Racking my brain

[Shinizo]

Im not sure if this is a debate type thing, but I couldn't think of where else to put it.

Some thing has been bugging me really bad lately. It's pretty much to a point where I don't want to sleep. Cause it's the only time I think about it.

So I was talking to my friend one day, and he suggested that when we die, we're just nothing. We cease to exist. I asked him why he thought that, and he said dying is just like going to sleep except you don't wake up. Then he went on to saying death is like pre-birth. You don't remember it, you never existed, so death should be the same. He went on to say he doesn't know what's after death, but that's what he thinks, and it's gotten me so flustered. Do I want to never exist again? No, but it seems like a very high possibility that this can happen. and I'm sure it won't matter when we die either. It's just scary to think about time flowing on forever and yer just dead at some little point in it to never exist again.

It's actually gotten me to think really weird things, too. What's the point of living if this is true? Was religion created to subside this fact? I don't know any of these things, and there's too much speculation out there to get the kind of answers I'm wanting.

I just want to put my mind at rest so I can sleep again. I'm so tired.

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[Reaper]

I think that's called atheism.

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[Chyse]

It's actually gotten me to think really weird things, too. What's the point of living if this is true? Was religion created to subside this fact? I don't know any of these things, and there's too much speculation out there to get the kind of answers I'm wanting.

I've thought about this a lot, and stayed up a few late nights pondering.
In my opinion the point of living, if this is true, is to have fun, and to make a mark. to do something that people will remember you by. it doesn't have to be anything huge or global, just be remembered in your state, or city, or town. or anything really. to change something somewhere in the world and make it better or even worse.
these are my two examples of people that fulfilled this:
Buddah, peaceful, started a religion.
Hitler, evil piece of crap, forever hated and in the history books.

thanks to Buddah, there is a new religion. He made his mark on the world. Buddism will be around for a long time and it will always been in records.
thanks to Hitler, 11 million people were killed before their time. He made his mark and will be remembered as an dimwit pretty much globally forever.

i think life's about making a change in the world before you leave it. that's all. good or bad. (but you should obviously strive for good lol).


and yes, i think religion was created to make people feel better about this. Take Christianity for example. In Christian teachings, people aren't told that if they're a good person and have faith etc, they'll have good rewards now. Christianity teaches that if you're good now, you'll go to heaven when you die. There's no reward for it in life, only in afterlife. The entire teaching is based upon going to Heaven. It gives people hope for afterlife so they can die peacefully, which is why religion is good generally, even if i don't believe in it. Religion gives people something to hold on to, even when that something may not actually be there.

I've thought about how i'll feel when i'm going to die. And i think i'll come to terms with my death by thinking that life has to end and that's the end for me. I'd have done all i could in life, and hopefully touched others lives along the way. I'll have people who love me, and people who will remember me, and maybe people who's lives have changed because i was there.
That to me is a successful life, and i think i could die in peace if i knew i had or had done those things.

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[manadren]

So here's my point of view. And yes I'm an atheist, but this isn't exactly the atheist point of view, there really is no such thing, there's a lot of different atheists.

When you die you no longer exist. You simply aren't, and I don't see that as a bad thing. You haven't lost anything, it isn't pain or torment or bliss or euphoria, you just simply aren't there to feel or care about anything. It's simply the end, and everything must end sooner or later.

As for the meaning of life, well there isn't one, except for one you create for yourself. You can see this as disheartening, that nothing has meaning, or you can see it a freeing. Since there is no defined meaning to life, the meaning is something you find for yourself. And because you don't have a predetermined purpose you don't have to be or do anything you don't want to. You find out what is important to you, and you go with that.

That's not to say that this is all a free pass to do whatever you want. Those who don't believe in an afterlife or a meaning to life can be some of the most moral people on the planet, they just have different reasons.

When you don't have a goal beyond this life, when you don't have a predefined purpose of life, you begin to realize the importance of what you have now. The sanctity of life comes from it's fragility, and the commonalities shared between yourself and other living things.

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[robonightmare]

welcome to my world, Shinizo.

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[Stasi]

So here's my point of view. And yes I'm an atheist, but this isn't exactly the atheist point of view, there really is no such thing, there's a lot of different atheists.

When you die you no longer exist. You simply aren't, and I don't see that as a bad thing. You haven't lost anything, it isn't pain or torment or bliss or euphoria, you just simply aren't there to feel or care about anything. It's simply the end, and everything must end sooner or later.

How is that not "the atheist" view?



goalguarder12 said:

thanks to Buddah, there is a new religion. He made his mark on the world. Buddism will be around for a long time and it will always been in records.

A "new religion"? Sure, Buddhism will be around for a long time... and it already HAS BEEN around for a long time.


Shinizo said:

Im not sure if this is a debate type thing, but I couldn't think of where else to put it.

Some thing has been bugging me really bad lately. It's pretty much to a point where I don't want to sleep. Cause it's the only time I think about it.

