A Question About The Soul
This topic and all the comments it generated in the last post has been fascinating. I am writing next week’s HNN article about it right now. I’ve grown curious to know how many of you believe in the continued existence of the soul after death. Even more than that I wonder if you feel fear or despair at the idea that our consciousness totally ceases.
Would you do me a favor, even if you’ve never commented before? Even if you want to use an anonymous name and a fake email. Please sign in and tell us:
1) Do you believe the soul continues to exist after death?
2) Have you found peace with the probability that when it’s over it is really over? Does this fill you with fear and dread? Or are you somewhere in between (please explain).
And please, this one post is just for the non-religious only. If you’re religious and feel a need to comment, please leave it in the previous post.
Thanks in advance!
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March 9th, 2007 @ 9:58 am
1) Do you believe the soul continues to exist after death? No. I believe in the law of conservation of energy, so in that sence, the engeryflowing through us continues in another form, but not any “us” or “soul”.
2) Have you found peace with the probability that when it’s over it is really over? Does this fill you with fear and dread? Or are you somewhere in between (please explain). I am at peace with it and I dont fear/dread it. In a way, its what I always believe. Even when I was religious, I still never really truely believed in an afterlife, it was alway infathomable to me…eternity just didnt make sence. I do fear it now only in the way that I have 3 small children and I would be so sad to think of them growing up motherless if something happened, but no…I am actually comforted by the idea of it being “over when its over”.
March 9th, 2007 @ 10:17 am
1) No, I do not believe our soul or any form of our consciousness exists after we die.
2) I’m ok with it. If I start to fret, I remind myself that I had no consciousness for the (infinite?) period of time before I was born. I’ve got no problems with accepting *that* reality. After death isn’t any different, ultimately.
Jen
March 9th, 2007 @ 11:33 am
1) Do you believe the soul continues to exist after death?
Most certainly not in a conscious form of any sort. As stated by a previous commenter, I believe in the law of conservation of energy. All life is energy – the firing of infinite neurons. I like to think that, when I die, perhaps that energy will reenter the ether and become a part of something else. Maybe the “spark of life”, as it leaves me, gets lucky and fires the spark that begins a fetal heartbeat somewhere down the line. (I suppose it could just as easily be a bolt of lightning or a centipede, but hey.) It’s why I’ve always found the idea of reincarnation so fascinating. Not because I believe my conscious mind will be hidden away in some future form of myself; rather, our biological matter gets recycled into the food chain eventually so there’s a nice symmetry to the idea that the electricity firing the neural connections that make up our consciousness and personality maybe gets to continue on to fuel someone else’s brain.
2) Have you found peace with the probability that when it’s over it is really over? Does this fill you with fear and dread? Or are you somewhere in between (please explain).
I keep waiting for a better theory to explain some of the phenomenon of collective consciousness. If I could find a more rational basis to believe in it, then maybe I can hope that all the electrons in the energy in the air around us somehow have a form of memory. I know it’s far-fetched, but what can I say – I’m a dreamer. I like the idea that even the energy that makes up my perception of who “I Am” is part of a continuing pattern of sorts. There is order and logic to the universe in so many ways (which I don’t find the need to simplify or assign morality to by believing some omnipotent power has control over it). Perhaps, even in this, there is some order to it all to explain the sense of connectedness to environment that has been innate to human-kind as far back as at least recorded history.
That may have gone in more of an esoteric direction than I intended! Basically, the short answer is that I don’t believe in any traditional definitions of “a soul”, but I’m constantly hopeful of finding there is something more for my parts when I’m gone than resignation to worm food.
I think a psychologist would say that’s purely my ego, but even that makes me only human.
March 9th, 2007 @ 11:35 am
Wow, I just did a post on this the other day, and got a bunch of great comments: Do you want to live forever? or the many reasons why I don’t like death…
I got a wide range of responses, mostly from atheists, so I hope some of them might be helpful to you for your article!!!
March 9th, 2007 @ 11:37 am
1) That’s a tricky one. However, I do not believe that my consciousness exists after I die. I would hope that the actions in my life would have affected those around me, and that I may live on in memory or influence. To leave a legacy of a fulfilling life is all that one can hope for “existence” after death.
2) I have to accept it. It’s foolish not to. Most of the people we share this planet with need to believe in some sort of afterlife, either to cope with hardships in life… a promise of something better perhaps. A life unfulfilled might contribute to this irrational belief too. Make the most of your time here, because it’s all you get.
March 9th, 2007 @ 1:31 pm
1) No. The question assumes we have a soul, and I don’t believe we do.
2)Yes. I’ve taken somewhat of a stoic attitude towards death.
March 9th, 2007 @ 1:33 pm
1. No I don’t believe my soul continues after I die.
2. Yes I am at peace with this concept. I don’t live hoping to be reunited with loved ones some day. I feel sad that my dad died when my firstborn was very young, but I rejoice when I see him, his traits, mannerisms in both sons, and tell them about him at such opportunities. I don’t hide my feelings, and feel fortunate that I am who I am because of my own strengths, not having to give credit to some fictional god. I am sure they will tell their children about me some day.
March 9th, 2007 @ 1:56 pm
1) Do you believe the soul continues to exist after death?
I actually don’t believe the soul exists even before death. If we are alive and well, we have consciousness. But brain-dead people who are alive don’t. Neither of us have souls. Our consciousness ceases to exist when the brain stops working. Where does it go? I hope to the same place where music goes when the orchestra stops playing.
2) Have you found peace with the probability that when it’s over it is really over? Does this fill you with fear and dread? Or are you somewhere in between (please explain).
I am most uncomfortable with the idea, to say the least, but that’s exactly what I believe – it will be really over. When I was younger, I didn’t allow myself to think much of it. After all, my whole (and “long”) life was still ahead of me. Since then, I’ve seen a few people dear to me suffering from illnesses and dying before their time. All of a sudden, death started to make sense to me as the way to find peace and relief from pain, suffering, VERY old age. I often remind myself that life is short and it’s not worth it to sweat the small stuff. And I do find comfort reading you blog and hear from people with the same mind set.
March 9th, 2007 @ 1:59 pm
1. No, I do not believe in a soul or any sort of life after death.
2. I don’t fear or dread death, and I accept that I will just cease to exist when I die. I admit I wish we had more control over when that time comes, but that’s just the way it is.
March 9th, 2007 @ 2:46 pm
1. I do not believe in life after death, and don’t believe in “souls”.
2. Comment 7 above from Stacy sums up my answer to this question as well.
March 9th, 2007 @ 2:56 pm
I left one of the comments on C.L. Hanson’s blog, so I’ll keep this brief.
