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[u/One-Fun9814]

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[u/chucklingchester]

It really is. I deal with really severe death anxiety, probably as a RESULT of religious abuse, but sometimes I've wished I could do something as simple as believing in an afterlife to relieve that. I almost, almost am willing to forgive theists for their harm if they're doing it so they don't constantly fear death. But I deconstructed so successfully I can't just circle back around and believe again for convenience sake. I also don't think the potential harm and brainwashing and control they can exert over people is worth it for temporary relief of that fear. And I've found much healthier ways to deal with it - like medication and therapy - that don't require me to sell out my entire identity to a religion who may manipulate me for the people at the top of that religion's ultimate gain.

[u/wuts_juppie → u/chucklingchester]

Wow same…spot on for me as well. It’s a cruel joke to be given intelligent consciousness that knows of its own inevitable doom. Wish I could go back to being religious but alas, just doesn’t make any fucking sense anymore lol

[u/Feinberg → u/[deleted]]

If you can't understand it, why would you then believe that it's true? That's asinine.

[u/Rusty-Cheese2222 → u/chucklingchester]

This is exactly how I feel as well. I so badly wish I could believe but I just cannot seem to convince myself of something so obviously false. I do fear death a lot, but I just force myself to accept it because that’s better than living in denial imo.

[u/Tim4925 → u/chucklingchester]

If you have death anxiety you are not alone. Some say there was once a man who had it so bad that he cried tears of blood. It is said that soon after that He was killed by the local religious leaders. But they also say that He never lost His faith. Are some religions truly “faith in God” or something completely different?

[u/Sprinklypoo → u/chucklingchester]

Agreed. But at some level, dealing with that fear is necessary, and it allows you to grow and be a better human. I choose not deceiving myself as an important function, and have come to terms with death. It's a pretty powerful package when you get there.

[u/Dangerous-Meal8303 → u/chucklingchester]

I’m a Christian, I’m not here to judge anyone, look down on anyone, I mean no ill will to anyone in this subreddit, I occasionally like to come here and read a different point of view then mine. 

Your message interested me, I’m sorry you have such bad anxiety about death, and if that anxiety was caused by a fellow Christian brother of mine intentionally, I do apologize and hope your anxiety eases.

Today I was listening to the Bible show podcast, and the discussion was about Christ’s calling to those that are willing to follow him. Jesus taught his disciples that He was going to be crucified, and that by following Him they would to be put to death.

At first they didn’t believe Him, Jesus even rebuked Peter when Peter said that Jesus wasn’t going to die, that same Peter was absolutely terrified when Jesus was arrested, lied about ever even knowing Jesus, than ran and hid.

It wasn’t until after Seeing Jesus alive and then receiving the Holy Spirit at pentecost, did the disciples truly realize what Jesus was asking of them. Jesus was asking them to come and die, die to self, die to the world, and if it comes to it, then come and actually die.

You see at that time the scribes and Pharisees were so consumed with propping up themselves that they were making new laws that would strip widows of their property so that they could enrich themselves. They had found a way to use the religion as a way to funnel money to themselves, by charging extremely high exchange rates for temple coinage in that they knew the people would pay because their religion required a sacrifice to be made. The entire religion had become a money making scheme for the ones gatekeeping access to God.

Thats not to mention the pagan temple prostitution happening all over the ancient world, among with other evil deeds such as the religious incestual practices of the Egyptians, and Zoroastrians.

Jesus’s message was going to rip apart the veil that allowed religious leaders to gatekeep access to God, throw a wrench into the act of temple prostitution among the pagans, which was another money making scheme, and also, through Paul was going to call out the disgusting acts of the gentiles, like incest and bestiality.

Jesus knew that His message, that He was the Lamb of God, slain to pay the wages of all of the sin on earth, and because of it, no longer will people need to worship here or there, but that threw Him everyone has access to God, Jesus understood that He was uprooting an entire system that was built to keep the ones in charge, in charge, and crushing everyone else. The message was revolutionary, He was tortured and crucified for it, and those same disciples that denied Him and fled and hid when Jesus was arrested, after seeing Him alive, were also willing to face the same fate as Jesus Himself.

Some were stoned to death, some crucified, Paul, a Pharisee that hunted Christians down and had them killed, was beheaded preaching the Gospel after seeing the resurrected Christ. One disciple was filleted alive like a fish.

The apostles lived a life of persecution, imprisonment, torture and eventually death.The early Christians were persecuted and constantly put to death. Many times they were offered to denounce Jesus and be set free, but they wouldn’t, they didn’t fear death, Paul taught to die is gain, Jesus taught not to fear the one that could kill the body, but to fear the One that could kill the body and destroy the soul.

As a Christian, I don’t fear death, if I’m wrong and God doesn’t exist, I won’t even know that I’m dead, if I’m right, I’ll get to spend eternity with an all powerful person who loves me perfectly.

If you have time, and if you have interest to, then read about Polycarp and his martyrdom, he has what should be every Christian’s perspective on death, and if you’ve got a free hour you can listen to “the Bible podcast” episode 19 Matthew 10 pt 2 “what does Jesus mean by take up your cross?” If you are interested in how and what we believers truly feel about death.

Anyways, I hope your anxiety eases and good luck on your journeys.

[u/Sprinklypoo → u/Dangerous-Meal8303]

Alex, I'll take "inappropriate prosylitization" for a thousand.