The prognosis is 'terminal'

AK - Jeff

It always has been. We are all going to die.

How did it affect you though, when that reality set in after leaving the lies of religion?

It was sobering rather than frightening to contemplate . . . and I felt more grounded in a strange sort of way. The remaining time now takes on much greater meaning . . . it's invigorating. While having a slight trepidation . . . I find comfort knowing that billions have gone before me and none have come back to complain. Whatever lies beyond (if anything) can't be worse than nothing. Now it just rests in the future somewhere as a compulsory part of the human experience.

It's the last great adventure left to mankind - P Gabriel

designs

Sunday's are much more fun and productive.

JRK

At least I know that I am not going to die at armageddon, and on my own terms. That is a relief.

JK

THE GLADIATOR

Take from some notes I made just before I left the Jehovah's Witness set up:

All my life I had been promised that I would never grow old and die but would live forever on earth, when it was turned into a paradise. Now I began to realize that I was going to grow old and die like everyone else. After so many wasted years believing I was chosen, coming to terms with the reality that I was just like every other human, was a humbling experience.

I was no longer chosen for a special purpose but just a fool whom reality had caught up with. Standing on the platform in my smart suit, lecturing people older than me had been pretentious. Believing that I knew the answers to all life’s questions while the rest of the world stumbled in the dark had been arrogant. Waiting for the end of the world to come and the slaughter of millions of people, now seemed bizarre.

Looking on the bright side, my experience had taught me to value people. I reflected on all the decent people I had known who were not in my religion. Despite their kindness towards me, I had still selfishly expected them to be slaughtered without a trace of regret on my part. Now I was able to see their worth and understand the courage they showed as they quietly lived their lives without condemnation of others or hope of a reward.

Living in a closed world for so long had taught me the value of life lived in freedom. Even so, how could I possibly leave the closed world that I was so familiar with and walk away into an uncertain future without the hope of living forever? Having always believed that old age and death were a punishment, the prospect of living the rest of my life with nothing to look forward to, except old age and death, seemed a pointless exercise. Would I find in myself the courage, that I saw in others, to face such an outcome?

james_woods

I never really believed in the idea of just living on into the paradise earth forever even as a witness. I always thought there was something wrong with the time of the end prophecy and that people my age would just die like everybody else.

Privately, that is - it was not politically correct to actually express this view.

N.drew

eeyore

Knowsnothing

Jeff, I think that deep-down no one ever really believed they were never going to die. The only thing I felt I had to look forward to was, that even when I died, I could be resurrected.

The promise of the resurrection, while not being true, was a way of coping with the seemingly grim reality. Maybe that's why people want to believe and hang on for so long. They prefer their own secure view, as opposed to reality.

All hell will break loose if you mess with their perception.

Glander

The realization of reality ? Wow, what a breath of fresh air! No more mindset that this life was nothing more than waiting, waiting, waiting. Like setting in an uncomfortable chair at the airport anticipating the flight that is repeatedly delayed. Meanwhile outside you see people enjoying the present and playing in the sunshine.

It's here and it is now. It is today and there will never be another one like it. It is beautiful out here in reality and I can now savor the flavor.

PS Jeff - glad you used the term religion rather than just the JW scheme.

DaCheech

if you're gonna think too much into this, you're gonna get depressed and/or go postal.

just make believe it's impossible to know