As an atheist, how do you cope with the thought of death?

[Hippopo]

After years of trying to convince myself that there is a God...  Then trying to convince myself that the agnostic approach was better...  I have thrown all of that out the window, and I've declared myself an...

ATHEIST

And I've never been happier.

Oh, and I don't really care about the afterlife.  I'd assume non-exsistence feels fine.  It's pretty much the same as before I was born.

[silvertone]

Maybe it is because I am still going to church, which I have done so my whole life, but I cannot shake off the feeling that there is some form of afterlife and/or god-being. Life is too asburd for their not to be 1 imho idk.

[Slim]

It's sad to see an interesting, worthwhile question like this degenerate into bickering over philosophical jargon (read over Thyme's posts, btw, for the right answer to this discussion). But oh well.

[don't let's]

It's sad to see an interesting, worthwhile question like this degenerate into bickering over philosophical jargon (read over Thyme's posts, btw, for the right answer to this discussion). But oh well.

The one about doodthing? Or one of the other ones? 'Cause there were a few and I didn't really retain any info reading through here.

[Slim]

The one about doodthing? Or one of the other ones? 'Cause there were a few and I didn't really retain any info reading through here.

the other ones, but the doodthing one is good too

[wawi]

so what if after we "die" we are woken up and it was all a computer simulation!?

[Nyerp]

what if u could dodge a bullet

[Tri4se]

I take the stance that arguing over the existence of god is pointless because there will never be an answer. If he does exist then he doesn't do much to help the world, so I don't give a fuck. If he's imaginary then I don't give a fuck. Bickering over it does nothing, therefore I don't give a fuck

[Clara Listensprechen]

I've never really been religious, and have considered myself agnostic for the last few years of my life, but after some solid critical thinking, I would definitely consider myself an atheist. I've also put some serious thought into the concept of death and nothingness, and the idea that our lives are just a small part of existence's timeline. And for a while I felt really fucking insignificant and unimportant. I've thought about it more, and decided that as long as I can live a happy life, my life will be worth living, but that still doesn't shake the feeling that once you die, everything is over.

How do you cope with this?

What's wrong with it? What makes that in need of coping skills?

There are some people who are long dead but still seem to live forever. Nero, for example--he still has one-name recognition. As you look over your well-lived life, are you sure there are parts of it that *should* live on forever? I mean, the last person I want to be like is Nero.  What I had in mind was more like Santa Claus, who started out as a small bishop but has attained a better sort of immortality.

[Clara Listensprechen]

what if u could dodge a bullet

What if green apples were purple.

[Clara Listensprechen]

so what if after we "die" we are woken up and it was all a computer simulation!?

Close.
We're a bunch of organized elemental molecules that will break up and become somebody else's parts eventually.

[snoorkel]

How so? I cannot possibly fathom some sort of afterlife, so how is it another birth? Unless you do expect some sort of afterlife to occur, in which case you should elaborate because I am interested.

I think the false ideas of 'heaven' and 'afterlife' that get put in people's heads turn them off of the idea that individual consciousness can somehow transcend earthly existence, but I'm somewhat sure that this happens. Yes I am no better than the average theist, but I have found evidence to believe that a dynamic energy which is uniquely mine inhabits my body, and has the ability to go to other places (I wo uld use a term like creative intuition instead of 'soul' or 'spirit'). Other places are all inside my own head and my own psychology, but so is the world each of us creates for ourselves -- is it really outside of you and objectively separate? Or are your senses creating a virtual image from limitless waves fluctuating around in hyperspace for the sake of your understanding?

So I think the question 'what happens when you die' implies a little too much about the nature of reality. I do not expect to literally be 'rebirthed', or even to 'die'. I am alive with Universe as I always will be, and so can you!!!

[Daddy]

lol

[silvertone]

Ghostic Atheist

[Zach]

Because science.

I'm pretty sure that's not how science works.