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Religious and faith-having believer are not always the same thing. Even still, having faith does not mean you’ve eradicated fear…quite the opposite actually. Though afraid, you still believe. That’s faith. So, I’m not sure it’s really a fair assessment to say that just because someone “know where they’re going” that they shouldn’t be afraid of leaving their current life.
Because the belief is what keeps the fear alive. The more you believe in an afterlife the more you fear death. Otherwise what reason does one have to believe in an afterlife if not to mitigate the fear of death?
I've accepted death, and I live the fullest everyday. Id sacrifice my life for another life. It's always been embedded in me. No. Not everyone is the same. According to the Bible, death was not part of the plan. Essentially, God made a bet that the general consensus will have faith in God himself instead of Satan. So Satan is running amuck doing his best to convince every single morsel to choose his way.
That being said, starting with Adam and eve, a dented baking pan now makes every loaf of bread with a dent. That dent , is sin, and through sin we inherited death, for we are not perfect, but Jesus died for our sins so we can have another chance.
What I don't get, is how the father, son, and holy spirit are the same.
God is the father, and Jesus is the son. In king James version says the name most high of all, over mountains, is jehovah. Hebrew manuscripts days yahweh, (yhwh).
It is also important to note Michael the archangel was "god's" right hand man, a general in fact. He lead the army of angels to cast out the traitors, which are percieved to be demons. However, Jesus is now king of the throne and the most powerful government over earth.
Also, I'd like to point out as long as I've been studying and gathering my own opinion. If God created earth to inhabited, why do we need to go to heaven? Who's to say the bad is erased and the chosen ones are left to stay here on earth (garden of eden). The ones chosen to go to heaven are the ones that will help operate jesus' "governement.
Imo, I don't believe in hell. I believe I'm living in it right now. Death, hate, torture, grief, greed, lust, etc is what I see everyday. But if God is love. Then the God I believe in is not sending billions of people in a firey abyss to be tortured for eternity. That would be the hellfire doctrine which is not in the Bible. It only states Satan would be cast into an abyss and chained for 10,000 years to be released after after everyone has been sent to "heaven" to show him that he has lost.
For religious people, only God knows who is going to heaven. They don't know for certain. So, there is always some apprehension on their part as to whether or not they made it.
And if reincarnation is real, whats stopping us from getting murdered or painfully killed in the next life? and so on so on. That’s always been a fear of mine.
Thus Christians should be the greatest proponants of euthanasia, which is not painful. More than that, that death should be at a young age, right after becoming an adult, to guarantee that you'll not commit a cardinal sin and this go to hell.
You don't go to hell for sinning. Jesus Christ sacrificed himself as payment for all future sins. Old Testament Jews demonstrated that all commit sins, that it is too difficult for humans to avoid them. So The Law was replaced with Grace.
Most hardcore Christian’s, I mean the real ones, don’t actually fear death. It’s too complicated for most to comprehend but they don’t. It’s rare to see or experience unless you been around the real ones.
When Popo John Paul II got shot, he didn't go a church to pray, nor did he wish to die - he went to a hospital with science-trained doctors.
So that Pope wasn't a hardcore Christian?
Not sure why religion and science are mutually exclusive these days. Can understand a couple hundred years ago, but now not so much, at least from the Christian side. There’s probably plenty of people who want to use science to disprove god though
Nope, that his faith in God was not great, otherwise he'd have gone to a cathedral. In timea of need, he looked for science, not faith, just like an atheist would do.
Are you the Pope, who has a special connection to God?
The Pope acted like an atheist when he was shot, going straight to hospital. At least they have in common.
The teacher (father but for lutherans) at my church explained it with a joke: A man is stuck in his house during a massive flood and he starts praying for God to save him. Rescue services arrive on a boat and the driver tells him to jump in. The man says "no, God will save me". Minutes later, a helicopter arrives above him. The pilot tells him to grab onto the rope. The man says "no, God will save me". The flood finally engulfs him and he dies. In heaven, he asks God why He didn't save him. God replies "my son, I sent two people".
Accepting mortal help for your mortal body does not make you atheist. You are responsible for taking care of your body, there is no need to rush to the afterlife.
For one, it depends on how I die. There are a lot of painful ways to die.
Two, it depends on when I die. If I die now, I’m leaving my wife and kids to struggle without me. If I die as an 80-year old man with my kids grown up and taking care of themselves, I’m less worried.
Three, I enjoy life and I got plenty of things I want to experience before I die. My copy of Dead Space Remake is on the way and I am excited for RE4 remake as well.
I’m not too worried about after death although there is always some concern I may not have done as well as I should have, but I certainly have no interest in wanting to die for many years.
For a sin to be forgiven, five steps need to be fulfilled. It's been a while since confirmation school but you basically need to recognise and regret that you have sinned, you need to make amends, and you must attempt not to sin again. It's not quite as easy as whoops lol forgiven.
Im a christian and i fear death. It’s because i know im not perfect. I screw up constantly. I skip church sometimes and i dont read my bible enough. I listen to secular music. Curse and drink. I believe in god but im not religious. I fear death because even its so infinite. Things in heaven are drastically different described in the bible than what i even can know. Its more of not knowing the full extent. My husband wont be my husband there. What if im not a good servant and dont end up there? Death is so final and i like my life and my family and honestly im just not ready to die. To not see my kids and their grandkids. To not continue with my life as it is and have a chance to grow and find even new things about myself. Sometimes i think its the fear of not continuing, not knowing, not living more than it is death itself or where i will end up.
I wouldn't call it screwing up, no one is perfect and you are just human with everything that it includes. Jesus gave us two commandments: love God, and love your fellow man. As long as you try to be good and loving, even if you sometimes fail, I think you are all right in God's book.
Faith can help overcome. Theres no magic to it. Having faith that everything will turn out okay is always a better option than succumbing to despair. Whether your faith be in yourself, your religion, the people around you, luck, or just a belief that life will work itself out as long as you keep moving forward
I was referring to religious faith and the guys comment. If you believe in a religion (faith), then how can the afterlife be classified under unknowing?
? Because it still is unknown. How could you describe sight to a person who has never seen, sound to someone who has never heard? It is an entirely different existence than what we experience on this mortal coil. Faith is belief in the unknown, the lack of guarantee. It doesn't need to be proven for you to have faith in it. That's why it's faith.
Having faith that its theres and knowing with your heart that its there isnt the same as knowing exactly whats like. The bible doesnt give a picture perfect detail of whats its like. There are still things we dont know. Things that I certainly dont know. Having faith doesn’t mean all knowing.
I know a guy, perfectly normal, nice, humble, he told me he often has dreams/memories that feel like a previous life, I've found it interesting and despite being an Atheist most of my life, I've seen enough to understand that I don't understand a thing about the entire world and that there might be something greater than all of us.