So I was talking to my friend one day, and he suggested that when we die, we're just nothing. We cease to exist. I asked him why he thought that, and he said dying is just like going to sleep except you don't wake up. Then he went on to saying death is like pre-birth. You don't remember it, you never existed, so death should be the same. He went on to say he doesn't know what's after death, but that's what he thinks, and it's gotten me so flustered. Do I want to never exist again? No, but it seems like a very high possibility that this can happen. and I'm sure it won't matter when we die either. It's just scary to think about time flowing on forever and yer just dead at some little point in it to never exist again.

It's actually gotten me to think really weird things, too. What's the point of living if this is true? Was religion created to subside this fact? I don't know any of these things, and there's too much speculation out there to get the kind of answers I'm wanting.

I just want to put my mind at rest so I can sleep again. I'm so tired.

So now you're starting see what I've griped about in these forums for a while now. There is no certainty, and because there is no certainty, it sure is hard to believe that any religion is true. I'm not an atheist, I'm agnostic. I'm not arrogant enough to assert that there is no god, but I see no reason in my own life to believe in one. I think a lot of ethics and morals can be formed by taking a look at humans as being animals. For the species to do as well as it could, it behooves humanity to exercise restraint over their natural urges (i.e. greed, lust, hate, anger, etc.), as well as have the balls to defend themselves as needed. I believe that death is the end.

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[manadren]

So here's my point of view. And yes I'm an atheist, but this isn't exactly the atheist point of view, there really is no such thing, there's a lot of different atheists.

When you die you no longer exist. You simply aren't, and I don't see that as a bad thing. You haven't lost anything, it isn't pain or torment or bliss or euphoria, you just simply aren't there to feel or care about anything. It's simply the end, and everything must end sooner or later.

How is that not "the atheist" view?

I suppose that essentially is the atheist point of view, I just don't want to speak for all atheists.

Not all atheists are the same. For example there are atheists who says that god definitely does not exist, I, as you so put it, am not so arrogant. I simply find religion and supernatural belief unnecessary, and choose to put my trust behind things that can be proven. So I'm just assuming a negative until such time as valid supporting evidence reveals itself. I was agnostic for a very long time, but it's kind of freeing when you give up on the question you know you can't answer.

But among atheists there are those who believe that god cannot exist, and those that believe that religion is a virus to be wiped out, and those that believe that theists are all idiots and can't see how someone would want to believe. And it's just like anything else, there are varying viewpoints on the different aspects of non-belief. I agree with some and not so much with others.

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[Chyse]

goalguarder12 said:

thanks to Buddah, there is a new religion. He made his mark on the world. Buddism will be around for a long time and it will always been in records.

A "new religion"? Sure, Buddhism will be around for a long time... and it already HAS BEEN around for a long time.

Buddhism is the newest official and semi-popular religion i'm pretty sure. So it still is fairly new compared to other major religions.
And i meant he established a new religion. Like Muhammad established a new religion called Islam. It's obviously not new now, but it's another one and it was a "new" religion when it was created.

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[Stasi]

goalguarder12 said:

thanks to Buddah, there is a new religion. He made his mark on the world. Buddism will be around for a long time and it will always been in records.

A "new religion"? Sure, Buddhism will be around for a long time... and it already HAS BEEN around for a long time.

Buddhism is the newest official and semi-popular religion i'm pretty sure. So it still is fairly new compared to other major religions.
And i meant he established a new religion. Like Muhammad established a new religion called Islam. It's obviously not new now, but it's another one and it was a "new" religion when it was created.

Buddhism predates Christianity by about 500 years, and Islam by over 1000. That's what you call an "ancient religions". It's not new in any sense.

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[Chyse]

goalguarder12 said:



A "new religion"? Sure, Buddhism will be around for a long time... and it already HAS BEEN around for a long time.

Buddhism is the newest official and semi-popular religion i'm pretty sure. So it still is fairly new compared to other major religions.
And i meant he established a new religion. Like Muhammad established a new religion called Islam. It's obviously not new now, but it's another one and it was a "new" religion when it was created.

Buddhism predates Christianity by about 500 years, and Islam by over 1000. That's what you call an "ancient religions". It's not new in any sense.

okay, but when buddhism started wasn't the main idea of what i was talking about. he began a religion. and since it was not already there at the time, it was new. so he started a religion. that was the point i was trying to make.


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[Shinizo]

Religion may have beencreated to serve as a purpose to make us think there is something after life, since we are the only species who deals with these kind of issues and want us to be seperate from the lesser beings.

However, I still choose to believe I'm a christian, I just have a bit wavering viewpoint. I think you can pretty much label me anything you like, just because I'm having a bit of trouble keeping faith. But part of faith is believing in the uncertainty, and it could be a test or not.

It would be nice if there is a life after death. I don't like to think of time as moving on forever and not existing though. Maybe I want to see everything that happens.

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[flowergirlajg]

Im gonna cry

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