How Do You Feel About Death?

[Kurieuo]

This is a topic society avoids. When face-to-face with it, people try to quickly go through the motion of a funeral and then move on with their lives trying to ignore theirs will be coming. That is, unless death hits very close to home, in which case I imagine it can become an inescapable pain one can carry with them perhaps until the day they die.

I think many people should think about death more. It is something real that will come to us all. If it felt more real to us, that we don't live forever but grow old and will some day die, I think that people would think quite different, have different priorities in life. Instead, we're surround by distractions and many try to play games in life everyone else seems to be playing.

So, to answer my own question, how do I feel about death?

When I open up to many people about how I feel about death, they are often shocked and think I'm being extremely negative. As I see it, such people are simply unable to cope with such. I don't see physical death as necessarily bad, but rather it is release. Dying can be bad sure, but that's more about suffering, not necessarily death in and of itself. When I was much younger, I tried ODing and went to sleep peacefully thinking I wouldn't wake. Only I did, woke sick as a dog vomiting, was taken to hospital and made to see a shrink. He asked why I wanted to die. I couldn't answer. It was the wrong question. The real one was why I wanted to live? I saw life as a game everyone loses, and the best part of it was release from the game of life. It's like, I'm being forced to play a game that I never asked to play, don't want to play, even hate. Unlike a board game which you can just resign from when you see the writing on the wall or get bored, we're all kind of forced to play life. Now, I've got extra commitments, kids and the like. Nonetheless, I still see death as release, and not bad but something I even look forward to. No, I'm not suicidal, haven't been for some time. And, I don't think I'm being dark or negative either.

So then, how do others here feel about death? Christians and non-Christian alike.

[RickD]

I plan on living forever. So far, so good.

[thatkidakayoungguy]

I'm kinda scared of it, sometimes i'm not though.
Some forms of death I am scared of.
Sometimes I have doubts as to if there's an afterlife, and that death is the end of it all. But I realize the evidence to the contrary so I accept an afterlife.

[Kurieuo]

I'm kinda scared of it, sometimes i'm not though.
Some forms of death I am scared of.
Sometimes I have doubts as to if there's an afterlife, and that death is the end of it all. But I realize the evidence to the contrary so I accept an afterlife.

Would you seriously be scared of death if there was no afterlife? I have no doubt God exists (I guess I'm blessed in that respect), but if there wasn't an afterlife it'd be as you were before you were born. What's there to fear from that? You're still released from all burdens in life, at peace.

Compare that to believing there is Someone greater than myself, who is completely righteous, will judge us and has absolute power over my life hereafter. Now that, I think is more scary. Believing that such a being exists, but not just that, that our hope in any sort of atonement for our unrighteousness is down to some man reported to be God come in the form of man some 2000 years ago, being put to death on the cross as a false prophet and reportedly coming back to life... all without seeing.

I hope I didn't increase your doubt... but seriously, who should be more afraid of death? The person who doesn't believe in God, or the person who believes in a completely righteous God? Thankfully, I do fully believe also in Christ, so I'm at peace for myself (although it saddens me that others, especially family, may not place their faith in Christ). Nonetheless, it is only a person who believes God is a big cuddly teddy bear who will accept even the Hitlers of the world that would have less fear than those who believe in no God. That's how I see matters.

[Philip]

I once read that Billy Graham was asked if he was afraid of death. "No," he said, but that he's kind of freaked about what the dying process leading up to it might entail. I learned a bit about what he meant, as when I was seriously ill with Lyme, for many months, I thought it possible I might die. I began to think a whole lot more about the next world, as the present one had become one of daily suffering - with no certain end to it, of recovery. I realized how much stuff I thought was a big deal really isn't. But when I first significantly recovered, after about a year's time (but still plagued with bad health for another 2 or 3 years), I began to, once again, enjoy many of the same things I did before. But I had a different perspective. Now those dark days are over 25 years in the past.