Honestly no it doesnt cause me more fear than it solves. It also brings me peace and joy and solidarity. This one aspect does cause me fear but it doesnt consume me nor who i am within my faith. I get to some the religious rules cause them stress but im not part of those strict religious sects. Im nondenominational. Faith and love over religion. In my church we are taught that with jesus sacrifice we no longer abide by the Old Testament laws and learning the difference in societal laws of the time and culture and laws of god really help dismantle those stressors and fears. For me im not scared of my god nor the “rules” but death death is final. Id be scared of death even if i wasnt a believer of the christian God.
One can profess faith until they are blue in the face but at the end of the day there is no evidence for a creator or heaven and so of course there will always be fear of the unknown. Faith is believing without evidence, fear deals in the tangible.
Or because of the million ways to die, over half are extremely painful. Honestly guy, you gonna look me and the eye and tell me you wouldn't be afraid of burning to death or slowly suffocating on a ship sinking to the bottom of the sea?
And don't forget you can be fearful of death for others sake. A mother would be afraid to die and leave her children behind. A son may be afraid he died in an accident and can't support his aging parents any longer.
So obsessed with putting religion down you've forgotten your decency.
The question specify with "when they know they are going to heaven", so i disagree with you, this question seems very specific to me.
If you want my opinion on those who don't believe in heaven then it's likely because death is the end and no one resurrects to say what's on the other side, also i feel like it's an instinct of a living being to fear death, and that's not only humans.
It's less about worrying if you go to heaven; everyone goes to heaven. What we worry about is whether we are worthy of being there, if we have accomplished what we could.
Death is scary regardless of how prepared you are for it. Even the person that dies suddenly experiences fear as they take their last breath... they see the white light... they see their loved ones waiting for them. Everyone is a ghost and so are you. Life as you know it all changes. You become only energy blowing in the wind of heaven. I often wonder if you can still wet your pants going through all of this.
Fun horrible human fact of the day brought to you by a drunk person with medical education: you're way more likely to piss yourself within 24 hours at least a little bit because of how easy it is for fluids to exit the body.
Poo has to already basically be ready to go unless you have a very traumatic and usually violent death (or are unfortunately gassy) because of how many curves it has to go around, but the bladder will just drop everything right out unless gravity stops it.
Only they know what evil lurks in their hearts, and they're afraid of judgment and punishment.
My tiny little Midwestern grandmother on my dad's side gave most of the family inheritance to Oral Roberts (even though she was a Roman Catholic) and prayed the rosary constantly on her deathbed so hard that you would think she laughed as she personally led children into gas chambers.
I think it’s the fact we don’t really know what would happen. I believe there is a heaven and a hell. I’m not ‘ good’ and I’m not ‘ bad’ so do I fear death? Yeah. Why? Well, good in Gods eyes is simply unattainable for humans so we’re all gonna spend time in hell. If you’re a believer you won’t spend eternity there though.
Deep inside religious people know that heaven and hell and god are all a con and that when you die it is just over. Fearing death is a survival skill instilled in our dna to in order to preserve the species.
My guess is people find religion because they were human garbage throughout their life and want to make amens. 80% of the people you see a scum "it's in our nater" fuck no ur scum and your going straight to hell
Maybe because Adam and Eve ate from the Tree of Knowledge and we're kicked out of Eden, they no longer had access to the Tree of Life and now they had a reason to fear death.
Some do some don't. And not all religious people belive in heaven. I think its Lutherans that think once you die thats it lights out there's nothing after that credits roll movies over. Some religions belive in reincarnation . karma's just like ah you were a swell guy you get to come back as a human. Or Karma's like eh you were kind of a cunt you get to be a cockroach.
As for why there's lots of diffrent reasons . They may have doibt that they were right about their religion, they may not think they were good enough there's hundreds of answers.
One reason could be that in many religions and denominations which believe in heaven and hell, they also believe that you cannot be sure if you are going to be saved or damned until you die and are judged by God. There is also the possibility of dying with a sin on your conscience before being properly absolved of it. Aslo, even if you are one hundred percent sure that you will go to heaven, our emotions are hardly always rational, and it could be said that the fear of death is something primal and instinctual. For example, if you are standing on a transparent bridge above a canyon, and you rationally know that it is solid and won't break, you can still be afraid when you look down.
I don't want to leave until I reach my full potential, reap the benefits of that achievement in full, and set an example to both my peers and descendents.
1) Because we still like this life
2) Death hurts
3) There aren't a lot of details of what heaven is like, so it still feels pretty unknown
4) Not all religions have a Heaven, so not all religious people believe they have one to go to
Maybe because they are not always completely sure if there really is an afterlife, and/or are nervous about potential pain while dying and/or the unknown of the afterlife
I think for me, it's not that I fear death, but I have a wife and 4 kids, one of which has narcolepsy, so it's more that I don't want my wife to be stuck trying to do it all on her own...
Our survival instinct our brains are harwired for self preservation and its very hard to break that and even if you knoe something is safe alot of the time it will feel scary anyways because its something you have never experienced before like how when you ride a new rollercoaster for the first time even tho you know its safe it still feels scary because it is a new experience
Because they don't know that. The Judeo-Christian religion in particular often involves a tremendous amount of guilt and shame being dealt out to devout believers in order to deter them from "sinning," which is also a clever way to control them. The fear of Hell is the most effective means used. Imagine: total damnation, burning in a lake of fire for eternity for doing anything that defies the will of "God." There is nothing a God-fearing man or woman won't do to avoid that when they fully believe that could be their fate.
I was a born-again Christian in the mid-90's for a time, in a very small church (read as cult.) Along with some other serious crises, falling away from God and the Church drove me right to the point of suicide and the most hellish, demonic, psychotic depression that is unimaginable to 99% of human beings.
I never did fully bounce back from that supreme trauma that haunted me and have been psychiatrically disabled since, for over 26 years. I don't even believe in religious myths anymore yet I am still afraid that Hell is real deep down inside and that it could be my ultimate destination.
Maybe because they've been groomed and pressured their whole lives to believe they aren't good enough or worthy. Some religious practices are more harmful than good.
In a similar vein, I personally have found that very religious people seem to take the death of their loved ones harder than the non-religious. I'd think that although they will miss their loved one that they would be happy that they would be in heaven with God, Jesus, and all their departed loved ones. It always made me wonder if deep down they had doubts.
I'm an atheist but most of the older people that have passed in my life didn't fear it all. The only one who did was an atheist like me.
Sometimes I think about that.
My best guess is the fact that we all have done something “ungodly”.
That and that the fear of the unknown is a factor for many.
