Could Theism simply be a human response to the instinctual fear of death?

Gladius said:

Is there a theistic religion which doesn’t include an afterlife, or other method to cheat natural death (e.g. reincarnation)?
Why is the thought that this human existence on earth is the only one there is, so hard to accept?
Many believe it to be the case for every other living thing on earth. Why (if you accept evolution) are humans to be the exception?
I’ll answer my own question here, we’re the only species (accepted at present) to be able to devise supernatural mental constructs (called theologies) on how to cheat death.

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Gottservant said:

I've thought about this a couple of times now...

...and the thing that springs to mind is "even if it was a response to Death, does that make it any less inevitable, by virtue of the Death that no one of us can avoid?"

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Gottservant said:

that all depends on whether or not you are just looking for an explanation

unfortunately, the fact that you are does not preclude that someone else who is looking for more actually finds it

so in the end, you die and because you were completely at peace for whatever reason, your body just decomposes, but someone else who was expecting to see something when they die, spends their whole life enjoying sights and then on top of that transports their soul to a place where you can see everything much like a dream, you get your justice, they get theirs, the only point at which your short-sightedness negates their vision is the point at which they actually entertain being as short-sighted as you and even then you may have a really good reason for it, after all, I suppose

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Philothei said:

But the very fact that we are able to "construct" these theologies proves that there must be such "constructs"
We all believe in something whether it is ourselves or this or that that is what it makes us human. And we do not cheat death.... Earthly death even for scientists does not mean end of life but maybe as we know life as it is now... For example our bodies die but our spirit could live on. Our afterlife is not exactly like this life; it is life transformed as a we know it. It is not cheating but changed into a life of true living in a place that is so much different that what we experience now.

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Gladius said:

Is there a theistic religion which doesn’t include an afterlife, or other method to cheat natural death (e.g. reincarnation)?
Why is the thought that this human existence on earth is the only one there is, so hard to accept?
Many believe it to be the case for every other living thing on earth. Why (if you accept evolution) are humans to be the exception?
I’ll answer my own question here, we’re the only species (accepted at present) to be able to devise supernatural mental constructs (called theologies) on how to cheat death.

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When a person falls from his level he should know that it’s heaven-sent, because going down is needed in order to go up, therefore he fell, in order that he arouses himself more to come close to Hashem. Advice for him - Begin anew to enter into service of Hashem as if you have never yet even begun (Ibid)

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He paused as though the joy of that thought had overwhelmed him for the moment.

"My Father assures me that the time is yet a little while, but very little. Soon he will call those already in paradise to surround me as we descend from this third heaven to the first heaven around the Earth. The souls of all my saints will be instantly clothed in their new resurrection bodies, as will the living saints on Earth who rise to us in the glory cloud! At the sounding trumpet they all receive new bodies and rise to meet us in the air. We return as my body to my throne room with the Father. Now do you understand why I called this place a temporary abiding place? Do you grasp what it will mean to be one with me and the Father in your incorruptible bodies? My book states that I assumed mankind's sin so you "might be made the righteousness of God' in me!"

I can clearly recall how Jesus' voice paused at this moment. He was savoring an anticipation too intense and private to be revealed. Was he pre-living that moment at which he would enjoy the victory which his Father would give him as the eternal reward for his own long-suffering? His own sting of death would be swallowed up, and he would be the omniscient Head of a completed and compliant body for whom he had shed his blood on a terrible cross. He would reign as KING of the Jews after these days of grace. Then his thoughts returned to me.

"My son, when that time has come, my Father will call to me. The applause of the heavenly hosts will be deafening; they too have been awaiting that day, ever since they announced my birth to the shepherds at Bethlehem so long ago. Scoffers will gaze with fear and wonder as my angelic hosts watch me fulfill my promise to my earthly body of believers at my soon return to Earth.

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but the goat on which the lot fell for Aza'zel shall be presented alive before the LORD to make atonement over it, that it may be sent away into the wilderness to Aza'zel.(Leviticus 16:10 RSV)

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