1) No, I don’t expect consciousness to continue after death.
2) I am at peace with this idea. We’ll see how I do when the time actually comes. I have been heavily influenced by Buddhist teachings on the impermanence of the world, and have found comfort in learning to give up my yearnings to protect my ego, my illusory sense of selfhood.
Before anyone objects to me leaving a comment, I am an atheist, just like the Buddha.
March 9th, 2007 @ 3:59 pm
1) Do you believe the soul continues to exist after death?
No. Not really… but, I believe we live on in the hearts and minds of all those that our life effected while we were alive. Not only our kids.. but, a huge chain effect everyone and anyone we ever made a difference to one way or another. Just like my life has been somehow effected by others that came and went far before my time and I may have never heard of.
2) Have you found peace with the probability that when it’s over it is really over?
Yes. I am not losing any sleep over it. Still, sometimes, I’d like to believe that I will see my Dad again someday… the thought is intriguing in the same way that it would be cool if he was an angel looking over me. But, I consider it wishful thinking… and not something to count on.
March 9th, 2007 @ 4:51 pm
1) No, I do not believe the soul continues on after death. I do not believe we have a soul. I believe we are conscious beings and when we die that consciousness ends. Period.
2) Yes, I am at peace with the idea that when it is over, it is over. It does not fill me with dread, it fills me with the desire to enjoy my life and loved ones.
I recently lost my mother, whom I loved dearly, and I still am at peace with this.
March 9th, 2007 @ 6:18 pm
1) It is highly unlikely there is anything like a soul that contiues after death.
2) “found peace”? Let’s not go gentle into that good night. Dread and fear, not in the least. A touch of sadness or occasional despair, yes. I think humans inately desire justice and closure and these are classically formulated in happy-ever-after stories. Being as there is no ever-after for the individual, this creates some dissonnence. Being as there is no final judgement-day justice, this create some sadness. It also makes atheist have a stronger moral imperative becuase we sense that that which is not made right now, will never be made right. The only “after” is the ripples we make in other peoples lives.
March 9th, 2007 @ 9:02 pm
I believe that death is the end of me. Brain damage may also be the end of “me” in some sense too. The best that I can do is to live in such a way that people will remember me or the world be in some small way different or better because I was here. But this is my only chance to make that difference. I am not scared to die … after all I won’t exist, so there is nothing to be scared of on that side of death. I am scared to leave my children unprotected and my husband without partnership. If I die before they do, I hope that I have given them enough love, guidance and companionship to see them through their days.
March 9th, 2007 @ 11:48 pm
1. No, in whatever sense we might have a soul, it ends when the orchestra stops playing. The “energy” of life and consciousness is in some ways analogous to physical energy, but not at all the same thing. There is no reason to think it would be conserved.
2. The thought that my life will end and really be over doesn’t bother me, and actually even when I was a Christian, the idea of being clover plowed under appealed to me more than a Garden of Eden without compost. But I do feel a kind of anxiety of not fully living, and the time limit does contribute to that.
March 10th, 2007 @ 8:24 am
I do not believe humans have “souls.” I do not believe in heaven or hell. Only because I haven’t died yet – and nobody has died and been able tell about their experience (at least no one I know or have spoken to). I don’t think it’s any different than believing in ghosts. I don’t think that humans know everything there is to know about life and death – that’s why I consider myself an agnostic. I don’t know what to think about “God.” I would like to just live my life – enjoy my life and make the most of it – while I’ve got it in the here and now. It helps me not take things for granted. Every breath we breathe, every day we have, every decision we make. These are the things we DO know and can appreciate. … So let’s!!
March 10th, 2007 @ 8:58 am
1. I believe that we continue ourselves through the genetic material we give to our children and the values and culture that we teach them. Just as I am a continuation of my ancestors who came over from Ireland and France, my children (if am fortunate enough to have them) will carry part of me forward so in a metaphorical sense I suppose the answer is yes. In a more literal sense (which I admit is what you really meant) it seems to me that the “soul”, or personality, is just the outward manifestation of a functioning brain, the result of movement of electro-chemical energy through the brain – when the brain stops working the soul is gone.
2. Interestingly this question is only meaningful if the answer to #1 is no – but given your audience it’s a safe assumption. To answer the question though it occurs to me that there was a time when I didn’t exist and some day there will be a time that I no longer exist. This divides eternity rather neatly (if unevenly) into 3 parts and gives me a set of temporal boundaries to add to my physical ones. This makes my existence that much more discrete and allows me to get a better handle on it. So I guess my answer to #2 is “Found peace”, although I don’t really think about it that way, my existence is what it is and I can work with that.
March 10th, 2007 @ 9:36 am
No, I do not believe we have a soul. I was born and raised Mormon, and after 31 years I am currently trying to leave the church (not an easy task). I never could grasp the idea of an afterlife. I believe that we make our mark on this world in whatever way we can, and then we are gone.
Yes, I am completely at peace with it. The thought of eternity, even in heaven was a nightmare to me. I need an end. My husband on the other hand, who is also leaving the Mormon church, has a hard time with it. It makes him very sad to think about us not going on.
March 10th, 2007 @ 10:36 am
1.) no – I do not believe we have a soul.
2.) I am somewhat saddened, but definitely not filled with dread. I would prefer to live forever, and will try to live as long as possible, but once I am dead I won’t care. The fear of death can only effect me while I am alive, so in a way it’s silly to worry about it.
Loosing loved ones while I am still alive, and contemplating the pain I may cause my family members when I die, those cause me more stress than fear of my own death. It is only the living that experience the lasting effects of death.
March 10th, 2007 @ 10:49 am
And I missed this part:
“And please, this one post is just for the non-religious only. If you’re religious and feel a need to comment, please leave it in the previous post.”
My post was out of line. I apologize.
March 10th, 2007 @ 11:40 am
1) I am, strictly speaking, an agnostic since I cannot attach 100% certainty to statements about things no empirical science currently available can investigate. But realistically, I think mind is brain, and the chances of there being any non-material or immortal form of my personal awareness are, I think, miniscule. When the brain sgtops working, nothing I have ever heard of convincingly suggests anything continues, except as others have said the impact of one’s life on others, in some cases one’s genes, and the non-personal persistence of one’s matter/energy as part of the universe as a whole.