I don't think terribly long term anymore. I know how things can happen, that life has no guarantees. Now that I'm a bit older, I DO realize how fast life goes by - which is still disconcerting to me. I hate to see things I cherish fade away. Getting older, one realizes that big list of things you'd always hoped to do - that there is not unlimited time to do them. And I'm shocked to find out just how true that is. So, I just try to be ready for the next stage, while doing some of the things I sense I'm still here for. Love my family and people. Hopefully influence some to investigate Christ. Enjoy the beauties that are still around me. There is still so much that still grabs my interests. I live a lot of life in my head, in my study, thinking, reading, exploring the world vicariously. But much of what I find important isn't typical of what most people think is so great. And yet, I do live in a material world - it's quite hard to not let that impact me. I do have a strong sense of just how flawed I am, as a human being. I'm amazed that God loves me so, of how patient He is with me. I find it fascinating that our mortal lives were allotted such a short time span (and mercifully so), against the endless eternity to come. I wonder why, why, why - it might take eternity for me to put all my questions to rest, LOL.

My dad told me that my grandmother would always say, that death is as natural as birth. And so I know that the last breath one takes here - even if it's after a long illness or whatever - that one's last, perhaps most-difficult day, is going to also be the best day in your existence - at least for those saved. I often think about the incredible eternity, with the Lord, to come - the amazement of it all, the bliss, happiness, FOREVER. And I realize the cost of that, am so grateful that God made that possible for me and others. I realize how unworthy I am of it. And I'm so appreciative of just how easy and merciful He made it for us to have faith - yet it seems far too simple, as if I should be required to do an enormous number of things to be worthy of it. Knowing myself, thank God that's not the case! I have a strong sense of my guilt - and so I'm forever working on having a far stronger sense of my forgiveness. I also think of the brokenness here - often between Christians, of relationships that just don't seem to be reconcilable on earth, but that will be gloriously repaired and renewed in Heaven.

It's all so very cool, that next step.

[claysmithr]

I'm afraid of premature death, of not accomplishing all I could do. However, if the Lord wants me, who am I to stop him from taking me?

Death itself, should be of no concern for the Christian. It should be the source of joy to finally be with the Lord!

[Philip]

Clay: I'm afraid of premature death, of not accomplishing all I could do.

Well, I think it has much more to do with whether or not you've accomplished what God desires for you, than all you might otherwise do. EVERY person has, per God's sovereignty, a date and time of their earthly expiration date. So, the Christian should WELCOME death. We truly don't imagine quite how terrible this place truly is, because it is familiar to us; we're used to it; it's the only home we've ever known. Many of us think so hard about all the things we like about our lives here and see them going away as a terrible thing. But we need to constantly remind ourselves of all that we are promised that the present state will be replaced with - unimaginable things of untold joy - of which actually knowing the Lord on a much deeper and direct level will be the greatest part of all of that. So many of us think of all of the beauty of Heaven, but forget the most incredibly beautiful part - seeing and being in God's constant, eternal presence. We can't understand that now, as we are dripping with corruption.

Clay: However, if the Lord wants me, who am I to stop him from taking me?

Exactly. More so, who would rather stay here than go to be with the Lord???!!! I can guarantee everyone who has crossed into his presence wouldn't come back unless forced to. And for any Christian to value staying here over being with the Lord - well, they just don't understand what awaits us - as well as what we will joyfully have left behind us.

MEANWHILE, we are to look forward to our rest of eternity with God, of the merging of the new Heaven to come with the restored earth. Until that day, our focus, per the Apostle Paul: "“Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable — if anything is excellent or praiseworthy — think about such things and the God of peace will be with you” (Philippians 4:8). And so there are many wonderful things in THIS life, because "eternal life" begins HERE, at one's point of faith in Christ!

[Kenny]

Over the years, I’ve structured my life in a way that makes life easy and joyful. If I were to die now, it would be horrible because it would mean an end to what I really enjoy doing; living. However in the future, there could be things outside my control that makes life more difficult and painful; and under those conditions I may perhaps see death differently than I do now.

