Are religious people really afraid of death?

[Alexmahone]

Sam Harris once said that the reason religious people are so concerned about Evolution is because: If their holy books are wrong about Evolution, they're probably also wrong about Death.

Do religious people really think life would be meaningless if death was the end?

[johan]

From what I can tell, most of the theists I encounter have been indoctrinated from birth as were their parents and their parents parents. I doubt many of them give it much thought since for them no other option really existed. I've hired one or two theists who had the lucky combination of being both over the top with their theism and dumb as a fence post.

While I didn't and wouldn't fire anyone for that, I was not sad to see them move on to other jobs because their unique combination of being both a super pape and blithering idiot meant that they had no appreciable fear of death. Death was a reward to them. Yippy I'm dead, now I get to sit at big table with the big guy yada yada yada. When I've got a guy who drives an 80k lb vehicle in the North in the winter and is light on experience in doing so, I kinda want him to be maybe a little bit afraid to die.

[Silver]

Theists already think life is meaningless, which is why they pine for a biblically promised life after death.

[RoadRunner79]

I may not be able to speak for others, but I don’t fear death, or think that life is meaningless

[robvalue]

I think it's more to do with being promised this amazing afterlife as children, and becoming emotionally reliant on that. It's then scary as an adult to face the prospect of losing this, and life becoming finite. I was never promised any such thing, so I don't have it to lose.

However, part of them knows to bank on the safe side at least, by clinging onto this life as long as possible rather than looking for shortcuts to the "good bit".

Edit: however, being scared of death is pretty natural, I think.

[Aroura]

I think everyone is, if they think about it at all.

I don't think they cling to their bibles for fear of death, as reassuring as it seems to atheists to think that. As an ex-theist, it wasn't one of my motivating factors to hang on. It's just easier to believe what you are already believing than to question the very pillars of your being. That's basically why people in general hang on to any belief, religious or not.

[brewer]

For the religions that have an after life prize, as long as they believe and do the step and fetch dance (so they win the good after life), should have nothing to fear. 

Those that believe they aren't dancing well enough to win the prize may have fear, fear even before death.

Edit: Should we refer to their dance as "The Big Twist"?

[Brian37]

Sam Harris once said that the reason religious people are so concerned about Evolution is because: If their holy books are wrong about Evolution, they're probably also wrong about Death.

Do religious people really think life would be meaningless if death was the end?

They are superstitious. Be it belief in ancestor spirit worship, reincarnation, or a polytheistic or monotheistic god. 

These superstitions stem from gap filling stemming from a very real evolutionary drive to reproduce. Humans when we were in our early forum lived in scientific ignorance, and life was far more scary and dangerous and we made up answers as to why good and bad happened and why the world around us affected us. We made very bad guesses, but it had a benefit of creating social structure. The early "gods" were earthy or animal like, such as a Volcano or deer or bird god. Later these deities took on more human qualities.

The answer is yes, most humans, including Buddhists and Hindus are scared of the ride ending for them. But don't confuse that with being afraid death itself, that isn't always the case. It merely means most are afraid of and don't want to face that we are not special to the planet or universe.  

Yes life in the context of a 13.8 billion year old universe IS meaningless. But theists stupidly and wrongfully falsely accuse those who point that out as being pessimistic or fatalistic. No, it is merely saying the ride ends, it does not mean you cant enjoy the ride.

When people try to accuse me of being pessimistic or fatalistic I repeat the argument my friend Bob made to me long ago.

"You go to a movie knowing it ends, but you still go. You go to a music concert knowing it plays a last song, but you still go. You read a good book knowing it has a last page, but you still read it. You get a pet cat or dog, knowing it will not live as long as you, but you still get one." 

It is possible to accept that you ARE finite and still use the finite time to enjoy life and do good and be good. The universe did fine without me 200 years ago and 4 billion years ago. It will continue without my consciousness 5 billion years from now. I still take comfort that I am here now, and am lucky with all the good and bad that I have gone through by comparison of others. It is not fatalistic to say, "This is it."

Now having said that, yes I am afraid of death, for the same reason I look both ways before I cross the street. I am afraid of a slow death being in pain, or mental defect where slow decline causes me to lose my current lucid state. I am afraid of my family and friends if they ever have to watch my slow decline. But I am not afraid of not existing after I die. I didn't exist before I was born.

[robvalue]

I think everyone is, if they think about it at all.  

I don't think they cling to their bibles for fear of death, as reassuring as it seems to atheists to think that.  As an ex-theist, it wasn't one of my motivating factors to hang on.  It's just easier to believe what you are already believing than to question the very pillars of your being.  That's basically why people in general hang on to any belief, religious or not.

I think most people are, but not all. I've never feared death, even when I was healthy. Now that I'm very ill, it can't come quick enough as far as I'm concerned.

[brewer]

I think most people are, but not all. I've never feared death, even when I was healthy. Now that I'm very ill, it can't come quick enough as far as I'm concerned.

I'm not sure I believe that for you, not yet.