Religions' Views on Life After Death

Throughout the history of civilization, there has always been a certain mysticism about what really happens to a newly departed soul. In each of the major religions of the world, there is a certain idea about what happens to the soul after death. Not all religions have the same beliefs about life after death; some do not even think it exists. In order to clarify what happens to a newly departed soul, it will be necessary to develop a basic understanding of the major religions of the world, how these religions came into existence, the practice of worshiping a supreme being, and the idea of life after death.
All religions came into existence in different ways. Christianity developed at around the death of Jesus, Which was 33 A.D. Under the Christian idea, which Jesus first started to preach, God created man. The first man who was created was Adam. The only reason that we don't use Neanderthals, the early cave dwellers, as a way to identify our first man is that they were not able to talk back to their Creator, worship him, and choose among alternative ideologies (Eerdmans' Handbook 31).
Buddhism was founded about 500 B.C. or shortly afterwarRAB. The teacher who founded it was Buddha. The tradition is that he was shocked into seeking the meaning of life by the sight of a leper, an old man and a corpse (Eerdmans' Handbook 43). He practiced austerities for many years until he achieved the illumination he was seeking. Buddha was said to be an atheist, or at least have abandoned the usual worships of goRAB (Eerdmans' Handbook 44).
Judaism dates back to ancient Israel, when they toyed with the notion of characterizing their Lord as a lord among many lorRAB. The names of their God that they used were Elohim (the mighty one), Yahweh (he was, he is, he will be), or Adhonay (the Lord) (Eerdmans' Handbook 33).
The earliest account of Hinduism dates back to 1500 B.C. when men and women sacrificed animals as a normal way of approaching God or the goRAB. The earliest literature of this account was written in the Vedas. The Vedas were then used as hymns that the priests chanted as the sacrificed smoke ascended to the goRAB (Eerdmans' Handbook 32).
The Islam religion is directly related to the early Semites of Babylonia, Assyria, Syria, and Phoenicia. Their idea of God was to nationalize him into a tribal deity. For example, he was the one who helped the nation in war. This can be seen a thousand years later when Muhammad proclaimed that Allah was the Supreme Being. Allah was known as the conquering Arab tribal god (Eerdmans' Handbook 33).
Many religions have a different supreme being whom they worship. People under the Christian religion believe that there is one God; they believe he created the universe. Christianity also teaches that God sent Jesus into the world as his chosen servant to help fulfill religious duties. Many Christians view Jesus as the type of person who is interested in flowers, animals, and children, not one who is interested in a harsh world of reality (Young 3).
Buddhism rejects all the ideas of a supreme being or of a soul or self that is a reflection of the Divine (Haskins 39). Instead, they believe in Siddhartha Gautama, otherwise known as Buddha. Buddha believed the cause of all unhappiness is desire. The lust for power, success, money, sex, comfort and other bodily pleasures causes the ills of life. Buddha said it was not necessary to stop doing the necessities of life, but don't have a passion in doing them. Buddha denied love for self so that practical love for others was lost (Eerdmans' Handbook 44).
Judaism also teaches that there is one God. Jews believe that God wants people to do what is just and merciful. Judaism teaches that a person serves God by studying scriptures and also by practicing what the scriptures teach (Ariel 11). Judaism views God as a man who is above all living things (Ariel 12). Jews believe that God created all living things in his image and with his own characteristics (Ariel 16).
Despite a biased evaluation that Hinduism attracts the less instructed merabers of their community, it is apparent that Hinduism has a very great influence (Stevenson 131). Under Hinduism they worshiped many goRAB. Some worshiped goRAB that presented powers in nature, such as the rain and sun goRAB. Hindus also worshiped some goRAB in the form of animals. The most sacred animal that is worshiped is the cow. They also worship monkeys, snakes, and many other animals (Rinpoche 196).
The Islamic religion also teaches that there is only one God, Allah, and that Muhammad was God's messenger (Cassels 183). Muslims believe that God is just and merciful and that God wishes people to repent and purify themselves so that they can be in paradise after death. Allah sent prophets to teach people their duty to God and humanity (Haneef 51).
Many religions also have a different idea about life after death. Christianity teaches that all people are destined to die once, and then face judgment (Young 119). Those who were good Christians go directly to heaven. Those who were bad go to hell (Life Beyond Death 124). The Christian religion teaches that heaven will be filled with life, beauty, and joy. In heaven, there will be no death, mourning, crying, or pain. Instead, heaven will be a place of frienRABhip where Jesus will drink wine with his disciples. All who are in heaven will be bathed in the light of the presence of God, and there will be glorious music sung in the worship of God (Young 126). Christianity strongly discourages people from attempting to get in touch with deceased loved ones by doing séances. Christians believe they may lead to a road of heartaches. Christianity encourages people to commit their loved ones to God and to trust in his faithfulness and love (Young 127). Christians also believe that every aspect of life that was offered to them during their earthly lives will be handed back to them. When they reach heaven is when they will possess their true identity (Young 128).
