Biello,+Blase



 Blase Biello

** __Research Question:__ ** How do After-Life promises vary from other religions? (Christianity, Islamic, Rastafarianism, and Buddhism) 

 Many different religions contain different promises for their worshipper's after-lives. This paper will focus on After-Life promises in 4 religion: Islamic, Christian, Buddhist, and Rastafarian. There are debates on whether there actually is an After-Life within these religions. Whether it is reincarnation or heaven, it all still remains debatable. Believable by only the worshipper or preacher. I will find quotes from the sacred texts of each of these religions that give the promises for the After-Life. I will then analyze and interpret each one of the quotes to my full extent. Throughout the paper you will find multiple quotes from many different sacred texts including, but not limited too; the Bible and the Qur'an. Also, the link can be seen under the quote, so you, the reader can look at it for yourself and see some of my sources on your own.
 * __Introduction:__

__// CHRISTIANITY //__  QUOTE 1:   All the dead go down to Sheol, and there they lie in sleep together–whether good or evil, rich or poor, slave or free (Job 3:11-19). -Quote taken from: http://www.religiousstudies.uncc.edu/jdtabor/future.html

****__Interpretation and Analysis:__** Reading this quote can show many things from the Bible and how it's many religions look at the After-Life. In this quote it exemplifies that all people who die in Christianity enter eternal sleep. It is not specific as to where they sleep though. It is debatable as too whether this quote can continue from where it is from. Possibly, it can be continued so that it tells about where the eternal sleep can be at. This quote shows that Christianity After-Life can be different from other religions.
 * This quote means that all of the dead people go down to Sheol, where they remain there together, regardless of class or morale. Through research I was able to find out that Sheol means pretty much "hell." Others believe it simply means the grave though. This is debatable. Depending on your views about hell or eternal sleep, you may look at this quote differently. I look at the quote as; All people that die, all go to eternal sleep, regardless of who they are. It doesn't matter what their social status is or anything like that. They all enter the "grave."

QUOTE 2:   All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate the people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. (Matthew 25:32) -Quote taken from: The Bible, Text.

****__Interpretation and Analysis:__** This quote is the pretty much what people would think of whenever they think of a religion involving Jesus Christ. Christianity's after-life works on the basic principle that; "how you act is where you get." If you spend your whole life sinning and acting bad and breaking "God's rules" without believing in a religion or at least repenting, you will be granted full access to hell. Exactly, what you deserve. But, if you spend your whole life helping others, sinning occasionally but repenting, then the chances for access to Heaven are way higher.
 * This quote means that every person will be separated and diagnosed individually. The good ones off to heaven and the bad ones to hell. Through research I was able to find something called the Parable of the Lost Sheep. This was a parable told by Jesus Christ in the New Testament. The new testament portrays Jesus as interpreting it that "there will be more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who do not need to repent." Therefore, God will separate each person individually similar as to how the sheep are separated from the Lost and the sinners.

__// Islamic //__

QUOTE 3: "Could they not see that God who created the heavens and the earth is able to create the like of them?" (17:100) -Quote taken from: http://www.religionfacts.com/islam/beliefs/afterlife.htm

__Interpretation and Analysis:__ This quote means that God is able to recreate a dead person basically. He can recreate a decaying body just like he created it. The quote is basically asking a question to enforce a basic, common knowledge that this is a basic task for God through reincarnation. Reincarnation is a huge component of After-Life in the Islamic religion. It shows that a powerful God that could create heaven and earth both would easily create a human from the decaying dust of the dead body. QUOTE 4: "  Warriors who die fighting in the cause of God are ushered immediately to God's presence (2:159 and 3:169); and"Enemies of Islam" are sentenced immediately to Hell upon death." -Quote taken from: http://www.religionfacts.com/islam/beliefs/afterlife.htm

__Interpretation and Analysis:__ This quote has 2 messages within itself. The first shows that "servants of god" who die for God shall be granted access to heaven where they will meet with God himself. Whether the servants of god complete acts in wartime or extreme cases they shall all be granted access to the meeting of heaven. To which they will be reincarnated from the dead body they remain in temporarily. The other message it shows is that "Enemies of Islam", whether they are "non-believers" or "terrorists", are to be send straight to hell after they die. No meeting of God shall be granted. There will be no paradise for them. Simply hell. This shows how Islam and Christian religions differ regarding After-Life in a couple ways and how they are similar in a couple ways.

