To answer your question, I have indeed studied the other side. I was raised as a Christian and attended church and went to a Christian school. I even sang in the choir as a kid. I prayed with sincerity.

I’ve read the bible, and it’s got some interesting stories, some very strange stories, some good teachings and some very bad ones. It seems to me very human originated and flawed in a very human way. I could not find the divine in there. Someone once pointed out to me that it’s completely devoid of humour. I find that strange.

I’ve been an atheist (technically an atheist agnostic) for the last few years. I went from believing as a child, to wishing I believed as a youth, to being agnostic and then finally coming to terms with what I know to be true now – there is no evidence for God and there is a great deal of evidence that we’re the product of unguided evolution through natural selection. It seems every new scientific discovery pushes back further the boundary of what believers can plausibly claim to be God’s domain.

I don’t dismiss the Christian way of life entirely as it’s hard to separate aspects of Christianity with what I hold dear in my culture and society, but the beliefs of Christians I cannot share. Sometimes in moments of despair I’ve wished I had that belief but in my deepest being I cannot force myself to believe in something I know to be untrue or unfounded.

I try to approach all aspects of my life with the same integrity – with what is evident and just and moral.

If after I die there is a God and he condemns me to hell for not believing in Him rather than judging my actions in life as a moral person, then I’d judge him right back, especially an almighty who hasn’t yet left one shred of evidence to persuade me of His existence.

As to the facts you presented, I can’t agree. If you have some evidence I can read about then I’d like to see it. A cursory search on the net for a soul being weighed casts doubt on the validity of the research conducted, and it occurs to me that even if it were proven true that a body does weigh less on death it does not follow that God, Jesus and the bible are all true.

We’ve digressed from the original post, but I thought I’d reply again as I appreciate the civility of your posts.

I don’t know what you mean about the anti-christ, but you’re making me nervous. Should I brace myself for a rant about the rapture?

As to your earlier comment, it seems as if you’re saying that the prospect of no afterlife would make life unbearable. So do you turn to faith as a crutch against that which we’re all aware of – our inevitable deaths?

If you were to be like me not a believer, and have yet to discover any conciliation about death, it still does not make suicide an attractive option. I don’t believe in any afterlife, not even hell, so why would we bring that about all the sooner?

Whatever the way to deal with the thought of our deaths is, I’m sure part of it involves cherishing life and the lives of those around you. From my experience so far, the nearest comfort I can give myself about death is the thought that I won’t know I’m dead when I’m dead, because I’ll be dead, see?

Not as warming as clouds and harps and such, but certainly not cause for jumping under a train.

Now the thought of dieing and knowing I’m about to die…that moment (if I’m unfortunate enough to have to check out that way) – THAT’S what gives me the cold sweats in the wee small hours.

Possibly this is where the suicide appeal comes in? You can opt for an instant or peaceful death, on your own terms. It makes an argument for euthanasia for example.