Why do people get religious when they get old?

My dad who I know as never being religious before is now embarking on a pilgrimmage to Mecca(in Saudi, yes Muslims). He never prayed or fasted or did anything remotely religious 10 years ago, now he's shaved his head and is going to be on a bus for 2 days and goto Mecca and then do some religious random stuff. This is not Hajj, its called Umraa'h. I see it happen to other people too.
Why do people get religious when they get older?

Maybe Sklansky will be a televangelist in 10 years?

[mmbt0ne]

This is an interesting topic, but try The Trainwreck.

[shant]

Boredom.

Whats The Trainwreck?

[mmbt0ne]

SMP (The Trainwreck) (http://forumserver.twoplustwo.com/postlist.php?Cat=&Board=scimathphil)

[AngryCola]

[ QUOTE ]
Whats The Trainwreck?

[/ QUOTE ]

Trainwreck (http://forumserver.twoplustwo.com/postlist.php?Cat=&Board=scimathphil)

[Patrick del Poker Grande]

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This is an interesting topic, but try The Trainwreck.

[/ QUOTE ]
Yeah, except they're just going to tell you that it's stupid to be religious and maybe that your dad is growing senile.

[A_C_Slater]

Because they never stopped and thought that one day they were going to have to die. Now that he is old he's going to have to admit it. So he's turning to the security of religion when faced with the terrible prospect of having to face the unknowable.

He still knows, just as we all do, that no matter how much you want there to be a heaven or even an afterlife of any kind, there is no way to know what happens after death.

He's just scared.

[[censored]]

Death is near combined with a realization of what is and is not important in life.

[Luzion]

Its probably because they are more likely to realize their own mortality when they get older, and get more spirtual.

Also, what the hell is up with your avatar/icon.

[pokerdirty]

My grandfather on his deathbed in January.

Nurse: Are you a religious man, Jim?
Pops: I was, and then the Red Sox won the World Series.

[Alobar]

because they will be dead soon, and they are afraid of what will happen when they die.

Being God has got to suck, everyone is all over your sack only when they want something, or are afriad. Not many people I imagine talk to God or spend time with him when their life is going good.

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Also, what the hell is up with your avatar/icon.

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???

If you are indeed afraid of there being a god, wouldn't you think that God would not really like you now coz u've sinned a lot already. So wouldn't that encourage you to be not religious?

[wacki]

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I see it happen to other people too.
Why do people get religious when they get older?

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In the military, they have a saying. It's "There is no such thing as an athiest in a foxhole."

When you become old and senile, you will at minimum wish with all your heart that there is a god and an afterlife.

[wmspringer]

Fear of death.

Those of us who know that's going to happen afterwards, don't have to be afraid of dying. (Not that I intend to try it for a very long time, mind you)

[A_C_Slater]

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Fear of death.

Those of us who know that's going to happen afterwards, don't have to be afraid of dying. (Not that I intend to try it for a very long time, mind you)

[/ QUOTE ]


Those of us who know.....


It is sad
These desperate hopes
of hopeless men
believe the lie
you will never die
Jesus saves

[A_C_Slater]

My Grandfather used to say--- "I always wondered if there was a God, and the day I landed on the beach at Normandy I finally knew that there wasn't one."

[NotReady]

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My Grandfather used to say--- "I always wondered if there was a God, and the day I landed on the beach at Normandy I finally knew that there wasn't one."


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What he should have said was --- "I always wondered if man is evil, and the day I landed on the beach at Normandy I finally knew that he is."

[A_C_Slater]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]

My Grandfather used to say--- "I always wondered if there was a God, and the day I landed on the beach at Normandy I finally knew that there wasn't one."


[/ QUOTE ]

What he should have said was --- "I always wondered if man is evil, and the day I landed on the beach at Normandy I finally knew that he is."

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...man is weak, he is cursed with envy and cowardice, he can dream of truth, but cannot live with it. No more than a crawling disease on the face on the Earth. The grave is the only cure for our vileness....

Oh they doubt. Why must men betray themselves with doubts?

Go! Find the others and tell them not to doubt! They must keep faith! They must keep faith!

This post is starting to annoy me as it keeps bopping up with unwarranted replies to the inanity that it is.

I am old. Well, on the right hand side of the guaussian distribution.

I measure my "progress" in life by the number of beliefs I have dropped.

No, I know that I am only one of a sample, but has the OP got a significant sample to come to his conclusion? Really?

Moran, I say!

