Comments on: On Death http://atheists.org/blog/2008/06/10/on_death A Blog of Atheist Thought Fri, 10 Feb 2012 03:47:55 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: leestein http://atheists.org/blog/2008/06/10/on_death/comment-page-1#comment-84296 leestein Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-84296 Hmmmm. How about compromising and going for cremation :-) Hmmmm. How about compromising and going for cremation :-)

]]> By: Ren http://atheists.org/blog/2008/06/10/on_death/comment-page-1#comment-84297 Ren Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-84297 I think they need to build industrial strength garbage disposals and start flushing people. Solyent Green, anybody? I think they need to build industrial strength garbage disposals and start flushing people. Solyent Green, anybody?

]]> By: subflea http://atheists.org/blog/2008/06/10/on_death/comment-page-1#comment-84298 subflea Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-84298 OT: Big breakthrough in evolutionary science.<br /> <br /> http://www.newscientist.com/channel/life/dn14094-bacteria-make-major-evolutionary-shift-in-the-lab.html?feedId=online-news_rss20 OT: Big breakthrough in evolutionary science.

http://www.newscientist.com/channel/life/dn14094-bacteria-make-major-evolutionary-shift-in-the-lab.html?feedId=online-news_rss20

]]> By: http://atheists.org/blog/2008/06/10/on_death/comment-page-1#comment-84299 Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-84299 I'm not sure which one is better for the environment, cremation or burial.<br /> <br /> A lot of land is taken up by cemeteries... but doesn't cremation release a lot of greenhouse gases? <br /> <br /> Maybe mankind should research "time traveling self abortions" (that might solve the problem) I’m not sure which one is better for the environment, cremation or burial.

A lot of land is taken up by cemeteries… but doesn’t cremation release a lot of greenhouse gases?

Maybe mankind should research “time traveling self abortions” (that might solve the problem)

]]> By: Chris B http://atheists.org/blog/2008/06/10/on_death/comment-page-1#comment-84300 Chris B Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-84300 I'm really fascinated that some people believe that the body must be left unmutilated so that it can resurrect - as if the reconstruction of a pile of chunky dirt that used to be a person 20 years ago wouldn't require at least enough supernatural magic to replace a kidney or two. And what about those people who had a limb amputated? Will they forever be amputee angels? Great reasoning.<br /> <br /> As a result of this heavy thinking, we now have people dying waiting for transplants or blood transfusions to become available. We also have a multi-billion dollar funeral industry looting the estates of the deceased person's children (over and over again each generation) in exchange for the latest in taxidermy, concrete vaults, and silk-lined, waterproof caskets, as well as a few square feet of cemetery real estate for the price you could buy an acre for elsewhere. Oh and then there are the facilities rental costs for the necessary religious ceremony. <br /> <br /> It's not that the death of a fellow human doesn't call for some sort of social remembrance. It's that because people accept a few false premises, they find themselves stuck with ridiculous results such as paying $15,000 for a silk and mahogany body box while people all around them can't even afford to take their kids to the doctor. <br /> <br /> If you haven't yet volunteered for organ donation, ask yourself, is there any smaller price I could pay to save a person's life than this? That goes for theists or atheists. Get off the computer and head to the DMV. <br /> <br /> Today. I’m really fascinated that some people believe that the body must be left unmutilated so that it can resurrect – as if the reconstruction of a pile of chunky dirt that used to be a person 20 years ago wouldn’t require at least enough supernatural magic to replace a kidney or two. And what about those people who had a limb amputated? Will they forever be amputee angels? Great reasoning.

As a result of this heavy thinking, we now have people dying waiting for transplants or blood transfusions to become available. We also have a multi-billion dollar funeral industry looting the estates of the deceased person’s children (over and over again each generation) in exchange for the latest in taxidermy, concrete vaults, and silk-lined, waterproof caskets, as well as a few square feet of cemetery real estate for the price you could buy an acre for elsewhere. Oh and then there are the facilities rental costs for the necessary religious ceremony.

It’s not that the death of a fellow human doesn’t call for some sort of social remembrance. It’s that because people accept a few false premises, they find themselves stuck with ridiculous results such as paying $15,000 for a silk and mahogany body box while people all around them can’t even afford to take their kids to the doctor.

If you haven’t yet volunteered for organ donation, ask yourself, is there any smaller price I could pay to save a person’s life than this? That goes for theists or atheists. Get off the computer and head to the DMV.

Today.

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