i know some real christians who believe all the way through their heart that when the die they will be with Jesus in paradise, and yet they’re afraid of dying, what’s with this, i’d think they’d look forward to death with excitment, i know I do. Any christians out there have insight for me?
Well, first off, faith isn’t absolute - most people do have doubts.
And even if one doesn’t doubt an afterlife, it’s not exactly a sure thing (for most people) about where they’re going after they die.
It’s a change. And change is scary. And it’s the biggest change possible, really. And, oh-so-permanent.
It can work the other way too. Its perfectly possible to be an atheist, have no belief in an afterlife, and also have no fear of death.
I am a Christian. I can’t speak for other Christians in this matter, but I am not afraid of being dead. I am afraid of the many unpleasantnesses that often accompany dying.
Oddly, I felt much the same way when I was an atheist. The idea of some day being dead did not disturb me, but I was concerned about the horrors of getting there.
I’m a little afraid of death, but it’s not like I sit around all day saying, “oh, no, I’m gonna die someday!” It’s more of a little worry that jumps up every now and then. And I do have faith in God, just not necessarily in myself.
Don’t you have some work to do here on Earth?
They say (it’s bullshit, but they say it) that there are no atheists in foxholes, which implies that atheists don’t have the courage of their convictions. Why should it be a surprise that some Christians don’t have the courage of theirs?
Most of the time I consider myself Christian (I have moments where I struggle). I wouldn’t say I have an incredible fear of death, but it’s not something I want to happen anytime soon!
Part of it is the fear of dying in pain. Part of it is the doubts I have about my faith. But the large part is that I only get one, short life. Eternity in heaven may be great and all, but it’s permanent and I’m not in any hurry to end this brief experience of living.
Well, that and the fact that after I die someone is going to come clean out my house and they’ll see how terribly messy my closets are and that I haven’t cleaned behind the refrigerator in years!
it’s one thing to say that you believe that is a strong rope, quite another when you’re hanging off the cliff by the same.
While I feel fairly comfortable in my own relationship with my God, and in my place in the afterlife I believe in, I do have qualms and anxieties about dying. They fall into two major catagories:
I like living. I am very fond of this world and it’s wonders and pleasures. I have a family and friends whom I love and don’t want to leave, no matter how long a period of time that may be in The Big Picture. Pure human selfishness. Well, I am human!
I have a huge fear of not being able to breathe. I have a tendency to have anxiety attacks, and a frequent trigger is the inability to breathe. (I have mild/moderate asthma.) I have an aversion to surgery, as in those last few moments before going under the anesthesia, I experience that inability to suck air into my chest, and it is terrifying. It isn’t Death that I fear, it’s the dying. I would certainly prefer to go out with a bit of dignity, not gasping for air, panicking and flailing.
for me, it is fear of the unknown mostly. yes i believe in god but i don’t know what it will be like precisely.
also, the act of dying and how that will happen to me is a scary thought. will it be painful? what will i be thinking? how will it happen?, etc
I’m Christian. I’m not afraid of being dead, but I am afraid of dying. Let me explain.
When I’m dead then I’ll be in Heaven, and that will be cool.
But dying is different. Dying is the possibility of being horribly injured, and lingering in pain. Dying is wasting away from disease, with no possibility of a cure. Dying is going senile and having to have someone take care of you. It’s those possibilities that scare me.
Back when I was a born-again Christian I was not afraid of death. Sometimes I even fantasized about being a martyr.
Now I’m more-or-less agnostic (but still religious! WTF?!) and I think dying is going to suck, but I’m not really afraid of it.
Everyone else in my family is a devout Christian going back at least three generations. We were always taught that “Christians aren’t afraid to die”, but that has not always been my experience. I could always tell that my dad was terrified of death even though he would never admit it. I was glad that he died in his sleep. Also when my grandmother was dying, my mom started talking to her about going to heaven and being with Jesus, and she started screaming “I don’t want to die! Don’t let me die!” That was pretty shocking.
On the other hand, my mom is in poor health and has been several times at the point of death, and seemed to be OK with it.
Of course, not all fears are rational. Why should fear of dying in this respect be any different than fear of going to the dentist, or public speaking, or jumping out of an airplane?