What do you believe when you die? I am personally over the past 2 days have been frightened by the idea of death. I, as an atheist, believe I will simply die and that's all. But I'm not the average atheist, I do believe that possibly there is a god, cuz how else do we exist? So why not have an afterlife? And I've been trying to agree with this point lately, to the point where I would force myself to, but I just can't see the point. I have thrown up today, due to the anxiety. I finally couldn't take it no longer, and talked to my father about this issue, and for the first time, about me being a atheist. In the past, he had talked to me about several mature issues, just to, well, talk, and some of those conversations hadproved that christianity/judaism might be right with examples like when he visited Moscow or St. Petersburg, I forget, a nun came up to him and told him that his grandmother (my great grandmother) was doing fine in heaven. I'm a little skeptical about that fact, but whatever, I'm very very vulnerable right now. I was surprised with my father's response. He is the smartest man I know. Very humble, very calm, tranquill, a lot in his brain, very very genius man. And he said that he too believes that his life will end with no afterlife whatsoever. I'm in disbelief. He later saw my dismay, and said that he truly doesn't know, he too believes in a god to some extent, not the tradionally believed version like I do, but whether or not he believes in a heaven or hell is something he too doesn't know. I'm so sad and depressed right now. Just knowing the fact that one day, there's simply going to be nothing left of me. And it's something very very hard to imagine, and I can't even get this out of my mind. This is the only thing I have thought about in the last few days, non-stop. I'm literally at suicidal stage, because I just want to know already what happens. I can't live with this knowledge in my mind, that either I'll be living a happy continuation, or if I'll just disappear forever and ever. I can support both sides fairly well, but I just want one decision. Please, if you really are clever and genius in this, just simply tell me. Only for those who are really going to talk seriously and have something to say. I'm very scared and depressed right now. Although I understand that my life is pointless and really means nothing, I'm still very frightened at the fact that I will just vanish from existance. Please tell me.

This is exactly why religion has been so dominant since human kind first emerged. People are fearful and confused and desperately want answers, so they create stories to explain the unknown and reassure themselves. Some people use this fear to their advantage and create "religious" beliefs that are really just them convincing others that their prejudices and biased opinions are true. Of course, this is all just my opinion. And if you think about it, you shouldn't want to kill yourself over it, cause if you die and there really is no afterlife, than you've just thrown your whole life away, and if there is, then congratulations, you've discovered the answer to life after death, yet you've still thrown your life away. Eventually, everyone will die, so like Paradox was saying, enjoy life while you have it, cause killing yourself is just a faster way to answer your question, when you'll find the answer anyways later in life. And by the way, being non-religious yet still believing in an afterlife or being open to opinions is called being agnostic.

Atheism is sad if you think about this aspect.
Although it helped on my suicidal thoughts. If you think there's nothing waiting for you after death, there's no point of ending it now, it'll come sooner or later.
If you believe in afterlife, think of life like a trip to Europe, why returning to your home country now if you can still enjoy some time there?
I try not to think about that too much, it can drive you insane.

Yes, this is my supporting statement for an afterlife, but just cuz that happens doesn't mean that there something after this life, just means this life is good and enjoyable.

To me, that is even more depressing, think that we are here just to be judged for our actions to see if we go to a good or a bad place.

You think the world works perfectly? Oh jeez.

What's even weird is to imagine that you've only been alive for a limited amount of time, so for you, it's as if the world has only existed since your birth, or rather, when you first became self-aware as a child. What was there before you were born? No perception of time and space, no nothing? Or is the answer more complex. There is some aspect of quantum theory that states that any time you might almost die, you will always remain alive, but some other versions of you in alternate universes will die, and therefore the world will experience your death. Not to mention the notion that supposedly time itself cannot exist without conscious perception of it. Kind of freaky.

Yes it is scary, and yes it haunts everyone, but at the same time, I firmly believe that this universe, this consciousness is not all that we are. We are made of the same stuff as stars, planets, comets, and yet we take the view that we are transient because it is our minds that allow us to experience this universe. The truth is that there are things beyond our perceptions, beyond our realm of reality, that cannot be understood. What is it to be alive? What is it to be dead? To return to the universe itself. The spark of life that is you is a part of the universe, and everything in the universe is continuously recycled. The human mind cannot comprehend not being, being nothing - because there is no nothing in the universe. There is always something.

I remember my first great existential crisis, back in 1997 or so. You get over it, but it never quite goes away. We're all in the same boat.

Existential crises are fascinating experiences.

Since I didn't say anything on the actual subject at hand I shall just confirm what you could probably guess from anything else I've posted on the topic of religion on this forum: I believe that when we die, that's game over. The end. Fin.

Well if you don't drink, you are ignoring Jesus, coz he said drink the wine bitch and take part in some symbolic cannibalism.

Hey, who needs to read the bible when OTHER PEOPLE! can tell you what it says.