Not just the fear of death, but also the fear of all that is generally unknown or not yet known.

As facts come forth and prove religion to be wrong, then a new fear kicks in... the fear of being proved wrong. That is why religions are so anti-science lately.

A quote from Jim Jeffries. "I don't even want the option of heaven. It's eternal, you'll get used to it, and then you'll be fucking bored".

The belief in God is, quite simply, based on the fear of death. The belief that we go to Heaven, have ever-lasing life, and be reunited with loved ones who have already died is a fantasy used to assuage our fear. Religion is an abuse and misuse of one's intelligence, which I find highly offensive.

Ok after the first 10 years in eternity you can meet up with all your past relatives. Then after a 100 years you may have met with the entire human species. After 1000 years you are into what? Then a million years go by and you are stuck in eternity. Does not make sense kids.
Who the hell would want to be eternal in humanness. All my atoms are eternal and that is excellent with me. Perhaps my atoms end up in a star dust cloud , now exciting is that

Of course. Fear of hell is how the churches keep control of the people.

Religion use the carrot and stick approach, the carrot of heaven and stick of hell. Religion use guilt of sin and fear of hell.

Yet another reason I have no respect for any religion, or their adherents.
Accept the inevitable, and get on with your lives.

I am quite happy to die not very happy to hurt too much but HOpefully I'll be useful ag=fter deth as some sort of compost or whatever.

Wouldn't it be fantastic to be with someone you love forever? I wish I could. But wishing doesn't matter. Hard enough finding someone to love in the first place. Even more difficult is finding someone to love you. It's such a fantasy

I forgot to add, I don't fear death, only fear leaving friends and family behind.

I believe this 1000%. It is massively about fear of death and in that fear is the loss of the ego. So there is also an element of egotism--I am so special! How can my uniquely wonderful self just CEASE TO BE! NO! There must be a way I continue on.

It's interesting the themes you find in sci-fi around this same thing where people attempt or succeed in uploading their consciousness and personality to a computer matrix. I see that the next step in religious faith. You have to believe that future generations won't "erase and reboot the hard drive".

Fear of death, and truckloads of guilt !

...ya know.. That sounds like fodder for a Sitcom.. Eternity Can you imagine the infighting after a couple hundred, or hundred million years - talk about Hell ~

Yes, and what does it say that people so desperately want to live forever that they'd be willing to spend forever praising a capricious being who is arbitrarily torturing nearly everyone they've ever known?

If there is such a place, Valhalla or whatever, and my dogs are not there, I am leaving immediately!

Everlasting life and eternal torment are the religious one-two punch that suckers in all those simpletons desperate to conquer death. The concept of non-existence is unthinkable to them even though they didn't exist for billions of years before they were born.

Fear of going to hell is a big factor.

I'm not afraid of dying since it's not optional. So far nobody has figured out how to avoid it so why bother being afraid of something that has 100% certainty? However, I don't want to die and I'd love to figure out how to live forever. I legitimately hope that I'm wrong and I end up in heaven, or hell really as I do like a challenge. Regardless dying just seems boring.

YES it certainly is..

"The oldest and strongest emotion of mankind is fear, and the oldest and strongest kind of fear is fear of the unknown".

A.K.A Death for example...that's why Christianity has such a strong following..the promise of an afterlife..salvation..fot the true believers..damnation for the rest..

Yeah, human beings have a hard time dealing with death and religions exploit this.

your statement may well apply to christians. it certain doesn't apply to jews. the afterlife is not a consideration in judaism. it's more about the here and now. and yes, i am an atheist.

g