Just as there are right and wrong teachings about death, there are right and wrong attitudes about how we feel about death. Do we face death with fear? With denial? With bravado? How should we fell about death?

FEAR Dread of death and doubt about the afterlife. Thantophobia – morbid fear of death Death anxiety scale and Hoelter Multidimensional Fear of Death Scale. Francis Bacon said: “Men fear death as children fear to go in the dark; and as that natural fear in children is increased with tales, so is the other.”

Refusal to believe in the reality of death. Mary Baker Eddy, founder of Christian Science. She taught that death is “an illusion, the life of life.” Taught that death is merely the “belief in death” and that it was not real. Also taught heaven and hell are not realities, but are rather “states of consciousness.”

 Experiments in cryonics is an attempt to transcend death through science.  Holds the view that science will one day overcome death by discovery of an antidote to death.

 Attempts at an emotionless approach to death  Epicurus: “Death is nothing to us….”  Seneca and the stoics: taught it was important to “die well” – even if that meant committing suicide to avoid disgrace or long suffering.  Socrates: uncertainty of death. It may be a good thing. It may be the end of being. If there is an afterlife it might be good. There is good hope for an afterlife.

To die is to experience peace Isaiah 57: The righteous perish, and no one ponders it in his heart; devout men are taken away, and no one understands that the righteous are taken away to be spared from evil. 2 Those who walk uprightly enter into peace; they find rest as they lie in death.

Luke 16:22,25 -- " The time came when the beggar died and the angels carried him to Abraham's side…. But Abraham replied, 'Son, remember that in your lifetime you received your good things, while Lazarus received bad things, but now he is comforted here and you are in agony.”

Luke 23:43 -- Jesus answered him, "I tell you the truth, today you will be with me in paradise."

2 Timothy 4:6 -- For I am already being poured out like a drink offering, and the time has come for my departure.

2 Peter 1: I think it is right to refresh your memory as long as I live in the tent of this body, 14because I know that I will soon put it aside, as our Lord Jesus Christ has made clear to me. 15And I will make every effort to see that after my departure you will always be able to remember these things.

1 Thessalonians 4: Brothers, we do not want you to be ignorant about those who fall asleep, or to grieve like the rest of men, who have no hope. 14We believe that Jesus died and rose again and so we believe that God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in him. 15According to the Lord's own word, we tell you that we who are still alive, who are left till the coming of the Lord, will certainly not precede those who have fallen asleep.

Hebrews 10: If we deliberately keep on sinning after we have received the knowledge of the truth, no sacrifice for sins is left, 27but only a fearful expectation of judgment and of raging fire that will consume the enemies of God.

For the righteous, death is a peaceful passing. For the wicked it is the sealing of judgment. We must all die, but how we live is an indication of how we lived. If we live for Christ then our death will be a blessing.

Since the children have flesh and blood, he too shared in their humanity so that by his death he might destroy him who holds the power of death—that is, the devil— 15and free those who all their lives were held in slavery by their fear of death.