In This Essay I will explain Buddhists and Christians views on life after death. I will explain why they believe in the afterlife through reincarnation (Buddhists) and resurrection (Christians).

GCSE Religious Studies (Philosophy & Ethics)

INTRODUCTION

The 3 main views on life after death come from 3 different groups, Secular (non-religious views), Sacred (religious views), and finally humanist views (people who believe only in the human ability).

Most people only have one of these two beliefs on life after death. Firstly “…Death is the annihilation of the conscience…” This is trying to get through that there is nothing after death it is the end. The second is “…death is the passage of the mind or soul to another place or dimension…” This means there is an afterlife your soul ends up in a new body or in another dimension (i.e. paradise).

PART 1

Firstly I will explain what happens at a Christians funeral. Often when a Christian is near death a priest and rubs the cross on to the person’s forehead. The priest does this to comfort the dying person and let them know their sins have been forgiven, This is also usually the time when they have their last communion. Christian funerals are usually sad events although they’re maybe a party to celebrate the person’s life afterwards. The deceased is usually dressed in the clothes they have requested (before they died!) or that their family has chosen for them. Once dressed the body is put into a coffin, which is placed in the church with the lid left off so the family and friends can see them one last time. As the priest enters he will say this quote from the gospel “ I am the resurrection and the life, he who believes in me, though he die, yet he shall live, he who believes and lives shall never die”. The priest then recites the “lords prayer” and hymns are sung. The hymns sung are often chosen by the person themselves or the persons family. The mourners will then say a eulogy, and then the coffin is taken to the grave. The coffin is then lowered into the grave whilst this is happening the priest will say “earth to earth, dust to dust, ashes to ashes” this symbolises the person going back to the ground which god created humans from. Before the gravediggers fill n the grave the mourners will often drop dirt into the grave themselves. Once filled in the grave is decorated with flowers and a few weeks later a headstone delivered to the gravesite.

At Buddhist funerals they are dignified but not sad events as the belief that the person will be reincarnated prevents this. Most Buddhists will follow the Indian tradition of being burned at death. Similarly as in Christianity monks will visit the dying person and chant to comfort them. These monks will often attend the funeral as well, and the mourners will often give them gifts of food and candles to them. This gesture of good will is believed to help the spirit of the dead person. At first there is usually a big feast to remember the dead person, and at the funeral the monks will enter first then the men and women. The family and friends are usually dressed in black and at the funeral monks will chant prayers for the dead person. After this funeral the body is left for 7 days in this time monks will visit the coffin and pray there for 30 minutes. After this period the body will usually be cremated in the temples crematorium.

Christians believe once the dead person’s soul moves on to be judged by god. If the person has lead a good life they are believed to go to heaven a place of eternal happiness were sadness and sorrow does not exist and live with god, if they have lead a bad life it is believed that the go to hell. Many people see hell as fires, punishment, pitch forks and a horned monster called the devil (Satan), but Christians believe hell is a place were you are away from gods reach, some Christians also believe hell is where the ...

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Buddhists, it is believed the soul goes into a trance for four days in this time the mind does not realise it is dead this is called “first bardo”. It is believed that towards the end of this period they will see a brilliant light if it doesn’t terrify them they are welcome to it but if they run, it fades. This is when they become conscious that they have died this is the “second bardo”. After this they fell like they have a body but really they do not. Knowing this they go in search of another body this is the “third bardo” and depending if they led a good or bad life they get a higher or lower lifeforms body.

Resurrection is when the soul of a dead person moves on to be judged by god. Depending on what sort of life they have lived determines whether the soul goes to heaven (paradise) or hell. Were as reincarnation is where the soul passes on to another life form depending on what sort of life they have lived if it has lived a good life it will become a higher life form or a bad life to become a lower life form. These beliefs how the people live their lives. Both followers of Buddhism and Christianity will do their best to live a good life to go to heaven (Christians) and to come back as a higher life form (Buddhists). I believe that this will affect the way they live their lives. I believe Followers of Christianity will attend church, pray and try to lead a good life but making the most of their life on earth as it will be their only one (or so they believe). So whilst following their religion may still find more to go out with their friends. Were as Buddhists may find time to go out and enjoy themselves the may be more focused on purifying themselves making sure they are not corrupt so they will come back as a higher life form for another life on earth or even to escape reincarnation like Buddha did.

