05 January 2010

 

Death, pessimism, and realism

I've mused about death often enough on these blog pages, especially since I developed cancer in 2006 and it spread into my lungs since 2007, and now that it's gotten worse. I've also discussed my atheism and how that affects my attitude about death.

Some people think that without any belief in an afterlife, or a soul, or Heaven, death for me must be a scarier or emptier than for those who believe in such things—that somehow I must face death without comfort or solace. But that's not true. I have tried to explain it before, but yesterday blogger Greta Christina did a better job. She calls it "the difference between pessimism and realism," and it's worth a read, whatever you believe.

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# 8:11 PM

Comments:

I think its the real miracle, that people can and do believe in what they wish.
# posted by Blogger Pavlina : 06 January, 2010 08:23
 
Derek, have you ever read Krishnamurti? Might not hurt to give it a look. Helped me a lot on my deployments to Iraq when I felt in greater mortal danger.

http://www.kfa.org/

If you email me your mailing address, I'll send you a book. As you know, I'm not religious in the traditional sense. You are in my thoughts.
# posted by Blogger Shane Hendricks : 06 January, 2010 17:24
 
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