The Poetry of an Atheists Death

[Stalins Ghost]

When people ask me if they feel that my lack of religious faith impinges on my fear or lack of fear of death, I've often found myself left with a fairly hollow feeling of it all. There's no way I believe in an afterlife, and that does unshakably add a negative feeling towards it.

Lately I've come to realise - that's the most beautiful aspect of death. That what we do in life is all there is to us. When we die, we don't head off to a paradise or an inferno based on what we have done, but the memory of our character remains. What we have done in life can be remembered or forgotten forever, and that makes life so much more worth living. It's not an endless toil to reach an ultimate goal of eternal happiness or damnation. It's about making the most of what we have here and now, and making a name for ourselves in the history books, or even just how we set our kin up in their life, and bettering humanity before ultimately disappearing from the material world where all that remains is our name and deeds.

Even if your name is forgotten, and your physical remains have long since gone, the idea that what you do in life helps society is an incredibly powerful image. We're here once and once only. This just adds an emphasis on making our life about making life better for all. Our death then marks release; a release from the struggle life represents. When we die we finally escape all thought and can be put to rest.

We die, and all that remains is the memory and impact of our deeds. That strikes me personally as a far more poetic and beautiful way of looking at life than living in eternal paradise ever could.

[Zenith Darksea]

You've been reading the Iliad, haven't you? If not, then you should. You'd quite like it.

[Curtana]

I agree with your sentiments.
Our civilization has lost its connection with our own nature. The concept of eternal life is a kind of escapism from life. “Life is awful but if you're very good you'll go to heaven and everything will be nice.” Freud would have had a field day with womb analogies at this point – I will cast a discrete veil. Books, films and music are escapism too.
Escapism is only necessary because of a deeper dissatisfaction with that we have wrought – civilization itself. The Garden of Eden can be interpreted not as the birth of original sin but of the point when humanity lost its innocent state of simply being for the sake of being.
Throughout history different civilizations have found different solutions to solving this problem. Religion was not just a way to answer the unanswerable but a way of satisfying a deeper ennui: monotheism, polytheism, Buddhism, the tao – the list is endless.
So now we are getting ever closer to explaining the universe but still we lack a basic understanding of the hidden value of the mythic imagination (some claim Tolkein's LOTR was an attempt to awaken it – he called this the 'Robot Age').
If history is any guide then a Buddha or Confucius will come along and help us to find a way to hold onto the central atheistic truths and be fulfilled at the same time.
More likely there is no magic bullet and each person must find their own personal epiphany.
So I applaud your sentiments and honesty – fellow atheist.

[Stalins Ghost]

You've been reading the Iliad, haven't you? If not, then you should. You'd quite like it.

Yup! And bits of Marcus Aurelius. Definitely impacted on how I see life.

[Lusted]

Agreed SG.

The thought of dying and being no more is a scary one, but i take heart in the knowledge that even at the age of 18 i have deeply affected several peoples lives for the better, and that my memory will live on in the hearts and minds of the people who know me.

[Chaigidel]

yes I agree with your sentiments but I would encourage you to strip away the rest of your attachments , there is no great memory you can leave, there is no mark--- humanity will be extinct soon, our grace and poetry is less than a memory already. the impact of your deeds is laughable the impact of hitler was laughable -- there is no greatness in mankind we are merely animals and I await our collective deaths with joy--- not because of an afterlife but because a ceasing to mankind I cannot see as anything but good , as is any end to a human life. look upon death as absolute nothingness--and that is all mankind will be and all it has done and accomplished already-- nothingness

[Silver Guard]

yes I agree with your sentiments but I would encourage you to strip away the rest of your attachments , there is no great memory you can leave, there is no mark--- humanity will be extinct soon, our grace and poetry is less than a memory already. the impact of your deeds is laughable the impact of hitler was laughable -- there is no greatness in mankind we are merely animals and I await our collective deaths with joy--- not because of an afterlife but because a ceasing to mankind I cannot see as anything but good , as is any end to a human life. look upon death as absolute nothingness--and that is all mankind will be and all it has done and accomplished already-- nothingness

Would you categorise yourself as a nihilist? If not, you should, you are one.
So what? Why should he care if in several billion years no-one will remember him, or even if in a thousand years no one will. He'll be dead, he's not in a state to care what people think of him. A thousand years in the future dosn't matter to anyone, what matters is the here and the now. You can go off and moan and rant at you lack of purpose and meaning to life, but quite frankly, it is the people who need no purpose who are the happiest, who live complete lives, who pay attention to morality and integrity, who will die smiling if they know people will remember them in a good light, no matter for how long.
As a Nihilist you can discard any morals you hold, you can go on a mass-murdering spree, rape and destroy. Because you know none of it will matter in the end, everyone will die anyway so it may as well be now! So what if the things we do good won't be remembered? At least we'll die smiling.

