How can there be nothingness after death?

Question

Atheists believe that there is no god. But does that mean there is no afterlife? How can there be nothingness?

About atheists, by the way...doesn't the thought of just dying seem so...bleak? You could die at any moment, so isn't it comforting to believe you will be going somewhere after your death? Or is the supposed "truth" (I am a Christian who is torn) "liberating?"

And don't you think it is special that I can write a bunch of sentences all questions?

Answer 1

there is something after death to address the atheists, from a scientific point of view energy never ceases to exist it just changes form check out who said that here-   http://www.freewebs.com/juliferguson/

Answer 2

Bro people choose not to believe in God because they love there sin. Or they are really lost cause any moron can see that there was a creator. Dont let the unbelievers get ya down. www.freehovind.com watch some of the semonars under the watch section. If ya got any doubt im here for ya Christian brother.

Answer 3

Though the thought of death is scary it is not bleak. Most people do not need a fear of h**l to do right, and many people do not need the promise of heaven to do good.

Answer 4

There is not way i can believe in a lie, even if nothingness after death is scary.

Answer 5

It's the same as not existing before you were born. Why is that so frightening?

It would be comforting, but it would also be deceiving myself.

Answer 6

I am Atheist and I do not believe in an afterlife.

It is comforting to think that there is an afterlife, and it is very difficult to think of death being the end of your personal world, but I accept it and my life does not seem meaningless for it.

Answer 7

Do you remember anything before you were born?

Exactly.

Making up fairy tales is a coward's way of facing death.

Answer 8

You were born of dust, and so shall you return to dust. It's quite a beautiful philosophy, actually. Everyone gets their moment in the sun. And as for the thought of an 'afterlife', well ... I know that I'm but a tiny speck in our massive universe, so why should I be concerned about my own death? Knowing that I'm pretty much insignificant in the big picture makes me want to enjoy my life even more.

Answer 9

What was there before you were born?

There will be other things going on though, always have been...just won't be you.

The liberating part you need to experience for yourself - can't really describe it.

First sentence ain't no question.

Answer 10

I rather live my life fully than be FORCED to be conscious FOREVER in an afterlife. I'd become suicidal and I'd be forbidden end my life/consciousness.

How more bleak can you get than that?!

A good story is good because it has an ending. "Happy ever after."

But going to heaven is "happily ever... ever... ever... ever...." IT NEVER ENDS. How boring!

Answer 11

I died a hateful Christian hating Atheist. When I slipped over into nothingness there were no lights or whatever. But what was there was what made the difference. I could see, but not with my eyes like we do now. It was spirit to spirit. The  presence of Jesus and Satan almost crushed me. It was like I could not breathe. Crushing me. I could hardly breathe.

I made it back by the grace of Jesus, Why? I do not know. I try to find out and live whatever it is on a daily basis.

Answer 12

There is a whole lot more in your afterlife, than there is here and now!  Your life here on earth is what? About 70-80 years?

Your Spirit lives on forever!  This is a lo-o-ong time!

Life here is a blink of an eye, 'there'.

I have had a near-death experience and I can tell you; there is so much more to this,  that you could not even begin to comprehend!

Let me just say this;  It is a big part of the unknown that few learn and come back and remember or talk about.

Answer 13

1st question: How can there be a beginning before life?

2nd question: Pascal's wager...

3rd question: I believe a group of hyenas could do that just as well.

Answer 14

Religion was developed for the weak that have trouble dealing with the facts of life and death. Too bad you need the crutch of religion instead of reality.

Answer 15

You may not remember what you ate 2 weeks ago but you do know that you were here; that was a pretty lame argument.  and also, nobody here has been dead yet, so you are preaching to the choir.   You are confusing your beliefs as if they were fact.

Answer 16

There was nothingness before we were born, right? What's so d**n hard to understand about that? I don't need to say "this sounds nice, so I'll believe in it anyway because it seems comforting." That's a form of self-delusion and in the long run, would only make me more miserable.

Answer 17

I don't know if there is an afterlife - that belongs in the realm of speculation until it can be proven. And it doesn't matter if death seems bleak, it doesn't make it any less of a reality. Whether something is pleasant or unpleasant, it doesn't have any weight on its truth.

Answer 18

After death...

your consciousness is gone.

But the "molecules" that make up you... will be recycled by microorganisms.

They don't disappear into "nothingness"

Just transformed into different molecules.

Answer 19

My death won't result in the end of everything, just the end of me.  My bodily organs will cease functioning and my body will be consumed by simpler organisms.  Death is actually important to the ecological cycle and the world will go on.  Maybe it would be comforting to believe in heaven or something like that, that doesn't make it a credible idea.  My standards of beliefs are higher just than believing what I wish were true.

Answer 20

What was there before you were born? You go back to that same state. The thought of dying does seem a bit bleak, but I can't just one day decide to believe just because I think it will make me feel better. It may be very comforting to believe that there is actually something after death but that won't make it real if it isn't.

Answer 21

Religion isn't about being comfortable. It's about being happy, and realizing (what you believe is) the truth.

Answer 22

The point to remembering what happened before you were conceived is that you did not exist, just like you will not exist after you die.  I will not tough the profound theological implications of being in heaven prior to being born as that makes God into an extremely cruel deity.

