After my grandfather died in February, I began questioning afterlife. My biggest question was “where do we go when we die?”. Because of this, I decided to do my research project around this topic. I researched Christianity, a Christian church, a Christian band’s song, an Atheist talk show, Buddhism, Islam, Judaism, Scientology, Wiccan, Satanism, and Secular Humanism to get an overall picture about what I, myself, believe about afterlife. During my research, I found that I really think it is important to believe in something, anything, to give a real meaning to life. To me, every religion/spiritual group has flaws within it. I think it is important to look within one’s self and one’s heart to find out what is important for that certain individual and believe accordingly. I personally think that we should focus on the here and now and work to better society as a whole. I also believe that there is life after death and that a higher being will judge us according to our heart and one’s self. Throughout by blogger site, you will read about all of the groups I listed above, their beliefs about afterlife, and my opinion about their beliefs. Enjoy, and if you have any questions or comments, feel free to contact me through my link above.
For my artistic response, I chose to do a journal. Within this journal, I portrayed the different beliefs I researched through pictures and writing. The first page I did showed how Satanists, Secular Humanists, Wiccans, and Atheists believe that people cease to exist after death. The next page shows the Christian, Islam, and Judaism beliefs as going to another place. Another page shows the way Buddhists believe through reincarnation, rebirth, and then reaching Nirvana. Since Scientologists believe a different way about rebirth, I did a separate page portraying their beliefs. My last page shows two views from different Wiccan groups. This journal is an easy understandable approach to all the beliefs I researched.
I e-mailed the administration at the Church of Satan for my interview. I asked them several questions about their beliefs about afterlife and realized that they are Atheist Satanists. The interview was extremely informative.
After e-mailing the administration, I learned their beliefs about afterlife are the same as atheists’ beliefs (Administration). This means that they do not think that there is evidence to prove that there is life after death. Many people think that all Satanists’ worship Satan, a ruler of hell, and look forward to eternity there with him. When in fact Satan, also known as the Dark Force or Prince of Darkness by those who resonate with him, is just a force and a symbol of certain human traits (Administration). He is a representation of “indulgence instead of abstinence, undefiled wisdom instead of hypocritical self-deceit, kindness to those who deserve it instead of love wasted on ingrates, vengeance instead of turning the other cheek, vital existence instead of spiritual pipe dreams, and responsibility to the responsible instead of concern for psychic vampires (Administration).” Satan also represents “all of the so-called sins, as they all lead to physical, mental, or emotional gratification (Administration).” They believe that man, because of his development, needs the satisfaction of an afterlife and therefore are followers of the Right-Hand Path. While Satanists follow the Left-Hand Path; they value the advancement and preservation of the self, as well as the pursuit of terrestrial goals (Administration). The Church of Satan believes that they are their own gods and do not bow to “myths and fictions” (Administration).
I choose not to believe any of this. I did think it was neat how Satan was just a representation of many things, but that quickly changed once I read what he actually represents. All of the things he represents are just “silly” and are ways to put other people down. Many of the things he represents are opposite of the way many religious groups say people should live their lives. To me, some people would “claim” this religion to be different or to have a reason to do things other people think are wrong or immoral.
Church of Satan Administration. Personal Interview. 12 April 2009.
Secular Humanism is a term which has come into use in the last thirty years. Because of this statement, I decided to do some research on it. The most substantial resource I found on this topic was the book, Beliefs: Secular Humanism.
Upon reading this book, I found that most Humanists are atheists or agnostics, but obviously not all are (Candace 2). It is also debated whether or not it is a religion. Some Secular Humanists are religious, while others are political or social. They believe in a naturalistic standpoint on life. They commit to the use of critical reason, factual evidence, and scientific methods of inquiry in seeking solutions to human problems and answers to important human questions (Candace 13). Most do not rely on faith or believe in supernaturalism. This means that a belief in a deity and/or afterlife is not relevant. Most do not recognize an afterlife or spiritual existence. Their concept of evil/ for doing wrong is found within the scientific method. They also study sociology, psychology, and criminology to explain why wrong occurs. The scientific method is also most respected as the means for revealing the mysteries of the origins of the universe and life (Candace 16). Since someone will always ask “Why do bad things happen to good people?”, they state that it is not a spiritual reason but rather a matter of human vulnerability to misfortune, illness, and victimization. Although they do not recognize an afterlife, they do think it is paramount to realize one’s personal potential and to work for the betterment of humanity through ethical consciousness and social works (Candace 16). This being said, they are known for endorsing elective abortions, working for equality for homosexuals and genders, using a secular approach to divorce and remarriage, working to end poverty, promoting peace and nonviolence, and trying to protect the environment (Candace 21). Unlike some other groups’ beliefs that do not recognize in an afterlife, they do not believe or that each and every person is capable of living up to the humanist ideals of rationality and morality. The ultimate goal is human flourishing; making life better for all humans (Candace 12). Even among humanists who do believe in some sort of an afterlife, the focus is on doing good and living well in the here and now, and leaving the world better for those who come after, not on suffering through life to be rewarded afterward (Candace 12).