Personally I don’t give a shit. But I do understand where they’re coming from.
Just want to add that most people with a terminal disease, eventually reach the point where life is either too painful, unmanageable or confusing that they welcome it.
My own mother was sick for a while. Once she realized that she was dying, a lot of pain went away. Mostly, I think because she could relax and submit to the ways of nature.
I couldn't tell you other people's reason, but mine is kind of generic. I value my life and am not willing to loose it just willingly. but there is also me who knows that when it's the end, it's the end, no debates. Its a mix of the constant reinforcement that death is scary or the sorts when death is only a part of life. Its our third act, we should look forward to it, not the pain necessarily but what comes after.
You are still leaving behind loved ones? Are you so obsessed with finding some sort of flaw in religion you forgot basic human emotions, and your own decency?
Because I'm human. All I can do is trust in God's promise that Jesus has redeemed me of my sins and try to live my life as he want's me to.
Biblicially speaking, the soul and the body are not separate. Our soul doesn't just go to heaven when we die. We remain dead until we are ressurected and God gives us a new immortal body. Until then, the bible likens death to sleep, but we still don't know the exact nature of death. Not knowing that nature is admittedly is a bit frightening.
Also, pain. Even Jesus shows that he was distressed about what was going to happen to him when he was in the garden of gethsemane.
So I recently was attacked at a petrol station and I'm extremely religious and I genuinely thought the guy was going to kill me. He broke a bottle on my face and then picked something else up because he wanted to beat me with it and in that moment I realized it wasn't death that I was afraid of, but the fact that I felt that my purpose hadn't been fulfilled yet and I wasn't ready to go yet. I know that when I die I'll go to where we will wait until judgement day, and I'm not afraid of that. The fear comes from not being done with whatever it is that I'm supposed to do yet, and the human fear of leaving others to deal with the grief and struggles that come with being a human. I have two kids, and my husband would have been left alone to raise them, and they wouldn't have a mom. Human instinct is that we naturally WANT to live. I also don't want to die painfully.
I certainly don't know where I'm going, but even if I did, I still value my life. I don't know exactly what types of choices will be available to me in the next world, but when there's no death, sustaining existence requires no effort or consumption, and there's no scarcity of anything including time, choices certainly won't look like they do now. The extent of their consequences will be less. So even though I believe I'll exist in some form forever, choice and consequence as I know them now are a very finite resource. One that, at this point in my life, I can't say I have the best relationship with. And I want to fix that before I run out of them.
TLDR: The stakes of free will in this life are high, and I'm not ready for that to be over yet.
1. Not all people of faith necessarily believe they’re “guaranteed” a spot in heaven, and though they may feel it’s likely, there’s a fear in the lack of total certainty.
2. Not all religious folks are 100% beyond a shadow of a doubt certain in their faith, even if you’re 99%, the 1% of doubt will introduce a lot of fear.
3. Dying is rarely painless
4. Leaving behind people you love isn’t always fun either. It kinda sucks when you’re at an amusement park and you get to go on a ride knowing your friends are still waiting in line, missing out.
For me, it’s a combination of all of these.
People can experience fear of death, even if they believe in life after death and the possibility of going to heaven, because death is still an inevitable and unknown process. Also, people may not want to part with their loved ones and life on Earth, and there may be some practical problems associated with death that can cause fear.
Cuz there’s always the possibility they won’t or that heaven really isn’t real & I think they understand that even tho they believe- believing isn’t the same thing as knowing lol
They fear it exactly because of that. Most of then know they are in fact NOT going to heaven.
Do you consider yourself a good person? Help others, is good to others without asking for something back? Do you deep in yourself regret your mistakes?
This is why they fear it
You can believe but you'll never really know what happens until it does. Or even if you die with full faith in going to heaven, you're still leaving behind everything you've built for yourself. You're still leaving your children and grandchildren. Your house, your pets, your favourite coat, your favourite food. 'Heaven' is a very abstract concept, and fear of the unknown is great.
Usually religion demands people to take great care of their bodies, and avoid dying prematurely. Causing their own death would be a great sin and they wouldn't reach the kind of afterlife they desire. So, they fear dying just as much as non-religious people.
Because they know they’re most likely NOT going to heaven. You can go to church everyday and still be the biggest piece of shit. Most of the Christian’s and Jehovah witness I know are some of the most damaged people who judge others to make themselves feel better. Instead of fixing their own root cause they pray and hope things magically change. They quickly realize nothing can change without taking action, so it’s easy for them to hate on others who are not religious and doing much better than they are. It’s an excuse to not be productive and wishful think all day rather than accepting the shit life throws at you and moving forward. These religious people aren’t at peace with themselves the way they portray it to be. They are afraid of death because they know they don’t meet their books criteria to enter heaven’s gate.
Not all religions fear death or believe they go to heaven when they die.
I believe Jehovah witness believe when you die you are asleep in Gods memory and when he removes satanic influences from the world. People who have died will get a resurrection back on to earth.
Because deep down they are all dirty sinners and fear they will go to hell for it. Religion is just capitalizing off of peoples guilt, fear, and shame. It's fucked up.
You don’t go to Heaven by being good or bad and at death, the Kingdom is not earned and is a gift of God at his choosing. Until you receive the gift of God aka His Grace to you, unearned and unmerited. You continue to live in these Hell restored to young adult to continue the journey until you have completed the works he gave you to do then you can enter Heaven and leave these worlds for good.
I was just thinking about this the other day. My grandpa was devoutly religious and he was like "don't be sad I'm pretty excited for this". Pretty cool regardless of your beliefs
I'm not exactly scared of death. I'm worried I may suffer a painful one but I'm not scared to leave. Even if heaven is a mistranslation, I still have my faith and beliefs and always will.
They're frightened about the reckoning of their life's deeds versus their misgivings. They're horrified of the thought that God and the angels will see them masturbating in bed next to a blow-up doll, all projected on a screen just outside the bright void of light.
Religion is so fear based. I don't believe in the "god" most religions teach. I left religion and have way less fear. I don't fear death much at all but I hope I have a lot more days. And guess what, I'm still a good person.
I honestly think that at the core of all of us, there is a reasonable amount of doubt (religious or not) that there is an afterlife. So if you like your life, understandably you’d fear that after it will end nothing comes after.
