Drowning in fear

Michael said:
oh contraire mon chere muc-cy ... :)

Sam, you are an atheist too - for many Gods and many beleif systems. You're an atheist to the Buddha. You're an atheist to Athena.
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How do you know that? Maybe I just consider them to different ways of reaching God. You know, many paths, one goal.
I'd say part of religion is about humans trying to figure out what the reason for many natural phenomena are. Lightening was a bolt from Zeus, Love an arrow from Eros... another part is controlling people - take GW Bush's presidential Xian pandering for example or Julius Caesar rallying his troops.
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You do get wrapped up in your theories.:)
Perhaps all religion is about recognising the singularity of the universe, its laws and the fact that we are bound by those laws in ways we do not understand or recognise. Perhaps religion is an attempt to understand that relationship
As an atheist I'm not dissociated from physical reality and live here in the real world and I spend my life trying to learn about what's really happening here in the real world. I appreciate the arts as well. From classical sculptors, a modern dance, ect... I travel, I swim, I cook, -- atheists are very much a part of the universe.

MII
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Wasn't referring to physical reality either. ;)
 
Challenger78 said:
When faced with Death, everything and i mean EVERYTHING goes out the window, from ethics to morality or religion.
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Not always and only if you are afraid of dying.

There are quite a few societies that still put death before dishonor.

monk.jpg


http://www.geocities.com/tcartz/sacrifice.htm
 
S.A.M. said:
Not always and only if you are afraid of dying.

There are quite a few societies that still put death before dishonor.
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The society might, but I'm talking about the individual. But you are right if you have no fear/nothing to lose by dying then you aren't afraid.
 
Yeah, i saw. That guy must have a strong belief in reincarnation in order to overcome his fear of the unknown world after death.
 
Challenger78 said:
Which then asks, can beliefs overpower fear of dying ?
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I think its more like an acceptance of death as natural, a part of the cycle of existence, not to be feared. It also puts life in perspective, as a gift to be enjoyed and shared without damaging the lives of others (since they are also gifts), to help others as a function of making this gift more accessible.
 
Ok, so people can overcome their fear of dying, I assume not everyone can do that, so your average western citizen will give up everything when faced with death, In fact its more likely that in western countries that this will happen, No ?
 
Challenger78 said:
Ok, so people can overcome their fear of dying, I assume not everyone can do that, so your average western citizen will give up everything when faced with death, In fact its more likely that in western countries that this will happen, No ?
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You mean Westerners are more afraid of dying?
 
If you want to go into detail, A fear of the unknown, the eternal question " what happens to me if i die ?". I fear the unknown, and what lies in wait, and this is shared with every human being.
 
Challenger78 said:
If you want to go into detail, A fear of the unknown, the eternal question " what happens to me if i die ?". I fear the unknown, and what lies in wait, and this is shared with every human being.
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But if its something that happens to all, it is natural, something that is beyond your control anyone. Why obsess about what you don't know and cannot affect?

PS. I am attempting to understand this
 
I don't obsess about it, I was talking about the imminent threat of death, If they have a choice to live but abandon their beliefs, they will abandon their beliefs.

The obsession again is a result of the unknown.
 
Challenger78 said:
I don't obsess about it, I was talking about the imminent threat of death, If they have a choice to live but abandon their beliefs, they will abandon their beliefs.

The obsession again is a result of the unknown.
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Then those beliefs would appear to be superficial, not really held by the individual, merely a kind of pretense to fit in with his/her group
 
Ah so you are saying that a core belief, that is sacred to the individual, would not be abandoned even under the threat of death ? that i can understand and accept, however i have yet to meet one with a set of beliefs that they would die for.
 
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