i did some reading earlier on the xtian feelings about halloween.

[puppettron]

i still haven't figured out if, to them, the worship of a death god is evil because of the subject matter or because it's worship of a god that doesn't exist because of their monotheism.  i'm hoping it's the latter, because the idea of not embracing the very thing that brings them to the loving embrace of their god and savior just seems weird to me

Comments

[qwill]

Be realistic pookie.

Most people (not just christians) are afraid of death. either because they don't have any kind of faith of what happens afterwards or because they have not come to terms with the permanance of life (which isn't permanent).

And if your religion says that there's a 50% chance that you might be tortured for all eternity if you do not TRULY BELIEVE in a mystical historic event when our culture denigerates the mystic, then that fear is always going to be present. Add in that there's some guy who's so petty and shortsighted in his dealings who is "constatnly" trying to steal your spiritual lucky charms, well, the paranoia machine hits its stride.

miss you.

[puppettron]

yeah, but we are talking about a mystery cult that's supposed to explain everything including what happens after death. you'd think at least the more hardcore members of the sect would be striding around fearless because everything is their god's plan and they only exist to enact it.

i guess it goes back to a Stanhope bit i like... "If you really believe that you're going to a better place after death, why do you wear seatbelts? Oh, sure, get quiet on me now, i got friends in the recording industry, i can add some laughter in there later. Hell, i could put in a standing ovation if i want"

[qwill]

Pain and death are different. Death, everything ends (assumedly). Pain...well that's a gift that keeps on giving. I see no point in being afraid of death*. I see lots of a point being afraid of pain.

*while not afraid of death, I am "afraid" of never seeing people I care about again and/or leaving them to live the rest of their lives in pain because of my sudden and unannounced departure.

Another note; have you ever spoken with really old Catholic priests? Or even nuns. Those folks aren't afraid of dying. They are almost always looking forward to it even though it'll put a damper on their committee meetings and mess up who's calling Bingo.

[puppettron]

oddly enough, a team of scientists is currently doing research on our thoughts of death and find that it's practically impossible for anyone to imagine it. with the idea that with death everything ceases, the human mind is incapable of imagining a total loss of consciousness because the mind has never actually experienced it in a way that would make it able to be cataloged and remembered for later experiences. even in sleep, parts of our mind are awake and capable of seeing what's going on around it, but there's nothing to notice or record if you've been fully KO'd. thus, the human mind is incapable of imagining what it's like to be shut off and therefore applies weird ideas of consciousness beyond death, even for the most die-hard exterminationists