It's interesting that us non- religious folk get a special section to ourselves when statistics show that in Britain more people have no religion than do believe in God. Maybe they are the special ones?
It's likely due to non-religious people being (usually) more tolerant and less selfish (pro-choice and respect that others have their own views). We are not allowed individual thinking if different from them.
We should have the individual rights to choose. It is extremely selfish to dictate others to agree with our own choices.
This is an old post but I do think it has relevance. A cancer diagnosis does kind of force you to think about possible death. Even though with many cancers there are options. But I know from my experience this is a thought. I believe when you die you die and that's it. My dad had the same thoughts until he was losing his life due to cancer and started to reconsider that position. I think that is someone is terminal we should respect their views, even if we don't agree.
I try to respect everyone's views, whatever the state of their health, although every now and then I bump into people who don't respect mine. And I object when someone's religious views lead them to be cruel, say to LGBTQ people, but I object to the cruelty.
I'm certainly not going to be unkind to anyone who's in palliative care.
Well said. I am an atheist, I love the universe and find the idea of a “god” very strange. I have taken steps to ensure that my wishes about end of life treatment are written and lodged with my GP, my Consultant and my family. It might be the cancer that becomes awful or something else but I can’t say whether I will try to end my life by whatever means are available as I might go for it or change my mind who can tell. As long as I can self actualise and feel it’s worthwhile soldering on I probably will. But religion will have no place in my decision. No one should pray for me and at my death it’s to be a type of celebration and I shall return to Mother Earth
My beliefs are as valid as any faith so please don’t expunge my words moderators.
I think the two things are tied together. Seneca wrote about finally learning to be a friend to himself in his sixties. It was a huge relief when I learned to do that, to talk to myself the way I would talk to a friend. Instead of, "Don't you dare eat a slice of cake you disgusting pig!" it's now, "That's a lot of calories in one go. Perhaps share a slice with a friend? Those strawberries look good, though."
When you learn that, you're less stressed and it's much easier to be kind to other people.