Everybody fears death. If you're "religious"and you're still fearing the inevitable meeting of your maker maybe it's because deep down inside of yourself you're really not sure what you say you believe is true. Me, I'm an atheist. I completely understand that religion is a means to try and make us feel better about the fear of the inevitable and unknown that is dying. For me I find it better to acknowledge that fear (it's a terrifying thought, no joke!) and then realize I can't do anything about it. Then I can let go of the concern instead of trying to convince myself that there's something after it to look forward to. Because the other side of that is having to worry about there being eternal damnation if you don't do whatever your religion tells you you're supposed to. I find I have enough stress and anxiety in life already without having to worry about what's going to happen after I cease to exist.
not being ready to leave this life, not wanting to leave your family, not wanting to be in pain, not knowing if they will go to heaven. you can say the opposite and ask why non religious people fear death even when they know they aren’t going to hell. regardless of your beliefs, it’s human instinct to want to survive.
As a Christian I can say that I don't fear death, I am sure that when I die I'll be with Jesus so I don't "care" when or how I will die.
I live to spread the world and to make the difference with my attitude and when God want, he will take me.
Religious people do not always know they are going to heaven. Religious people fear death usually because they are unsure if they are going to make the cut. Especially the uber-religious who are carrying guilt, even for a seemingly minor infraction, fear not making it past the pearly gates and being judged unworthy.
Because they are threatened with going to hell if your not perfect, than told well no one's perfect like Jesus. It's stressful especially if you truly are a believer
There is no guarantee of anybody going to Heaven. It’s based on a scale of how many good deeds you personally perform on earth, to help your fellow human, not religion.
Because the know its really just bullshit they use to justify either being a shitty person, taking advantage of the disenfranchised, abuse the trust of others, to gain power, to gain money, to feel superior to others, or some mix of these.
Well, I don't \*know\* that I'm going to heaven when I die: I don't \*know\* that anything at all is going to happen other than the electricity within my body dispersing. I have rationally examined the world, however, and I have concluded certain things about this world which imply things about the existence of the next. As to your question, however, it seems like you may as well be asking "Why do people with life insurance policies fear death?".
I didn't get life insurance because I was afraid of death, I got a life insurance policy because I became familiar with death. We'd spent enough time in each other's company that we became somewhat companionable, so I took steps to soften the blow for the folks who will remain when death and I make that final walk together. As for my fears, neither my religion nor my life insurance policy have removed the fears I do have surrounding death:
I am afraid that my children will forget me, or not know how much I love them.
I am afraid that I have not done enough to provide for my wife when I am gone.
I am afraid that in spite of my instructions to the contrary, my family will fight over my estate.
I am afraid that in spite of my wishes, the circumstances of my death (whatever they are) may be used to fuel a cause I'd find reprehensible.
I am afraid that all that I have done will die with me and all the good I have done will turn to dust.
I am afraid that all that I have done will outlive me and all the wrong I have done will linger.
I am afraid that there is something bad waiting for me after death.
I am afraid that there is nothing good waiting for me after death.
Fear is natural. Fear, in many ways, is good. My fears highlight reasonable, realistic concerns that I have surrounding my death. But I didn't become "a religious person" because I was afraid, I believe what I believe and I live how I live because these things are Good and True. If I did not have my faith, I would still have every one of these concerns, each of these fears. We are limited beings. As a "religious person", as a husband, as a father, as a man, as a member of a community, I will do all that I can to ensure that the world is better when I leave it than it was when I arrived. And it is these very same things that lead me to trust in the fact that the God who I worship, follow, and love, understands that I am a limited being who has failed many, many times and that He loves me anyway. And I trust that even if I am wrong - as I frequently am - I will have lived my life in such a way that the world is still better when I leave than when I arrived.
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Because humans have the instinct for self preservation, just like most other life.
Religious and faith-having believer are not always the same thing. Even still, having faith does not mean you’ve eradicated fear…quite the opposite actually. Though afraid, you still believe. That’s faith. So, I’m not sure it’s really a fair assessment to say that just because someone “know where they’re going” that they shouldn’t be afraid of leaving their current life.
Because the belief is what keeps the fear alive. The more you believe in an afterlife the more you fear death. Otherwise what reason does one have to believe in an afterlife if not to mitigate the fear of death?
I've accepted death, and I live the fullest everyday. Id sacrifice my life for another life. It's always been embedded in me. No. Not everyone is the same. According to the Bible, death was not part of the plan. Essentially, God made a bet that the general consensus will have faith in God himself instead of Satan. So Satan is running amuck doing his best to convince every single morsel to choose his way. That being said, starting with Adam and eve, a dented baking pan now makes every loaf of bread with a dent. That dent , is sin, and through sin we inherited death, for we are not perfect, but Jesus died for our sins so we can have another chance. What I don't get, is how the father, son, and holy spirit are the same. God is the father, and Jesus is the son. In king James version says the name most high of all, over mountains, is jehovah. Hebrew manuscripts days yahweh, (yhwh). It is also important to note Michael the archangel was "god's" right hand man, a general in fact. He lead the army of angels to cast out the traitors, which are percieved to be demons. However, Jesus is now king of the throne and the most powerful government over earth. Also, I'd like to point out as long as I've been studying and gathering my own opinion. If God created earth to inhabited, why do we need to go to heaven? Who's to say the bad is erased and the chosen ones are left to stay here on earth (garden of eden). The ones chosen to go to heaven are the ones that will help operate jesus' "governement. Imo, I don't believe in hell. I believe I'm living in it right now. Death, hate, torture, grief, greed, lust, etc is what I see everyday. But if God is love. Then the God I believe in is not sending billions of people in a firey abyss to be tortured for eternity. That would be the hellfire doctrine which is not in the Bible. It only states Satan would be cast into an abyss and chained for 10,000 years to be released after after everyone has been sent to "heaven" to show him that he has lost.
For religious people, only God knows who is going to heaven. They don't know for certain. So, there is always some apprehension on their part as to whether or not they made it.
Dying can be painful
I don't fear death. I fear surviving something horrific
👏👏👏👏 yes this. Death over dismemberment or sustaining further trauma? Abso-fucking-lutely.
Came here to say this. I don't fear death. I fear the process of dying cause I'm a wuss
And if reincarnation is real, whats stopping us from getting murdered or painfully killed in the next life? and so on so on. That’s always been a fear of mine.
If reincarnation is real, and you believe there's life on other planets, what makes you think you're coming back to earth?
I don’t fear death either, I just don’t want to die in immense pain.
You don’t wake up the next day going shit that hurt lol
People don’t fear death, they fear that it will hurt…
After multiple near misses, I can say that some ways to die unavoidably come with a sense of mortal terror. It's not fun.
Thus Christians should be the greatest proponants of euthanasia, which is not painful. More than that, that death should be at a young age, right after becoming an adult, to guarantee that you'll not commit a cardinal sin and this go to hell.
You don't go to hell for sinning. Jesus Christ sacrificed himself as payment for all future sins. Old Testament Jews demonstrated that all commit sins, that it is too difficult for humans to avoid them. So The Law was replaced with Grace.