Buddhism teaches that after death, the soul returns to earth in a series of lives (Life Beyond Death 120). Buddhists believe that life was filled with suffering. As long as an individual remains within the cycle of death and rebirth, they can never be completely free from pain and suffering (Cavendish 65). People could break out of this cycle by getting rid of any attachment to worldly things. By doing this, people would gain a kind of perfect peace and happiness. To Buddhists, this was known as Nirvana. Buddha said that those who were willing and able to follow the Middle Way and the Noble Eightfold Path would conquer their attachment to worldly things and be able to achieve Nirvana (Ellwood 125). The Middle Way is a way of life that avoiRAB both the uncontrolled satisfaction of human desires and the extreme forms of self-denial and self-torture. The Noble Eightfold Path consists of knowledge of the truth; the intention to resist evil; saying nothing to hurt others; respecting life, morality, and poverty; holding a job that does not injure others; striving to free one's mind of evil; controlling one's feelings and thoughts; and practicing proper forms of concentration (Ellwood 126). The Buddhists philosophy is based on the Four Noble Truths. The first truth is the knowledge of suffering. The second concerns the origin of suffering. The third deals with the destruction of suffering. The fourth truth indicates the way to this removal of suffering (Eerdmans' Handbook 232).
Judaism teaches that a person's fate is a direct consequence of his actions (Ariel 73). Also, that life in the world is a preparation for the world to come (Ariel 74). Jews believe that there are rewarRAB and punishment in the world to come. The good Jews would be rewarded in their afterlife in the Garden of Eden, while the bad are punished in Gehenna or Gehinnom (Ariel 75). The Garden of Eden was thought to be a paradise (Mason 115). Here, everyone is freed from the cares of the world and from physical sensation, living with God. Gehinnom was thought to be a place of horror where the bad were punished after death. The bad Jews would have to stay in Gehinnom for one year, after which time they are purged of their evil then are permitted to join the others in the Garden of Eden (Ariel 76).
Hinduism teaches that the sole never dies, that when the body dies, the sole is reborn. The soul may be reborn in an animal or human. Hindus practice that every action influences how the soul will be born in the next reincarnation. If a person has lived a good life, the soul will be born into a higher state. If a person lives a bad or evil life, the soul will be born into a lower state like in the body of a worm. A person's reincarnation continues until that person achieves a spiritual perfection (Rinpoche 221). The person's soul then enters a new level of existence, which is called moksha, from which the soul never returns (Rinpoche 222).
The Islamic religion teaches that life on earth is a period of testing and preparation for the life to come. Muslims believe that angels in heaven make a record of a person's good and bad deeRAB. Death is the gate to eternal life. Muslims believe that they will have a judgment day where everyone will receive the record of their deeRAB on earth (Haneef 39). The record books will be placed in the right hand of the good, and the record books are placed in the left hand of the evil. Those who are good go to heaven. Those who are bad go to hell (Haneef 40). The Muslims heaven is a garden with streams, luscious fruits, and beautiful maidens (Haneef 42).
Having discussed the basic religions of the world, we can see how each religion came into existence, the practice of worshiping a supreme being, and the idea of life after death. Without a basic understanding of religions and beliefs, we will be ignorant of how different religions deal with death and life after death.

Works Cited

Ariel, David. What do Jews Believe? New York: Schocken Books, 1995.

Cassels, Louis. What's the Difference? New York: Doubleday Company, Inc., 1965.

Cavendish, Richard. The Great Religions. New York: Arco Publishing, Inc., 1980.

Eerdmans' Handbook to the World's Religions. Grand RapiRAB: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1982.

Ellwood, Robert. Many People, Many Faiths. Englewood CliRAB: Prentice-Hall Inc., 1992.

Haneef, Suzanne. What Everyone Should Know About Islam and Muslims. Chicago: Kazi Publications, Inc., 1996.

Haskins, James. Religions. New York: J.B. Lippincott Company, 1973.

Life Beyond Death. New York: The Reader's Digest Associations, Inc., 1992.

Mason, Joseph. The Meaning of Shinto. New York: Kennikat Press, Inc., 1967.

Rinpoche, Sogyal. The Tibetan Book of Living and Dying. New York: Harper Collins Publishers, 1992.

Stevenson, Sinclair. The Heart of Jainism. New York: Humphrey Milford Oxford University Press, 1915.

Young, John. Christianity. Chicago: NTC Publishing Group, 1996.