Study Finds the Pious Fight Death Hardest 921
Stanislav_J writes "A US study suggests that people with strong religious beliefs appear to want doctors to do everything they can to keep them alive as death approaches. The study, following 345 patients with terminal cancer, found that 'those who regularly prayed were more than three times more likely to receive intensive life-prolonging care than those who relied least on religion.' At first blush, this appears paradoxical; one would think that a strong belief in an afterlife would lead to a more resigned acceptance of death than nonbelievers who view death as the end of existence, the annihilation of consciousness and the self. Perhaps the concept of a Judgment produces death-bed doubts? ('Am I really saved?') Or, given the Judeo-Christian abhorrence of suicide, and the belief that it is God who must ultimately decide when it is 'our time,' is it felt that refusing aggressive life support measures or resuscitation is tantamount to deliberately ending one's life prematurely?"
It's very simple... (Score:1, Funny)
Obviously God punishes the non-believers by causing them to deny themselves critical end-of-life care.
Re:Or they're terrified (Score:5, Funny)
I can think of some unnatural religions.
Cthulhu ftaghn, RAmen!
It'd be like calamari in spaghetti sauce:)
Re:Or they're terrified (Score:5, Funny)
Actually, unbaptized babies go to Limbo. Read something besides Pagan FUD please. Thank you.
its not that complicated (Score:2, Funny)
its called hypocrisy
those who profess the highest of religious purity, according to whatever arbitrary standards, and pass judgment on others, according to their psychological poverty, are often the biggest hypocrites you find in this world
Re:Or they're terrified (Score:5, Funny)
Osmostism.
Re:Or they're terrified (Score:5, Funny)
A rather naive attempt... (Score:3, Funny)
Obviously, the entire post was crafted with one and only purpose in mind: to make a trollish statement about "nonbelievers who view death as the end of existence, the annihilation of consciousness and the self". The rest was added for the sole purpose to make the trolling less obvious.
Hardly surprising considering... (Score:2, Funny)
Re:Or they're terrified (Score:1, Funny)
Or maybe the pious just have more to live for? Lets look at what true atheism has to offer:
1) you are here because of random chance
2) you really have no purpose in the grand scheme of the universe except whatever arbitrary purpose that you think up for yourself.
3) nothing you do in this life will last more than a couple thousand years, then it will be like you never existed.
4) there is no true morality except for whatever you and/or society decides to makeup at that point in time.
5) your value is rated at whatever the dollar cost of the chemicals you are made of are plus whatever skill set you have.
6) no point in helping others because they must be valued less than you otherwise they wouldnt need help.
Gosh, if i were an atheist id be looking forward to death too.
Re:Or they're terrified (Score:5, Funny)
I dunno about you, but I do know that my plan is to live forever. Everything is going according to plan so far.
Re:Or they're terrified (Score:3, Funny)
If that's true, why does /faith/scientology /faith/christianity
$diff -B
show no difference between the two?
Re:Or they're terrified (Score:5, Funny)
Re:Or they're terrified (Score:2, Funny)
Actually, unbaptized babies go to Limbo.
Baby Limbo isn't so bad, either. It's easy because their spines are quite flexible.