The reason why religious people are more afraid of dying is because it suddenly dawns on them how they have behaved while on this earth.

No fear of death only of dying. Do we not have religion to blame, for the fact that doctors can not give the last kindness to humans, which vets give to their patients every day. Not all death is free from suffering, and just think for a second how much unneeded suffering takes place every day, on a global scale, just because of that.

My eldest became surgical nurse, but after failing on a team effort to save a 9 yr old child after a Pit Bull tore them apart changed her mind. She chose less stress and went into palliative care, end of life. There she quickly learned that acceptance of death was often far easier for the patient than for the families. Routinely families did not understand that palliative care is end of life care, at all. When sent to hospice they oft expected the patient to recover, that is how deep denial of death in our culture has become.

A Century ago when someone died it was still common for them to lie in the Parlor, in state, in your home. Two centuries ago an undertaker was only a necessary profession in metropolis or a net work hub, rail station ect.
Most people did that themselves, preparation and burial of loved ones.

As such we have lost touch with death in a personal tangible way. Medicine has gotten very good at saving us and preventing disease, we do not all lose 50% of our children before age five, NOW people say "That is unimaginable, to lose a child", it was not a couple generations ago and is not in the third world.

Personally, I don't believe I fear death but dying might be another conversation. That said, I don't like funerals, I know people may need them for "closure", fine, but I don't like to go to them. I don't even want to go to my own funeral...No, wait...I won't be at my own funeral anyway. Okay, so as Rosanna Rosanna Danna used to say, never mind.

This is my experience as well. I come from an evangelical, maga troll, family. My uncle passed away 02 NOV 2019, and all of my bible believing relatives were just... typically afraid of death to a point where the one cousin leading the eulogy was delivering a sermon and an outright threat to those of us not converted (or deconverted) to accept jebus as savior if we ever wanted to see our uncle again. He wasn't saying it in an angry way, but the threats were blatant. Honestly, I was bored. It's typical xtian a-hole behavior. But it highlights where they are mentally, emotionally, and -yes- even 'spiritually.'

I believe our bodies are all energy just like everything in this world. Our physical body dies but our energy continues on. Nothing to fear about death in my opinion.

Are religions are essentially death cults, the fear of death is the premise for their existence and the underlying power of all religions. It stands to reason that atheists would be less fearful of death than those who are members of a death cult and all the dread that goes with it. If you have sinned you are going to eternal damnation and they all know that they have done their fair share of sinning, hence the anxiety.

My husband was a very non militant atheist and he was very accepting of death and totally unconcerned about his impending services when he became aware of the inevitable. We had a big party for the people who wanted to remember him. Loved ones need closure, I hope all my atheist friends provide for that closure with the people they care about.

I agree. If I know when my end is coming, I'm not sure I'd even advise my loved ones, and I certainly wouldn't want any sort of elaborate funeral. Let them live their lives, celebrate me in whatever way they choose (or not), and if the memories are pleasant, cherish those.

When thinking of deceased loved ones, I avoid sadness by remembering that the reason I am sad is because they brought me something special, loved me, made my life better somehow. So I focus on that, not that which will no longer be. I also rely on the Stoic approach of realizing that their death is an event without emotion, it is just a thing. No emotions. Emotions are mine. The death is not something I control, whereas I can control my feelings and emotions.

As to burial, put me in some sort of eco-pod. I think cremation is a wasteful use of energy. Love the earth, give yourself back to her.

That’s pretty much what I believe. Living indefinitely longer would be exhausting in every way. Heaven, if the Christians were right, would be boring beyond belief and hell just ridiculous. Heaven and hell are what you make of it now while you’re alive. Or what unfortunate circumstances some people find themselves in. After a long and full life , nothing would be best. Not fair though if ones life is cut short for whatever reason.

Yes, I think for the most part atheists have a better handle on death than the religious. Best to keep the emphasis on living a good life, and being remembered well, than to focus on a death being a gift to gods or humanity.

I don't mean sacrifices made for society, those are noble for sure, but to shift (or ignore) grief from the loss of our loved ones, by imagining that their death is what the god/s wanted and they are now dancing with the angels, takes away from healthy grieving, in my opinion.

Not having had your experience I couldn’t say one group is more scared of death than another. But my Christian parents have always been uncomfortable around the subject and my completely atheist ex hated talking about funeral plans.
Although the Christ’s death is glorified by his church, individuals’ deaths don’t seem to be, and so I don’t feel Christianity is a death cult.
Although there is some sort of promise of eternal life for being good, there is still a reckoning to be had, and not being the masters of their own destiny this must be quite daunting to Christians. As they are not their own judges of their behaviours they are Probably often left without a clear knowledge they won’t go to, ‘the other place’

I think it does make one appreciate life more when one understands that this is all there is or will be. Make it count.

I really like this post. If I were to speak at a funeral for an atheist/agnostic friend i would borrow from this post. Thanks.

Fear of death hence the need for religion. Therefore religion is all about fear and denial. I like to say these people can't wait to meet Jesus just not yet.

How many molecules are in each of us? Just read an amazing fact: there are more possible moves in chess than in the number of molecules in the universe! So what if a few bump into one another. It will take more than a couple to make a spark which is also fleeting.

The major religions prey on the fear of death. That way you will give them your money so you will get into heaven. They know that reincarnation is real. But they won't tell you.

Great story, thanks for sharing your experience.

Deep down they know that the eternal life bullshit and "rejoice because you're going to paradise" brainwashing they received is all exactly that, more crap, so that's why you observe that fear. Us the nonbelievers are perfectly fine with death, we all die, it is part of nature. So that's the reason why most nonbelievers try to leave this planet better than we found it. The brainwashed, while living, couldn't care less because they're not facing death, they think they will live forever, so screw posterity.

I have not known one Christian that could admit that it was a death cult. Atheist do seem to handle the thought of death better.

That difference may come from different people's different abilities to accept cold hard facts and to come to terms with such facts as may be upsetting.

I thought you were going to bust into song at the end with john Lennon’s “Imagine “ . Nice price though. Xx

I certainly can agree with that.