Actually I want to believe, but I can't and I know it's not gonna happen. It would be fucking awesome if we had an afterlife, but it's not there so I got over it. Also I'm not really afraid to die, I mean I'm dead, I'm not gonna notice it.

That's why I, being a Christian, am not afraid to be wrong. If I'm right I go to heaven, if I'm wrong I just die and I won't perceive it. Win-win.

yeah because that's what being a true believer is, covering yourself in case there is a heaven.

I didn't say that's what it's about, I'm just saying its a perk.

Well yes, but there's many restrictions, I don't know about you but to actually get into heaven you have to do a heap of boring and kinda odd things. It's also dependent if you're into the new testament or the old one.

You honestly don't all you have to do is have faith and other than that, be a normal human being (refrain from killing, stealing, adultery, etc)

In the old testament you can't wear clothing with to different kinds of materials (one way trip to hell) In the new one God will kill you but slapping a tower on your head if you don't Immediately convert to Christianity, brutal stuff, but have no fear Atheism is there!

I am not trying to force anything down your throat, I am simply stating the truth of how the religious world (at least for my community) views Christianity and how I perceive it. Now the Old testament was correct (or so we believe) but it also said that women shall be quiet in churchs, now take that as you may but we don't follow that rule anymore since the world has changed people don't take arms and stab each other with spears, as a world changes the religion must as well.

And yet the religion stays the same, fancy that huh?

Christianity has changed very much so with pacifism being involved in the new testament.

Well I'm Baptist, and our focus is on Jesus' teachings in the New Testament. And one of the things He pointed out was that the ONLY...ONLY thing you have to do to get into heaven is confess that you are a sinner and put your faith in Him (Jesus). Nothing else is required.

slackers.

Hey it was His idea, not ours.

I'd imagine it's like falling asleep. That is how I grasp it. It'd be like falling into dreamless sleep and not waking up.

I am a Christian, but ... I can understand why people think there is nothing after death -- it's not like we experienced life before birth

No I don't, and I have thought about it. It is a very disturbing thought, the idea of nothingness. But, in my mind it makes sense, there is no logical reason for there to be anything but nothingness when we die. Our brains die and that's it. Game Over.

It is fine if you believe differently but is a bit naive if you think that not even hardcore atheists believe in nothingness after death. I myself do. I am curious why do you find the idea so bad that only those who have never looked at it seriously before could believe in it?

Are you young? It's widely known that people accept Christianity or some other faith at a very old age, or even right before dying. Even die-hard atheists were known to convert. Ever wonder why that is? It's the fact that when you're face to face with the cold and dispassionate inevitability of dying, it changes your perspective quite drastically. Sure, it's easy to talk about life and death when you're 20 years old and have your whole life ahead of you, but that just means you're not FULLY aware yet, you're just not there yet, and no, you can't just take a theoretical situation.

Or perhaps they do that because they are just like everyone else, and are petrified of dying and the thought of not having their conscience anymore. No sane person wants to die, that's why there is religion. They want to hope, and truly believe that this isn't it and there is something else after this life. Which is perfectly fair, believe me, every atheist or anyone of any religion wants there to be an afterlife. It just logically does not make sense for there to be.

The inevitability of dying seems like it would just make it harder to be objective. The horrible fear that you will never think again would be scary to some people. Scary enough to believe in a white happy place in the clouds (or whatever other options there are). And to be fair I will answer that yes I am only 19 years old so I am young.

It sounds better than the hell I will be in if christians are right so I would prefer the nothingness for myself haha