[quote=scaredyclassic]Everybody wants to go to heaven but no n one wants to die.[/quote]
First off, I think you’re terribly funny, scaredy, so tell your wife that she is wrong on that count. 🙂 Your joining us again after your hiatus the other year (last year?) made me exceedingly happy.
Anyway, let me tell you about the death of my parents. Both died from cancer less than three weeks apart, and I got to watch both of them die. My father was either an atheist or agnostic — he wasn’t one to talk about these things with others. My mother, OTOH, was a “born-again” fundamentalist Christian. When my father died, it was clear that he was absolutely terrified, even though he had lived for many years with cancer, so had a lot of time to mentally prepare. It was very difficult to watch. My mother’s last words just before she slipped into the pre-death comatose state was: “I know this sounds weird, but I’m actually excited…this is fun…I finally get to see what’s on the other side.” She was not afraid of death, and her passing was much more peaceful.
I agree that some of the religious stories are pretty silly, but I think it’s because people are trying to make “worldly” sense out of something that is completely beyond their mental and emotional grasp.
Ultimately, none of us knows what happens when we die, but what we DO know is that we will all die. IMO, it’s better to believe and be wrong than to disbelieve and be wrong. One way makes death and dying a bit easier to deal with, while the other is rather terrifying. It’s just a matter of whether or not one is willing to pay for that “afterlife insurance.” Maybe you won’t need it, but it’s sure nice to have if you do end up needing it.
