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A Protocol for Dying

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Re: A Protocol for Dying

#221

Post by anonymous779 »

emodendroket wrote: post #209
anonymous779 wrote: post #170

Earlier quoted context omitted.

If you gave modern-age people a choice: to live a short life or live a long life while limiting their rate of childbirth (or ceasing reproduction altogether), I think many would choose the former. Having a choice is always better than having none. Also note that your current (probably?) western lifestyle puts several times more load on the environment than mine 3rd world-like one. It is the wasteful lifestyle choices…

Well, yes, but even if everyone lived a third-world lifestyle I don't think we could realistically support 108 billion people today.

We don't have to, these (108-7) billions of people will (sadly) never ever come back. We have just 7.3 bln people and a planet with more than enough resources to sustain them and then some more (I could give some practical computations regarding the limits to growth, but I won't waste our time doing that here). So your whole argument about all people that have ever lived is basically a strawman.

Re: A Protocol for Dying

#223

Post by nihonde »

danburgo wrote: post #86

These words hit close to home. My dad just passed away from cancer/diabetes in Florida and had to endure the "barbaric torture of decay and failure". Basically 4 months suffering in bed until he eventually denied eating anything and his liver failed. I asked the nurses repeatedly if there was anything to help him go or pass and there was nothing. Something's got to change in the US, we treat animals better than human…

Yes, I don't think people understand that the last step of a slow death is starvation until the person stops breathing, at which point, you must fight the urge to revive them. It's brutal. I just watched it happen before my very eyes this week. I will never forget it.

Re: A Protocol for Dying

#224

Post by mrexroad »

pbcoronel wrote: post #199
pbcoronel wrote: post #175

Earlier quoted context omitted.

But there _is_ some good to balance death out, it's called life. And the lego analogy captures this idea perfectly and quite appropriately for a 5-year-old.

Actually, all of life is contingent on death, not just the good in it. We sustain ourselves by consuming other dead beings, be it animals, plants, fungi, etc. They themselves lived thanks to the death of other beings and so on. The lego analogy expresses the fact that we are not different from these other beings, and that we too must die so that life can continue. The death of an individual in this chain is always pa…

> "It's the circle of life..." - King Mufasa

Re: A Protocol for Dying

#225

Post by PieterH »

code4life wrote: post #174

Another perspective, adopted by millions is simpler, and more joyful to explain. This life is temporary, but a life with Christ in heaven is eternal. Our christian funerals are often celebrations about a journey on earth well fought.

Forgive me for this, but it's my life and my death, and of all the bullshit I've had to tolerate in my life, the insane preachings of long dead desert shamans are the worst.

Take it somewhere else, thank you.

Re: A Protocol for Dying

#226

Post by [deleted] »

code4life wrote: post #174

Another perspective, adopted by millions is simpler, and more joyful to explain. This life is temporary, but a life with Christ in heaven is eternal. Our christian funerals are often celebrations about a journey on earth well fought.

[deleted]

Re: A Protocol for Dying

#227

Post by [deleted] »

PieterH wrote: post #225
code4life wrote: post #174

Another perspective, adopted by millions is simpler, and more joyful to explain. This life is temporary, but a life with Christ in heaven is eternal. Our christian funerals are often celebrations about a journey on earth well fought.

Forgive me for this, but it's my life and my death, and of all the bullshit I've had to tolerate in my life, the insane preachings of long dead desert shamans are the worst. Take it somewhere else, thank you.

[deleted]

Re: A Protocol for Dying

#228

Post by aninhumer »

laotzu wrote: post #203
aninhumer wrote: post #196

Earlier quoted context omitted.

But we're not talking about cell death. We're talking about the death of sentient entities.

Define sentient entities

Do you think there's a point to be made in the detail of the distinction?

My point is that death sucks, and when I say that, I'm talking about children crying because they can't see granny any more. Talking about cell death is a distraction.

Re: A Protocol for Dying

#229

Post by nihonde »

code4life wrote: post #174

Another perspective, adopted by millions is simpler, and more joyful to explain. This life is temporary, but a life with Christ in heaven is eternal. Our christian funerals are often celebrations about a journey on earth well fought.

Here in Japan, we put my mother in law to rest this week under the principles of a religion that believes that the body is lent to the mind, that the mind is eternal, and that the mind is reborn with a new name.

I find Christianity one of the most offensive belief systems in the world, but who am I to argue with millions of people who are "more joyful" and know better than me? On the other hand, there's a better-than-decent chance that the real teachings of Christ are more like my Japanese priest's beliefs than whatever you're talking about.

Re: A Protocol for Dying

#230

Post by PieterH »

lemonade wrote: post #206

Hi Pieter, I'm not sure how long you'll keep on reading stuff, but rest assured me and many others will cherish the very fond memories of collaborating with you - you've always had a sharp wit and a practical sort of unconventionalism that gets things done. We have much to thank you for. We worked together on Digistan and the "The Hague Declaration", which I helped host in The Hague - and I think it still is a strong…

:-) Thanks.
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