Is Our Fear of Death Destroying the Planet?

reply to post by jonnywhite

This is an interesting topic. I don't know how to respond to it. It's complex.

The problem seems to be mainly composed of our ability to harm others, aware or unaware.

Ultimately, I have to blame:
1) Finiteness
2) Ignorance

It is complex, I agree.

If only we could have some kind of global awakening (among humans) that we are all connected and interdependent, I think it would solve much.
Thanks.

reply to post by rickymouse


Thanks, rick!
Have you read Nonzero by Robert Wright?
Or his earlier book The Moral Animal (downloadable pdf file in link)?

He talks about the push-me--pull-you of human interaction and human nature, and it is quite elucidating to read.

Another thing I want to bring up is that many soldiers fighting in wars did not fear death. This is because they had the fear of God in them. Death to them was just a way to help someone else and at the same time open the doors to heaven and leave this earth life behind.

Many religious people do not in fact fear death. This is partly why they're so selfless. It's not their own death that bothers them, it's what others are going through. They want others to find God.

Do you think suicide bombers fear death? Nope. For them, it's a culmination of their life. They do it for god and country. For allah, for their family and countrymen. They believe it enough to die for it.

What a person believes has a major impact on whether they will fear their own death. And for many it's what comes after that matters because it dwarfs anything they might ever have in this life.

Most religions will say you cannot take your earthly wealth with you. In the bible, Jesus welcomed the poor. When a rich man came to him smiling and telling him how great he was, Jesus told the rich man to give away all his wealth and then he might join him in the kingdom of heaven.

So if you want people to fear death less, you may have to examine their beliefs.

Originally posted by wildtimes
reply to post by sealing

 

No fear of dying changes everything.

I agree.... I absolutely believe that not fearing death does change everything!!
I've been for years studying reincarnation and NDE/OBE experiences. To a one, the people who have had an NDE realize that they (we) are NOT simply annihilated at death, and their priorities change afterwards.

I've not had one myself, but I've had a life-long love for nature, animals, plants, oceans, etc.

Thanks for participating!

edit on 16-3-2013 by wildtimes because: (no reason given)

Of course! I love this idea. I too even as far back as 4th grade(I'm now 40 something)
searched out books by Dr. Raymond Moody (I believe) who had story after
story of NDE's and I remember thinking then, our souls never quit.

Manly P Hall 33rd degree mason, has a great talk essentially about this idea called
Initiation in the Great Pyramid. Masons use this as their own initiation.
Basically it's a death/rebirth ceremony, in that you ceremoniously die and realize your soul
is eternal.

So the decisions you make from then on, are tempered with you knowing
you are immortal. Which counterintuitively for some to understand,
creates a kinder and certainly more patient person.
What's the hurry? You only have forever.

reply to post by wildtimes


in my opinion, the manipulation of the masses by various forms of media is what is destroying the world.

if we didn't fear death and were still being manipulated as we are now then things would be much worse.

reply to post by wildtimes

Hi wildtimes, I am so glad you posted this topic..We should fear death....death to this wonderful planet and to ourselves. The earth is literally being destroyed by the folly and neglect of corporations. I see this everyday right here in my beautiful state of Louisiana. Well, it was beautiful when I first moved here 25 yrs. ago. It has become a ruined area more and more as a result of logging out and fracking. Areas that were lovely and woodsey and green have slowly become like horror story landscapes from some futuristic movie. The deer and other creatures of the wild are being pushed out. People are being pushed out...having to leave their land/property because of fracking...contaminated water wells, noise pollution, filth and chemicals in the air and soil.

My signature says it all....Einstein said it best. "Mans technology has far exceeded his humanity." There has to be a better way for us to survive/exist, without killing Mother Earth and ourselves along with it. Right now, there are problems in the Gulf of Mexico, relevant to oil/gas drilling around an ancient volcano there...siesmic activity is becoming a concern at the volcano....BP is concerned. They have been drilling there. Is that prudent...to drill and stir up a volcano that may set off the New Madrid? Many deaths could occur if that goes off as well as killing many beautiful states/earth in the process. I agree with you. More care and thought needs to be done as to what is being done to our surroundings. Thanx for an excellent topic post. Star and flag for you.

reply to post by shrevegal

Thank you for your contribution!
I think some of the people who've participated have missed the point a bit, seeming to have taken the two premises OUT OF the intended connection to each other And that's fine, to a point,
but it's a philosophical point of view that I'm looking at...
not so much "why we fear death" (although that is an important question),
nor "what is destroying the planet" (albeit it is human "neediness" and disrespect for our environment)
but how the two are LINKED.

I agree with you, and I'm sorry to hear about Louisiana's plight. It is a lovely state. When I think about how the oceans are even "dying" with our crap being infused into it, how the forests are disappearing, how we can't hardly go anywhere now and hear just "wildlife sounds" - it's a vanishing world, and it makes me very sad.

And embarrassed.
shrevegal, thanks for pitching in!
Namaste

I understand about what was meant about the fear of death thing and what was being conveyed...I just kinda put a different kinda spin on it...I hope that is understood. I can't help fearing the "death" of our beautiful planet and creatures therein. I agree, we should care about the earth, the creatures and ourselves. All is connected as the n Native Americans say, "Mitakuye Oyasin"....All my relations...we are all related.

Originally posted by sealing
reply to post by wildtimes

 

You have hit the biggest idea of all.
No fear of dying changes everything.

The initiated Ancient Egyptians lived this way.
It literally would transform the Earth.
Fear is solely responsible for stopping this transformation .

And the PTB, whether the Gov. Corporations or the Church,
are fully aware that if Humans figure this out, their power dissappears.

There is a truth many if not all could and should agree upon.

Fear of death is fear of life where we are is it not, that's why so much of life suffers.



s/f