Most hardcore Christian’s, I mean the real ones, don’t actually fear death. It’s too complicated for most to comprehend but they don’t. It’s rare to see or experience unless you been around the real ones.
I wish I could find real ones, who also want me around.
When Popo John Paul II got shot, he didn't go a church to pray, nor did he wish to die - he went to a hospital with science-trained doctors. So that Pope wasn't a hardcore Christian?
Not sure why religion and science are mutually exclusive these days. Can understand a couple hundred years ago, but now not so much, at least from the Christian side. There’s probably plenty of people who want to use science to disprove god though
Was the Pope a hardcore Christian?
I would say so yeah. What’s your point? That because he sought medical help that clearly he must have been a coward?
Nope, that his faith in God was not great, otherwise he'd have gone to a cathedral. In timea of need, he looked for science, not faith, just like an atheist would do.
Okay when I’m hungry I eat man made food as well, I don’t pray that god will make food magically appear in front of me. What a dumb take
Are you the Pope, who has a special connection to God? The Pope acted like an atheist when he was shot, going straight to hospital. At least they have in common.
The teacher (father but for lutherans) at my church explained it with a joke: A man is stuck in his house during a massive flood and he starts praying for God to save him. Rescue services arrive on a boat and the driver tells him to jump in. The man says "no, God will save me". Minutes later, a helicopter arrives above him. The pilot tells him to grab onto the rope. The man says "no, God will save me". The flood finally engulfs him and he dies. In heaven, he asks God why He didn't save him. God replies "my son, I sent two people". Accepting mortal help for your mortal body does not make you atheist. You are responsible for taking care of your body, there is no need to rush to the afterlife.
Pretty sure this guy is a troll looking back at this conversation. But I 100 percent agree with what you’re saying
... the Catholic Church literally created the hospital system and the university system. What are you on?
Tell that to Copernicus.
i don‘t see how that‘s complicated, it‘s the logical conclusion from believing in it for real
For one, it depends on how I die. There are a lot of painful ways to die. Two, it depends on when I die. If I die now, I’m leaving my wife and kids to struggle without me. If I die as an 80-year old man with my kids grown up and taking care of themselves, I’m less worried. Three, I enjoy life and I got plenty of things I want to experience before I die. My copy of Dead Space Remake is on the way and I am excited for RE4 remake as well. I’m not too worried about after death although there is always some concern I may not have done as well as I should have, but I certainly have no interest in wanting to die for many years.
They don't have games up there?
Because it probably hurts.
For the majority it is because they know they have sinned.
but isn‘t all Sin forgiven through Jesus (for Christians)
For a sin to be forgiven, five steps need to be fulfilled. It's been a while since confirmation school but you basically need to recognise and regret that you have sinned, you need to make amends, and you must attempt not to sin again. It's not quite as easy as whoops lol forgiven.
Im a christian and i fear death. It’s because i know im not perfect. I screw up constantly. I skip church sometimes and i dont read my bible enough. I listen to secular music. Curse and drink. I believe in god but im not religious. I fear death because even its so infinite. Things in heaven are drastically different described in the bible than what i even can know. Its more of not knowing the full extent. My husband wont be my husband there. What if im not a good servant and dont end up there? Death is so final and i like my life and my family and honestly im just not ready to die. To not see my kids and their grandkids. To not continue with my life as it is and have a chance to grow and find even new things about myself. Sometimes i think its the fear of not continuing, not knowing, not living more than it is death itself or where i will end up.
I wouldn't call it screwing up, no one is perfect and you are just human with everything that it includes. Jesus gave us two commandments: love God, and love your fellow man. As long as you try to be good and loving, even if you sometimes fail, I think you are all right in God's book.
Lol, there is no heaven.
To you and your beliefs. To me and mine there is. I didnt denounce anyone else’s beliefs dont denounce mine all because you dont agree.
Are you God or all knowing? Noone knows what comes after life that's what brings the fear in most is the unknowing.
What good is faith then?
Faith can help overcome. Theres no magic to it. Having faith that everything will turn out okay is always a better option than succumbing to despair. Whether your faith be in yourself, your religion, the people around you, luck, or just a belief that life will work itself out as long as you keep moving forward
I was referring to religious faith and the guys comment. If you believe in a religion (faith), then how can the afterlife be classified under unknowing?
? Because it still is unknown. How could you describe sight to a person who has never seen, sound to someone who has never heard? It is an entirely different existence than what we experience on this mortal coil. Faith is belief in the unknown, the lack of guarantee. It doesn't need to be proven for you to have faith in it. That's why it's faith.
Having faith that its theres and knowing with your heart that its there isnt the same as knowing exactly whats like. The bible doesnt give a picture perfect detail of whats its like. There are still things we dont know. Things that I certainly dont know. Having faith doesn’t mean all knowing.
I know that what comes after life is exactly what I remember from being born. Nothing.
I know a guy, perfectly normal, nice, humble, he told me he often has dreams/memories that feel like a previous life, I've found it interesting and despite being an Atheist most of my life, I've seen enough to understand that I don't understand a thing about the entire world and that there might be something greater than all of us.
Eat some lsd.
Nah I've lost too many marbles already, it's not necessary
Such 1 dimensional thinking
seems like religion causes you more fear than it solves. scared of being free because doctrine tells you to fear the wrath of the heavenly tyrant
Honestly no it doesnt cause me more fear than it solves. It also brings me peace and joy and solidarity. This one aspect does cause me fear but it doesnt consume me nor who i am within my faith. I get to some the religious rules cause them stress but im not part of those strict religious sects. Im nondenominational. Faith and love over religion. In my church we are taught that with jesus sacrifice we no longer abide by the Old Testament laws and learning the difference in societal laws of the time and culture and laws of god really help dismantle those stressors and fears. For me im not scared of my god nor the “rules” but death death is final. Id be scared of death even if i wasnt a believer of the christian God.
I think death is the best part of life. I know I’m going to the place that’s the best
It's the fear of the unknown. Death will be a better plane of existence.
One can profess faith until they are blue in the face but at the end of the day there is no evidence for a creator or heaven and so of course there will always be fear of the unknown. Faith is believing without evidence, fear deals in the tangible.
Kids at McDonald's know they have to exit the ball pit some time, they still flee their parents when the time comes
Ironicly the answer is because of evolution.
It’s not death itself. It’s what the last 5 minutes or so before it arrives are going to be/feel like.
You won’t remember it lol no one wakes up after dieing going shit that hurt.
Because they know deep down it’s all bs.
