Pardon the Morbidity

There are certain expressions that I have never understood. One of them is: unnatural death.

What is an unnatural death? All death is natural. As a matter of fact, it seems to be mandated by nature. No exceptions. If you know of an exception, I would suggest that you publish.

Some people consider a homicide to be unnatural death. Do you consider that human death caused by another human is somehow more unnatural than death caused by bacteria? A human being is as much an agent of nature as is a bacterium. So what is unnatural about this? It may be sad, horrible, or illegal; but it is not unnatural.

Maybe what people really mean by unnatural death is premature death. But premature how? What would cause maturity in a person so that when he dies by whatever means, people no longer consider his death unnatural? Age? Reaching some sort of a goal?

What age makes a death natural? Or what goal does a human need to get to which will no longer make the rest of us classify his death as unnatural?

Getting to have sex?

Having children? (How many?)

Landing a good job?

Gathering wealth? (How much?)

Having made the world a better place? (Too vague; what makes the world a better place?)

So this entire business of what is natural or unnatural about a death seems to boil down to the question of some sort of a purpose of a human life, which when completed, makes us a little less uncomfortable about its end and stops us from calling it unnatural or unreal or whatever. So what is the purpose of a human life?

And no, "42" is not a good answer. And yes, I need a meaningful hobby.