2) Unlike most of the other commentators, I am a bit saddened by the likley complete dissolution of what I consider to be me, and a bit afraid of it as well. Granted, there’s nothing I can do about it, so I don’t waste a lot of energy trying to re-arrange the laws of physics, but I certainly see the appeal of religous consolation which promises no real separation from loved ones or loss of one’s identity. Sure, when I’m dead I won’t mind any more, but I mind a little now. The materialist and Buddhist arguments for why the self is an illusion of neurolgy in the first place help some, but I still feel like me and I’d rather not disappear. But the meaning of our lives is in our hands, so I try to understand and appreciate as much as I can, do what I think is right, and not miss a minute of the experience. More a pragmatic acceptance of reality as it is than any “inner peace.”
March 10th, 2007 @ 12:06 pm
I guess it’s time for me to finally answer the questions, seeing as I was partly responsible for them being raised in the first place. I guess I was still struggling with it (and continue to) so I wanted to make sure my answer was well thought out.
1. I guess I would say I’m an agnostic on this point. From all the evidence we have, I would have to say no. In fact, from all the evidence we have, I’d have to say we don’t have a soul in the first place. However, I do leave room for the fact that there are a LOT of things we don’t know about…well, everything. Why do some people conquer cancer and some succumb? Is there a limit to the universe and if yes, what’s beyond that limit? These are big questions that we may never have answers to and I think the existence of a soul fits squarely in that category.
2. Have I found peace with it? Apparently not. I waver between being excited about finding out if there is anything “beyond” and being utterly terrified of the probable nothingness. However, if I have found any peace, it’s that if the symphony simply ceases to play, I’ll never have a chance to “know” that. In this way, I feel my version of events is even more comforting than faith in the heaven/hell duality. If this is the only life I get, I’ll be more prone to live it to the fullest instead of always worrying about the afterlife; what it’s going to be like, how best to secure my own spot in the “good” parts, etc.
March 10th, 2007 @ 2:28 pm
1) Do you believe the soul continues to exist after death?
No – I don’t believe that there is any such thing as a “soul” that is separate from the physical body.
2) Have you found peace with the probability that when it’s over it is really over? Does this fill you with fear and dread? Or are you somewhere in between (please explain).
Yes, I believe that I fully accept that the end of bodily life really is the end of conscious, personal existence.
My only concern with death (so far!) is that I’m approaching the end somewhat faster than I would like to (at the age of 58), and have things I’d like to do, places I’d like to see etc. I’m worried that I’ll run out of lifetime, money and health before I get to the end of my “list”.
Btw, the list is not to be taken literally – I haven’t actually actually written things down, though your question prompts me to think about this perhaps being a good idea.
March 10th, 2007 @ 3:19 pm
1. No, I do not believe my “soul”, whatever thay may be, continues on after my physical death.
2. I am completely at peace with the notion of my death meaning I cease to exist in every fashion save memories others have of me. I occasionally have pangs of desire to be immortal so that I can see certain inventions or discoveries come to fruition, but they are always short-lived, and never fearful. I have no dread about my impending death, having long ago, even prior to my “awakening” coming to terms with it.
March 10th, 2007 @ 5:13 pm
1) Do you believe the soul continues to exist after death?
I would like for it to, but I’ve accepted the fact that it probably doesn’t.
2) Have you found peace with the probability that when it’s over it is really over? Does this fill you with fear and dread? Or are you somewhere in between (please explain).
This is one of the greatest challenges I’m facing with life, and that is accepting that it will one day be over. Sometimes I’m ok with the idea that I’ll cease to exist, but not without feeling a bit of sadness. Occasionally when I’m lying awake at night, or just sitting quietly and thinking I’ll get hit with a panic attack and fear about it. It’s a scary thought when I try to imagine there being no more me. The only comfort I have is knowing that those who are close to me will no longer exist either, and that it wouldn’t be worth living forever without them. So I quietly accept death, but not without a bit of despair or depression.
March 10th, 2007 @ 9:54 pm
Skysinger–Nothing about your post was out of line. I had certain types of religions in mind when I made that request. I just didn’t want people coming on this post and preaching about hell and damnation like in the previous one.
March 10th, 2007 @ 10:38 pm
1) I don’t believe in a soul at all, let alone the idea that one would continue to exist after death.
2) It’s intensely comforting to me that one day, this will all be over. I love life, my friends, my family, and everything, but living is so tedious, and consciousness is a pain. I can think of little that’s more comforting than the idea of death.
March 11th, 2007 @ 7:01 pm
1) Do you believe the soul continues to exist after death?
No. Even when I attended church (forced attendance) as a kid, I never really believed the soul continued to exist after death.
2) Have you found peace with the probability that when it’s over it is really over? Does this fill you with fear and dread? Or are you somewhere in between (please explain).
Yes, I am at peace with the probability that when it’s over, it’s really over. It doesn’t fill me with dread and fear to think that when I or my husband or my son dies that that will be the end of us. In fact, I’ve found that believing this way has been encouragement to regularly and often tell the people I love why I love them, why I enjoy their company, etc. I don’t have that belief of “I’ll see them again” to fall back on. It’s now or never!
However, it makes me terribly sad to think that if I died while my son, who is now 8, is still a child, I wouldn’t be able to comfort him somehow. I know that my husband and my son’s other relatives would comfort him, but I hate knowing that *I* won’t be able to.
Since becoming a parent, I’ve come to understand why some people choose to believe our soul exists after our death, and why they choose to believe we will be reunited with our loved ones after death. I can handle the idea of not ever seeing my husband or my parents or my grandparents or my siblings again after we all die . . . but the idea of not ever seeing my child again after one or the other of us dies is a huge hurdle for me.
I’m hoping as I age, and as my son ages, this will become less of a hurdle.
So . . . fear and dread? No.
But sadness? Yes, to some degree, with respect to my son.
March 11th, 2007 @ 10:27 pm
1) No, I don’t believe there is a soul nor that it continues after death. We are our brains, and the activity therein, with reference material provided by the senses.
2) Sometimes yes; sometimes no.
I remember when I was first coming to atheism, I was riding down the highway with my best friend and, a few beers in me, looking out the window at all of the stars in the sky. It hit me that that there was so much to do and see and learn in the universe that 70 or so years was far too little, and that if there was a Heaven, having the answers handed to me seemed to defeat the purpose of exploration. Quite simply: life was too short, regardless of what I believed.
Now that I am married with kids, I dislike the idea of death even more. I don’t want to watch my wife pass away, or have her watch the light in my eyes fade away, and I don’t want my children to ever experience the same, or to lose them forever. I can read all about how death is part of life and it’s natural and yada yada, but – right now – I’m no fan of the concept.
Maybe when I’m 80 and looking back on a life generally well-lived, I’ll be content to go quietly, but not yet. Get back to me in 45 years on that one.