Although I do not think this philosophy is for me, I do think it gives substantial reasoning to live by. Also, whether or not they choose to believe in an afterlife or not, they still provide a reason for being here. That last statement, to me, is the most important thing in life.
Candace, Joey. Beliefs: Secular Humanism. Richmond, VA: Brooke's Publishing, 2005. Print.
Although I’ve already done some research on Christianity, I stated earlier on that I did need to do some more research on certain denominations within Christianity. This being said, I decided to do my live interaction at South Roebuck Baptist Church. I took a look around this Southern Baptist Church to see what the symbols, statues, etc. there had to offer about their beliefs regarding afterlife.
When I walked in, from the back of the sanctuary, I could see a rather large cross above the baptistery. The large cross obviously means that they believe in Jesus, and since Jesus was not on the cross, I would say they focus on the resurrection of Him. The baptistery, itself, means again that they believe in Jesus and salvation. Something else I could see was stained glass windows with some pictures inside. Some of these pictures consisted of the Bible, a cross, and/or a dove. The pictures of the Bible mean that they believe in an afterlife, since it discusses afterlife in the text, and the doves mean that they believe in the Holy Spirit. In the choir room, I saw a picture of Jesus holding a lamb, again meaning that they do believe in Jesus and that they believe we are his followers/children. Around the rest of the church there were many other pictures of Jesus, clouds and the sky, doves, and crosses. There were also tons of Bibles placed periodically around the church. With all of this being said, it is pretty obvious that they believe in an afterlife and that Jesus is imperative to one’s faith.
As I’ve stated before, in earlier posts, I think it is extremely admirable to have a substantial faith in something/someone. Seeing this church really did show me that you are happier in some place that brings meaning to life. I would still have to find out more about this denomination before making further inferences about specifics about their overall viewpoints and afterlife though. But, I still think that whatever one's choices of religion may be, it brings more meaning to life when believing in an afterlife of some sort. I want to believe there is a real meaning to life.
South Roebuck Baptist Church. Live Interaction. 03 April 2009.
I really wanted to find some way to incorporate a song into my research. After thinking long and hard about a song I actually wanted to do, “I Can Only Imagine” by MercyMe suddenly popped into my head. I googled it and found that the song and the video that went along with the song had a whole lot to do with afterlife.
Even throughout the first stanza one can tell that this group believes that there is a higher being that people will meet after death. Since the band states in their song “I can only imagine what it will be like when I walk by your side,” one would conclude that they will walk by someone further on down the road and they do not know what it will necessarily be like (MercyMe). The chorus somewhat reiterates that fact when it states, “Surrounded by Your glory, what will my heart feel? Will I dance for You Jesus or in awe of You be still?” By listening to this, one can tell that they believe that Jesus is this someone that does exist and that one day they will meet him and be in awe. Being in awe of someone usually signifies great honor. When reading this part of the chorus, I can tell that by capitalizing Your, they are representing that this is a higher being. After knowing that the second stanza says that “When that day comes and I find myself standing in the Son,” I can again tell that they believe that they will one day stand in the presence of the Son (MercyMe). Usually when someone says Son and Jesus in the same song they are just different names for the same person. Since they believe in this Son and they believe they will be in awe of him one day, this usually would mean that they believe in a separate place where this is all taking place i.e. Heaven. Again I believe this song is talking about being in Heaven when the second stanza states, “I can only imagine when all I will do is forever, forever worship You.” Usually when people believe that there is a Jesus and that they can only imagine what it will be like to worship him forever, they mean somewhere after death. Also throughout the video, people look up to the sky usually signifying a higher place beyond this world with someone higher residing there.
Even though they do not mention Heaven in the song, I personally think that it is implied. This song is not really my “type” of song or video, but I do think that it is very meaningful. As I’ve stated before, I think it is admirable to actually believe in something.
MercyMe. “I Can Only Imagine.” 11 November 2006. Online Music Video. 10 April 2009.
I am already quite knowledgeable about Christianity and their views about afterlife. But, I still decided to look up an article about the overall beliefs Christians have about life after death. The concept of afterlife is mainly the same throughout all the denominations of Christianity.
