff the terminator was going through. You can acheive so much if you can conquer your fear of death.

I think any sane being fears death. Though maybe it is not so much fear as just not wanting to experience it.

[Curmudgeonx]

Homemade hang gliding ?

Is the what the cool kids call auto-asphyxiation nowindays?

And what is there to fear of death? If there is no "afterlife"", then its just done, over. Nothing to fear because it just . . . ends.

[Snorri1234]

Homemade hang gliding ?

Is the what the cool kids call auto-asphyxiation nowindays?

And what is there to fear of death? If there is no "afterlife"", then its just done, over. Nothing to fear because it just . . . ends.

It is not being dead I fear. It is dying.

[Juan_Bottom]

It is not being dead I fear. It is dying.

Though maybe it is not so much fear as just not wanting to experience it.

That's a good way to put it.

Is the what the cool kids call auto-asphyxiation nowindays?

What? No, I took some PVC and some sheets of plastic and a little cement and a barn and Whalla!
Ready,
Steady,
GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
*Runs off roof*
*Freefalls 40 feet*
AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


Again?

[Pedronicus]

I don't fear death. I don't believe there will be an afterlife. I believe I'm here for as long as I breath and after that - I cease to exist just like an ant that i squash if i tread on it.

a no longer functioning life form.

Whats more, I'd like to be able to end my life before something like altzihimers sets in and i can no longer recongnize my children or be able to look after myself. Whats the point of living just because medicine can make my body live past my brain?

I was listening to a radio phone in the other day where they were discussing the fact that England can't push through, the opt out, rather than opt in Donor cards, where the population is going to have to fill in a form to say 'I don't want to be a donor'

All these fuckwit religious types were ringing in saying they were against it because it was against their religion.
I thought that religion was for the good of mankind.
Who was i kidding.
These pricks think they will be sent to the pearly gates, with angels and clouds and halos etc.

GET REAL

You die
you stop living
it all goes dark

your dead and you won't know f*ck all

and your organs that might of given someone an extra 2-15 years, die as well.

Religious pricks, the lot of them.

[pimpdave]

Religious pricks, the lot of them.

Yeah, see, this was what I was hoping to avoid in this thread. Please try to be less angry here, and more expository.

Do you remember their explanation as to why organ donation was against their religion? What religion was that? I'm very curious.

I've got my concordance open, and I don't see any entries in the Bible about Organ Donors, but there's a fair amount about circumcision. I don't think those two equate, but I'm curious as to where this all comes from...



Follow Up Question Unrelated to Pedronicus' Post: Isn't the entire point of Christianity to not fear death? (which is inevitable for everyone living, even for Jesus. Unless you're a Muslim, in which case, you are entitled to your belief that Jesus snuck off of the cross, peace and blessings to the great Muhammed, no need to unsheath your machetes!) Could someone explain this to me?

[black elk speaks]

he who fears death also fears life, for they are one in the same.

[pimpdave]

he who fears death also fears life, for they are one in the same.

Could you provide a citation for this please? I know you didn't write that yourself.

[black elk speaks]

he who fears death also fears life, for they are one in the same.

Could you provide a citation for this please? I know you didn't write that yourself.

I have no citation. The concept is universal. Think of the yin and yang.

[pimpdave]

The concept is universal.

No it isn't. And please don't try to derail this thread by latching onto this and not letting go...

[black elk speaks]

The concept is universal.

No it isn't. And please don't try to derail this thread by latching onto this and not letting go...

then you can quote me as saying that.

[PopeBenXVI]

Religious pricks, the lot of them.

Yeah, see, this was what I was hoping to avoid in this thread. Please try to be less angry here, and more expository.

Do you remember their explanation as to why organ donation was against their religion? What religion was that? I'm very curious.

I've got my concordance open, and I don't see any entries in the Bible about Organ Donors, but there's a fair amount about circumcision. I don't think those two equate, but I'm curious as to where this all comes from...



Follow Up Question Unrelated to Pedronicus' Post: Isn't the entire point of Christianity to not fear death? (which is inevitable for everyone living, even for Jesus. Unless you're a Muslim, in which case, you are entitled to your belief that Jesus snuck off of the cross, peace and blessings to the great Muhammed, no need to unsheath your machetes!) Could someone explain this to me?

Being the "Religious Prick" I am, I can answer your organ donor question. Jehovah witnesses do not agree with organ transplant or even blood transfusions of any kind.

The Catholic Church is fine with any organ transplant as long as the person giving the organ is dead or giving it will not result in their death as a result of the organ being taken. The teaching is respect for life from conception to natural death. It gets hairy because they have this newer thing called "brain dead" . Some people thought to be this were not and came out of coma's. If an individual is still alive but thought to not be able to recover and their heart is taken out to give to another person then it is the taking of the heart that kills them and only God determines when we die and how. We are to respect all human life even when society or even ourselves considers it less than productive. We are obligated to use reasonable means to sustain someone until they die. An example would be a feeding tube. It is a very simple way to keep someone alive who may not have the function of their limbs or even be conscious. An extreme could maybe be an 80 year old who needs a triple bypass but is not expected to be able to survive the surgery. That would be his call on what to do. If treatment is reasonable and routine we are morally obligated to seek it.

I hope that explains it a bit

[hecter]

It does, I actually found that to be quite enlightening.

[pimpdave]

I would like to know more about Terry Schiavo and whether or not she was afraid of death/ had any idea what was going on.

[mpjh]

Death is certain, it is inevitable, no sense wasting energy on fearing it. Mostly I fear leaving the people I love. Sometimes I fear wasting a life. But death, no fear there.

[Japs]

I dont necessarily fear death, I fear how I die like drowning would be terrible. My other concern is those that would miss me and how I would affect them.

[PopeBenXVI]

Yes, Terri was asked by her family if she wanted to die and she nodded her head no and hinted she was scared to die. Her brother and parents were adamite about her responsiveness the whole time after her acident. That was a case of her husband (former) offing her for a million dollar policy and the courts let it happen. Her family wanted to take care of her and requested to take her in and assume all the cost themselves for her care. Her husband who was with another woman for the last ten years, would not allow it. All she needed was a feeding tube to keep living and he had it pulled and she literally starved to death from dehydration while conscious and perfectly aware of pain.

[mpjh]

The question, your corruptness, was whether you feared death. Terry S. is dead, and therefore you are not her.

[PopeBenXVI]

Only if that means I leave the country to be run by people like you.

[mpjh]

Then you should be shaken in your boots with fear 'cause we are in charge.

[PopeBenXVI]

Not Really, I am still hear with my Bible and Guns to Cling to. Do you have anything important to add to our discussion here or would you rather Troll this one down the line.