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The mystery of death has preoccupied the human race since the beginning. This mortal truth is deeply woven through humanity’s collective unconscious.
What do people do with that knowledge? The problem is, it’s not really knowledge. Without some structure for this mystery, the issue—perhaps even the potential knowledge of death—gets avoided. Death gets suppressed and subverted by fear. It gets displaced into other, perhaps dysfunctional, forms of life and behaviors.
One of the many things that the world’s religions have in common is some kind of belief in the afterlife, a vision for life beyond death, and immortality. This vision informs the actions, perceptions, insights, and states of mind of an adherent to a particular religion.
In many branches of Christianity, there’s a hopeful vision of everlasting life and the spiritual presence of God. Heaven is a return to paradise, but depending on one’s conduct in life, one’s future might not bode so well. Vivid stories exist in the Bible of a subterranean realm of further suffering, called Hell.
The monotheistic religions—Judaism, Christianity, and Islam—all have some notion of judgment upon death of the body. It’s generally believed to be a time of reckoning when one’s soul receives God’s mercy and judgment, which determines one’s placement in the eternal realms.
This vision is not confined to the monotheistic religions. Buddhism considers the hope of nirvana the final liberation from the endless cycle of rebirth into the wheel of life’s suffering. However, this is also believed to be contingent upon one’s actions and conduct in life. Karma plays a big part in determining one’s placement in any future realm beyond death of the body.
In the indigenous religions, too, there is a great reverence for the hope that is offered in the afterlife. This exists in terms of the role that the ancestors play in facilitating communications with the living. They’re conduits to the supernatural realm.
While death might be equally mysterious and perhaps feared, the hope and possibility of some eternal peace and ongoing connection with loved ones who have crossed over into the spirit world is an important aspect of many indigenous religions.
With so many religions saying it is your actions in this life that determine your next, what guides someone to live a good life?
Well, in Christianity, it is the life and the presence and the teachings of Jesus Christ, a container for the mystery of life, the mystery of death, and the promise of salvation. Any suffering and confusion along the way are the creative means to a brighter future.
In the Apostle Paul’s letter to the Philippians, he says, “And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Jesus Christ.” The hopeful Christian message is contained in the life teachings of Jesus Christ, a model of transforming suffering into peace and understanding through love. For many Christians, Jesus Christ is a model of mercy and forgiveness, guiding the transformation from sin to righteousness.
Source: THIS TUTORIAL WAS AUTHORED BY TED FAIRCHILD FOR SOPHIA LEARNING. Please see our Terms of Use.