Survillo,+Donna

What are the beliefs about the afterlife in different religions and are they similar in anyways?
 * __ Research Question __**

Religions all have their own beliefs about the different views on life and what will happen in the afterlife. Some religions have similar presuppositions as others while some religions have extremely contradistinctive thoughts about the afterlife. Although many religions may resemble, I chose three distinct religions: Roman Catholicism, Satanism and Wicca all of which I think would have different beliefs, but with some similarities.
 * __Introduction__**

Roman Catholicism 1.) Hebrews 9:27: “And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment.” 2.) Matthew 25:31-32: “Those who have rejected the Lord in this life, who have sinned mortally, who have no remorse for sin and do not seek forgiveness, will have condemned themselves to hell for all eternity.” 3.) “All who die in God’s grace and friendship, but still imperfectly purified, are indeed assured of the eternal salvation; but after death, they undergo purification, so as to achieve the holiness necessary the joy of heaven.” 4.) “In the glory of heaven the blessed continue joyfully to fulfill God’s will in relation to other men and to all creation. Already they reign with Christ; with him “they hall reign for ever and ever.” · [] · []
 * __Quotes #1__**
 * -Quoted from the Bible, text found at: **

These four quotes all explain the afterlife in a nutshell from the Roman Catholicism religion. The first quote from Hebrews 9:27 says that it is planned out, that everyone will die at one point in time, however, after their death, they’ll be judged on their life and how they lived their life by God to be let into either heaven, hell or they’ll go to purgatory. Once a person dies, he’s judged on how he lived; was he a decent person? Did he ask for forgiveness for his sins? Was he loyal to God? Depending on his life, he’ll be sent to where he should be for eternity.
 * __Interpretation and Analysis #1__**

In Matthew 25:31-32, it is said that those who have rejected the Lord during their life, sinned and have not asked for forgiveness from God will be damned to hell for eternity with no mercy whatsoever.

The next two quotes aren’t specified of what scriptures they are from, but the first one explains how if one dies with imperfections and impurities, they will be sent to purgatory where they will need to earn the holiness needed to get into heaven. Purgatory is a lot like hell, only there’s the chance that you will be set free into a better place. Then we have the quote under that which states how if one dies pure and has fulfilled all of God’s wishes, they will be sent straight to heaven to reign with Christ forever and ever.

1.) The Scriptures certainly teaches that those found righteous immediately go to Heaven. 2.) The Roman Catholic church also teaches that there is a place called Purgatory, where one goes if has followed Christ but still has some sins left to cover. The exsistence of this location is based on the Councils of Florence and Trent and a reference in 2 Maccabees 12:46-47: Thus he made atonement for the dead that they might be freed from this sin. · []
 * __Quotes #2__**
 * -Quoted from experts and the Bible, text found at: **

The first quote explains how that people who are morally right or justifiable, go directly to Heaven right after they die.
 * __Interpretation and Analysis #2__**

The second quote is telling us how the Roman Catholic church teaches their believers that if they have followed Christ their whole entire life but they still have some sins to make up for, they will go to Purgatory until they have made up for their sins. Part of the second quote is a quote from the Bible saying that He, God, made the decision that the dead might be freed from their sins and sent to heaven. Satanism 1.) What Satanists believe will vary according to their path in Satanism. For instance, LaVeyans may accept that there is no afterlife at all; there is no heaven or hell. They may also try to live life and appreciate being in the here and now. It i s a very materialistic view. Some spiritual Satanists may believe that they will spend their afterlife with Satan; even fewer accept that they will go to a Christian hell. 2.) It almost provides a scientific explanation of what happens in the afterlife. My idea is that there is NO heaven or hell and this is why so many spirits and ghosts are left behind to haunt the physical. After they pass away they are expecting to go to that afterlife but they are unprepared to spend their existence as a spirit. · []
 * __Quotes #4__**
 * -Quoted from a practicing Satanist, text found at: **

The first quote explains that the belief of the afterlife really depends on what one may follow in Satanism. There are different branches of the religion and different believers believe different things about that certain topic. And although some may believe that there is no afterlife, some believe that they will go to a Christian hell or just spend the afterlife with Satan. There are also those who believe in other things, such as expecting there to be an afterlife but once they pass, there isn’t and their spirits are left on earth.
 * __Interpretation and Analysis #4__**

Which leads me into the next quote. Some may believe that there is no place to go when you die and that your spirit is just left to wonder the earth. This may lead to the spirits haunting the living and they just spend the rest of forever as a spirit.

