Atheists, desists, theists, polytheists - what do/would you say to your kids about what comes after death?

I would tell them the logical truth... that there is no reason to assume that ANYTHING happens after you die.

I would say nothing...seeing that nothing most likely follows death.

In the short term, nothing. I am an atheist and I have no clue if we come back in some or our old material form and maybe not. Maybe the universe eventually starts over and maybe eventually we do too. None of this make sense to begin with and no explanation has ever made sense so I withhold definate judgement. I think even other atheists (and I am a pretty strong atheist), are making a presupposition when we talk about eternity and what can not be created nor destroyed.

I would tell them the truth. We don't really know what happens to us when we die. You should live the best life you can here and treat your fellow humans decently. This may be all we get.

I would simply tell them to spend their life living in a way that creates a world that will make their descendants proud of them.

Death is a natural part of life. Dwelling on irrelevant thoughts takes away from the potential of a human.

I don't know. Just live life honorably and it won't matter. Figuring out how to prosper and thrive personally and within the community of Earth is not rocket science, and if there is some just and kind god/judge, you will have nothing to worry about. But if it is the Christian/Jewish/Muslim god, then you want to be as far away from it as possible. That god is evil and immoral.

then why do you smoke pot?!?!?!? It's illegal!!!!!!!

Good people break bad laws all the time. I hate to break it to you, but it is not wrong to break immoral laws. Drinking a beer is not wrong now and it wasn't wrong during alcohol prohibition either. Living life honorably sometimes means acting freer than you actually are, and perhaps being an example to others in a civilly disobedient way. Might even make people think differently and gradually make the societies laws line up more with natural law. If nobody acted free, then the ratchet would always tend toward more tyranny. If that Amish farmer didn't sell unpasteurized milk, then many of us wouldn't be aware of the fact that we need to end the prohibition on that product. The Feds spent our money on investigating these viscous scofflaws for an entire year which culminated in the use of a battering ram to bust in the door of these fiends.

I tell my children that we get buried in the ground or cremated (I want to be cremated). I also tell them that no one really knows what comes after death and those that do are already there. I do not presume to tell them some made up lie or sugar coated fantasy.

Sad you're children have no faith in God. Bad parenting in MOST peoples eyes......

Just because a parenting style is different doesn't make it bad.

yea, there are a few of you who believe you're above God.........

In your eyes maybe but for those of us who don't believe in god it isn't about being superior to him it's just about not submissing to something that may or may not be real.

To me placing something that may not even exist as more important then myself and other humans is almost idiotic.

and how do you believe you got here?!?!? Its called having "faith". May or may not, huh....... where will you end up if there IS a GOD? Atheism is rather lame.........

Where will you end up if you are wrong about which god is real?
What if hinduism is right?
There is a saying out there that god likes atheists more, because atleast they are honest.
I have doubts and reservations about gods existence, that doesnt make me a bad person and when I have kids it won't make me a bad parent.

Your saying that you believe in god just incise he exists, that doesn't sound like faith to me that sounds like a bet and a bad one at that.

well the vast majority of the world disagrees with you! The number of disbelievers is growing, but they remain America's least trusted minority.

that says more about your faith then mine, not being able to trust anyone outside of your faith is a bad thing.

http://life.nationalpost.com/...

and like you said, the number of disbelievers is growing which in turn means that the number of believers is declining.

that their loss and yours. They call them "LIBTARDS"!

I know a lot of Christian liberals.
Religious belief doesn't set your political belief.
In turn I know a lot of atheist conservatives.

yea right........

can you imagine what this might look like today?

seeing as it is almost exactly the same as in the 2004 election, not much different.

the point was that religious people do vote democrat and non religious people do vote republican.

wrong...... nice try......

You have one strange group of aquaintences then.

that is because of back water inbred red necks

You're right! Those Atheists, desists, theists, polytheists and liberals have got to stop corrupting our next generation!

what about the conservatives?
or does it not count as corrupting if it is what YOU (personally) agree with?

If I disagree, its corruption.

David, you need to stop. God does not appreciate you treating people like this and he will judge you for it. The reason God leaves us here after we have accepted Christ is to evangelize to other people. Treating people badly like this will only push them away. It will make them think badly of Christians and make them want to stay away from them, so not only will you no be able to evangelize to them, but no one else will either. God wants us to do the Christian thing all the time and what decides the Christian thing is not what some Christians would typically do, it's what Christ himself would do. He would not spit on these people and hate them so much like this. He does not agree with you doing it either and you SHOULD NOT EVER do bad things in his name. Be careful.

God gave me a brain. Somewhere along the line all of these supposedly "college graduate" atheist/liberals, became very naive when it comes to life and politics in general. What changed their minds?

I never said you were a bad person, just think your a little off base. Now exactly who is it that said God likes atheist more because they are honest? Thats the dumbest thing I have ever heard!!!! First of all, as an atheist, why would you believe God said that if he's non-existent in your mind? Think about that "saying" and tell me that isn't the damdest thing you have ever said.............. So everyone but atheist are dishonest?!?!?!?!? Please............

No because atheists say, I don't know if got exists, there is no proof so I don't think he exists, but atheists also say that if there was a god they would change their minds.
Theists don't, I have had many tell me that if it was proven that god didn't exist they would continue believing in him.
I was not saying that everyone else was dishonest.

Scary...........

No Hun bad parenting is telling a child if the do wrong they will burn. Bad parenting is forcing a child to believe what you believe instead of letting them CHOOSE religion for themselves its forced on them. I tell my kids I dont know which I dont and neither do you the only way you could know is to die and then you would know for sure but you couldnt tell us could you.

Telling your children that after death no one knows what happens, is NOT very promising. My God is a forgiving God if we ask for forgiveness. I try to do whats right in life but find it hard to deal with the non-believers ideas. They are so misleading and confused about their path in life and more so afterwards. Very sad when atheist parents can't explain faith to their children!

NOT one person on this earth knows what happens after death because they are not dead it would be a lie to tell my kids that I did know. I can explain faith I just find it hard to lie to my kids "faith" is belief that is not based on proof. Dawkins states this “faith…is a state of mind that leads people to believe something–it doesn’t matter what–in the total absence of supporting evidence.” FAITH is a psychological crutch for people who cant handle reality such as people die, we don't know where they go, and we don't want to think they are just dead. Why does it make sense that an animal "just dies" and yet we don't. Are we so special that we get a magic place in the sky.

you are one warped individual.........

Maybe in your one sided mind I am. Yet to me you seem "touched" in the head. soooooo there you have it.

so be it......