Unfortunately, for an atheist, there is nothing but the now and the relatively near now, and you will just have to accept that I guess. There is nothing in the world that you can find with meaning; nothing physical or substantial on which you can hold onto.

Theres a difference between no believing in spirtuality and not having morals or virtues. I can hold onto my friends and family, I can hold onto love, kindness and gererocity. I can even hold onto pride if needs be. Do not reduce us just because we do not need something beyond.

[bdh]

Theres a difference between no believing in spirtuality and not having morals or virtues. I can hold onto my friends and family, I can hold onto love, kindness and gererocity. I can even hold onto pride if needs be. Do not reduce us just because we do not need something beyond.

How did you get that, from this:

Unfortunately, for an atheist, there is nothing but the now and the relatively near now, and you will just have to accept that I guess. There is nothing in the world that you can find with meaning; nothing physical or substantial on which you can hold onto.

I fail to see how the conception of morality and virtues being devoid in atheists was produced from a statement about the fundamental meaninglessness in the world.

Genius logical leap and complete misinterpretation of my point

You can go off and moan and rant at you lack of purpose and meaning to life, but quite frankly, it is the people who need no purpose who are the happiest, who live complete lives, who pay attention to morality and integrity, who will die smiling if they know people will remember them in a good light, no matter for how long.

Look at the bold. By definition, those people would be nihilists too.

[Siblesz]

I disagree. It's not what you do, it's how you do it. Achievements are great, and they can provide a drive in your life, but focussing entirely on dreams is paramount to dreaming, not living. Dreams are fine, as long as they don't represent your meaning in life, because dreams have no meaning other than what they represent. When those dreams never come to fruition, then regret will come. When they are achieved, they won't make you any happier. It is the process that makes you happy... to enjoy the meaninglessness of it all... to enjoy things that have no set purpose, and to enact purpose just for the hell of it - not because you feel that purpose will reconcile the meaning of your life, but because it's just something that will keep you busy and alive. Only when you carry out purpose without depending on it, and when you understand that purpose is not to be taken too seriously, then life will give you satisfaction.

[Mathias]

I disagree. Bettering humanity and getting your name in history books is pointless when you are dead. You might feel good about those achievements while you live, but not when you are dead. You might as well make things worse for humanity and be an ******* to everyone, when you die it won't make a difference. Death is death, and how does the memory of others in any way affect you when you are dead? Only if there is a afterlife will our actions in life have any significance to ourselfs. To others, yes, but do others really matter? I can only feel my feelings, I can only have my memory, no one elses.

[VoodooTengo]

I disagree, its not about what you do or how you do it, as when you are dead you will be as dead as somebody who died thousands of years ago. I don't find that concept dark though, i find its darkness comforting as there really aren't any standards or anything that you must live up to or rules you really have to follow.

Personally i think we should embrace the darkness, the idea that we will all one day pass into nothingness is comforting, i think this outlook also makes existence seem more personal as everything you see and experience will be solely your property for your life, and then cease to exist with you.

I'm not sure weather i believe in an afterlife or not, i don't believe in heaven or hell, but some neutral place or some different state or form of existence is possible, but honestly i dont care either way, because one way i will cease to exist and then it wont matter, or i will go onto a neutral place, or maybe a good place or maybe a bad place, but that wont really matter either because il be dead, and il just have to cope with whatever happens.

[bdh]

We die, and all that remains is the memory and impact of our deeds. That strikes me personally as a far more poetic and beautiful way of looking at life than living in eternal paradise ever could.

I hate to point out the irony, but eventually the memory and impact of your deeds will fade into oblivion just as you have, except they will leave no remnant and no mark. The one thing you count on to be beautiful in your absence is just as transient as you. No trace will remain after mankind becomes extinct.