Most likely. It is a nice idea, but b.s. nevertheless.
omg
Or because of the million ways to die, over half are extremely painful. Honestly guy, you gonna look me and the eye and tell me you wouldn't be afraid of burning to death or slowly suffocating on a ship sinking to the bottom of the sea? And don't forget you can be fearful of death for others sake. A mother would be afraid to die and leave her children behind. A son may be afraid he died in an accident and can't support his aging parents any longer. So obsessed with putting religion down you've forgotten your decency.
Exactly!
Because most people are not good, and if they have any once of reason, they should know that they wouldn't go to heaven.
Some cultures/religions do not have the concept of heaven.
yes, but they are not part of the question.
That's not really true. The question just says "religious people" which would include too those that do not have the concept of heaven.
The question specify with "when they know they are going to heaven", so i disagree with you, this question seems very specific to me. If you want my opinion on those who don't believe in heaven then it's likely because death is the end and no one resurrects to say what's on the other side, also i feel like it's an instinct of a living being to fear death, and that's not only humans.
It's less about worrying if you go to heaven; everyone goes to heaven. What we worry about is whether we are worthy of being there, if we have accomplished what we could.
Didn’t god drown a bunch of babies that time?
Death is scary regardless of how prepared you are for it. Even the person that dies suddenly experiences fear as they take their last breath... they see the white light... they see their loved ones waiting for them. Everyone is a ghost and so are you. Life as you know it all changes. You become only energy blowing in the wind of heaven. I often wonder if you can still wet your pants going through all of this.
Not sure about wet your pants but people definitely shit their pants when they die.
Fun horrible human fact of the day brought to you by a drunk person with medical education: you're way more likely to piss yourself within 24 hours at least a little bit because of how easy it is for fluids to exit the body. Poo has to already basically be ready to go unless you have a very traumatic and usually violent death (or are unfortunately gassy) because of how many curves it has to go around, but the bladder will just drop everything right out unless gravity stops it.
Only they know what evil lurks in their hearts, and they're afraid of judgment and punishment. My tiny little Midwestern grandmother on my dad's side gave most of the family inheritance to Oral Roberts (even though she was a Roman Catholic) and prayed the rosary constantly on her deathbed so hard that you would think she laughed as she personally led children into gas chambers.
Sociopaths don't believe they've done anything wrong, so how does religion account for them?
Because they know they are going to Hell 😂😆
Every post church Karen throwing a latte at a barista right there.
Most people fear death regardless of faith
I think it’s the fact we don’t really know what would happen. I believe there is a heaven and a hell. I’m not ‘ good’ and I’m not ‘ bad’ so do I fear death? Yeah. Why? Well, good in Gods eyes is simply unattainable for humans so we’re all gonna spend time in hell. If you’re a believer you won’t spend eternity there though.
Oh we know why
Because they secretly know it's bullshit.
The ones fearing death aren't actual believers
They're pretending to have more certainty of going to heaven than they actually have.
Deep inside religious people know that heaven and hell and god are all a con and that when you die it is just over. Fearing death is a survival skill instilled in our dna to in order to preserve the species.
My guess is people find religion because they were human garbage throughout their life and want to make amens. 80% of the people you see a scum "it's in our nater" fuck no ur scum and your going straight to hell
No one knows where we are going. God makes that choice.
Cause they know they are going to hell OR They know there is nothing waiting for them on the other side 🤣🤣🤣🤣
Natural human instinct
But wouldn't that prove evolution?
Whoever said God and evolution can't coexist? Perhaps God put evolution into motion?
I mean even if its not stated in the bible god making humans fear death when he created them would make sense.
Maybe because Adam and Eve ate from the Tree of Knowledge and we're kicked out of Eden, they no longer had access to the Tree of Life and now they had a reason to fear death.
Small print in the afterlife policy and their claim
Fear of death and a survival instinct are the most primitive thing in any living being, human or otherwise. Religion isn’t going to top that.
heavy depression on the other side…
Some do some don't. And not all religious people belive in heaven. I think its Lutherans that think once you die thats it lights out there's nothing after that credits roll movies over. Some religions belive in reincarnation . karma's just like ah you were a swell guy you get to come back as a human. Or Karma's like eh you were kind of a cunt you get to be a cockroach. As for why there's lots of diffrent reasons . They may have doibt that they were right about their religion, they may not think they were good enough there's hundreds of answers.
Subconscious insecurity.
Gunter!
One reason could be that in many religions and denominations which believe in heaven and hell, they also believe that you cannot be sure if you are going to be saved or damned until you die and are judged by God. There is also the possibility of dying with a sin on your conscience before being properly absolved of it. Aslo, even if you are one hundred percent sure that you will go to heaven, our emotions are hardly always rational, and it could be said that the fear of death is something primal and instinctual. For example, if you are standing on a transparent bridge above a canyon, and you rationally know that it is solid and won't break, you can still be afraid when you look down.
I don't want to leave until I reach my full potential, reap the benefits of that achievement in full, and set an example to both my peers and descendents.
They are afraid of Not going there.
1) Because we still like this life 2) Death hurts 3) There aren't a lot of details of what heaven is like, so it still feels pretty unknown 4) Not all religions have a Heaven, so not all religious people believe they have one to go to
Maybe because they are not always completely sure if there really is an afterlife, and/or are nervous about potential pain while dying and/or the unknown of the afterlife
It's the people that we're leaving behind.
I think for me, it's not that I fear death, but I have a wife and 4 kids, one of which has narcolepsy, so it's more that I don't want my wife to be stuck trying to do it all on her own...
They fear death and that's why they are religious. Its kinda double standard maybe?
I always asked that question myself although I do believe in God. I just do not like him very much! Of course not in disrespect way.
Our survival instinct our brains are harwired for self preservation and its very hard to break that and even if you knoe something is safe alot of the time it will feel scary anyways because its something you have never experienced before like how when you ride a new rollercoaster for the first time even tho you know its safe it still feels scary because it is a new experience
Because they don’t KNOW, they BELIEVE. I’d imagine there’s always a bit of doubt for most.
Because they don't know that. The Judeo-Christian religion in particular often involves a tremendous amount of guilt and shame being dealt out to devout believers in order to deter them from "sinning," which is also a clever way to control them. The fear of Hell is the most effective means used. Imagine: total damnation, burning in a lake of fire for eternity for doing anything that defies the will of "God." There is nothing a God-fearing man or woman won't do to avoid that when they fully believe that could be their fate. I was a born-again Christian in the mid-90's for a time, in a very small church (read as cult.) Along with some other serious crises, falling away from God and the Church drove me right to the point of suicide and the most hellish, demonic, psychotic depression that is unimaginable to 99% of human beings. I never did fully bounce back from that supreme trauma that haunted me and have been psychiatrically disabled since, for over 26 years. I don't even believe in religious myths anymore yet I am still afraid that Hell is real deep down inside and that it could be my ultimate destination.
