Comforting an atheist on their deathbed

at the risk of seeming like a complete jackass im going to ask this question.

how do you comfort an atheist on their deathbed?

its very easy when a person is religious or at least believes in some sort of afterlife, but when the end is truly the end for a person, what can be done to comfort them? aside from the obvious things like just being there and trying to have a "good time" .... is there anything more specific?

You can either remind him of the good time, or if he is in pain, tell him it will be over soon enough.

But really, it doesn't boil down to words I think. Just need to be there, hold his hand and make him feel loved and dignified.

.

I agree that being there with the person, showing them you care, would probably be the most comforting thing. If you know the person well, and you know their history, perhaps you could remind them of their achievements and highlights in life. But in the end, nothing is better than love and to be loved.

RE:
"Tell them you'll pray for their soul and hope Jesus forgives their defiance."

??? I have nothing against people's beliefs, but saying such a think to someone on their deathbed is, I think, inappropriate and insensitive. Saying you'll pray for them is one thing, but 'I hope Jesus forgives you for your defiance'?? I hope you were trying to be comical Decius. I am curious as to why you laugh.

Yo, Dawn,

I'm pretty sure Decius was just kiidding. Lol, or at least I hope he was.

LMAO@Decius

yea, thats what i usually tell them, thats why i made this thread

That's good Decius. ( Im really bad with words) . Seriously though, I would try to talk to them about God and Christ as much as I can.... If I know that they are not going to heaven I will do as much as is in my power to change that, or at least open up the doors to them.

i dont think forcing your own beliefs on somebody during their last moments is the best way to go Chrissie, that seems very selfish to me. it may make you feel better, but they are the one that is dying.

imagine if you led your life being a devoute christian and then in your last moments you had somebody trying to tell you that "this is the end, there is no god"

I think many people misunderstand the meaning of 'atheist', I know I once did. People often think that atheists do not have a spiritual or moral side.

The term 'atheist' is derived from the word 'theist' – 'theist' meaning someone who believes in a deity or deities. The word 'theist' is linked to the word 'theology' which is the study of religion scriptures and religious beliefs. The prefix 'a' in 'atheist' simply means 'non'. Therefore an atheist is someone who is 'not a theist', therefore someone who does not believe in religious scriptures, therefore does not believe in any deity/deities (or 'God' as most people would say) that religious scriptures narrate about.

I once read something that was written by an atheist, I would like to share a part of what he wrote with you:

'I live on a large piece of land. We have our own forests, hills, meadows, trails and roads, located in an area of Oregon where the climate is very mild. We raise cattle and timber. We are right now in the middle of the spring calving season, during which we will have about 30 calves. We should be used to it, nonchalant about it, by now. But every new calf is a thrill, an excitement, to see it emerge, find its legs, and find the milk. What a miracle! Every element of it is a miracle, and awe-inspiring.
...When I wander in the woods, in the silence broken only by the sounds of the birds and the breezes in the treetops, I find great peace in looking at a wild flower or a tree and realizing that the difference between them and me is so minimal. The purpose of the flower is to be, to grow, to reproduce if possible. Or perhaps it really has no purpose. Nobody cares about it, but it doesn't seem to mind. There's nothing wrong with that, for the flower, or for me.' (© 1998 Richard Packham)

Now, does that sound like it's coming from someone who does not have a spiritual side? Over the last few years I have met many atheists, and those whom I have gotten to know do exhibit a spiritual side. I know that in using the term 'spiritual' I may spark debate with some of you. To me spirituality is the path towards inner enlightenment. I firmly believe that many atheists can be spiritual people, just as I am sure many Christians / Hindus / Pagans etc. are spiritual and many Christians / Hindus / Pagans etc. are not. Being an atheist does not mean you deny the existence of the universe. To do that would be to deny science.

note ~ I myself am not an atheist. (have thought about it though)

Well, Im kindof an airhead so I dont really know what facetiose means....

But what I meant in my last post was not that I would FOPRCE them, or even push it... all I meant is that I would at least want them to know not necesarly." YOU MUST CONVERT NOW" I appologise if that was....offensive (?) or rubbed anyone the wrong way.....

Just wanted to make that clear

my example was not meant to be from the voice of an atheist, but rather the polar opposite of what it would be like for a christian in that situation.

a christian telling an atheist that you must believe in their god is just as offensive as a person telling a christian that their god does not exsist. that was merely my point.