Wednesday, January 7, 2009

Life Before Death

I just learned that the last of my three brothers is dying. He, like the other two, has cancer. It has metastasized and spread throughout his body. He is only 54. It is sad that his life is shortened but I, like him, have accepted the fact. There is nothing more to do.

Death is not new to me as I have experienced it many times in my life. I was the second born to a family of 8 children. Now our parents are gone and we are down to 4, soon to be three. But this post is not to elicit pity but to discuss the way we handle death.

My oldest daughter, a born again christian, learned of her uncle's illness and went hysterical. Really. She became so distraught she could not function. Why?

I really don't understand. She nor any of my children are close to my siblings; neither am I. We call once in a while, usually when someone is dying, but we rarely see each other. It has been that way for most of my life. I left home at 15 and never really went back.

Okay, so what does this have to do with anything?

Here goes...I am an atheist...I don't believe in an afterlife. When your dead your dead. My daughter is a self proclaimed born again christian. See where I'm going with this? I know there is nothing after death and I'm calm and accepting of the inevitable. My daughter, on the other hand, who believes that her uncle is going "to a better place" to be with Jesus, is unable to accept his death. She is praying non-stop. Why? It makes no sense to me.

15 comments:

rick b said...

You can say you do not believe in anything after death, Sadly you are wrong and will hate the fact you were were after death, As to your daughter and her uncle, If he also does not believe in Jesus he will suffer after death, and your daughter might understand that he does not believe and it bothers her.

I also know your not happy with me telling you, thats fine, we cannot both be correct, either Hell is real, or it is not, ikf your wrong, then you will suffer terror forever, your willing to take the rick and sadly you deny now, but once your dead you will find out it was in fact you who were wrong. Rick b

Interested said...

Rick I so understand your position on me but why would a person like my daughter who believes the afterlife stuff be so upset over the death of someone who believes he is going to heaven? It still makes no sense.

BEAST FCD said...

Lol Rick, maybe you need to shut the fuck up.

Sorry to here about that Interested. Unfortunately, everyone has to go at some point in time. Death is a part of life. The beginning and the end.

Beast FCD

BEAST FCD said...

All I can say is that I can truly understand your grief. I felt devastated when my grandfather died ten yrs ago. He was the most honest and hardworking man I ever knew and his death was perhaps the first time I was truly jolted into realization; that our existence is actually quite fickle and really, we are only guests in this lifetime in this strange planet we call Earth.

I am sure your brother can take it stoically. The chemo must suck, I know because my mum went through it and she never really recovered from them. Best of luck.

And as for Rick, if you have nothing to say, stay home and read your bible. I think there is a fine line between proselytizing and shoving bibles down the face of people who are in trouble. That's just unethical, and no, its not fair.

Beast FCD

rick b said...

Intersted,
Is this daughter of yours the Mormon? If so then she is not a Born again Christian, and from What I know of Mormonism, they really have no assurance of salvation, and that would be my only guess as to why she is acting this way.

Beast, say what you want, but some day you will Die, and for all of eterinty you will remember that I was right and sadly you were wrong, and then your words telling me off will come back to haunt you. So to you I say, Boo Hoo.

Interested said...

Wrong daughter Rick. This one is born again, bible spouting, hell preaching christian...just like you.

rick b said...

Sorry,
I thought you only had the Mormon Daughter. I can only guess she really does not fully believe what she says. And the Bible does teach that not everyone that calls them selves believers really are. I would say, Ask her why she believes or claims to believe, but then acts like that. Rick b

BEAST FCD said...

Lol Rick. You behave like an infantile invalid destined to be gotten rid off by Mother Nature.

Stop making a fool out of yourself and try listening to your own drivel for a change. It might be worth a try.

Beast FCD

rick b said...

Funny you should say Mother Nature will or should remove me. After the Rapture, the Blind fools like you will still deny it and use the excuse Mother nature did it or Aliens or something. The sad thing is, I will be getting a balcony view of God destroying the World as he pours out his wrath.

BEAST FCD said...

"The sad thing is, I will be getting a balcony view of God destroying the World as he pours out his wrath."

I will be clapping with glee if the final judgment comes, and you will be burning in the big, fiery cauldron of hell right next to me, all because God is Allah and not the Mormon God you subscribe to.

Beast FCD

rick b said...

I do not believe in the Mormon god, you must be confused. I tell mormons that their god is false, I have a blog where I tell them they are wrong just like you. Rick b

BEAST FCD said...

Sorry, Rick, thought you were a Moron....oops sorry, I mean Mormon.

I think that it is sometimes not wise to judge. Like I said, I look forward to you burning beside me in the cauldrons of hell.

Beast FCD

rick b said...

Sorry but I will not be with you, and even if I was wrong and ended up in hell, you would not know it. We will all be alone and know people are in hell, but we will not be seeing them or talking with them, we will be in our own torment. Rick b

BEAST FCD said...

Whatever you say Rick!

After all, all your nonsensical diatribes lack that one element: Evidence.

Beast FCD

Interested said...

With or without evidence Rick, you need to get some new lines. Saying the same thing over and over is non productive and frankly not interesting.