What is the meaning of death?

It means:

The worms craw in...the worms craw out. The worms play pinochle in your snout.

Hmmmm - I don't think it has a meaning. I mean, the meaning of life is supposedly why we're here, what the purpose is. So the meaning of death would concievably be what the purpose of it is, right?

So go with me here - assuming you're coming from a Christain perspective (I don't know that you are, but I am so that's what I have to work with), then death is just a doorway from one life to the next. It's a departure - like getting on a train and going somewhere new.

However, I'm trying to think about it from different perspectives, and I'm thinking outloud, so if I get it wrong don't sue me or anything -

I would think for an atheist death would have no meaning. It's just a bookend of your life. One end was birth, the other death, end of story. But I could be wrong - maybe someone else could say what they, as an atheist believe?

For someone that believes in reincarnation, I would think that death's purpose would be to end one revolution and begin another. Either elevating you to the next level, and closer to Nirvana or whatever the end result is (if there is an end result, and it's not just a continous process of rebirth), or lowering you because you didn't live the way you were supposed to. I know there are Hindu's on this site, maybe they can weigh in?

The reason I talked about other religions, is because this type of question generally get's answered by two groups - the atheists that discount any sort of meaning and don't really explain what they think about it, and the christians like me who are all hope, love, light, bunny rabbits and rainbows. While both of those have meaning, and are valid, I actually am interested in an answer. I don't want to be preached at, I just liked the question.

P.S. What do Muslims think about death?

The life you have now is temporary (as I'm sure you've heard) and can be compared to our true spiritual existence the same way we compare our time in the womb to this life. We can't see or hear much of anything, we don't know very much, but ready or not when it's your time you are leaving. In this regard, birth and death are sort of the same thing....just transitory stages on the way to the next big part of your life.

When most people ask what the meaning of life is, I think they want something closer to the purpose of life...or at least, where can purpose be found in life. I see many purposes for death, but probably the most relevant is that it reminds us just how little time we have. Death reminds us to live.

The meaning of death is different per person due their spiritual level, their relationship with God or lack thereof. If one dies as a true believer then eternal life is the meaning of your death. otherwise the meaning behind it is pretty crucial.

The meaning of death is to begin again...like the vegetation dies each year and after winter comes again.

~ Eric Putkonen

The meaning of death is the end of life. I wrote something about this in my blog. I will put the link on in a moment.

Here it is:

http://blog.360.yahoo.com/blog-AlN1kDwia7_svf3E3KK...

The meaning of death is that our physical bodies cease to function and are consigned to the dust from whence it came while our Soul/Spirit (the essence of our humanity) ascends to heaven to be in the presence of the Lord until Jesus comes again to resurrect us... if we are saved.

Otherwise the Soul/Spirit is confined in hell until the Resurrection at which time they will be judged guilty and confined in the lake of fire for eternity.

It means I don't have to worry about calling in sick to work anymore. I have a REAL excuse this time.

Just another thing that's imposed on you the moment you commence to live, and that will inevitably happen one day or another.