That said, wishing it were doesn’t make it so, no matter what that silly Oprah special about “The Secret” might say. I didn’t want to lose any number of things, from close friends to the hair on top of my head, but damned if the universe didn’t see fit to screw me on those counts.
Death is a fact of life. At least for now…
March 12th, 2007 @ 2:57 am
1) No soul
2) When it’s over it’s over, I have a problem with it but it doesn’t change the fact.
I’ve always been an atheist but in my teens I was a bit more mystical and thought there had to be something, I think it’s normal to think you’re special when you’re a kid.
I’ve been looking into my stance on life a little more since the arrival of my daughter and I have only become more firm in my position that there is no supernatural.
And it feels OK, it gives me a sense that we can do what want, good or bad it is up to us to make life on this planet livable or to let the human race dwindle into non existence.
March 12th, 2007 @ 7:59 am
1) Do you believe the soul continues to exist after death?
No
2) Have you found peace with the probability that when it’s over it is really over? Does this fill you with fear and dread? Or are you somewhere in between (please explain).
Mostly yes. It inspires me to write down my thoughts about/to my children more so that that impression is forever lasting. I am inspired to make sure that they feel loved everyday and that we, as a family, live the best life possible together, to do things that matter, to help others, to be kind. I’ve truly found the idea that “when it’s over it’s over” is more inspiring to live this life than fear inducing. I only wish I had come to this conclusion earlier.
March 12th, 2007 @ 1:31 pm
1) No.
2) I have found peace with the concept of “when it’s over, it’s over.” The fear of the unkown had been my main hang-up dealing with coming to peace with the finality of death. I couldn’t wrap my brain around what it meant to be completely non-existent. I came to peace with this concept when I read this: “I do not fear death. I had been dead for billions and billions of years before I was born, and had not suffered the slightest inconvenience from it.” Mark Twain. Leave it to ole Twain to clear this up for me!
March 12th, 2007 @ 4:48 pm
1) Do you believe the soul continues to exist after death?
The idea that a soul could continue after death would also imply that it existed before birth. There are so many questions as to where your soul would have come from and how it could possibly attach to your body. I do not feel any older than my body and the only thoughts, experiences, and feelings I have are all from this body and brain. My thoughts are not tied to anything eternal such as a soul as far as I can tell. I cannot imagine the concept of existing before or after this body or how any essence of me would exist without the unique wiring of my brain, which is essentially a biological computer. Could any program loaded on this computer I’m typing on now exist when the power is permanently off? I think not and I think the soul is an object of fiction in this physical universe.
2) Have you found peace with the probability that when it’s over it is really over? Does this fill you with fear and dread? Or are you somewhere in between (please explain).
I found peace when I moved from Christianity to Agnosticism and determined that nobody really knows anything about the supernatural. Being a part of the natural universe I can only assume that when my body stops working I cease to exist as a person since I have no real evidence to the contrary. I’ll experience death and what may or may not follow once it happens so there’s little point in worrying about that now.
Growing up in the shadow of Christianity I felt the effects of an unhealthy preoccupation with heaven, an after-life, and the fear of eternal damnation, the promise of salvation, or a purgatory between the two. They’re such weighty subjects for a child to needlessly worry about. Knowing now that there is little merit to such concepts and that this life is all the time I have, I am free to focus on this life and what it has to offer. How can you not take comfort in the fact that one mistake made today will not impact you for all of eternity?
March 12th, 2007 @ 7:51 pm
hmmm given the choices:
1) Do you believe the soul continues to exist after death?
2) Have you found peace with the probability that when it’s over it is really over? Does this fill you with fear and dread? Or are you somewhere in between (please explain).
I will choose (3)
Dance in the day, spin and love those I am with and ignore the question for when the times of pondering are required…
some questions are like that.. yes fun to debate
but always most importantly to live and move on
In that is my soul… somewhere… and isn’t that enough??
peace
March 12th, 2007 @ 10:03 pm
1) The evidence is overwhelmingly in favor of the idea that we are only what goes on in our brain, and nothing supernatural is involved in the process.
2) I’d like to say I’m at peace with the idea of ceasing to exist. I’m working on it. At a purely intellectual level I accept it. It’s easy to think rationally about dying as returning to the state in which we were(n’t) before birth; however, taming the raw instinctual fear that comes at the thought of ceasing to survive is another story. I’m getting closer to peace of mind there every day and I feel I’m pretty close. The area that terrifies me the most is helping my young children deal with the idea of their own mortality.
March 13th, 2007 @ 5:53 pm
1) I believe consciousness ends with death.
2) The idea of no afterlife was very scary to me at first. Here are some ways I have with coping and adjusting:
Like a commenter said above, I like to think of the idea of leaving a legacy, a mark, a memory on the earth among those that live after me. In this way, I live on.
Beyond just memories and ideas, I am a part of a great system of life that goes back millions of years, and will continue. Not only do I leave my human DNA in my children, and they in their children, but I am also part of a greater tree of life that connects all life on earth to each other. That doesn’t end with my death.
I am a part of the cosmos. I have been and always will be a part of the universe (for the whole time the universe exists, anyway). I love to tell my son he is not 4 1/2 years old, but 14 billion and 4 1/2, because the basic building blocks of his body (hydrogen, etc) have been around since the big bang. And our bodies will return to the earth, and be a part of it until it dies. Then be a part of the solar system, and the galaxy, and the universe until it “dies.” But by then, we’ll be dead, so we won’t care. For me, it replaces the comfort I used to have in Mormonism’s pre-mortal existence and afterlife. For him, it’s just pretty darn cool. He loves outer space, you see.
March 14th, 2007 @ 3:10 pm
I have no belief in immortality and my lack of belief is of no great personal concern. By the way, I do have children and grandchildren and hope to be around for a long time to enjoy them. Epicurus, according to Jennifer Michael Hecht author of DOUBT, apparently said people have 3 great fears–the gods which he dismissed as nonexistent, pain which he said one need not fear since really intense pain is usually short lived and the fear of pain is generally worse than the actual pain, and death. He believed that death was so final that you would be incapable of worrying after you were gone, thus, no concern now. I tend to agree with Epicurus on this matter. This morning Andrew Sullivan on his blog http://www.andrewsullivan.com wrote his most recent response to Sam Harris in their debate on faith and religion. While I am an agnostic I had felt that Sullivan was making some very good points until his post today which sited death as an important reason for his faith which I found quite disappointing:
“My own faith came alive most fully when I believed I was going to die young. It came alive as I watched one of my closest friends die in front of me at the age of 31. During that “positive hour,” to quote Eliot, I also experienced religious visions, I heard a voice inside of me with a distinct tone that seemed to me divine, I experienced a moment of terrible doubt followed by a moment of complete, unsought-for relief. Maybe all this was a function of fear and existential panic. Maybe it was all a coping mechanism. Maybe it was grief, wrapped up in shame. But I am far from the only person to have experienced such things. Maybe these psychological and spiritual experiences are simply the best way that humans have devised through countless millennia for coping with their own conscious knowledge of their own mortality.”
