Why do people who believe...
Why do people who believe in "god", life after-death, or "heaven" suffer when a loved one has died?
Isn't this a conflicting reaction to have when one has faith?
Shouldn't the reaction be joy and happiness?
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Being sad is a conditioned response.
Ding, Ding, Ding. We have a winner!
Kaufman.
That's a good suggestion, I'll put it on my list of things to do.
Uh, yeah. That's why I don't get your point that theists should be exempt from this response.
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Then you have a basic misconception about faith. Spiritual and emotional growth basically come with experiencing the vicissitudes of life. Adversity can either make you or break you. But I am fairly confident that most people would attest that their faith grows stronger with the passing of a loved one.
You're probably disconnected from your emotions.
"Scientists animated by the purpose of proving they are purposeless constitute an interesting subject for study." - Alfred North Whitehead
Since when is death temporary?
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So find a poll.
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No, I say this as if I don't care if people challenge my beliefs.
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Because I'd miss them. Duh.
If someone dies, it's not temporary. They don't come back from "vacation dying". Another difference is that on away, you can still communicate with them, make sure they're ok etc. A friend of mine is in Iraq right now, his wife and children can still talk to him by phone, im, facebook, and webcam. You can't really do that with the dead.
sadness.
I do not fear death.
I do not fear the unknown.
what heaven? I cry and I'm sad cause I'll never see them again.
How will I know if I'll see them again?
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Death is 'real' we can experience a loved one dying directly. Heaven is just an idea. Usually when reality meets an unproven concept, reality wins.
Someone should do a study on grief duration/intensity and religious belief. Do atheists take death harder over the long term? It would be interesting to read about. I sort of assumed that the heaven concept helps people deal with death, but then I thought about all the religious people I know who did not handle a death well at all. I don't know enough atheists personally to make an anecdotal study on my own.
Everything makes more sense now that I've stopped believing.
Whoa. I never said that theists should be exempt from this condition. I asked why, since they believe in what they believed in, do they react the way they do. If they really had faith in the whole "life after death" thing then what is the big deal about the passing of a friend/loved one?
To me I find it completely illogical to react in any other fashion other than happiness or joy for the loved one if you truly believe in your religion.
I understand faith (of a religion) perfectly.
Faith (of a religion) is a belief which can neither be proved or disproved.
I am not completely disconnected from my emotions. I work every day to prevent being blinded by my emotions from the truth.
Death is death. Once you are dead, you are dead.
And resuscitated individuals do not count as they were not already dead but only on the verge of death.
Once you are actually dead, you can not be resuscitated.
I didn't make the claim. You did. So you produce the data.
So do you really want your belief challenged or not?
If it's illogical for them to react with sorrow, then you do think they should be exempt from the condition. Otherwise, you are answering your own question; the sorrow is a conditioned response that overrides the belief of an afterlife.
Also note that funerals and other religious practices regarding the dead can emphasize the person's mortal life or their passage on to a new place. They don't necessarily focus on mourning.
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It would be interesting to see a study of this sort.
Personally, I have found christian people in general do not find much comfort in their faith when death comes.
I find it illogical that if they have faith in their god, Jesus and heaven, that they act the way they do. And I understand that not all Christians act in the same manner as all Atheists, Buddhists, or any other Theists act among each other.
Exemption from any thing is an immunity from obligation. In a religious sense, the catholic church has exempted people with medical condition from having to fast during lent.
How you figure I "exempted" others from such a thing is silly.
Why?
Silly me. I thought you were one of them.
You have a "Mickey Mouse" conception of faith. That's why you're not a believer. Also, you failed to respond to my post.
"Scientists animated by the purpose of proving they are purposeless constitute an interesting subject for study." - Alfred North Whitehead
I don't.
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Here is my response again, in case you missed it.
M-I-C-K-E-Y
M-O-U-S-E!
Can you sing the lyrics to "Kumbaya?"
"Scientists animated by the purpose of proving they are purposeless constitute an interesting subject for study." - Alfred North Whitehead
Nice try, but I won't fall for your trickery.
Saying the word "Kumbaya" three times in a short period of time will cause Jesus to appear. He shall strike down the non-believer and take their brains.