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afterlife

Posted Feb 4, '13 at 2:42am

Lanod

Lanod

27 posts

im an atheist and my grandfather died recently. now i am soo scared i will never see or hear him again help

Posted Feb 4, '13 at 2:54am

pangtongshu

pangtongshu

4,403 posts

Ah...another one of these

I'll be compassionate and try to help you out with your worry...warning though, others will probably not be as such

Simply..if you'd like something to ease your mind..whatever afterlife there may be (if there is one)..there does not necessarily have to be a god for their to be one (look at that..appealing to be your atheistic viewpoints and your troubling worries)

 

Posted Feb 4, '13 at 2:56am

EmperorPalpatine

EmperorPalpatine

4,085 posts

now i am soo scared i will never see or hear him again help

Would it not be scarier if an apparition of him transcended and spoke to you?

Just remember the moments you shared, things he said/did/enjoyed. Write 'em down in great detail if you want to, so that some day you come across what you wrote and can remember again. Other than occasionally reminiscing, move on. I really doubt he would've wanted you to dwell on it.

 

Posted Feb 4, '13 at 2:59am

Lanod

Lanod

27 posts

thank you

 

Posted Feb 4, '13 at 7:05am

Masterforger

Masterforger

1,621 posts

im an atheist and my grandfather died recently. now i am soo scared i will never see or hear him again help

In my opinion, you'll see him when you die, regardless of your afterlife belief (or lack thereof)
That doesn't mean kill yourself, the world is for the living. Death is the end of life, but not the end of everything.

 

Posted Feb 4, '13 at 11:32am

Kasic

Kasic

5,155 posts

Just throwing this out there, but, there are atheistic beliefs that include an afterlife. Atheism refers only to the belief in a supernatural entity.

You won't see your grandfather again, or speak to him. This doesn't mean that you will forget him, though. It may be sad that he's gone but death is a natural part of life. Just remember him fondly.Eventually you'll come to accept that he's gone and life will seem normal again.

 

Posted Feb 4, '13 at 12:16pm

partydevil

partydevil

4,343 posts

death happens. everyone loses a close one sometimes. i guess this is the 1st time you experience this. but we can all say that life will go on and after some time whitout you noticing. life keeps going and the grief you have now will make room for joy whit others. just remember that your not the only 1 feeling this. everyone gets the feeling when someone close to them dies.

 

Posted Feb 4, '13 at 5:13pm

thepunisher93

thepunisher93

1,743 posts

People come and go, that's the way it is, now we can't die with the dead, can we?

 

Posted Feb 5, '13 at 2:08am

MageGrayWolf

MageGrayWolf

9,115 posts

An afterlife can only seem comforting. It doesn't help make the pain go away though and it can even harm the process of grieving in that you might keep holding on just waiting for that time you think you will be with them again instead of letting go and moving on. Of course letting go and moving on doesn't mean forgetting. It's those memories and experiences you had that in some sense allows that person to continue on.
Each moment you had with them, each conversation, each time you thought of them you were building a model of them in your head. That model continues to exist, even if the person it's was based on is gone. When the pain of their loss starts to get to you, talk to someone, go out and do something you think would have made that person proud of you for doing. Live your life.

 

Posted Feb 6, '13 at 8:59pm

Somewhat49

Somewhat49

1,584 posts

If you think about it, your grandfather had to go at some time, and when his time comes it comes, not much else to it.
I've had my all of my grandparents but one die and a couple of other relatives die including a close relative, but I never really had the sadness there.
If your going to not believe in an afterlife then you have to accept the fact that people will die and not come back around to talk with you or anything.

Really I think the worst thing for you to do is try to keep remembering everything about them since that will just lead you to realize how much you miss them and in some amount, need them for talking to or whatever.

I found that going to the funerals help since it is kind of a closure that the person you once knew is gone and all that is left is the body.

 

Posted Feb 7, '13 at 2:52am

PauseBreak

PauseBreak

194 posts

im an atheist and my grandfather died recently. now i am soo scared i will never see or hear him again help

I just watched this long series of video on discussions of quantum mechanics and theology and all that jazz. I want to make a note on the two kinds of "atheists" that I've seen argue their points.

The first kind is the most disgusting human being there is. The kind that doesn't care what belief structure or any beliefs you may hold. Their entire being is to destroy and mock what you hold dear. If you don't believe exactly what they believe, then you are a moron. They are terrible people. But there aren't many of them, so that's the good news.

The second kind was the self proclaimed "atheist". But after long questions and thought out answers, its not that they don't believe in a higher power. Its really, that they don't believe in an old man sitting on a throne out in the cosmos. Or that they don't believe in calling it god, but rather call themselves Secular just to stay away from the notation of a western/eastern deity.
My point: they have a god but by any other name.

Maybe this will ease you some. Think of it this way. You cannot destroy something that is fundamental. The mind is fundamental. Sure, the body dies and decays. But there is nothing physical about the mind.

If that doesn't help, what helps me during trying times when all seems lost and meaningless. I ask myself, why its there something instead of just nothing?  Its a bit comforting.

I don't know. When dealing with a true atheist its hard to comfort them. When they have nothing but the material world to hold on to. Especially now that the highest mathematics is proving that the material isn't so material after all.

What do you expect us to say? If you believe in nothing then you reap nothing.

 
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