**// __Buddhism__ //

**QUOTE 5:** "Life is a journey. Death is a return to earth. The universe is like an inn. The passing years are like dust.

Regard this phantom world As a star at dawn, a bubble in a stream, A flash of lightning in a summer cloud, A flickering lamp - a phantom - and a dream."  -Quote from: http://www.religionfacts.com/buddhism/beliefs/afterlife.htm __Interpretation and Analysis:__ This quote shows that Life and Death are both journeys to an exact point. Life is a journey in the fact that you're able to live it and explore many new aspects within. While, Death is your body's return to Earth; as the dirt. The universe contains all of us as a housing agent while the passing time is like dust, disappearing as time progresses forward. The quote goes on to show what the world is comparable too.

**QUOTE 6:** "I t is recognized that there is nothing but what is seen of the mind itself; where, recognizing the nature of the self-mind, one no longer cherishes the dualisms of discrimination; where there is no more thirst nor grasping; where there is no more attachment to external things." <span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal;">-Quote from Buddha: http://www.religionfacts.com/buddhism/beliefs/afterlife.htm

<span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 23px;">__Interpretation and Analysis:__ This quote is from Buddha's response as to what Nirvana is. The quote goes on to say that It (Nirvana: state of final liberation from the cycle of death and rebirth. The end of suffering) is shown to be as the emptiness of the mind, where, understanding the elements of the one's head, how a one no longer is susceptible to the dualisms of discrimination, where there is no more thirst nor hunger; where there is no more attachment to external things. This shows what is NOT nirvana because Buddha never replied to what Nirvana actually is. But, this also shows how Christianity, Islam, and now Buddhism differ!

<span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;">// __Rastafarianism__ // **QUOTE 7:** "And it came to pass that the spirit moved in Athlyi and he became full with the holy ghost. <span style="font-family: Times,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: medium; line-height: normal;">And he cried out saying, "Hear me O children of Ethiopia. There is not a heaven nor a hell but that which ye make of yourselves and for yourselves." -Quoted from Online Version of The Holy Piby: http://www.sacred-texts.com/afr/piby/piby19.htm <span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 23px;">__Interpretation and Analysis:__ This quote shows that Rastafarianism doesn't have any promises for an after-life. There is no heaven or hell. In Rastafarianism they look at the Earth as their heaven. The quote states that there is no other place besides the place you make for yourself on Earth and how you live inside your place on Earth. In the next quote from an article you will see this defined more clearly. This quote clearly shows that the Rastafarian religion does not promise a pass to heaven or hell. Neither.

MINOR **QUOTE 7: "Rastafarians do not believe in an afterlife, but instead look to Africa (called "Zion") as a heaven on earth. True Rastas are believed to be immortal, both physically and spiritually, a concept called "everliving." ** -Quoted from Rastafari Article: http://www.religionfacts.com/a-z-religion-index/rastafarianism.htm

<span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 23px;">__Interpretation and Analysis:__ This quote from the article devoted specifically to the many aspects of Rastafarianism. The author states that Rastafarians do not believe in After-Life at all. This is a true fact as defined in the previous fact straight from the Rastafarian sacred text- The Holy Piby. This shows that Rastafarinaism is ALSO different from Christianity, Buddhism, and Islamic. **__Conclusion:__** The following research gave me the conclusion that each one of the Religions (Christian, Buddhist, Islamic, and Rastafarian) are all different when it comes to After-Life. Some share similar opinions though such as Buddhist and Islamic. Others are the complete opposite such as; Christian and Rastafarian. They are the complete opposite because Christianity operates on the fact that after the death of a person their after-life is entitled to either heaven or hell, while Rastafarianism doesn't believe in either. No heaven nor hell. Some religions work on similar After-Life promises because some may be Abrahamic religions but some just have completely different promises. It still remains debatable as to whether these promises are really fulfilled even though each religion claims that they will become true. Yet, there is actually no proof. So, we are still left with the question: Is eternal sleep the only thing after death? This question is answered in the Rastatfarian religion when they say no heaven nor hell exists. Just your life and what you make of it. It is up to the followers onto which they want to believe. But, to see what is advocated in those religions and their promises for the after-life is purely exemplified in the quotes of each sacred text.