where do dead atheists go?

[PyroPsion69]

Ok I'm going to use a little Monty Python logic here, but its pretty much all I have to work on because there is no scientific evidence (unless you want to argue near death experiences which I'm not). Anyway, there is this existance right, no matter what you argue it must have come from somewhere, some higher being or existance. Now if this existance is some kind of nonthinking, uncaring entity, then when we all die it will be just a termination of thought completely. It will be like going to sleep and never waking up (other than dreams you never remember being asleep do you?).

However, I think that this isn't the case, because I think the God that created everything made more to life than just this one life. Standard Christians believe that there is a Heaven for people who behave well in this world, and Hell to punish those who were cruel. I believe in this partially, but I think it is very naive for anyone to think that there are only two zones after death, both being eternal. Personally I would be bored to pieces if I were stuck for eternity. Rather, I think there are many spiritual dimensions. I'm not going on any proof, just raw logic of what makes sense. Heres my idea:

After a person dies, their soul is taken to a middle-zone. Its been called things like Limbo or Perguatory. Basically its a waiting room for spirits. Depending on whether your spirit is "fresh" (just put on the earth) or an older spirit (a reincarnate). [Those who say reincarnation doesn't exist I want to smack, there are currently 6 billion humans in the world, there are billions of other sentient organisms in the universe, and you're going to tell me that a soul is used ONCE, then shut away for all eternity? I doubt God is that inefficient] Anyways, souls that performed well in this world will be taken to a different plane, probably to employ the things they have learned in a different civilization, while those who messed up their lives either go back to Earth for another butt-whoopin' or for the real bad ones, taken to a hell like area for a lifetime or so. NOT eternity, we only stay on this plane for a few decades, why wouldn't it be the same with other planes?

So back to you dad, whether or not he believes in it, I think he will be taken to the spirit world, and be like "man I was wrong big time" but thats just my $0.02.

Either that or blink out as neural functions terminate (kinda makes this world seem pointless doesn't it?)

[beavis]

Atheists only have 1 belief, that god and afterlife dont exist. When they die and figure out there is an afterlife, they wont be stuck in a specific afterlife like religious fanatics. They will be free like us astral projectors.

[chupacabra]

thanks for the input guys. i just always imagine one of the scenarios in Robert Monroe's book Far Journeys where he describes some people on the very low astral planes as being sort of stuck into some kind of repetitive action loop because they were so very attached to their lives on earth. They seem to be under some sort of mind fogging spell where they don't realize they're dead. And then there is the giant writhing sex wad of people which is another intriguing/disturbing scenario.

But maybe he mis-interpreted some things he "saw".

[PyroPsion69]

I would have the feeling that people very attached to this life, as they enter the astral phase after death, they would be stuck on the lower planes like chupacrabra said, this might explain a lot of ghost stories. After a while they might realize that they are stuck in this world, and their spirit would be lifted hopefully. Though I would hate to be stuck like that I really want to see what comes after this life. Its bound to be much better than this crappy place.[8D]

[Centa Five]

If your father is an atheist then he does not believe in God. A belief system is dependent on a person taking a great leap of faith. Evidently your father does not feel that there is enough proof around to validate the existence of God.  This is his opinion and he probably should not be punished for it. He will likely proceed as the rest of us do after death and the truth will be revealed to him at that time.

[Jenadots]

They go to Dead Atheist Heaven and say "Oops!  Wrong again!" []

[Euphoric Sunrise]

I don't think being an atheist has any baring on life after death. Being an atheist means not believing in a god or gods, which can have very little, if anything to do with a person's belief in the after life. Just because your father doesn't believe in a god it doesn't mean he doesn't harbour certain beliefs about an after life. Any beliefs he has about the after life would simply play out.
And about that far Journeys thing where people are stuck in lower planes because of their attachement to their lives, i don't really think that applies to atheists either. Being an atheist does not mean you are attached to the physical.

[The AlphaOmega]

It doesn't matter what you believe or dont believe, it doesn't change the truth.  Believing that there is no God doesn't mean that there is no God.  When this life ends EVERYONE will know who we really were before this life and see that we are spiritual.  There is no death, not even for atheists... there is only truth.

[chupacabra]

I'm assuming a dead atheist would go to a place in the Belief System Territories that looked very much like earth. But wouldn't they, at some point, think,"Hmm, this looks real 'n' all that but there's just something not quite right here."

Would they think it was some dream? Would they have the consciousness to question their surroundings?

My Dad is pretty much an atheists so I'm just wondering where he'll end up once his physical self dies.

[?] (My daughter really wanted me to use an icon)