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How Long Have I Got Left?

nytimes.com

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Re: How Long Have I Got Left?

#41

Post by chroma »

Yhippa wrote: post #32
learc83 wrote: post #31

Earlier quoted context omitted.

>I've been much more at peace about it. Not all the way (yet?) I've been a Christian for 25 years. I don't think you'll ever be completely at peace with your mortality--in the same way that riding a roller coaster is still scary even though you know it's safe. But I've seen the difference in the way my Christian and non-Christian friends handle death, and the difference is striking.

What would you say the difference is?

They differ in their belief about the deceased's current subjective experience (or lack thereof).

To the religious, death is an illusion. After a short time on the earth, everybody meets up again in the afterlife. It may be sad, but not too sad.

To those who don't believe in an afterlife, death is real. When someone dies, everything about them is annihilated. A lifetime of experiences destroyed; a unique personality deleted from existence, and everyone worse-off because of it.

Sadly, the desirability of an outcome has no correlation with its likelihood.

Re: How Long Have I Got Left?

#42

Post by sdegutis »

sdegutis wrote: post #17

For a long time I've been pretty worried about my mortality. But ever since I became a Christian a couple years ago, I've been much more at peace about it. Not all the way (yet?), but much more than before. I highly recommend looking into Christianity to anyone else feeling that same fear.

For anyone interested in rational arguments for believing in Christianity, I recommend the Handbook of Christian Apologetics[1] by Kreeft and Tacelli.

[1]: http://www.amazon.com/Handbook-Christian-Apologetics-Peter-K...

Re: How Long Have I Got Left?

#43

Post by yeukhon »

ifktaotc wrote: post #29

A few years ago I got testicular cancer. The information about the disease came in pieces: first all I knew was that there was a lump; then came the ultrasound, the CT scan, then biopsy of the testicle, then a second surgery to sample lymph nodes to which the cancer might have spread. At every step I would obsessively query my doctors for conditional probabilities: given what we'd just found out, what were the chance…

Thank you. I supposed you just create this new account to share the story. But thank you, now I know I should do body check. I am only 22 and I already feel unsafe.

Re: How Long Have I Got Left?

#44

Post by dollar »

For Christ's sake, is there no safe haven in this world for the unapologetic atheist? I thought that Hacker News might be the one safe zone where Jesus brainwashing is not regurgitated to the masses, but I guess not. News flash for everyone, death is inevitable, and people do not rise from the grave, whether they harbor sympathy for humans or not. Life's meaning, if there is one, is at this stage incomprehensible to human beings. If there is life beyond the grave, it definitely isn't life, and it definitely isn't what you think it is. How many more years must humanity be shackled to superstition and death fear before we fucking get over it and move on to the important work of getting off of this planet? For fucks sake...

Re: How Long Have I Got Left?

#45

Post by dollar »

dollar wrote: post #44

For Christ's sake, is there no safe haven in this world for the unapologetic atheist? I thought that Hacker News might be the one safe zone where Jesus brainwashing is not regurgitated to the masses, but I guess not. News flash for everyone, death is inevitable, and people do not rise from the grave, whether they harbor sympathy for humans or not. Life's meaning, if there is one, is at this stage incomprehensible to…

That's right Jesus freaks, downvote me to HELL!

Re: How Long Have I Got Left?

#46

Post by kendalk »

gfodor wrote: post #36
GuiA wrote: post #33

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I recommend The Little Schemer

I find it strange people can die knowing about Jesus but not lisp and somehow think they are enlightened :)

Oh, they are enlightened! They know they can learn Lisp in Heaven. :)

As for Python...

Re: How Long Have I Got Left?

#47

Post by [deleted] »

dollar wrote: post #44

For Christ's sake, is there no safe haven in this world for the unapologetic atheist? I thought that Hacker News might be the one safe zone where Jesus brainwashing is not regurgitated to the masses, but I guess not. News flash for everyone, death is inevitable, and people do not rise from the grave, whether they harbor sympathy for humans or not. Life's meaning, if there is one, is at this stage incomprehensible to…

[deleted]

Re: How Long Have I Got Left?

#48

Post by MichaelGG »

taylodl wrote: post #4

"I began to realize that coming face to face with my own mortality, in a sense, had changed both nothing and everything. Before my cancer was diagnosed, I knew that someday I would die, but I didn’t know when. After the diagnosis, I knew that someday I would die, but I didn’t know when." Within this passage lies the meaning of life.

"Before I saw the rain clouds, I knew it'd rain, but I didn't know when. After the sky grew darker, I knew it'd rain, but I didn't know when."

Within that passage lies the meaning of weather.

I'm not belittling the OP; I enjoyed the article quite a bit. I just find the whole "meaning of life is explained by the inevitability of death" sentiment to be rather empty.

Re: How Long Have I Got Left?

#49

Post by gjm11 »

dollar wrote: post #45
dollar wrote: post #44

For Christ's sake, is there no safe haven in this world for the unapologetic atheist? I thought that Hacker News might be the one safe zone where Jesus brainwashing is not regurgitated to the masses, but I guess not. News flash for everyone, death is inevitable, and people do not rise from the grave, whether they harbor sympathy for humans or not. Life's meaning, if there is one, is at this stage incomprehensible to…

That's right Jesus freaks, downvote me to HELL!

Unapologetic atheist here. I downvoted your complaint about downvoting because such complaints add nothing to HN.

(I do share your distaste at the way some Christians have seized on this as a preaching opportunity.)

Re: How Long Have I Got Left?

#50

Post by strathmeyer »

sdegutis wrote: post #39
kunai wrote: post #34

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I hate to break it to you, but religion is just a ruse to help people come to grips with their mortalities. It's extremely unlikely beyond belief that there is any notion of heaven or hell in this universe. I don't want to start a religious war. I just don't want you to be let down when you're on your deathbed 30, 40, 50, 60 years from now.

Thanks for your sympathy. But I've done my homework. Jesus did actually rise from the dead. Research it and you'll come to the same conclusion. I don't have many books on it, but I'd probably start with Handbook of Catholic Apologetics[1] by Kreeft and Tacelli. [1]: http://www.amazon.com/Handbook-Catholic-Apologetics-Reasoned...

We did research it, but don't worry, your insults don't affect us much anymore.
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