Cheers

MidGe

[chezlaw]

We face a mental battle between rationality and emotion. As we get older the emotional side seems to gain the upper hand.

When we are young we love our grandparents but think they sometimes have very a very strange way of thinking. Later our parents start behaving like our grandparents did. Then its our turn.

chez

[Harv72b]

I work with a 76 year-old, devout atheist. And one of the biggest religious fruit loops I've ever known was 18 at the time (she claimed to be a Mormon).

Age has nothing to do with finding your faith, except insofar as some people actually do take their time in searching. Either that, or the onset of dementia.

They are simply cramming for their final exam…

[Roy Munson]

I don't believe old people getting religion is a universal truth. As someone who has fewer years remaining I find believing that death is the end to be more and more comforting.

I don't know about the rest of you but I am getting tired as I age and no amount of sleep provides replenishment. Having to endure an infinite afterlife sounds like a big pain in the ass to me.

Look at it this way. When you are dead you won't know you are dead. Did you know that you were not alive before you were born? I didn't and was not bothered by it at all.

Don't get me wrong. I still enjoy life and like to have a good time. I even get a kick out of doing nice things for others.

Most spiritual pondering seems based in selfishness. Everyone seems so concerned with "Their" place and role in the universe. Although we like to think otherwise none of us are very important and life will go on without us.

[Zeno]

Death of David Hume (recorded in a letter by Adam Smith) (http://www.ourcivilisation.com/smartboard/shop/smitha/humedead.htm)

The following is an excerpt from a short play titled:

The Death of David Hume
Trevor Pateman
Abstract: A play for voices, (running time 25 minutes) in which the main characters. the Narrator excepted, speak lines to be found in the writings of David Hume, James Boswell, Adam Smith, and John Wesley. The play deals with David Hume's beliefs about immortality, morality and religion.

Narrator

Hume's lack of belief and lack of concern, so at variance with the professed beliefs of most of his contemporaries, was well known. To some it was a scandal. And as death approached, some were curious to discover how the philosopher was facing his own death. Among the curious was James Boswell.


James Boswell recorded the following:

On Sunday forenoon, the 7th of July 1776, being too late for Church, I went to see Mr David Hume, who was returned from London and Bath, just a dying. I found him alone, in a reclining posture in his drawing-room. He was lean, ghastly, and quite of an earthy appearance. He was drest in a suit of grey cloth with white metal buttons, and a kind of scratch wig. He was quite different from the plump figure which he used to present. He had before him Dr Campbell's Philosophy of Rhetorick. He seemed to be placid and even cheerful. He said he was just approaching to his end. I think those were his words. I know not how I contrived to get the subject of Immortality introduced. [ Pause ]. And, if I may be so bold as to ask, Mr Hume, Do you retain all of your opinions concerning Religion?

HUME

I have never entertained any belief in Religion, Mr Boswell, since I began to read Locke and Clarke.

BOSWELL

You were religious when you were young, then?

HUME

Oh, yes, yes, I was. I used to read The Whole Duty of Man. [ Cheerfully ]. I made an abstract from the Catalogue of Vices - at the end of it, you know - and I examined myself by this. Of course, I left out Murder and Theft and such other vices as I had no chance of committing having no inclination to commit them. `Twas strange work - to try if, notwithstanding my excelling my school-fellows, I had no pride or vanity. [ Pause; more seriously ]. The morality of every religion is bad, Mr Boswell. They all make up new species of crime and bring unhappiness in their train. When I hear a man is religious, I conclude he is a rascal [ pause ] though I know some instances of very good men being religious.

BOSWELL

But is it not possible that there may be a future state, where we shall all account for our sins?


HUME

`Tis possible that a piece of coal, put upon the fire, will not burn, but to suppose so is not at all reasonable. It is a most unreasonable fancy that we should exist forever. If it were at all, immortality must be general; the infant who dies before being possessed of reason; the half-wit; the Porter drunk with gin by ten o'clock - all must be preserved and new Universes must be created to contain such vast numbers.

BOSWELL

I would fain observe that that is an unphilosophical objection. Mr Hume, you know spirit does not take up space. [ Hume laughs. Pause ] Does the thought of Annihilation never give you any uneasiness?

HUME

[ Laughs ] Not at all, Mr Boswell. No more than the thought that I had not been.

Finis

[Peter666]

He should have just put the barrel of his M1 Garand in his mouth and pulled the trigger. No point in living if there is suffering and no reward for it.