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Exploring Beliefs on Death and the Afterlife Worldwide

Discover contrasting perspectives on the afterlife - from materialistic beliefs where only the body exists to religious views including resurrection, reincarnation, and spiritual realms. Explore how different cultures contemplate life, death, and the soul's journey through various faith traditions.

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Exploring Beliefs on Death and the Afterlife Worldwide

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  1. Death And the Afterlife

  2. What the materialist believes • Only the body exists (no soul) • We are the body • When the body dies, we die • There is no afterlife Birth  life  death “When you’re dead, you’re dead”

  3. What the religions believe Body & soul: the body may die but the soul lives on: • Resurrection of the body (Jewish) • Heaven & Hell (Christian, Muslim) • Reincarnation (Hindu, Buddhist) • Life in the spirit world (Chinese, Japanese) Are you a body with a soul or a soul in a body? Or are you the combination of the two?

  4. Western ReligionsJudaism, Christianity, Islam, Zoroastrianism • We live one life in this world Birth  life  death  • Sin determines our afterlife: • Purgatory (the “waiting room”) • Resurrection (physical or spiritual) • Judgment (immediate or at end-times) • Heaven (eternal life) • or hell (eternal damnation - or not)

  5. Indian religionsHinduism, Buddhism, Jainism, Sikhism Reincarnation: we live many lives in this world Birth  life  death  rebirth … (in human or non-human form) Tibetan Book of Death and Dying: • Bardo state (between lives) Bhagavad Gita 2:19, 22: “The Eternal in man cannot die.” “As a man leaves an old garment and puts on one that is new, the Spirit leaves his mortal body and then puts on one that is new.”

  6. … or release Moksha/Nirvana Ending the cycle and moving on: • We are soul trapped in a body • Karma determines the state of our next life • Ultimate goal is to be released from the cycles of reincarnation, to release the soul from the prison of the body

  7. China & JapanTaoism, Confucianism, Shinto Birth  life  death  spirit world • Hungry ghosts • Reverence for ancestors • Kami (Shinto)

  8. Deep thinking questions • How might our belief about the afterlife influence how we live this life? • What evidence is there for reincarnation? • Your questions…

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