Death is simple the end of life, imagining that there is something after offers the same comfort as believing the tooth fairy will take your tooth and give you money.  

Answer 23

What about nothingness before life?  Without my consciousness, life will still go on, I just won't be there to observe it.  Do you think that it's justifiable to believe in a God and follow a religion just for the supposed eternal reward?  Don't you think that God might catch on?

Answer 24

Waiting to see how the fundie Atheists here answer, it should be very entertaining !!!

oooooooooooooh darn !!!

Look at those thumbs down, I must have hurt their pooooor wittle fundie Atheist feewings.

Wait !!! I know !!! I will throw a pity party on 3 for them, READY?  her it goes 1, 2, 3. awwwwwwwwwwwww !!!!

Answer 25

Before I start, I'm sorry for the long answer and I'm sorry if I offend you. I didn't mean to.

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Dying is a natural part of life. Grass dies-- do you think your lawn will have an afterlife? What about your pet dog? Is there a doggie heaven for him, or is he going to your heaven, or is he just dead?

How can the concept of nothingness be anymore unbelievable of an floating paradise or reincarnation?

I don't think the idea of dying is bleak. In fact, I take some relief in knowing that know matter how tired I am now, eventually I will have my eternal rest. Personally, I find the idea of living forever to be bleak. I mean, if you go to Christian heaven, you will live forever. FOREVER. Do you realize that? What are you going to do for FOREVER? I am in no way depressed or suicidal, but I certainly would not want to live for that long. I just want to be happy, contribute to the world the best I can, try to make it a better place for the next generation, then move on.

As for the fact that I could die any minute, I'm not afraid of death whatsoever. I will do whatever I can to prevent my death, but I'm not going to angst over circumstances that I can't control. Even more, the idea that my time could be cut short any minute only gives me more motivation to make the most of my life now.

I raised Christian, and have attended Baptist, Lutheran, and Catholic Churches. I've even been to Jewish temple. I only recently came to the decision that was atheist within the last two years, (my friends know, but the only person in my family who knows is my sister). I still sometimes worry that maybe I am wrong and will be sent to h**l for not believing. But then I remember this: why would I want to associate with a religion that condemns people for not believing in one thing? To me, it's as silly as sending somehow to h**l because they like Butter Pecan ice cream. In my perspective, if there IS a heaven, then why can't all good people get in? I don't believe in any God, but I try not to hurt people and do what's right. Shouldn't that be enough for heaven?

In the long run, there are soooo many different religions, that I find it hard to believe that any single one of them can be the only right one. So, rather than trying to do all the religions of the world, I'm just crossing my fingers and assuming they are all wrong. I honestly admire people like my mother, however, who have such strong, unshakable faith. I don't have faith like that. Some days, I wish I did. But I just don't have it in me to believe in something without seeing it.

I wish you good luck in exploring your spirituality. I suggest that you study World History and/or World Religions to get a better understanding of where religions came from and how they evolved into what they are today. It's a fascinating course of study, and taking my AP World History class last year really cinched my final decision to consciously consider myself atheist, (Biology freshman year helped with that too, plus rereading the Bible.)  

Answer 26

jesus said i go to prepare a place for you.. death unto life ... to be absent from the body is to present with the lord. our soul goes back to the creator we will return with him when he sets up the new world and heaven ... we take this on faith and he will desl with our spirits as we submit to him and we will know this is truth  

Answer 27

Yes

Did you have a great great-grandparent?  Ask one of them what is going on and see if you get any response.

No

No.

Not No but ***** no.

Answer 28

Atheists find it easier or more logical to believe that there is no afterlife... after all, there is no evidence for it.  

I'm not an atheist, but I'm not particularly concerned with the afterlife.  The thought of nothingness doesn't seem bleak, mainly because if that's what happens, I won't know.  If I die and reincarnate, super, if not, I won't know the difference.

Answer 29

Just because something gives you comfort (such as Christianity does for people who are afraid of death) doesn't make it true, and makes it a pretty crappy reason to believe in it.

Have you ever had a deep dreamless sleep? As if there was a gap in continuity between falling asleep and waking up? That gap is pretty much what death will be like. Bleak or not, that's reality.

Answer 30

Correct, we believe there is no god and therefore no afterlife.  We don't say there will be "nothingness".  The world will go on just as it does without us.  When I die, the neurons in my brain will stop firing and I, as an individual, will cease to exist.  I don't fool myself into believing there is a separate soul in me that will continue on.  I know my experiences are a result of my biology and the chemistry within my body.

As for bleakeness, this belief does not leave me feeling as though there is something to be desired.  In fact, it causes me to appreciate every day that I do have that much more.  I know my time is limited.  I know I may not have tomorrow and I surely wont have the afterlife to do things I missed out on during this life.  The lack of an afterlife motivates me to do more in my one life.

Answer 31

Well from what we can tell, consciousness requires a healthy and active body. Without the healthy/active body, consciousness cannot exist. Therefor the "nothingness" your speaking of is really just the lack of consciousness.

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"You could die at any moment, so isn't it comforting to believe you will be going somewhere after your death? "

That is an appeal to consequence/desirability. My opinion has no effect on weather it is "true" or not. I prefer to stick to the evidence to form my ideals rather than jump for the end conclusion.