Unfortunately, for an atheist, there is nothing but the now and the relatively near now, and you will just have to accept that I guess. There is nothing in the world that you can find with meaning; nothing physical or substantial on which you can hold onto.

[Ulyaoth]

I've mostly become apathetic to death. I've been obsessed with immortality and becoming legend like Hercules or something, even if I die to become some ghost or divine being up in the clouds watching and taking pleasure in seeing people think of how cool I was or how much I improved humanity.

Lately I've just gotten to not care. I still have those delusional thoughts often, but I figure, if there's nothing beyond this life, what would I care if I can't see what effect I've had after my death, since I obviously won't be around to notice or care. The only aspect of death I really fear is the dying itself, the pain of whatever causes it.

[Chaigidel]

yes im just saying how can you hold onto something thats always changing ? if all is temporary can you hold onto anything? no not really --- I dont denegrate anyones values no matter where they find them, my comment was directed at a total loss of ego which alot of eastern philosophy and many western occult philosophy preach as a door into understanding


yes I have been accused of being a nihilist, but Im a spiritual theistic nihilist :O, nothingness is an aspect of the one true god, and teaches us many things about ourselves and the world around us if we spend time in contemplation of its absolutism.

just because oblivion is central to my beliefs I dont see how it would morally allow me to murder and rape, being a living thing with thoughts I can make deep empathetic connections to almost anything, I feel for trees when they fall, for bees when they die etc etc, I feel pain with them because I love them as I love all things even the worst things--suffering is joy and god is great!!--- but nothingness is central to my thoughts and beliefs yet is not the totality of them , so I am not a strict nihilist, I suppose I am just nihilist when it comes to humanity, something I hope dearly I will witness the final end of, such an honor that would be to watch humanity die off and me with it , such a great honor.--- i would like to call reference to curtanas post about the roman gravestones-- a sentiment im sure many humans have felt and grimly accepted or gleefully accepted :O

and one other thing I really have no care whatsoever how im remembered or what goes on in this earth after I die, I have just enjoyed my brief time here immensely and will be as thankful as long as I can to the universe which gave birth to the eventuality that became me.--- I pray but I only ever say thank you--- because I know god doesnt care about my sentiments or words, I do it anyway.

[VoodooTengo]

yes im just saying how can you hold onto something thats always changing ? if all is temporary can you hold onto anything? no not really --- I dont denegrate anyones values no matter where they find them, my comment was directed at a total loss of ego which alot of eastern philosophy and many western occult philosophy preach as a door into understanding

It wouldn't really be temoporary for an atheist, it would be temporary in a grand scale, but as far as for an individual it would be permanent and eternal if it lasted until the person died, seeing as they wouldnt know that it had stopped.

[mocker]

Allow me to present the only piece of article of faith I know by heart:

76.
Deyr fé,
deyja frændr,
deyr sjalfr it sama,
en orðstírr
deyr aldregi
hveim er sér góðan getr.

77.
Deyr fe
Deyja frendr;
Deyr sjalfr it sama;
Ek veit einn,
at aldregi deyr;
domr um dauðan hvern.

-Håvamål


Translate if you must.

[Mathias]

Allow me to present the only piece of article of faith I know by heart:

76.
Deyr fé,
deyja frændr,
deyr sjalfr it sama,
en orðstírr
deyr aldregi
hveim er sér góðan getr.

77.
Deyr fe
Deyja frendr;
Deyr sjalfr it sama;
Ek veit einn,
at aldregi deyr;
domr um dauðan hvern.

-Håvamål


Translate if you must.

Cattle die, kinsmen die
the self must also die;
I know one thing which never dies:
the reputation of each dead man.

[VoodooTengo]

That is so untrue^

[Denny Crane!]

SG your desire to leave something behind of yourself is a symptom of repressing the fear of death, not accepting that you will die and cease all existence.

[zznɟ ǝɥʇ]

Nice, SG. You managed to put to words what I'd been thinking for some time.

@ Seneca-- Perhaps, though I think that in hoping that we leave something behind is only human. As corny as it sounds, if we impart our deeds or memory on other we won't truly have ceased to exist, we'll just exist in the minds of others. I'd take that.

I don't want to sound like I need a continued existence to be a possibility, as I don't, but perhaps that thought is merely a remnant of the time when I was Christian.