March 14th, 2007 @ 5:16 pm
No I don’t believe in the existense of the soul, all about us is contained within the atoms of our brains.
Death is it, it is the final curtain on this life and I am fine with that, it just reminds me daily that we have to enjoy our life before death.
March 15th, 2007 @ 7:03 am
I dont believe that we have a “soul” in the spiritual sense, so therefore I do not believe that it carries on after death. I neither revere nor fear death. It is a fact of life (pardon the pun). It is not something that I want to hurry into but when I get there I am comfortable with the fact that, for better or worse, it will all be over. I prefer to try and enjoy life.
March 15th, 2007 @ 1:55 pm
1) Do you believe the soul continues to exist after death? No. I don’t believe there is such a thing as a “soul” at all.
2) Have you found peace with the probability that when it’s over it is really over? Yes. I like the idea that pain, pleasure, suffering, hope, guilt, fear, etc. all end. Just nothingness. Does this fill you with fear and dread? Nope.
March 15th, 2007 @ 8:32 pm
1) No.
What would be the point of living eternally? Is not history full of parables teaching us of the folly of living forever? Remember Bill Murray in “Groundhog Day”? After a while his continual existance became unbearable.
This does, however, open the idea of reincarnation–getting our lives right next time. I don’t believe in this either. I do believe however, the concept stands as a metaphor for what we should try to do for our children–help them be better people than we are (kinder, smarter, healthier, more able to deal with ATM’s, &c.).
2) Absolutely peaceful
I’m afraid that its gonna hurt before I get to that last “exit stage death”, but other than that, no problems. I have been fortunate to have a rich, rich life (and I don’t mean financially, although that is quite adequate). When I think of all the great things I have experienced and I look at my children and see how they are better people than I am I feel it has all had purpose (they are both adults living their lives elsewhere now, but they are forever my children).
And, while I have really accomplished all my important life goals, the idea that the end is the end makes me cherish and make the most out of the days I do have.
March 19th, 2007 @ 10:40 am
Do I believe the soul continues to exist after death? Yes, I do. My experiences in this lifetime have shown me that time is not simply linear going from past to present. Five years ago, I had a spiritual awakening where my “soul” or some form of higher consciousness told me I’d write a book about group soul reincarnation, and that this book would have a major impact on the people of my generation. Five years later I’ve got an amazing unpublished manuscript, and whether or not it has a major impact on my generation is yet to be seen. But the change in my thought processes that took place after the night I knew I’d write a book totally altered the way I view life, and the evolution of the human race.
I’ve never had an issue with my consciousness ending when I die. I don’t consciously remember what it was like not to “think” before I was born, so why should it bother me to not exist once again? My ego on the other hand, has tremendous issues with the concept of non-existence and fear of death. What I’ve learned on my journey is that my fear of death isn’t about dying, but about living in agony and pain. I witnessed my father suffer as he died of pancreatic cancer when I was 15 years old. He didn’t believe in God or any kind of after-life, so death was a relief. But it left me with many unanswered questions and emotions for I’d been very drawn to spiritual concepts since childhood.
I’ve witnessed amazing healings for some people who do past life regression therapy, and experience their death in another lifetime. Whether it’s real or not, who can say, but if the process or something similar helps a person feel more joy and balanced in this lifetime, and removes their fear of death, then it makes me ponder if our consciousness ever really ceases to exist. What seems to be important is that our psyche finds peace, love and harmony despite knowing that the physical body will eventually die.
March 19th, 2007 @ 2:54 pm
We speak of spirited horses. We see personality and spirit in humans. However, it’s a bit obvious that we no longer see it when they’re dead. Dead, dead, dead. When the switch is off, the bulb no longer lights.
I do not like the idea of death. We live with it every day of our lives – whether because someone or something close to us has died, or because we’ve come close ourselves. But there is no use fighting something that is inevitable. Keep up your quality of life, be a survivor, avoid accidents and danger. If you’ve only got one, make it count. Life takes on the meaning we give to it. Your “soul” is the unique you, and it will be worthwhile during your life, missed after your death, and remembered as who you were.
March 20th, 2007 @ 6:31 am
1) The idea of a soul is just wishful thinking. There is absolutely no evidence that souls exist.
2) It comes and goes. I’m 46 now, and I am more accepting of my fate now than 10 years ago (when I would still of classified myself as agnostic) and even more than 20 years ago. I think it was more stressful for me when I thought there could be options, now I rarely give it much thought.
March 22nd, 2007 @ 4:57 pm
Q1 presupposes that I firstly believe in the concept of a soul but I don’t, so my answer would be no.
Q2. I don’t require any greater ‘purpose’ in life than to give as much back in all my relationships (friend/lover/father/etc)as I receive, and to give something back to the planet which allowed me to roam around on it for a while (I’m more than fine becoming worm food and fertiliser, lol). To quote an intensely atheist friend of mine, “Faith/religion is a crutch for those who are too scared to accept the finality of our tenure here on Earth, too frightened to accept that this is as good as it gets. Not only that, but it’s discriminatory, restrictive, and some of the atrocities committed in the name of ‘faith’ make my stomach turn.”
March 23rd, 2007 @ 1:26 pm
1- Not sure, but I would guess not.
2- I am alright with the idea that my existence will end with my death. Not like I have a choice in the matter either way. Well I guess that depends on who you ask, huh?
March 25th, 2007 @ 2:12 am
1) Do you believe the soul continues to exist after death?
I know that there is no soul as surely as I know there
are no gods. Both concepts were “created” by humans.
The body decomposes after death, including the brain;
therefore, consciousness, and hence thought, no longer
occur.
2) Have you found peace with the probability that when it’s over it is really over? Does this fill you with fear and dread? Or are you somewhere in between (please explain).
I am totally “at peace” with the certainty that when
it’s over, it is really over. There is nothing to
fear. It is a natural part of the cycle of life!
March 25th, 2007 @ 4:28 am
I came from nothingness, go to nothingness.*
My purpose is to write/paint/create as best I can, while I can: what remains of me (aside from decaying meat & bones) are my books, pictures, houses, gardens (I am an asexual and have never wanted to breed). And my purpose also, while alive, is to enjoy as much as I can without causing more than the usual ape-ly damage. To give back at least as much as I have enjoyed.
