Christians believe in heaven, hell and purgatory, heaven and hell was very important to Christians in the past, but today Christians think more about life after death (the resurrection.)
Some Christians believe when they are resurrected their bodies are needed after they die and others believe in cremation, when the body is burnt and the ashes are kept safe, there opinion is, if heaven is perfect, then people ought to live with new bodies and their old ones are no longer needed.
Beliefs about heaven are difficult to put into words because it is nothing like life on earth. Christians believe heaven is a place with God’s rules and they will live their with God for eternity. On the other hand hell is the opposite description of heaven, Christians believe hell is a place of torture for people who had turned their backs on Christianity and who had done wrong. Today Christians believe hell is a place where somebody will go if they are not Christians.
The belief of resurrection is backed up by (the bible, John Chapter 11 Verse 25): Before he died, Jesus claimed of himself, “I am the resurrection and the life. Those who believe in me, even though they die, like everyone else, will live again”.
Also the Apostles creed is a Christian statement of belief. Part of it repeats life after death; many Christians say this statement at the church.
The Apostles creed: I believe in … the forgiveness of sins. The resurrection of the body and the everlasting.
Roman Catholics are Christians who believe in Purgatory. This belief only aims for people who are not ready to go straight to heaven.
They believe that their souls will remain in Purgatory until they are free from their sin. Christians are sometimes buried and sometimes cremated.
In most Christian funerals bible readings, prayers, or a talk often takes place about the person who has died and sometimes there are hymns. A Christian funeral service begins with the words of Jesus! :
I am the resurrection and the life
A bible is read, prayers are said asking God to comfort the person who has died. There might be a short speech about the person who has died, reminding of what he or she did well in life, and sometimes a hymn is sung. People remember the good things about the person’s life.
Many Anglican and Roman Catholic Christians continued to prefer burial of the coffin in the ground, and many Protestant Churches supported the idea of cremation.