[Villages PL]

Over the years, I have heard many people say something to the effect that when your time comes, well, it's just your time. Everyone has to go sometime. One woman told me that her lifestyle wouldn't make any difference because her days were numbered from when she was conceived or born. Others have said when the man upstairs wants you, he will come and get you.

How does that square with the concept of personal responsibility and free will? If a person does something that contributes to their own demise, did that person die a premature death, due to their own neglect, or was it just inevitably their time to go?

[Peachie]

Originally Posted by Villages PL

Over the years, I have heard many people say something to the effect that when your time comes, well, it's just your time. Everyone has to go sometime. One woman told me that her lifestyle wouldn't make any difference because her days were numbered from when she was conceived or born. Others have said when the man upstairs wants you, he will come and get you.

How does that square with the concept of personal responsibility and free will? If a person does something that contributes to their own demise, did that person die a premature death, due to their own neglect, or was it just inevitably their time to go?

Yep, born to hang... you'll never drown.

[ilovetv]

Originally Posted by Villages PL

Over the years, I have heard many people say something to the effect that when your time comes, well, it's just your time. Everyone has to go sometime. One woman told me that her lifestyle wouldn't make any difference because her days were numbered from when she was conceived or born. Others have said when the man upstairs wants you, he will come and get you.

How does that square with the concept of personal responsibility and free will? If a person does something that contributes to their own demise, did that person die a premature death do to their own neglect, or was it just inevitably their time to go?

I don't think it is one or the other, but some of both. We have responsibility to and will account for taking good care of our bodily, mental and spiritual health.

When people say "it was his time to go" or "everybody has to go sometime", I think it means we're saying we can't control the mode of bodily death we'll have......whether by earthquake, hurricane, tornado, car accident, terrorist attack, or (fortunately) sudden death in one's sleep after being in prior good health.

[graciegirl]

I think this question is a valid one, but unfortunately the answer will usually be a religious or a philosophical one rather than one that has an answer based in any scientific studies.

I think these kinds of questions are sometimes avoided being asked or being answered in a public forum because it does involve a sometimes very personal and/or treasured and private way of looking at life and death and the answer is usually part of a philosophy or religious attitude that gives certain individuals comfort. Especially those who are facing death right now.

I wonder what is the reason for this question being posed?

No. I think I know.

[jblum315]

I don't even want to get into this.

[Villages PL]

Originally Posted by graciegirl

I think this question is a valid one, but unfortunately the answer will usually be a religious or a philosophical one rather than one that has an answer based in any scientific studies.

I think these kinds of questions are sometimes avoided being asked or being answered in a public forum because it does involve a sometimes very personal and/or treasured and private way of looking at life and death and the answer is usually part of a philosophy or religious attitude that gives certain individuals comfort. Especially those who are facing death right now.

I wonder what is the reason for this question being posed?

Last night I started reading an interesting book: "How Not To Die" and the author talked about this subject briefly. She works in forensic science; she's a medical examiner in the Orlando area. And she gave statistics showing that most people die prematurely. So I'm just wondering how that squares with what most people say about it just being "your time".

It shouldn't be too personal because it has to do with learning lessons in life about what causes premature death and what doesn't. In the past we talked about (Newtown CT) gun control and how that might save lives or cost lives. We talked about the potential for terrorism in the U.S. and how that might cost lives. We talked about marijuana and whether it might do more harm than good. All of the above items contain a personal element. This is not a discussion of religion, in my opinion. Just a philosophical discussion or an offering of one's opinion.

[perrjojo]

Saying it was his/her time is a way we humans deal with our pain of losing someone.

[Villages PL]

Originally Posted by ilovetv

I don't think it is one or the other, but some of both. We have responsibility to and will account for taking good care of our bodily, mental and spiritual health.

When people say "it was his time to go" or "everybody has to go sometime", I think it means we're saying we can't control the mode of bodily death we'll have......whether by earthquake, hurricane, tornado, car accident, terrorist attack, or (fortunately) sudden death in one's sleep after being in prior good health.

Thanks, good answer, which shows that it's possible to handle this subject in a mature way. "....some of both." sounds good to me. In other words, we should take care of ourselves but something unforeseen can still happen. That makes sense.

[gomoho]

Good question that I can't answer, but will definitely give it some thought.

[zonerboy]

Yes this is a very personal matter and there is no real way to prove anyone's viewpoint right or wrong. But I'll stick my neck out and toss out an opinion.
I believe the universe has an intelligent creator, a divine first mover, a god who cares about us human beings. And I believe in an afterlife.
That being said, I think God created the universe to operate according to certain natural physical laws, and God does very little, if any, intervening in daily events on this planet. He does not decide where to send a hurricane. Or when an earthquake might strike. He does not sit up in heaven deciding "I think it's time for Jimmy Anderson to be run over by a car today." He just lets the world operate in accordance with the original plan. We will all die, but the exact time and circumstances are not predestined.

[Monkei]

How not to die? Is it a religious book on salvation or something?

[Topspinmo]

Sometimes Being in the wrong place at the right time (agent orange good example, being drafted put you in the wrong place at the right time one example (chemical causes cancer years down the road not to mention other problems), genetics, and sometimes it's work environment (Black lung, Chemicals/cancer, ect...) Sometimes it's what we choose to diet . Which IMO causes most pre-mature deaths. (Smoking, drinking alcohol, drugs, sugar intake which includes sweet drinks tea, soda, ect.. ( eating disorders..)

Some people are just unluckily beings raised or stuck in bad environment (industrial areas that breed cancers). Few have birth defects or genetics problems that shorten their life which IMO sad they had no choice but got what was given to them....

I for one due to medical advancements have out lived my Genetic inherited problem which 1 in 100,000 get. Some aren't so lucky. I known several people that wasn't sick or in the hospital a day of their life's and had heart attacks due to there eating/liquid/smoking excessive intakes and didn't know they had blockage, liver, or lung problems due to NOT going to the doctor and getting physicals or checkups.

Most of us can prolong life if we are willing to change or habits (yes you can say faith has something to do with it by being able to believe you can change weather it comes form higher power or within). Humans are for the most part living longer due to our ability to adapt and change our surroundings, it don't take no study to figure that out.

[eweissenbach]

Great question VP! I think that God is far too busy to concern himself with the day to day goings on of we mortals. If we are destined to die at a certain time or date, why take care of our health, or drive the speed limit, or act in a moral manner, or tolerate people we don't like - why not kill them? They apparently were destined to die at that time and we were destined to die in the gas chamber. I believe in an omnipotent power that guides the big picture of life, but believe she allows things to happen as they will for the most part. I lost a grandson at 17 last year and cannot believe my God decided to take him from us. I see God much like a parent to us all, giving us guidance and rules and suggestions on how to live our lives, but in the long run it is up to us to make the most of the time we have on earth, and sometimes bad things happen to good people.

[asianthree]

my thought is if the guy setting next to me on the plane and its his time to die....i go with him...just a thought

[gomoho]

Originally Posted by asianthree

my thought is if the guy setting next to me on the plane and its his time to die....i go with him...just a thought

Or maybe it was your time and he went with you. another thought