Ken

[abelcainsbrother]

Death
https://youtu.be/7VmdwtUUafk

[neo-x]

K, I think of dying often. Sometimes only as an abstract thought sometimes as a fact of life. Pain and suffering scare me, but not death itself. There have been many moments in my life that I thought if I died right now, that would be fine. In fact, I was thinking that yesterday morning. I am not suicidal and never have been. I think death is a relief in many ways, a rest.

So I don't think you are being negative, maybe a realist but that is fine. Life seems overrated in many cases anyway.

The only thing I'd regret would not be able to be in awe of the wonders that we see around us.

[Blessed]

This is a topic society avoids. When face-to-face with it, people try to quickly go through the motion of a funeral and then move on with their lives trying to ignore theirs will be coming. T

Or a couple minutes after the eulogy.

You've never lived until your at a "party" with a 50 other people dressed in black... eating deviled eggs awkwardly conversing about chicken wings and wallpaper ...

And for tonight's activities ... we will have a catering service buffet ... and don't mind that body in the next room.. she will not be joining us ..

That was a weird one man ...

[Blessed]

K, I think of dying often. Sometimes only as an abstract thought sometimes as a fact of life. Pain and suffering scare me, but not death itself.

THIS x 10000. Give me death first. Although lately I've been scared of death because lets face it. Nobody knows what God has in store for us. You can say whatever you want but in Bryan Melvin's book Hell's Dominion there was a Preacher in one of the cubes..

I don't understand how someone could be "bad" on earth and God lets them into heaven ... while another could be "good" on earth and is condemned to hell but the Lord sees through to the real you inside. That scares me because even though you or I are a good person or do not sin ...God sees the real you inside. Whatever that is. I'm not saying I am a bad person. I think I'm a "good" person. But it's uncomfortable to me ultimately not knowing what God already knows.

Almost everyone thinks they are "good" people inside. I was watching Kirk Cameron's show .. Way of the Master.. and Kirk was in Los Angeles asking these hardened tattoo covered gang members a simple question: Do you think you're a good person? They all said yes. Same thing with the Sodomites Ray Comfort asked: Do you think you're a good person. They all said yes. Some Tranny hooker got angry and he said "God knows my heart" "I'm a good person" "I know I have a place in heaven" or something like that. Now maybe he-she is right. I don't know. But this is a person steeped in a life of sin even by today's standards. Yet they believe they are going to heaven.

This made me feel insecure doubting and second guessing myself even though I am a "good" person. Which is probably a good thing since I am probably nowhere close to where I need to be in order to say with certainty.

[neo-x]

K, I think of dying often. Sometimes only as an abstract thought sometimes as a fact of life. Pain and suffering scare me, but not death itself.

THIS x 10000. Give me death first. Although lately I've been scared of death because lets face it. Nobody knows what God has in store for us. You can say whatever you want but in Bryan Melvin's book Hell's Dominion there was a Preacher in one of the cubes..

I don't understand how someone could be "bad" on earth and God lets them into heaven ... while another could be "good" on earth and is condemned to hell but the Lord sees through to the real you inside. That scares me because even though you or I are a good person or do not sin ...God sees the real you inside. Whatever that is. I'm not saying I am a bad person. I think I'm a "good" person. But it's uncomfortable to me ultimately not knowing what God already knows.

Almost everyone thinks they are "good" people inside. I was watching Kirk Cameron's show .. Way of the Master.. and Kirk was in Los Angeles asking these hardened tattoo covered gang members a simple question: Do you think you're a good person? They all said yes. Same thing with the Sodomites Ray Comfort asked: Do you think you're a good person. They all said yes. Some Tranny hooker got angry and he said "God knows my heart" "I'm a good person" "I know I have a place in heaven" or something like that. Now maybe he-she is right. I don't know. But this is a person steeped in a life of sin even by today's standards. Yet they believe they are going to heaven.

This made me feel insecure doubting and second guessing myself even though I am a "good" person. Which is probably a good thing since I am probably nowhere close to where I need to be in order to say with certainty.

