As of now, i don't believe in an after life. To me, nothing is more likely to happen after i die, total nothingness. I live perfectly fine with this thought and way of thinking. Why is it that christians, muslims say I'm going to burn in the lake of fire forever for not believing in their religion, as if that is a bad thing?

I think nothing will happen after i die, total nothingness. Realistically, wouldn't you say that was the most scariest thing?, think about it, total nothingness, just dead, gone forever nothing. I would like to see a christian or muslim live one week away from their religion, and have the thought of there being nothing after life, they would probably crumble.

Back to what i was saying, so why is hell a bad thing? atleast it's something. Isn't something better than nothing. At least in hell i would be feeling something, pain, suffering...but its something, right? Compared to there being nothing, i would probably choose hell any day.

So, I'm perfectly fine living with the thought that there will be nothing, and when i die, if there is nothing, then i win because i expected it. But when i die, and if i go to hell and feel something, then i still win, because it would be more beneficial to me than there being nothing.

Lol nice arguement.

Well I'd rather not exist then go to hell, just like you'd commit suicide rather than get tortured to death.

I agree with the OP. I also believe there will be absolutely nothing after death.

However I don't agree that hell would be better than nothing. The thought of nothingness is not scary at all. The only reason you are afraid of "nothing" is because you currently exist. You are thinking, you have emotions, feelings and experience.

All of these connect you to reality and the physical world in many different ways, whether it is an emotional bond between friends and family, a memory of something you love doing, or an experience you want to repeat.

As selfish as it may sound, you won't "miss" your life when you are dead. You won't long to do something you always loved doing, or ache to go somewhere you always wanted to go. You won't remember the world, your life or anything to do with it.

Even though this all seems scary now, it's important to remember that when you die, you will be the only one that isn't consciously aware of the fact that you are dead.

Why would you want to go to hell instead of nothing? Why would you want to feel pain instead of nothing? With pain there must be thought. You can't feel pain if you don't know what it is. I believe that if you do find yourself in hell, you WILL remember your life, friends, family etc.

On the flip side, if you find yourself "born" in hell, with no idea what brought you there or that you once existed in a much nicer environment than hell, it still wouldn't be that bad. Without anything to compare your present state to, you won't be able to comprehend "good" or "bad", and you're understanding of hell will be much different to what you imagine it to be now.

Nothingness will not be bad and we shouldn't be afraid of it. It speaks for itself. If there is "nothing", there wont be good, bad, happiness, sadness or any kind of emotion that might make it, - at THIS point in time - seem like the scariest scenario after death.

When you're dead, you won't know it. Being dead will be the easiest most emotionally neutral and stress free state you will ever find your mind in. (or not in. whatever)

EDIT: speeeling.

[This message has been edited by fungo (edited 03-18-2007).]

quote:Originally posted by fungo:

I agree with the OP. I also believe there will be absolutely nothing after death.

However I don't agree that hell would be better than nothing. The thought of nothingness is not scary at all. The only reason you are afraid of "nothing" is because you currently exist. You are thinking, you have emotions, feelings and experience.

All of these connect you to reality and the physical world in many different ways, whether it is an emotional bond between friends and family, a memory of something you love doing, or an experience you want to repeat.

As selfish as it may sound, you won't "miss" your life when you are dead. You won't long to do something you always loved doing, or ache to go somewhere you always wanted to go. You won't remember the world, your life or anything to do with it.

Even though this all seems scary now, it's important to remember that when you die, you will be the only one that isn't consciously aware of the fact that you are dead.

Why would you want to go to hell instead of nothing? Why would you want to feel pain instead of nothing? With pain there must be thought. You can't feel pain if you don't know what it is. I believe that if you do find yourself in hell, you WILL remember your life, friends, family etc.

On the flip side, if you find yourself "born" in hell, with no idea what brought you there or that you once existed in a much nicer environment than hell, it still wouldn't be that bad. Without anything to compare your present state to, you won't be able to comprehend "good" or "bad", and you're understanding of hell will be much different to what you imagine it to be now.

Nothingness will not be bad and we shouldn't be afraid of it. It speaks for itself. If there is "nothing", there wont be good, bad, happiness, sadness or any kind of emotion that might make it, - at THIS point in time - seem like the scariest scenario after death.

When you're dead, you won't know it. Being dead will be the easiest most emotionally neutral and stress free state you will ever find your mind in. (or not in. whatever)

EDIT: speeeling.



Yea, i totally understand what you're saying, and yes, there being nothing after life seems scary, because I'm alive now, but once dead, just DEAD. Totally agree.

But, i would prefer hell over nothing, because hell seems the better choice, because wouldn't it have some kind of meaning?..and with there being nothing, it wouldn't have no meaning, just nothingness.

So i guess, i would prefer to be in a place with meaning even if the meaning is suffering, rather than just nothing, speaking from being alive now and being attached to existence.

yes, nothingness would be easy and the most relaxed place ever. But not when you're attached to life, thinking of nothingness, lol.

I guess that's where religion exploits most people.

If you asked someone who describes their life as a "living hell", bordering on suicide and basically hating their existence, you'd find they'd probably rather "nothingness".

I don't believe in hell, but it's a concept I'd hate to ever experience. I don't know what your concept of hell is, but from what I've constructed in my mind, I'd prefer anything, or in this case, nothing.

too bad that the moment before you die will be the most stressful, painful experience you'll ever know. Followed by silence.

When I was first learning atheist beliefs I found it hard to grasp that there was nothing after death but, then I heard it compared to going to sleep. Except in death I assume you don't dream.

quote:Originally posted by gunjah:

too bad that the moment before you die will be the most stressful, painful experience you'll ever know. Followed by silence.

and, how many times have you died and noticed these things?

There is something after death but we just don't know what it is. If there is nothingness, its not that bad because there is nothingness to feel. If you die in your sleep you go from life to nothing. Easy out. If you're dying somewhere/waiting for death, you go from a struggle to live to nothingness. Peace after pain. The momemnt you die, there is nothing, no regret that you died, no wanting of heaven or hell or any afterlife at all. Just nothing.

I think believing in nothing is a cop out. Its cheap.

Believing in nothing is realistic. It's arrogant to think that after death we'll be prancing around on the clouds or floating around as spirits. We've been given a life to live and it's great. We should be happy with what we've got. Anything besides nothingness just seems like false hope and selfishness.