A lot of people, espcially those want-to-be goths think that Death AKA the Reaper is evil. I understand that he symbolizes the end of all life, but would you say that he is evil. I think is is just symbolic of what people would think Death would look like and he just does his job. Why do we symbolize him as a sadistic, insane, killer. (Except for Discworld)

I always thought of him as a crazy, tea obbessed, over-exagerated bad english accent. (In a fun sort of way.)

Express thoughts here.

[Mr. Maggot]

To some degree, we all fear death coming for us in what we will deem a very premature manner. Hence the vilification of the Reaper  can be seen as a natural reflection of humans whom view death as an arbitrary menace that take lives based on whims.

I've never thought of death as evil.  Just another part of life, y'know?  Yes, death can cause pain to loved ones, but it strengthens us and is a completely natural and necessary thing.  Death itself should not be painful but a release, since suffering before death is indeed not uncommon.

If anything I'm worried about death being seen as this great evil because it drives us to attempt to live forever.  More and more anything that dies is seen as wrong.  So overpopulation happens, animals are brought into captivity to keep them alive because we take their place in the wild yet still say they must live.  I hate to say it, but we must draw a line in saving lives of human, animal, and plant.  Either we must die or some of the less dominant species must.  We can't keep them alive forever, though we seem hellbent on trying.  Either that, or we decide to "overcome" nature as a whole.  This half-and-half attitude with death (both as evil by society and good by nature) is just causing confusion and destruction.

And just for the record, I indeed do not like the "we must save all the animals!" mentality.  I will fight against moving into their territory, I will fight for reintroduction if we can coexist but chose not to once, however I refuse to take in or save an injured animal in the wild.  Yes, it may seem heartless to those who love animals and who have the same "Death is evil" mentality, but in actuality I see it as nature at work.  The animal will die and other animals will live because of its death.  It will not be wasted.  The problem occurs when we do not allow the bodies to be returned to other creatures, but instead bury them to let the useful meat rot.  If I were to die, I'd like to be left out for the animals to feed on, but I somehow don't think my Christian family would be okay with that.

I suppose to sum up all that ranting I'll say that my way of seeing death is through nature, being a nature-lover and all.  I love animals and humans alike, but death is not at all evil in my opinion, just part of the necessary cycle of nature.

I honestly don't know many goths or goth wanna-bes that think that Death is evil.  Death, seen by most who embrace or at least pretend to embrace that culture seem to think of Death as the ultimate good, ending the pain and suffering of the living world.  Just look at the stereotypical statement that has been plucked from that culture, "Life is Pain."

[Phantom X]

Death is just a necessary force to complete the cycle of life. The only reason it gets such a bad rep is because it causes pain and pain to us is BAD.

[Danger!]

I think that as a whole people are generally afraid of anything they cannot fully understand.  Death might be the greatest and most contravercial mystery to humankind.  No one really KNOWS exactly what happens after our hearts stop beating.  Heaven?  Hell?  Reincarnation?  I think the fear of death makes it a negative thing, and therefore it becomes an evil of sorts.   

Death is just a necessary force to complete the cycle of life. The only reason it gets such a bad rep is because it causes pain and pain to us is BAD.

This is another good point.  Fear of bodily harm is also another insatiable human fear that is expressed in many ways.  There is a reason that horror movies and books are scary.  We are afraid of bodily harm, especially harm that results in an untimely and painful death.  Through this, we are forced to leave everything we know and love behind without preparation, and the fear of it happening at any given moment again reinforces the negativity of death.  It is the only constant in every human life.  We all must die, and there isn't a damn thing any one of us  can do to stop it.  I don't think it's evil.  I am doing my best to get over the fear, and, as I am sure many of you do, I have my own ideas of what will happen to me when I kick it, but I see it as another step in life.  There is no sense in fearing what you cannot control.  Run while your legs can still carry you, because sitting in a chair for fear of breaking those legs leads to a most unfullfilling life.  There, that is what you can all quote me for when I die.

Yes, that was something I was trying to say in that mishmash up there: we fear pain and view pain as evil rather than death (as death itself as far as we know is not  painful), but because of pain occuring so often with death we associate them and fear death as well.

Also, I agree a great deal of it is fearing the unknown.  Not knowing when, how, or what will happen is terrifying to many.  What we fear we often label as "evil", if not formally then in our own minds.  This fear is also what keeps us alive/from doing really stupid things, so I suppose it isn't all bad.

[Phantom X]

Its funny, I was just having a similar conversation the other day. People were asking me if I was suicidal or something and I responded with "No, why?". They told me they thought so because I said something about not caring if I died or something. Naturally, I responded with the very fact that I am comfortable with death and if it happens, it happens. Its not like I have a choice in the matter, but to others that is inconceivable.

in my opinion death comes when either you have acomplished your purpose in life and lived a decently long life or if you refuse to acomplish your purpose. and as far as the grim reaper i subscribe to the theory that it is just his job there is no feeling involved he might feel bad for the victims however its his job and he cant avoid it.

[Loki]

So "Don't fear the Ripper" 

[leapetra]

He just gets a bad rap thats all. 
When Kali was offered the job in Hindu Mythology, she didn't want it and stalled on starting it for thousands of years.  Finally one of the other gods had to show her how horrible life was when you didn't die.  People could barely move, because there was so many.  Illnesses were not killing them, but they still felt the pain.  Finally she took the job.
So Death has to do the job. 

So "Don't fear the Ripper" 

Unless his name is Jack 

[David]

death is glories and should be celabrated. a happy time of remeberence and reflextion, and the start of a new adventure for the daparted.

[Zak Roy Yoballa]

Death is an event not a being therefore it can't be good nor evil.  It just happens.  Your death may be a result of an evil action or a good action but death in an of itself is neither.


ZRY

that statement is inconsistant.  you say that since death is not a being it can not be good or evil but you say there are such things as good or evil actions.  unles i am mistaking, death is an action.  you die. it dies. i die. she dies.  then again you could be seein death as a stated of being but you already said that its an event and therefore an action - something thats happening