*Of course I am the product of my ancestors & our Earth! But – the ‘me’, consciousness, ephemeral beingness that is my wonderful (to me!) self rises like a wave, dies like a wave on a beach-kia ora tatou!
March 25th, 2007 @ 4:39 am
1) I don’t know if there’s such thing as a soul and I don’t believe in it either. If there is, I’m sure the common belief is wrong: it confounds perception/personality with a permanent atom of self, If what they say about the soul is right we cannot conceive because all of our ideas and personality depend on our senses while the soul, being independent from the body, has to exist without them. If the soul exists it is self, but not human, therefore unconceivable, so I don’t waste too much time thinking about it.
2) The idea of permanent death scares me to death. The universe’s time, compared to the human lifetime appears endless. I won’t settle for my instant of life. I want to see everything!
I’d love to know your thoughts about mine. Thank you.
March 25th, 2007 @ 6:21 am
1 – I don’t believe in something like “the soul” as being independant of a body. It’s a complex self-consciousness produces by the brain, but that’s about it. As such, a “soul” defines the being and agenda of a human being (as it does partially for most animals), but it’s nothing “special” beyond that.
2 – I do believe it’s over once you’re dead. Like someone turning off the lights on a stage, for the last time when closing it. But, I don’t fear it at all. It’s a normal part of existance, I don’t have a choice, I lead a troublesome yet ultimately !fun! life despite all the hardships.
It’s a mix of acceptance and knowing that I am “just” a human being. When it’s over it will be over, I can make the best of the time I have, and hopefully make a few people remember me with a smile of either joy or dread (^_^), and get over with it.
Acceptance – humans are not that much above other lifeforms as many of us often think.
March 26th, 2007 @ 11:45 pm
1 – As a transcendentalist I don’t believe each of us has an independent soul per se. Yet I do believe in an universal Oversoul, the conservation of energy and mass if you wish to go into the scientific analysis of my “belief.” As we all know, whatever we choose to think is our own beliefs and although they may not be true for one person they are true for another. We cannot be sure of anything yet empirical proof is in favor of the scientific mode of thought. As a logical process I follow the empirical proof for it holds the most veracity.
2 – As for the “life after death” idea, this seem ludicrous beyond a doubt. Yet, in summation I believe that we eventually are in union with the Oversoul. *Physically, our bodies break down and become one with nature and recycle into the planet again, sustaining the life around us in a complete harmonious circle
Sorry if I sound “Hippy” but that’s what I believe in.
*Note that I specified physically…I don’t think we clearly know anything about a “soul” or any other pseudo-scientific theory, since the majority of science and religion is theory.
March 28th, 2007 @ 10:33 pm
Although I will always hope that I am dead wrong (sorry,) it really doesn’t look at all as though there’s an afterlife. And you know something, I don’t believe that the vast majority of religious people truly believe it, either. Here’s why…
Imagine that someone very, very close to you is going away to live in a place on this earth that is very beautiful and very far away. You will see them off, but will not be able to communicate with or join them in this blissful place for ten years, after which you will travel there and then live out the rest of your lives with this person. In addition, all the other people that you love will also be there by this time, and you’ll all spend the rest of your lives together, in the best place you can be. Now imagine for a moment the emotions you would feel upon seeing them off. While you would be extremely sad and would probably cry many tears, there would also be a part of you that would be truly happy, knowing 1) this person will be living a wonderful life in a wonderful place and 2) you (and others) will eventually join them. You would not feel at that moment anything like the deep, numbing grief that most experience when a loved one dies. (You probably are seeing where I’m going with this…) If you truly believe in an afterlife, i.e., heaven, then the emotion you feel at a loved one’s funeral should be even moreso like the one just described, that is, the person may be gone for now, but they are in an unimaginably blissful place, and it won’t be too long before you join them and the two of you (and others close to you) live in a perfect state for all eternity. This temporary separation- a blink of an eye compared to eternity- should be of relatively little consequence, and if believed, should not produce the reaction it commonly does. The emotions displayed at funerals- especially by religious folks- for those who truly believe in heaven should be that mixture of sadness at their passing combined with a good dose of sincere joy at the thought of what is to come. Instead, almost all people react as though the person has ceased to exist, is dead, gone for good, and ain’t coming back- usually a deep and paralyzing GRIEF. I really think- and I’m not being snide- that religious people deep down don’t really believe in the afterlife. Again, though, I do hope I’m dead wrong.
March 31st, 2007 @ 10:05 am
1) I honestly don’t know.
I’ve see many things in my 40+ years on this planet, enough that I realize how much I don’t know about the way the universe works. I feel no pressing need to “know” any ultimate truth, if there is such a thing.
2) I am truly at peace with the possibility that my existence ends with my death. I believe there’s only one way to know for sure what happens after we die, and that’s to have it happen. I’m not in any kind of hurry to have that particular experience, but I’m very much at peace with the fact that it will happen someday. I think that, if we do go on after we die, I’ll deal with it when I get there, and if we don’t, I won’t waste the time I have worrying about it.
April 1st, 2007 @ 9:41 am
1.) Not a chance. The concept of a soul exists because of religion, so without religion it makes even less sense than it did with it.
2.) I relish in the fact that once I die, that’s it. There is no fear or dread. It happens to everyone and every thing. My decomposing matter would eventually come of use in some way to other living creatures. The only part about my death I don’t like is that I won’t have time to say “Oh, so that is what death feels like!” afterward. I’d be dead.
April 2nd, 2007 @ 7:24 am
As others have commented, the first question assumes there are souls, which hasn’t been shown. There is a mind (consciousness) as a product of the brain’s functioning, but that doesn’t continue after brain death, so, no.
I don’t think I’ve found peace with the idea of dying. I know it’s going to happen, but would like to learn and do more before I do. The issue of “when it’s over it is really over” is not a concern because there is no other option. That’s just the way it is.
April 3rd, 2007 @ 3:01 pm
1. Nope. I don’t believe in a soul. I really agreed with the Symphony analogy.
2.I’ve most definitely found peace with it. On one hand, I don’t think I’d want to exist forever. On the other, I’m disappointed that I will miss seeing history unfold; seeing the great things humans CAN accomplish and seeing how nature changes and just seeing what happens. But If I lived forever in some existence, I think I would run out of things to do after a few hundred years, and eternity is a WHOLE lot longer than that.
April 12th, 2007 @ 1:33 pm
1. I’ve run the gamut here, having believed for about 10 years that we have no soul, that our “soul” is simply a product of the electrical impulses in our body. Now, I just say, I don’t think we have a soul, but I really don’t know for certain.