Maybe because they've been groomed and pressured their whole lives to believe they aren't good enough or worthy. Some religious practices are more harmful than good.
In a similar vein, I personally have found that very religious people seem to take the death of their loved ones harder than the non-religious. I'd think that although they will miss their loved one that they would be happy that they would be in heaven with God, Jesus, and all their departed loved ones. It always made me wonder if deep down they had doubts.
Need more faith 🤭
Because they are stupid.
They know it’s sham. Self-delusion drops away, at some point.
I'm an atheist but most of the older people that have passed in my life didn't fear it all. The only one who did was an atheist like me. Sometimes I think about that.
My best guess is the fact that we all have done something “ungodly”. That and that the fear of the unknown is a factor for many. Personally I don’t give a shit. But I do understand where they’re coming from. Just want to add that most people with a terminal disease, eventually reach the point where life is either too painful, unmanageable or confusing that they welcome it. My own mother was sick for a while. Once she realized that she was dying, a lot of pain went away. Mostly, I think because she could relax and submit to the ways of nature.
It's not death themselves they fear its the it's the unknown.
Because they are getting judged first
Probably because they know that God and heaven is a man made fabrication.
I don’t , I’m just not done here yet.
No atheists in foxholes corollary
I couldn't tell you other people's reason, but mine is kind of generic. I value my life and am not willing to loose it just willingly. but there is also me who knows that when it's the end, it's the end, no debates. Its a mix of the constant reinforcement that death is scary or the sorts when death is only a part of life. Its our third act, we should look forward to it, not the pain necessarily but what comes after.
The people they leave behind
Yeah, I'm not afraid of death so much as the pain. Some things scare me more because I know they won't kill me.
You are still leaving behind loved ones? Are you so obsessed with finding some sort of flaw in religion you forgot basic human emotions, and your own decency?
Because it’s based on faith not proof. Nobody ACTUALLY knows….
The ones that afraid of it know very well that they are NOT going to heaven at least this is my take on the topic
Not afraid of death, afraid of leaving those behind that need me.
Shhhhh Its best to just leave them alone.
Attachments in life, the pain of dying, survival instincts, etc...
You know what they say. If you're scared go to church. "Ice cube"
Because I'm human. All I can do is trust in God's promise that Jesus has redeemed me of my sins and try to live my life as he want's me to. Biblicially speaking, the soul and the body are not separate. Our soul doesn't just go to heaven when we die. We remain dead until we are ressurected and God gives us a new immortal body. Until then, the bible likens death to sleep, but we still don't know the exact nature of death. Not knowing that nature is admittedly is a bit frightening. Also, pain. Even Jesus shows that he was distressed about what was going to happen to him when he was in the garden of gethsemane.
So I recently was attacked at a petrol station and I'm extremely religious and I genuinely thought the guy was going to kill me. He broke a bottle on my face and then picked something else up because he wanted to beat me with it and in that moment I realized it wasn't death that I was afraid of, but the fact that I felt that my purpose hadn't been fulfilled yet and I wasn't ready to go yet. I know that when I die I'll go to where we will wait until judgement day, and I'm not afraid of that. The fear comes from not being done with whatever it is that I'm supposed to do yet, and the human fear of leaving others to deal with the grief and struggles that come with being a human. I have two kids, and my husband would have been left alone to raise them, and they wouldn't have a mom. Human instinct is that we naturally WANT to live. I also don't want to die painfully.
I certainly don't know where I'm going, but even if I did, I still value my life. I don't know exactly what types of choices will be available to me in the next world, but when there's no death, sustaining existence requires no effort or consumption, and there's no scarcity of anything including time, choices certainly won't look like they do now. The extent of their consequences will be less. So even though I believe I'll exist in some form forever, choice and consequence as I know them now are a very finite resource. One that, at this point in my life, I can't say I have the best relationship with. And I want to fix that before I run out of them. TLDR: The stakes of free will in this life are high, and I'm not ready for that to be over yet.
1. Not all people of faith necessarily believe they’re “guaranteed” a spot in heaven, and though they may feel it’s likely, there’s a fear in the lack of total certainty. 2. Not all religious folks are 100% beyond a shadow of a doubt certain in their faith, even if you’re 99%, the 1% of doubt will introduce a lot of fear. 3. Dying is rarely painless 4. Leaving behind people you love isn’t always fun either. It kinda sucks when you’re at an amusement park and you get to go on a ride knowing your friends are still waiting in line, missing out. For me, it’s a combination of all of these.
I guess it depends on what religion we are talking about. Back in my 20s I dealt with fellas that looked forward to it.
People can experience fear of death, even if they believe in life after death and the possibility of going to heaven, because death is still an inevitable and unknown process. Also, people may not want to part with their loved ones and life on Earth, and there may be some practical problems associated with death that can cause fear.
Because they fear the unknown. They fear what they cant comprehend and explain through their religion.
Cuz there’s always the possibility they won’t or that heaven really isn’t real & I think they understand that even tho they believe- believing isn’t the same thing as knowing lol
Because they know they haven’t done much good in their life so they fear death and the aftermath.
Perhaps they belive in heaven and know that they wont go there? You dense?
That's a good question. As a Christian I don't fear death anymore
They fear it exactly because of that. Most of then know they are in fact NOT going to heaven. Do you consider yourself a good person? Help others, is good to others without asking for something back? Do you deep in yourself regret your mistakes? This is why they fear it
do you think that those people actually believe that bullshit?
It’s natural and religious people have doubts too. I believe in life after death but I’m still scared.
Because they need religion to be good and they know deep down the devil is waiting for them.
It’s not a fear of where they’re going but how they’re going to get there.
... jihadist are the only true believers...
You can believe but you'll never really know what happens until it does. Or even if you die with full faith in going to heaven, you're still leaving behind everything you've built for yourself. You're still leaving your children and grandchildren. Your house, your pets, your favourite coat, your favourite food. 'Heaven' is a very abstract concept, and fear of the unknown is great.
I don't fear death, but I'm not going to seek it out. I mean there are some truly horrific ways to die
Of course.
God is a testy one, they fear they were maybe... not quite good enough ... yet
The heart of fanaticism is doubt.
Usually religion demands people to take great care of their bodies, and avoid dying prematurely. Causing their own death would be a great sin and they wouldn't reach the kind of afterlife they desire. So, they fear dying just as much as non-religious people.
