In the Christian tradition, a person's body is separated from his or her soul upon death. The soul is then judged, and can be sent to heaven, hell, or purgatory, though some Christian faiths do not believe in purgatory. In addition, Christians believe that they will be reunited with changed bodies in heaven, and that a judgment will take place on earth at the end of days. Though Christians look at death joyously, they are also understand the necessity of praying for forgiveness and reiterating their beliefs as death approaches.
Thus, Christianity's view of death is similar to Judaism's in some ways. Both believe that death is the result of sin. Some Jews even believe in a similar heaven and hell, and both religions share a God that has created these things. The two religions part ways, however, when it comes to the importance of death. For Christians, everlasting life is the core of their spirituality, especially since it was for this that Jesus sacrificed himself. For the Jewish people, however, the question is still greater than the answer. Similarly, Christians' beliefs about death are different than Chinese beliefs, as Christians see death as punishment, as well as a process that will end with the final judgment. Chinese people, however simply see death as a natural process that ends only to begin again.
My personal beliefs regarding death combine features from all of these belief systems. Like Jews, I'm not exactly sure what's out there, though I do believe in something. I'm interested in finding the answer to this question, although it does not consume a great deal of my time or my thoughts. Like Christians and some Jews, I believe in a heaven or a hell. However, I do not believe in heaven as a physical location, a belief that I share with many Christians. Instead, I believe it is simply a place...
Nursing Death and Dying in Other Cultures Death and dying are never easy for family, friends, loved ones, and the ill persons themselves. These issues are further complicated by the fact that so many different cultures are now blended in the United States, and many of them have far differing views on death and dying. For example, in the United States, most Christians believe in burying their dead quickly, holding a ritual funeral
I agreed with Paul's perspective that the resurrection of Jesus is spiritual and cannot be fully understood by the human mind. I also believe that following death, Christians will not experience a physical rebirth, but expect to live an immortal, spiritual life in heaven. Paul's perspective encourages rebirth as a spiritual phenomenon. I think this belief closely ties with the second view of the resurrection, which is the resurrection
As one performs their dharma, they earn karma, which is the cause and effect aspect of Hinduism. Karma explains good actions bring good results, and by obeying this principle and dharma, one can experience rebirth into a "better" life that puts one in a stronger position to achieve moksha. The ultimate goal for any Hindu soul is to achieve moksha, which is the liberation from samsara, the cycle of
It is through the process of death and rebirth that the knowledge is gained which will finally liberate the individual being from the central cause of all suffering itself - the cycle of death and birth. Essentially, it is only through knowledge that this can be achieved in most Buddhist schools of thought. The rationale behind the importance of reincarnation as a process that is required to escape the centrality
Hindus? What Am I? My Atman is so subtle that I am unable to perceive it. I know, therefore, that I am not in danger of experiencing the undifferentiated creative energy mentioned in verse 11 of the Katha Upanishad. That, however, does not answer the question posed. What am I? A Hindu might see me as a seeker on one of many possible paths to salvation. Believers in Hinduism are not
This painting is David's masterpiece and one of the great curiosities of modern art because, by a strange feat, it has nothing trivial or vile. What is most surprising in this very unusual visual poem is that it was painted very quickly. When one thinks of the beauty of the lines, this quickness is bewildering. This is food for the strong, the triumph of spiritualism. This painting is as
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