2. I’m o.k. with not knowing. Yes, sometimes I am filled with dread in the dark of night that I will never see my loved ones after we die. In my bed, sometimes I think, this is what death is like: dark, empty, nothingness. But that feeling is gone in the morning. The light of day has chased it away…
April 14th, 2007 @ 12:03 pm
Having just come to my senses in terms of the non-existence of god after being a life-long christian, this was a tough one for me to consider for a while, but….
1. As much as I would like to believe that we have souls that will permeate existence forever more, I would also like to believe in Santa and the toothfairy…but no, none of them exist. We are here for a set period of time and then fade to black.
2. I am working on finding peace with it. For so long I believed (or moreso, I HOPED) I would once again see my parents in some afterlife but now I know that won’t be happening. Coming to terms and finding peace within this newfound knowledge is a little tough for me but I’m working on it by living the best life I can while I’m here…and by using my memories of those I’ve lost to keep them alive, if only in passing down their legacies to my children.
April 15th, 2007 @ 12:23 am
1) Do you believe the soul continues to exist after death? Yes
2) Have you found peace with the probability that when it’s over it is really over? Does this fill you with fear and dread? Or are you somewhere in between (please explain).
I wish when we die, it really would be over. I don’t want to exist for eternity, the thought of that sickens me.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I’ve had an OBE, that is why I believe we exist after our bodies die. My hope is that we at least will fizzel out. But at present I know I went on even though I was not in my body, I don’t know how long that would have lasted, since I got back into my body.
April 19th, 2007 @ 3:50 pm
Define death. Really, what are we talking about here? The whole concept is part of a very narrow rductionist view, not scientific at all, that things, including ourselves, exist as discrete entities. To believe this, you have to buy into the supernatural conceit (heavily marketed, I admit) that this is true just because chunking up the continuum into nouns is a useful survival trait. But it begs the absurd and obscene proposition that we could as easily appear and then disappear as some kind of static being while floating in space.
As an example, there no such thing as a wave. Indeed, other languages/worldviews are only able to refer to this as a process of ocean: its “waving”. “Look there at that white-crested, waving of ocean.” It turns out that this way of perceiving is more in line with scientific fact than the culturally peculiar folk taxonomies we use to conceptualize reality. The actual fact is that everything is a flux. So, too, we each are part of a continuum of air, food, genetics, cellular and bacterial symbios… interactions of unimaginable kind and number that flow through us. A flow through time and space that neither begins nor ends.
It’s all symphony. Themes come and go, invented upon endlessly, but it never stops.
Please also see a previous comment of mine on the same subject.
April 20th, 2007 @ 7:27 pm
I do not believe in any soul existing after death, and I am totally fine with that. I am not fearful of dying, because I know I will not know anything then. I am only fearful of pain, and wish for a quick death. I am an athiest.
April 24th, 2007 @ 4:33 pm
Absolutely do not believe in any kind of ’soul’ before OR after death and never have, even as a small child. I was sent to Catholic Catechism around age 8 and questioned nuns, priests, etc. and their answers were just stupid to me. My father was a scientist, my mother never cared much about whether we went to church or not, but having been raised an Italian Catholic herself, I’m sure felt pressure to do the same for us. The only reason people of religious faith believe in life after death is FEAR. I am now 65 with three grown children who I dragged to a Unitarian Church off and on during their formative years – just so that I could answer pressure from others that yes, we had a ‘church’. Two are atheist like me, one claims to be an agnostic, which to me is still atheist. I try to imagine a world where there is absolutely NO religious faith — only intelligent caring for each other – for humanity – and what a wonderful world without war, killing, etc. it would be. I wish I had books like this when I was raising my kids – or the internet – so that I hadn’t had to put up with evangelicals everywhere trying to ’save’ us, dragging our kids to their churches, etc. It was so exasperating. I am a registered Secular Humanist. If I worship any ‘thing’ it’s people like Richard Dawkins, Carl Sagan, all critical thinkers. The idea of divinity is so childish — the best thing I ever read (30 years ago) that gave me validation was “Those Incredible Christians” by Dr. Hugh Schoenfield, in which he refers to an incredible work by Grant Allen (which is of course out of print, but I found a reprint years ago) called “Evoution of the Idea of God”. It should be a textbook in every public school.
Carole
April 25th, 2007 @ 12:11 pm
Just found your blog today on the Atheist Blogroll, had to check it out and respond!
1) I have not yet found evidence that inclines me to believe that there is a soul. A better explanation of my perspective: I have no reason to define a ’supernatural’ concept of the soul; if the day arrives that we find conclusive proof of an everlasting nonphysical representation of our personality, I would categorize it within the realm of the natural universe by virtue of its own existence. In other words, we’d have discovered a new aspect of the universe that would need its own study. Soul science.
2) I appreciate the value this information imparts onto my the fact that I am alive and relatively well-to-do. Am I afraid of death? No more than I was afraid of ‘before I was born’. Am I afraid of dying too soon? Absolutely. There’s a lot I want to experience and a lot I want to accomplish.
There is a comfort, however, in my trust that the machine of innovation will grant almost unbelievable abilities to the human race. I believe I have been born late enough in the game that I will live to see our species achieve preservation of consciousness beyond that which we are entitled in unaltered biological bodies. Most of this comes from predictions by Ray Kurzweil, one of the most prominent futurists alive. He also has a startling record of accurately predicting long-term technological advancements. In a nutshell, he predicts that we should be technically able to ‘outlive our biology’ sometime in the next forty years. I have reviewed the evidence he has presented and am thoroughly convinced that we will get there, and we will do so a lot sooner than we’d be inclined to think.
April 25th, 2007 @ 12:29 pm
I realize that I didn’t resolve that last thought like I wanted to –
The idea punctuating the ‘futurist’ section of my response is: the technological advancement I spoke of will allow me to live as long as I want to; does that mean forever? Definitely not. But I’m willing to bet that I’ll wanna stick around for a lot longer than 74 years.
I won’t go until I’m good and ready, and I’ll be much more comfortable once I know that I can let that process take as long as it needs to.
April 28th, 2007 @ 7:21 am
Death is nothing to us, since when we are, death has not come, and when death has come, we are not.
April 28th, 2007 @ 7:37 am
1. No. My consciousness is a very real process, not any kind of metaphysical soul. It will end and be gone without a trace when I die. I’ll be as non existing after my death as I was for a very long time before my conception. And that never hurt me a bit by the way.