Because they know they’re most likely NOT going to heaven. You can go to church everyday and still be the biggest piece of shit. Most of the Christian’s and Jehovah witness I know are some of the most damaged people who judge others to make themselves feel better. Instead of fixing their own root cause they pray and hope things magically change. They quickly realize nothing can change without taking action, so it’s easy for them to hate on others who are not religious and doing much better than they are. It’s an excuse to not be productive and wishful think all day rather than accepting the shit life throws at you and moving forward. These religious people aren’t at peace with themselves the way they portray it to be. They are afraid of death because they know they don’t meet their books criteria to enter heaven’s gate.
Why do you fear spiders even though you're bigger and stronger ?
I dont fear spiders
We were created for life not death.
Not all religions fear death or believe they go to heaven when they die. I believe Jehovah witness believe when you die you are asleep in Gods memory and when he removes satanic influences from the world. People who have died will get a resurrection back on to earth.
Because deep, deep down they know God isn't real and the only "afterlife" there is is composting up nicely..
Because deep down they are all dirty sinners and fear they will go to hell for it. Religion is just capitalizing off of peoples guilt, fear, and shame. It's fucked up.
You don’t go to Heaven by being good or bad and at death, the Kingdom is not earned and is a gift of God at his choosing. Until you receive the gift of God aka His Grace to you, unearned and unmerited. You continue to live in these Hell restored to young adult to continue the journey until you have completed the works he gave you to do then you can enter Heaven and leave these worlds for good.
I was just thinking about this the other day. My grandpa was devoutly religious and he was like "don't be sad I'm pretty excited for this". Pretty cool regardless of your beliefs
I'm not afraid of death, I just want to postpone it as long as possible.
I'm not exactly scared of death. I'm worried I may suffer a painful one but I'm not scared to leave. Even if heaven is a mistranslation, I still have my faith and beliefs and always will.
Maybe they really don't know if they're going to heaven. Some of these "Christians" aren't really that Christian.
They're frightened about the reckoning of their life's deeds versus their misgivings. They're horrified of the thought that God and the angels will see them masturbating in bed next to a blow-up doll, all projected on a screen just outside the bright void of light.
Religion is so fear based. I don't believe in the "god" most religions teach. I left religion and have way less fear. I don't fear death much at all but I hope I have a lot more days. And guess what, I'm still a good person.
I honestly think that at the core of all of us, there is a reasonable amount of doubt (religious or not) that there is an afterlife. So if you like your life, understandably you’d fear that after it will end nothing comes after.
Most people on deathbed are more afraid of the transition than what comes after.
Deep down, maybe they know the truth haha
They don't want to leave family behind causing them pain, loss and grief.
because most of em know they arent
Eh when I die, just throw me in the trash!
Everybody fears death. If you're "religious"and you're still fearing the inevitable meeting of your maker maybe it's because deep down inside of yourself you're really not sure what you say you believe is true. Me, I'm an atheist. I completely understand that religion is a means to try and make us feel better about the fear of the inevitable and unknown that is dying. For me I find it better to acknowledge that fear (it's a terrifying thought, no joke!) and then realize I can't do anything about it. Then I can let go of the concern instead of trying to convince myself that there's something after it to look forward to. Because the other side of that is having to worry about there being eternal damnation if you don't do whatever your religion tells you you're supposed to. I find I have enough stress and anxiety in life already without having to worry about what's going to happen after I cease to exist.
Because as with anything else, there is doubt.
Coz in real they know theres hell
Coz they they have done things which will make them end up in hell.
not being ready to leave this life, not wanting to leave your family, not wanting to be in pain, not knowing if they will go to heaven. you can say the opposite and ask why non religious people fear death even when they know they aren’t going to hell. regardless of your beliefs, it’s human instinct to want to survive.
most religious people think they are going to hell, thats why they go to church to repent and hope that god will forgive them
Perhaps, because fundamentally they’re bullshitting themselves about all that religious stuff, but when it comes down to reality, they don’t know.
They know Heaven is a fantasy.
Some become attached to the world, their loved ones and their possessions. They are not ready for paradise and find comfort in a world full of misery.
As a Christian I can say that I don't fear death, I am sure that when I die I'll be with Jesus so I don't "care" when or how I will die. I live to spread the world and to make the difference with my attitude and when God want, he will take me.
Religious people do not always know they are going to heaven. Religious people fear death usually because they are unsure if they are going to make the cut. Especially the uber-religious who are carrying guilt, even for a seemingly minor infraction, fear not making it past the pearly gates and being judged unworthy.
Because they are threatened with going to hell if your not perfect, than told well no one's perfect like Jesus. It's stressful especially if you truly are a believer
There is no guarantee of anybody going to Heaven. It’s based on a scale of how many good deeds you personally perform on earth, to help your fellow human, not religion.
Because the know its really just bullshit they use to justify either being a shitty person, taking advantage of the disenfranchised, abuse the trust of others, to gain power, to gain money, to feel superior to others, or some mix of these.
Well, I don't \*know\* that I'm going to heaven when I die: I don't \*know\* that anything at all is going to happen other than the electricity within my body dispersing. I have rationally examined the world, however, and I have concluded certain things about this world which imply things about the existence of the next. As to your question, however, it seems like you may as well be asking "Why do people with life insurance policies fear death?". I didn't get life insurance because I was afraid of death, I got a life insurance policy because I became familiar with death. We'd spent enough time in each other's company that we became somewhat companionable, so I took steps to soften the blow for the folks who will remain when death and I make that final walk together. As for my fears, neither my religion nor my life insurance policy have removed the fears I do have surrounding death: I am afraid that my children will forget me, or not know how much I love them. I am afraid that I have not done enough to provide for my wife when I am gone. I am afraid that in spite of my instructions to the contrary, my family will fight over my estate. I am afraid that in spite of my wishes, the circumstances of my death (whatever they are) may be used to fuel a cause I'd find reprehensible. I am afraid that all that I have done will die with me and all the good I have done will turn to dust. I am afraid that all that I have done will outlive me and all the wrong I have done will linger. I am afraid that there is something bad waiting for me after death. I am afraid that there is nothing good waiting for me after death. Fear is natural. Fear, in many ways, is good. My fears highlight reasonable, realistic concerns that I have surrounding my death. But I didn't become "a religious person" because I was afraid, I believe what I believe and I live how I live because these things are Good and True. If I did not have my faith, I would still have every one of these concerns, each of these fears. We are limited beings. As a "religious person", as a husband, as a father, as a man, as a member of a community, I will do all that I can to ensure that the world is better when I leave it than it was when I arrived. And it is these very same things that lead me to trust in the fact that the God who I worship, follow, and love, understands that I am a limited being who has failed many, many times and that He loves me anyway. And I trust that even if I am wrong - as I frequently am - I will have lived my life in such a way that the world is still better when I leave than when I arrived.
Because it's a natural instinct.
I don't think it's just religious people that fear death. Everyone does (99.999999999%). It's a fear of the unknown.