And interesting point.

The death of a loved one forced me to confront the truth of atheism and the stupefying idiocy of religion.

Yet, my daughter has moved closer to a belief in a god because of the death. It gives her hope of seeing our loved one again.

I'm just tired of the constant lies that a belief in a god requires. It may hurt to know I've lost them forever but at least it's the truth.

The older I get the more compassion and empathy I have. Life can be so hard sometimes that I don't feel I can help take something away which could be needed. Religions promise eternal bliss or endless agony.... I see the "faithful" as just more victims. I think the hardest thing for some people to handle is non-existence. However, you don't have to believe in a god or religion to believe in an afterlife. There's some interesting reincarnation threads over in Creative speculation. As a gardener and atheist philosopher I also like the philosophy of Epicurus which I consider kinder and more pleasant than those grumpy stoics. Happy Summer Solstice!!!!!

It is the most reasonable assumption. That doesn't mean I can imagine it. I can't. I've tried. I can't. But I assume it is what is going to happen.

But obviously I didn't exist before I was born, so I know what it is like. It didn't hurt, it didn't feel like anything. So, I'm not too worried about it.

... a dreamless sleep. I can imagine that and (note scare quotes) even "experience" it.

I wasn't brought up to consider it a factor. My parents were religious without that.

The afterlife (mostly hell) was almost all they talked about. I had jewish friends growing up, I found their ability to argue about different tenets of their religion a welcome change from the fear and control games the catholics used on me. I wonder how many atheists here used to be catholic?

Sometimes instantaneously and brutally.

My parents believed in God and the tenets of their faith because anything else was unthinkable.

I just like everything I know about it.

Except the bad things people have done with and to it, one more than the other, of course.

I can't imagine going back into it. It's not superior to other religions, just different. It has plenty of its own inherent badness.

I think it's the traditions I liked more than the actual Bible. And I just adored Leo Rosten's The Joy of Yiddish.

your question's premise about an afterlife just as vigorously as they would defend the existence of their invisible skyfather.

I don't consider anything unknowable. I just consider it not known yet. How did he define unknowable?

It fits with how I deal with existence.I read Castanedas first book years ago, I just bought it to read again. after 25 years it should be interesting. I am half southwestern native american and am interested in exploring my ancestry. I have bits and pieces from my grandmother, she is, as she says " a proud wetback" I love my aboo ("abuela&quot and respect and miss my heritage. Thank you Freelancer(cool name) for your reply, after I read Castaneda's first I may holler back. Have an excellent Solstice!

... be aware that the book is a fraud. Read it as one would read The Prophet.

https://rationalwiki.org/wiki/Carlos_Castaneda

I still don't buy his definition of unknowable. It's just gibberish to me .

My dad was straight up as to why he was religious. The afterlife. He told me when I was ready to die I would convert. Nope.

I've tried it here, and in real life.

"Just assume, for the sake of argument, that there's no god."

They won't do it. (Well, no one has yet, for me anyway.)

EDIT: The instance of it happening here at DU, if I remember correctly, arose from a theist imploring me to at least consider that there might be a god, and his/her refusal to reciprocate. I wish I remembered who it was. Not one of the Gang Of Four, but definitely one of their apologists. Gettin' old. Can't remember shit.