I suggest you need to stop looking at God like an accountant. At least that is what I did. It is simply not being about good and bad and God's will is not arbitrary. Those who believe in Christ are saved. Those who aren't, just aren't. The truth is, God sees us for who we really are and still accepts us in Christ, no matter how broken we may be. The righteous man thus is not the one who does never sin but who understands how bad sin is, how perverted it truly is and what Christ did to release us from it. So if you believe in Christ, trust him, you are God's child, saved, period.

People who lead a sinful life while also not realising the true nature of sin or sometimes who believe the sin to be okay and still say that they are Christians, often have deeper issues with their faith in Christ. Such a person may not even know Christ or trust him or understand what sin does to us.

So, you can sin a thousand times and be still saved. It is not a numbers game. It is not a question of how Good or bad you are. It is about where you put your trust, in God or in the world?
God knows we struggle with sin and stumble often and he, like a loving father, would rather see us try to walk with him, rather than in a sinful life from which he saved us. God can even correct us, as a father would but to think that he will simply reject us because we did any number of sins is ridiculous.

So rest easy. God is not counting the good and the bad. If that had been the case, no one would ever qualify. That is why we have grace in Christ. God is our father, he is not a bean counter.

[Nessa]

This is a topic society avoids. When face-to-face with it, people try to quickly go through the motion of a funeral and then move on with their lives trying to ignore theirs will be coming. That is, unless death hits very close to home, in which case I imagine it can become an inescapable pain one can carry with them perhaps until the day they die.

I think many people should think about death more. It is something real that will come to us all. If it felt more real to us, that we don't live forever but grow old and will some day die, I think that people would think quite different, have different priorities in life. Instead, we're surround by distractions and many try to play games in life everyone else seems to be playing.

So, to answer my own question, how do I feel about death?

When I open up to many people about how I feel about death, they are often shocked and think I'm being extremely negative. As I see it, such people are simply unable to cope with such. I don't see physical death as necessarily bad, but rather it is release. Dying can be bad sure, but that's more about suffering, not necessarily death in and of itself. When I was much younger, I tried ODing and went to sleep peacefully thinking I wouldn't wake. Only I did, woke sick as a dog vomiting, was taken to hospital and made to see a shrink. He asked why I wanted to die. I couldn't answer. It was the wrong question. The real one was why I wanted to live? I saw life as a game everyone loses, and the best part of it was release from the game of life. It's like, I'm being forced to play a game that I never asked to play, don't want to play, even hate. Unlike a board game which you can just resign from when you see the writing on the wall or get bored, we're all kind of forced to play life. Now, I've got extra commitments, kids and the like. Nonetheless, I still see death as release, and not bad but something I even look forward to. No, I'm not suicidal, haven't been for some time. And, I don't think I'm being dark or negative either.

So then, how do others here feel about death? Christians and non-Christian alike.

Or rather... 'How do I feel with you asking us how we feel about death?'

wait... whats that behind your back...

[Kurieuo]

Over the years, I’ve structured my life in a way that makes life easy and joyful. If I were to die now, it would be horrible because it would mean an end to what I really enjoy doing; living. However in the future, there could be things outside my control that makes life more difficult and painful; and under those conditions I may perhaps see death differently than I do now.

You know Kenny, Jesus said, "I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live." He also said, "The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full." Sorry, couldn't resist. Given you said you like life, Jesus was a big supporter of wanting to give life it seems. I'm curiuos, what do you make of Jesus' statements like this? Ramblings of a crazy man, or do you simply dismiss as something like followers wrongly recording his words, believe Jesus was a fiction, or?

As for your response, your logic that death would be horrible because you enjoy living doesn't really follow. You may not want to die beacuse you enjoy living, but such doesn't make death horrible anymore then my liking black makes white horrible (unless I'm a Lefty of course ). I could like living in this life, but then still consider death alright too. And, if we assume your view of the world, then death is really the same non-existence like presumably before we were born. By your view of things, death can only be as horrible as before we were born, but you wouldn't call the time before you were born necessarily horrible would you?