Atheism and death

[crankysaurus]

I was brought up Catholic but became atheist about 15 years ago, had drifted a bit in terms of faith but then had an experience (not abuse) that gave me clarity over my thoughts.

I've been completely happy with my belief that there is no god, but I do struggle with the finality of death and bereavement tends to hit me like a ton of bricks. I know this isn't unusual and I know people get affected differently by grief whatever their beliefs, but I'm lacking some way of dealing with it or having a resolution to it if that makes sense, given the absence of an afterlife. Some way to be at peace with death.

Not sure this really makes sense but I'd be curious to know how other atheists cope with that finality of death, beyond it just being very, very sad.

There is no life after death. Near death experiences are a chemical and electrical illusion caused by body processes. No more true than dreams.

We wear out so we die. Example - I am not sad for Prince Phillip, I am sad for the queen. The job is to do a bit of good while we are hear and leave things as tidy as we can.

For me, death will be exactly the same as before I was born . I am not frightened of death, dying however can be a horrible painful experience and I don’t like to dwell on it.
(For those of a religious bent, why would a god devise such a horrific way for us to go to a supposed heaven? Death for many comes after suffering, trauma, pain and fear? It seems truly psychopathic to me. )

I deal with death as an atheist by trying to live "as heaven on earth" whilst here.

I would love a heaven, eternal consciousness, but can't accept a religion to believe.

I don't fear death at all.. But I am terrified of knowing I'm going to die.

I'm not even frightened of the process of dying... I just would rather be alive... like I don't want to be made to leave the party.

Not sure if that makes any sense...but I think about it a lot.

I just don't think about it at all. Different bits of me are born/die all the time. E.g. the version of me that was a daughter living at home no longer exists. The version ofme that was a wife no longer exists. The version of me that liked drinking peach schnapps no longer exists. The version that likes crochet appeared 7 years ago.
We aren't static beings, death is just another change.

As an atheist neither death nor dying worry me mainly because it’s generally unavoidable and is inevitable.
I would obviously prefer a painless exit from life but that too is probably outside my control to a large extent.
I’m happy to think I am part of nature and I will be recycled in some form when the time comes.
My body is going to medical science so no mawkish ceremony thank goodness!
Having lost both very elderly parents very recently and sat through their funerals that my sisters dominated just confirms my feelings.

@LeaveMyDamnJam

For me, death will be exactly the same as before I was born . I am not frightened of death, dying however can be a horrible painful experience and I don’t like to dwell on it. (For those of a religious bent, why would a god devise such a horrific way for us to go to a supposed heaven? Death for many comes after suffering, trauma, pain and fear? It seems truly psychopathic to me. )

I feel the same regarding a so-called beneficent god and having gone to a RC school you can add Purgatory into the maelstrom too 😳

Make the very most of life you can because you're a long time dead. That's what I reckon.

I came from nothing, I go back to nothing.

I don't have a soul.

A lot of people worry about "after" but I don't. I'm at peace with the idea that once I die, that's it. No heaven, no afterlife, nothing. It's not scary, it just reminds you to get as much done as you can whilst you're alive.

@crankysaurus

I was brought up Catholic but became atheist about 15 years ago, had drifted a bit in terms of faith but then had an experience (not abuse) that gave me clarity over my thoughts.

I've been completely happy with my belief that there is no god, but I do struggle with the finality of death and bereavement tends to hit me like a ton of bricks. I know this isn't unusual and I know people get affected differently by grief whatever their beliefs, but I'm lacking some way of dealing with it or having a resolution to it if that makes sense, given the absence of an afterlife. Some way to be at peace with death.

Not sure this really makes sense but I'd be curious to know how other atheists cope with that finality of death, beyond it just being very, very sad.

"I do struggle with the finality of death" - that's because it's a pretty big thing and final.

Simple choice - get on with life as a normal rational human being, or see if you can find a misogynistic fairy tale that you can lie to yourself that you believe to make yourself feel better.