Although beliefs about afterlife vary among different denominations and individuals, the vast majority of Christians believe in some form of heaven. Heaven is a spiritual realm where believers of God are among other believers and the presence of God. Also here, they are free from suffering and sin. Some denominations believe that other faiths will also be in heaven while other denominations believe they will not (“Christian Beliefs” 1). Hell, where unbelievers and sinners are punished, is not as well accepted throughout Christian beliefs. Views differ as to whether hell is eternal and whether its punishment is spiritual or physical (“Christian Beliefs” 1). Some Christians reject the notion altogether. Catholics also believe in purgatory, a temporary place for Christians who have died with sins that that are not confessed. Beliefs differ on how to exactly get to heaven and the details about it. But, the overall concept is the same throughout all Christian denominations; one must be a believer. There are certain things about certain denominations that I do not choose to believe.
I personally have more research to do about each denomination to actually have an opinion on the individuals’ beliefs. I do think that believing in a higher being and an afterlife brings meaning to life and something to live for.
"Christian Beliefs about the Afterlife." ReligionFacts. 2009. ReligionFacts. 3 Apr 2009.
The religious tolerance website discusses different religions and beliefs in detail. I used the site to find out about where Buddhist’s believe we go when we die. Buddhism is more than just a religion, it is a philosphy.
Buddhists believe in reincarnation, the concept that people are reborn after dying. They believe that individuals go through many cycles of birth, living, death, and rebirth. Buddhists differentiate between reincarnation and rebirth. Reincarnation is the belief that the soul comes back to earth in another body or form, while in rebirth, a person does not necessarily return to Earth as the same entity ever again (Robinson 1). Depending on how you lived your previous life and treated others before, you will be reincarnated to a suiting life. After many cycles of reincarnation, if someone reaches the state of mind where they are completely peaceful and in harmony with the world around them they can attain Nirvana. Nirvana is the name of the highest and purest state of mind that a man can ever reach. Nirvana means "to extinguish," as to pass into another realm of existence (Robinson 1). Some say that Nirvana can be attained before death and some say only after death. Buddhists believe that to reach Nirvana one must have knowledge of the four truths, practice the Noble Eightfold Path, knowledge of the dependent origination, realize the Anatta, realize the Anicca, and realize the Dukkha to achieve this state. They think that the task they really need to achieve is to live with love, for us, and for our brothers. The Buddha's Teaching shows that there are heavens and hells not only beyond this world, but in this very world itself. Heaven is a temporary place where those who have done good deeds experience more sensual pleasures for a longer period while hell is another temporary place where those evil doers experience more physical and mental suffering (Robinson 1). Each and every person experiences according to his good and bad karma.
I am very interested in the philosophical aspect of Buddhism and I do think that Buddhism is a good concept to live by, but I am not too certain that I believe it is possible to reincarnate without a higher being present.
Robinson, B.A.. "Buddhism's Core Beliefs." Religious Tolerance. 2008.
Ontario Consultants on Religious Tolerance. 27 Mar 2009.
Earlier I did research on the religious tolerance website and it gave me a lot of information that was extremely helpful. Because of this, I decided to go back to it to learn about Wiccans’ beliefs about afterlife. Wiccans have a very wide range of beliefs about where we go when we die.
According to the religious tolerance website, some Wiccans believe in an ancient legend of a Summerland as where we go afterlife. We meet with others here, review and integrate our previous lives on earth, and are eventually reincarnated into a new baby (Robinson 1). Within this belief, some others believe that after many cycles the individuals will accumulate sufficient experiences and goes on to another level of existence (Robinson 1). We know nothing of this level of existence. Others believe in continuity after death but in a difference sense. These Wiccans believe that the molecules that make up our bodies will be incorporated in other living entities and that our influences on people will continue to have influences on following generations (Robinson 1). There are some Wiccans that do not believe in any afterlife existence elsewhere. This belief includes believing that the functions of the human brain will disintegrate after death (Robinson 1).
Personally I do not think that people would go to a different world and then back to the earth over and over again. I choose not to believe this since I do not fully understand how this action could take place. I also do not fully understand how when someone dies their molecules will “magically” be incorporated in other living entities. I do need to do more research on their whole religion to understand fully. But, I do think it is a little odd how there are so many beliefs within this one religion about where people go after death.
Robinson, B.A.. "Wiccan Beliefs." ReligiousTolerance.org. 2004. Ontario Consultants on Religious Tolerance.
10 Apr 2009.
After Jett Travolta died, many questions arose about Scientology. An article on belief.net answers some of these questions. Following my reading, I now understand what some of the Scientologists’ beliefs are about. Their afterlife beliefs were covered throughout the article.