A lot of people who have died and been brought back to life report an experience that is pretty consistent as many other people have reported a similar experience. It usually begins with them floating down a dark tunnel then out of nowhere a very bright light appears they continue to float towards the light and when they reach the end of it many people report seeing a park. Some people have reported seeing relatives there who are dead they asked the people whether they were ready to join them this is when they said no and returned to their body. This could prove as evidence that there is an afterlife because if a lot of people have reported experiencing the same sort of thing Christians, Jews and Muslims could say that this was of obviously paradise. People could also say that if the people said that they were ready to join their relatives they would not have returned to their body but carried on into paradise. Another reason people could use this, as proof of an afterlife is the fact that when you’re dead you cannot dream so they must have seen paradise. Also they could say that people that experienced nothing could have been judged to go hell.

Finally I will explain why religious people SHOULD NOT fear death. Religious people should not fear death because if what they believe is true and they have lived a good life then they shall not really die. Many people could argue that they should be scared of death because of family and friends but they should know that if they’re family and friends have also led a good life they will join them. Christians should be ok with death because of the fact that when they die if they have led a good life they will join god in heaven. Buddhists should be ok with dying because if they have led a good life they will come back as another high life form or even escape reincarnation. Other people may argue that religious people could fear death as they may be judged as living a bad life, but if the followed their religion they should have lived a good life anyway!

PART 2

Humanists have a number of different funerals because its not a religion so there is no set way to do a funeral! It could be based on that person’s favourite thing. There is no set way to do the funeral but an interesting one I found out about was about a football fanatic. His family thought it irrelevant and silly to have a religious funeral, as it was not something the believed in. they found out about humanist funerals and decided to do a football themed one. They decided to paint his coffin with football things dressed him in his football top and had friends and family make speeches about him rather than religious quotes. Instead of hymns they had his favourite songs played, and felt it was better than a religious ceremony would have been for him.

Humanists believe in preserving human life and civilisation for future generations. They believe that we should live life to the full as this world and life is all we have and should make the most of it while we have it. They also believe that we should live a happy life and help others to lead one too. They believe all situations and people should be judged by standards of reason and humanity, they also believe that individuality and social lives are important too. They believe in no god or afterlife just these points and the human ability.

Secular Spiritualists believe in no god, BUT they do believe in the after life, they believe in ghosts and communicating with the dead. Spiritualists do not believe in heaven or hell but they do believe in communicating with the dead. Many spiritualists do not see spiritualism as a religion, but many spiritualists do. This is because spiritualists have people called mediums these are people who are sensitive to spiritual vibrations! Spiritualists even have churches one of which is in hall green, here they try and communicate with the dead with help from the mediums.

Scientists and humanists disagree with people who have had near death experiences because they tend to look at more realistic theories. Scientists believe that the image of a tunnel with a bright light comes from the fact that when you are dying one of the first things that goes is your eyesight giving you tunnel vision and a light could be the source of the bright light. The other theories are that the patient has been given morphine, which causes hallucinations or gas and air that makes you feel funny and could make you dream. Finally scientists argue that when you die serotonin (a chemical that your body releases to make you feel happy) is released in large amounts which could be the cause of seeing loved ones.

PART 3

I think that when I die it is hard to believe that my soul will pass on to heaven or hell for that matter, or that my soul will come back in a different body. It probably is possible but I think that it would be very, very unlikely that I will be resurrected or reincarnated.

I attended a C of E school so I was a Christian for a while, but as I have gotten older I have found it hard to believe in Christianity or any other religion. I do not think it is possible to feed thousands of people with a few fish and a loaf of bread or that a god created the Universe, On the other hand I don’t believe that it was created by a big bang! I would probably be on the spiritualists or humanists side because I do believe in certain ghosts and I do want to look after this world for other generations so all in all I am more on the secular side. Although I’m not convinced with scientists theories on how life occurred on this planet!

I’m really not sure how near death experiences occur but if scientists are saying that the brain is creating hallucinations or dreams how can it do that when you’re dead! I think they possibly are real since some of the theories scientists have come up with are stupid and also how come lots of people have reported the same sort of experience.

I personally believe in an afterlife but I do not think there is a heaven or hell or that we will come back in a new body but with the same soul. I believe spiritualists I think ghosts exist and I believe that it would be possible to contact me when I’m dead, though I believe whugi boards work I would never, ever use one! I would like to have a non-religious funeral after researching what sort of funerals some people have! I would prefer to be cremated because I would hate to be buried and be eat by bugs and maggots.

I hope I will be reincarnated when I die because I have always wanted to be a dolphin or a dog but the one problem is I could be brought back as something nasty like a slug or a snail! I think death is the passage to the spirit world so I would have to agree with this statement “…death is the passage of the soul or mind to another place or dimension…”. I believe that we may be ghosts when we die because there is quite a lot of evidence in favour of the theory that there are ghosts and I also know someone who has experienced a poltergeist first hand!