2. Yes. I don’t hope for anything after death. I don’t doubt the definitiveness of death.
But I think about death every single day. I don’t want to die and I don’t think I ever will long for death as long as I’m healthy. I hope I still have many years left of life. Because I like it! I try hard to enjoy living while I can instead of mourning what I’ll miss when I’m dead.
May 17th, 2007 @ 5:28 am
I do believe there is more after we die. I pick and choose any aspects of religion that I want to believe in for myself. I think the whole thing is really up in the air and there is no way to really know what’s going on. So I believe in what makes me happy and I believe in what makes me feel safe.
It does make me sad to think that this is it, that there is nothing after we die. I just can’t believe that because it is too sad. I want to see my Mom and my old dog and my friends again. I think I will after I die. Not in heaven/hell per se, but just somewhere.
August 1st, 2008 @ 10:54 pm
It seems that the people who have no experience in death itself have no base for a valid opinion of it. Who would have the wisdom of a thing they have never known. Can you measure the depth of a black hole? Yet it exists with or without our belief or knowledge of it. Did it come to be by its own creation? Nothing plus nothing still equals nothing. Or let it be proven otherwise. Are we then to be nothing when we breath our last breath? Could we be more?
February 5th, 2009 @ 1:24 pm
I am no longer religious, religion was intended to divide. I found many similarities between us.
I have not found any like what I feel now. It took time, I’m 47.
Ironically, I have found support within the same bible most Christians read. (Genesis 1:26, for instance, also John 1:1) Those tiny mustard seeds that get buried under propaganda. The Creators do own 10%, They don’t need our money or our gadgets.
I will most likely be called a few choice names by those who claim to be saved as well as those who believe in nothing.
Sometimes I wish Atheists are correct, because the pain can be so intense that I would welcome an end to my awareness.
Do I believe the crucified Man was real? Yes, we kill everything that equals peace. Martin Luther King Jr., Abraham Lincoln, John Lennon.
Do I believe his Father made Him do it? No, no and no! And, He told us you can kill my flesh, but you can’t kill me. His story is still with us. We can’t kill it, though many still try.
I now believe that if immortal health…it never was about “magic or hocus pocus”…is possible at all it takes something that was destroyed in the garden.
The unity between male and female (parents). I don’t believe that the jealous god is our Creator. Too many jealous gods have come and gone.
If there is any truth to satan reversing everything, then Love is god, and satan is not an individual it is a disease that distorts our mental perspective.
Remember, satan is legions of individuals. One legion is worth 3,000. Which one unites; which one divides? Nature can surgically remove all cancer with or without our help. She is doing that now. We have filled our skies with trash. Maybe UFO’s are her throwing it back at us. The Creators don’t have to destroy us; we are doing a fine job on our own.
I believe we have Parents. Abraham has a divine Father, The Virgin has a divine Mother. Forgiveness is free, parents do it everyday, but you still have to teach the child the difference between kool aid and pretty colored cleaning fluid; why playing with matches is dangerous, why drinking and driving is a bad thing; why stealing hurts everybody.
The bible never states they had no daughters; it only states they had one Son. He was immortal before He came here. There is so much more, but too long to explain here.
If this does not sound too “weird” to you, I would most welcome a reply. I’m not real sure what “label” people would give me.
I am trying now to figure out a way to write it. Someone not totally opposed to an immortal health would be a welcome friend. Thanks for listening.
October 18th, 2009 @ 7:22 am
The soul is part of the spirit and body. We are 3 made into one, SPIRIT SOUL AND BODY. You can’t really understand the things of the spirit without understanding the HOLY SPIRIT only He can help you understand who you are. I have a question for you. Why were we women created? Start a topic on women.
Also, what do agnostics celebrate during the winter holidays? Do you celebrate Christmas?
How can you live the way you do?
I live in Misawa, Japan and sadly a lot of Japanese are Agnostic or into witchcraft. They just say they live and die. They look at me with amazement and I don’t know why. I love the Japanese people. But here in Japan there’s a lot of earthquakes. What do these earthquakes mean?
Why is there so much evil in the world? And at the same time why is there also good in the world? Is there good and evil?
I’m not crazy because I believe in God, I’m whole because I trust in God. It’s not enough to believe. Do you trust God to help you raise your child. Can you raise your child without spiritual guidance?
This is an interesting Blog and I give you a hand for that. But maybe some day you will come to understand that times will get worse and you must choose whom you will serve. I know there are a lot of crazy religious people out there who don’t really trust in God. But don’t let those pains in the past influence you not to believe in God. Jessica Alba once was a Saved Christian but men at the church would look at her and always make passes at her. She complained to the youth pastor and he said it’s the way she dressed. She left the church after that. The same things happened to me but I did not leave God. Leaving church and leaving God are two different things. You can go to church and it can be so dead inside. This is because God isn’t religion, God isn’t church. God is Power, Love, Peace, Hope, Future, and a greatness everyone should be looking forward to. People mix God and religion up too much! Stop and learn He is a Being, a Person who desires for you to know Him in spirit and in truth. And that’s all there is to it.
I am black and I find that there are very few black people who don’t believe in God. Why is this? Why did Darwin stop preaching when his daughter died. Why did Darwin become so angry at God? This I want to know. It’s sad really. You have nothing to believe in but we blacks have a lot to be thankful for because of all we went through. There is a God.
October 18th, 2009 @ 7:40 am
Oh I forgot Mary K. Baxter wrote a book about Hell. In the book it’s so detailed because she went to hell for 30 days and came back and then she went to heaven for 10 days and came back. It’s not because of a book I read but I do believe in heaven and I do believe in hell. I believe children, are in heaven who die from cancer and accidents. People who lived righteous before the Lord are in heaven. And I believe there is a hell. People who abuse children and kill innocent blood are there.
I believe we are made in the image of God. I believe in the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Also, We humans are a Soul, Spirit, and Body. We are a trinity just like God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit.
I believe in angels. In 2004 when I was pregnant with my 5-year-old son. I ate lasagna that night, because I was in Virginia while my husband was in Afghanistan and I was in bed when all of a sudden an angel was hovering over my head and I saw their face and they said, “Faye, it’s time to have your baby.” I woke up and I was having contractions. Now you tell me what that was. It was an angel because I was praying and hoping, “God it’s time to have this baby” and I was getting frustrated and it was a challenge not to have my baby without my husband present. I have angels watching over me. God is a hedge of protection around me. When I pray he answers. Don’t let me get into how often He has pulled through for me.
PS: the Baxter book I mentioned is so detailed and scary it couldn’t be fiction. No one, even Stephen King couldn’t write such a thing. But YOU should read it. It’s a big adventure.