I voted that I'm not afraid of death. Am I ready for it? No I am not. There are aspects of life I have yet to experience, like an evening in Paris and standing on top of a mountain. As for whether it is the end or the beginning, I say it is the end. Nothing, in my view, lasts forever. Humans are capable of a higher plane of existence than we were eons ago. Our understanding of science grows with every passing moment. We're always on the edge of discovering something new. Religion goes back to times when the human brain had not yet evolved to the point of being able to ultimately accept death and its permanence. Furthermore, I found out something interesting several months ago. I had went to Youtube and found an interesting video. In fact, I blogged about it if I remember correctly. Basically, modern religion mirrors that of old. There were so many similarities between Jesus and deities of past civilizations to the point where it must not be coincidental. Thus, I find it hard to believe in something that is simply an altered version of something else. I have come to the conclusion that religion is nothing more than a manifestation of fear and is also a way of maintaining order in a society. Since most, if not all humans, are capable of realizing that death is nothing to fear and that you can be a disciplined person with high moral standards is enough for me to strongly feel that religion is something that humanity does not reap benefits overall as a civilization. Rather, I believe it holds humans back to a narrow view of the universe. Death is not something to fear. Continuance is simply a matter of procreation. That is how a civilization lives on.