Fear of Death Is Not

¶ … fear of death is not a sign of weak fait in God strong faith in the divinity often implies the belief in life after death. Despite the constant reassurances that life will continue with the death of the body, individuals still encounter difficulties in accepting their mortality. The fear of death and the strong belief in God are sometimes considered as a paradox, as in Christianity, the end of life as we know it only represents the beginning of the eternal life. Despite this however, fearing death does not automatically imply that the individual has a weak faith in the divinity. Otherwise put, being afraid of dying may be due to other reasons, aside a reduced trust in the values of Christianity.

A first reason in support of the statement is that the individual may not want to die due to the strong feelings he has for his close ones. One may wish to remain alive for as long as possible to enjoy the company of his friends and family or to protect the well being of his children. Foremost, one may be aware that their death will bring sorrow to those dear to him and will wish to postpone this event for as long as possible.

A second reason could be of a more practical nature and may refer to financial concerns. Take for instance the case of a husband and father, a member of the church and a pillar of the community in which he lives. His spouse is a housewife and they have three children: one in college, one in high school and one in kindergarten. He works hard to earn a decent living and ensure a good education for his offspring. If anything were to happen to him, his family would find themselves out of financial support. Ergo, in this case, the individual's fear of death is not related to his faith in God, but to the future stability and well being of his family.

Aside financial stability, losing and hurting the loved ones, a third reason may refer to the fear of the unknown. However the Christian follower knows that life after death awaits him, the actual information on this life is rather scarce. Foremost, the fear of the unknown is common for all humans, and it is not a sign of weak faith in the divinity. Similar situations of reluctance to the new or unknown are revealed when a young couple awaits their first baby, when one changes their job or when a fresh graduate is thrown into the labor force market. None of these instances reveal a reduced faith in God, but a natural resistance and anxiety to change.

A fourth reason, which is in fact strongly connected to a strong belief in God, is given by the fear of what will happen once the individual enters his eternal life. The Christian expects to be judged and sent to either heaven or hell. He could be afraid that his life may not have been exemplary and that his mistakes could lead to his eternal damnation.