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RE: Comfort in Faith at Death
June 26, 2019 at 9:49 am
Fear and anxiety surrounding death is uniform to humanity, most of whom are religious. A given believer being free from that probably shouldn’t be taken as representative.
Broadly, “the religious” live the same lives as anyone else and don’t have any cure for the human condition. If we find ourselves wishing we had some specific resolve or calm, we’re likely admiring the individual, not their religion.
I am the Infantry. I am my country’s strength in war, her deterrent in peace. I am the heart of the fight… wherever, whenever. I carry America’s faith and honor against her enemies. I am the Queen of Battle. I am what my country expects me to be, the best trained Soldier in the world. In the race for victory, I am swift, determined, and courageous, armed with a fierce will to win. Never will I fail my country’s trust. Always I fight on…through the foe, to the objective, to triumph overall. If necessary, I will fight to my death. By my steadfast courage, I have won more than 200 years of freedom. I yield not to weakness, to hunger, to cowardice, to fatigue, to superior odds, For I am mentally tough, physically strong, and morally straight. I forsake not, my country, my mission, my comrades, my sacred duty. I am relentless. I am always there, now and forever. I AM THE INFANTRY! FOLLOW ME!
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RE: Comfort in Faith at Death
June 26, 2019 at 1:23 pm
People may draw strength from other things, but religion is definitely one of them. It’s well known as a balm for the frightened. I think we’re well past that being up for debate.
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RE: Comfort in Faith at Death
June 26, 2019 at 2:13 pm
(June 26, 2019 at 9:49 am)Gae Bolga Wrote: Fear and anxiety surrounding death is uniform to humanity, most of whom are religious. A given believer being free from that probably shouldn’t be taken as representative.
Broadly, “the religious” live the same lives as anyone else and don’t have any cure for the human condition. If we find ourselves wishing we had some specific resolve or calm, we’re likely admiring the individual, not their religion.
I think we can admire at least the aspect of a religion that provides comfort, albeit in a limited sense.
Boru
‘But it does me no injury for my neighbour to say there are twenty gods or no gods. It neither picks my pocket nor breaks my leg.’ - Thomas Jefferson
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RE: Comfort in Faith at Death
June 26, 2019 at 2:36 pm
(This post was last modified: June 26, 2019 at 4:17 pm by GUBU.
Edit Reason: Fixing the Death quote
)
Personally I can't see comfort for the most of the Abrahamic religious in believing of an after-world. Think of it, you've spent your whole life with the relgious bigwigs imposing a way of living and of thinking stricter than that of the Party's doublethink in Nineteen Eighty-Four.
Think about it, anybody who is reflective, or self critical or moral is going to be thinking "I could have done more, I could have been better, I broke so many rules". Terry Pratchett, IMO, had it right when he posited in one of the Discworld books that the evil and the unflinchingly certain will get heaven while the truly good will, at the very best, get a purgatory that's not quite 100% evil (per the Discworld rulebook, you get the afterlife you think you deserve).
As death says: THERE IS NO JUSTICE. THERE'S JUST ME.
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RE: Comfort in Faith at Death
June 26, 2019 at 2:44 pm
(This post was last modified: June 26, 2019 at 2:44 pm by BrianSoddingBoru4.)
Quote:Think about it, anybody who is reflective, or self critical or moral is going to be thinking "I could have done more, I could have been better, I broke so many rules".
But these are not the sort of people who are likely to find comfort in death. In fact, it could very convincingly be argued that the reflective and the self-critical and the moral are the sorts of people least likely to be religious.
One of the things religion is terrifically good at is inuring you to your own shortcomings.
Boru
‘But it does me no injury for my neighbour to say there are twenty gods or no gods. It neither picks my pocket nor breaks my leg.’ - Thomas Jefferson
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RE: Comfort in Faith at Death
June 26, 2019 at 4:44 pm
I took care of my grandma for her last painfull years. Well she took care of me for far longer. She called for me and drawed her last breath. If that wasn't a leap of faith, then I don't know what that is.
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RE: Comfort in Faith at Death
June 26, 2019 at 5:15 pm
For the sake of my grandma, I’ve been lying to her about me being a Christian and being saved.
I feel like a rotten weasel for putting up a farce, but I don’t want her to worry about me in what are likely her final years.
I would never try to take that comfort from someone. Death is scary no matter what you believe.
Formerly Loom from TTA (rip)
~Ignorance is not to be ignored.~
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RE: Comfort in Faith at Death
June 26, 2019 at 6:14 pm
For the true believer, death is a gift from God because his servant meets with Him
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RE: Comfort in Faith at Death
June 26, 2019 at 8:43 pm
(June 26, 2019 at 6:14 pm)soldierofGod Wrote: For the true believer, death is a gift from God because his servant meets with Him
Welcome, newbie! Why don’t you make a post in the Introductions thread and tell us a little bit about yourself, and why you’ve decided to join the forum?
Nay_Sayer: “Nothing is impossible if you dream big enough, or in this case, nothing is impossible if you use a barrel of KY Jelly and a miniature horse.”
Wiser words were never spoken.
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RE: Comfort in Faith at Death
June 26, 2019 at 9:41 pm
(June 26, 2019 at 6:14 pm)soldierofGod Wrote: For the true believer, death is a gift from God because his servant meets with Him
Mom’s a true believer. I don’t know if she saw it as a gift or as something that just happens.
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