1.) Well a member of the Church of Satan doesn't think that there is an afterlife. See the COS is built around the now and living. 2.) Whether you ask for forgiveness or not of these sins is not the concern because in all honesty your god has yet to answer whether you are forgiven or not. Hence you could be damned to hell just like I am in your eyes. · []
 * __Quotes #5__**
 * -Quoted from a practicing Satanist, text found at: **

Some members of the Church of Satan don't think that there is an afterlife and that the life they are living now is the only life and thing they will experience. The afterlife is already there and they are living it now.
 * __Interpretation and Analysis #5__**

Another belief is that you may be damned to hell no matter what because a god of another religion may not have forgiven your sins yet and you are still going to Hell for your after life and there is nothing you can do about it. You can't make your god answer and you can't make him forgive you when you die. If he hasn't answered your apologies and you aren't forgiven by the time you die, you're just going to be damned to hell.

Wicca 1.) Most Wiccans believe in the Summerland, which is a paradise much like the Christian heaven. All people, except [|spirits] who remain behind lost and wandering, go to the Summerland, even the wicked. 2.) Wiccans do not believe in Hell or in an eternity of punishment for one lifetime of sin. Some, however, do believe that you may be punished for the harm you do. I believe that you may kept from reincarnating, if you are not yet ready, or reincarnated into an undesirable life as a means of punishment. 3.) Most Wiccans believe in Reincarnation, the Summerland, or both, but not all do. Specifics about these paths vary from person to person. · []
 * __ Quotes #6 __**
 * -Quoted from a practicing Wiccan, text found at: **

The first quote basically is explaining how the majority of Wiccans believe in the “Summerland” which is just like another version of heaven for Christians. The only difference is that everyone goes to the Summerland, even the wicked. The only ones who won’t go to the Summerland is the spirits who are left behind because they haven’t done what they needed to get done in life while they were alive.
 * __Interpretation and Analysis #6__**

Although Wiccans may believe in a “heaven”, they do not believe in Hell or another punishment for sinning in that lifetime. But they will be punished by not being able to be reincarnated until they are “forgiven” or clean of their sins. If they aren’t restrained from being reincarnated, they’ll be reincarnated to a life that they wouldn’t want to live.

Even though most Wiccans believe in reincarnation, some do not. The beliefs of the afterlife really depend on the person.

1.) Those who practice Wicca have a general belief of reincarnation. 2.) Also, for many people death is a morbid subject rarely touched upon. 3.) It is our opinion that death should not be feared, it is a cycle of our life. · [|http://www.holysmoke.org/w000/011.htm]
 * __ Quotes #7 __**
 * -Quoted from a practicing Wiccan, text found at: **

Most Wiccans believe in reincarnation and that they will be brought back to life, but in another form once they die. What life you are put in usually depends on how you lived your previous life. If you lived it well, you will be put in a good life once you are reincarnated, but if you didn't live a good life and you were evil and cruel, you will be put in a bad life as punishment.
 * __Interpretation and Analysis #7__**

Some people of the Wiccan religion don't really think about the afterlife and what's going to happen once they pass away. Most people just don't bother to think about it because it's a topic that no one really knows what is going to happen after this life. If there's a Summerland, Heaven, Hell, whatever. No one knows.

Wiccans also believe that death shouldn't be feared, it's something everyone goes through. Like growing up, no one should be afraid of growing up because sooner or later, it's going to happen and you just have to put up with it no matter what you want.

1.) Some see and individual's personality, memory, abilities, talents, etc. as functions of the human brain, which degrades and disintegrates at death. They no not anticipate any form of continuity after death. 2.) Some believe in ancient legends of a Summerland where souls go after death. · [|http://www.religioustolorance.org/wic_beli.htm]
 * __ Quotes #8 __**
 * -Quoted from an expert, text found at: **

Wiccans may believe that once you die, you have the ability to see someone's personality, memory, abilities, talents and everything about them. The function of their brain and more. But they do not come back to life in another form or anything. In other words, they do not reincarnate after they die.
 * __Interpretation and Analysis #8__**

While you have people who believe that, you still have Wiccans who believe that they will go to the Summerland which is basically like a Christian Heaven. It's a paradise and everyone is let in there except for the people who were intentionally evil and didn't do what they were supposed to do; they were cruel and hurt people or things.

__**Conclusion**__ To conclude, most religions are alike in certain ways. They all have their own beliefs about the afterlife, some similar, some alike. Out of the three religions described here, they all have some people who believe there is no after life and they all have people who strongly beleive that there are different places you can go when you die. Some believe that you go to a Paradise and some believe that you go to a Hell. Either way, they all believe in an afterlife.