Scientologists believe that people are immortal spiritual “thetans” that use their bodies to get around. They believe that we have lived before and will live again. With that being said, we are not our bodies. When we die we just depart our bodies but everything that makes us, the person, is intact. The person will just simply carry on to the next lifetime and inhabit a new body. This new body has no relation to how one acted during the previous lifetime. When a thetan’s body dies, it forgets the details of the former life; but “engrams”, painful and traumatic images, remain in a person’s unconscious (Roan 1). In order to move up the Bridge to Total Freedom, path of spiritual progression, one must erase these scars. Once a Scientologist has purged them through auditing, he or she is clear. At the very end of the process, thetans are said to gain power over their physical world and they feel no need for bodies any longer becoming pure souls. Some Scientologists believe that a thetan is carried to Venus, programmed with lies, put into a capsule, taken back to Earth, and left to wander in search of a baby to inhabit (Roan 1).
The last part of this really just puzzles me. I do not understand why someone would choose to believe that we are all programmed with lies. Also, since the religion is so young, I do not understand how so many people lived life without ever becoming pure souls or “clear”.
Roan, Ansley. "Scientology and the Travolta Tragedy." Beliefnet.com. 2009. 3 Apr 2009.
After looking up afterlife on EBSCOhost, I found a great article talking about a few religions’ beliefs about it. Islam and Judaism are two of the religions discussed and the two religions I chose to observe. Following my reading, I found that Islamic people and Jews have similar beliefs about afterlife.
Islam teaches that everyone spends eternity in hell or in paradise. Erin Wisdom mentions (Wisdom 1) that people in paradise will be “busy in their rejoicing, they and their spouses, reclining upon couches in the shade; therein they have fruits, and they have all that they call for” (The Koran Interpreted 36:55-57). She also mentions (Wisdom 1) that people in hell will have "garments of fire ... and there shall be poured over their heads boiling water” (The Koran Interpreted 22:19-22). A person has to believe in Allah, the Islamic god; in Mohammad, Allah’s prophet; and must wade jihad, holy war, against non-Muslims to attain life in paradise (Wisdom). How much good a person does in life also plays a part in his destination afterlife. Those who show bravery or die during jihad are the only ones promised paradise while everyone else has to hope they find favor with Allah.
I personally do not think that someone has to show bravery or die to be promised paradise; however, the general Islamic beliefs about the afterlife provide a positive guide for followers to lead. I think it gives people a reason for living when believing in a higher being, Allah, and an existence after death.
Judaism also teaches that there is a life after death, heavens and hell. The Torah states that righteous people will be “gathered to his people” while unrighteous people will be “cut off from his people”. Although Jews believe in afterlife, Judaism doesn’t talk much about the details of it. Bob Ott, president of Temple B'nai Sholem in St. Joseph, said that "the focus is on living a good life now, without thought of reward or punishment (Wisdom 1)." Since books like the Torah and the Talmud don’t focus much on afterlife, many different beliefs about it have come about in different Jewish traditions.
Personally, I do not want to believe in a religion that doesn’t talk much at all about the life I would be living after death. It’s a good idea to live your life in the present, but because of the person I am, it would be too hard for me to not focus quite a bit on the consequences I would encounter afterlife. I also found it very odd that Erin Wisdom talked none about the higher power they believe in. They believe that all good people go to heaven as long as they love the Lord with all their heart, soul, and mind and observe the commandments.
Wisdom, Erin. "Afterlife Exists." EBSCOhost. 2008. 3 Apr 2009.
The Atheist Experience is a weekly cable access television show in Austin, Texas, produced by the Atheist Community of Austin. Martin Wagner and Matt Dillahunty discuss a question about life after death posed by a caller named David during one show. This particular part of the show was put onto YouTube where I came across it. After watching this segment, one can find out what atheists believe about what happens to people when they die.
Matt Dillahunty states early on that “until there is evidence to show what happens after death,” he will choose to think that he is going to rot in the ground and will cease to be (Atheist). Martin Wagner brings up a point that some people choose to believe in an afterlife because it is “happier” than the alternative, they would rather go somewhere after death opposed to rotting. He also talks about how if he KNEW that there was an afterlife he would be the “first-in-line”, but that no one knows. He articulates that it isn’t “intellectually honest to do this I’m going to hedge by bets approach to deciding what to believe (Atheist).” Martin thinks that people should be rational and make the best out of the life they know they have and he wants substantial evidence like pictures from someone that resurrected. Matt does not believe that things are credible if intangible and invisible.
From this video one can conclude that atheists believe that there is no afterlife and that our bodies are left to decompose. Atheists accept the fact that there is no evidence to prove life after death and they will continue to believe this until considerable proof arises. Although there may not be tangible evidence that an afterlife exists, one has to take into consideration the emotional evidence that comes into play. Because of this evidence within one’s self, I choose to believe that I do not just rot away when I am deceased.
The Atheist Experience. “Life After Death.” 17 October 2008. Online video clip.
27 March 2009. <http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZEWztlIteo4&feature=related.>