Scuderi,+Matthew


 * __Religion And The Afterlife__**


 * Research Question:** What are the different beliefs of Christianity, Islam, and Judaism about the afterlife?

Throughout all religions there are different beliefs of what the afterlife is and what it is like. The different beliefs of the afterlife of each religion are very similar in fact. All three of the religions that are being presented in this article believe in a sort of heaven and hell. However, these religions have different beliefs about the afterlife and what the afterlife has to offer. The purpose of this article is to provide information about the Christian, Jewish, and Islamic beliefs about the afterlife. The sacred texts of each religion provide information as to what the afterlife is like for both the followers of that religion and the non-followers. Through this article, details about each religion’s beliefs about the afterlife will be provided through sacred texts and texts found in articles. There is a brief overview for each of the religions at the beginning of each religion’s information. The text is organized by each religion as a title followed by the overview (introduction to the religion), a quote found from another source, analysis and interpretation, and then a quote found in the sacred text of the religion and an analysis and interpretation of the quote. **__Christianity__**
 * Introduction:**
 * Introduction To Christianity & The Afterlife:**

Christianity originated from Christ and his followers (disciples) around 5B.C through 30B.C approximately. Christians are monotheistic and believe in the Holy Trinity (the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost), which is three parts to one God and believe that there is a heaven and a hell. Heaven is believed to be where Christians go to live in unimaginable paradise, peace, joy, and to worship God for an eternity. Hell is where all non-believers and sinners go to suffer unimaginable pain for an eternity. Before the afterlife, Christians are to disappear from the Earth in the Rapture or the second coming of Christ, who is the Son of God also known as Jesus. Jesus is believed to have risen from the tomb that he was put in after being crucified by the Romans in order to (in prophecy) die for the sins of man so that man may be forgiven and not go to hell without having a chance to be forgiven by God through repentance. After the Rapture or second coming of Christ to deliver Christians to heaven, the Anti-Christ, the devil (also known as Lucifer and to once have been the highest angle that has now fallen) will rule the Earth for several years. After the ruling of the Anti-Christ, it is believed that God will destroy the world entirely and hold a great feast in heaven where Christians will stay for 100 years until God makes a new Earth. The devil will also be executed by God and sent to hell to suffer for eternity once the world has perished. Christians believe that while on Earth, they must store their treasure in heaven than on Earth meaning that they must do good deeds and be righteous on Earth instead of worrying about the pleasures of life.


 * Quote: Source Text**

“Religions throughout the world have sought to place our lives in greater context and prepare us for a possible life after death. Some offer hope of an eternal life, some put forward the idea of death and rebirth, while others pose the threat of eternal damnation.” – Douglas J. Davies

Houben, Ligia. "Understanding The Afterlife Under A Christian Perspective." //SelfGrowth.com//. 1996-2009. SelfGrowth.com, Web. 21 Oct 2009. .
 * Source Citation:**

After reviewing this quote, I interpreted that this quote means that all of the religions of the world provide people with a perspective and way of living their daily lives and prepare people for what might come after death. The quote states, “Religions throughout the world have sought to place our lives in greater context and prepare us for a possible life after death,” meaning that religion has given people something to believe in and follow in order to live better and more manageable lives. The quote also states, “Some offer hope of an eternal life, some put forward the idea of death and rebirth, while others pose the threat of eternal damnation.” From this segment of the quote, I concluded that religions have an afterlife to offer such as heaven, hell, reincarnation, rebirth, ect. I concluded this because “eternal damnation” is found in hell and “eternal life” is found in heaven. Heaven is described in the Christian, Islamic, and Jewish religions as a place where the souls of believers and good doers will life in peace for an eternity. Hell or “eternal damnation” is described as a place where there are unimaginable flames that will scorch the souls of non-believers and wrong doers for an eternity. In conclusion, this quote means that religions are enrichment of life and guidelines of many people in order for them to live a more comfortable and reasonable life as well as have insight of what religion has to offer in the afterlife.
 * Analysis/Interpretation:**

My thoughts on the quote are that I agree with what Douglas J. Davies and how he perceives all religions as to “…place our lives in greater context and prepare us for a possible life after death,” because of my beliefs. I belief that there is an afterlife and heaven is for those who follow God’s ways, obey him, and believe in him and hell is for those who do not believe in God, disobey him, and/or do wrong. You will notice that in each of the religions (Christianity, Islam, and Judaism) that there are similar beliefs about the afterlife.

“I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.” – John 14:6
 * Quote: Sacred Text (Holy Bible)**

Cordeaux, J. "Christianity." //World Faiths//. 2004. Religion For Schools, Web. 22 Oct 2009. .
 * Sources And Citation:**

Holy Bible: King James Version

I found this quote in the holy bible (the sacred text of Christianity) as well as on the website above. Jesus Christ says this and it means simply that believing and following his ways are the only way to get to heaven. Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life.” This means that he is the key and true God and creator of life. In conclusion, Jesus is saying that there is an afterlife and heaven is only accessible through him.
 * Analysis/Interpretation:**

With my personal beliefs, I do believe that there is only one God and the only way to eternal life/heaven is through him (following his ways, practices, ect.). What I learned from this quote is that Jesus holds the only key to seeing God. After reading the quote several times I found that Jesus was say that he is the only way to heaven and that he is the “truth” meaning that he is the one and only son of God. I think that this quote is important because it tells us the only way to heaven in the Christian belief.

**__Judaism__** The Patriarchs, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob and their descendants founded Judaism. Like Christianity and Islam, Judaism is monotheistic. Judaism focuses more on living life rather than the afterlife, but they do have beliefs about the afterlife. Judaism’s ideas and beliefs are based on the teachings of the Torah (first five books of the bible). Judaism’s followers believe that the afterlife exists and that there is a heaven and hell just like Christians believe. Judaism holds the beliefs of the afterlife that seem like Christian beliefs. In Judaism there are several parts of the afterlife as well. The Olam Ha-Ba or “the world to come” is a spiritual afterlife in which those who have been righteous will receive greater share of the afterlife world than an average good doer (similar to Christian beliefs of storing treasure in heaven). One very distinct belief about the afterlife is that all have a part in the “world to come” regardless of religion where as most religions state that only the religion’s followers will enter heaven. Aside from the Olam Ba-Ha, Judaism believes in the spiritual place for reward as the Garden of Eden or Gan Eden and Gehinnom. In the Garden of Eden (believed to not be the same place where Adam and Eve once lived), only the righteous souls will go to receive reward while average souls will suffer punishment to cleanse their sins. It is also believed in Judaism that every sin creates a demon or angel of destruction.
 * Introduction To Judaism:**


 * Quote: Source Text**
 * “**This world is like a lobby before the Olam Ha-Ba. Prepare yourself in the lobby so that you may enter the banquet hall.” – Unknown Rabbi in the Mishnah


 * Source And Citation:**
 * Rich, Tracey. "Judaism 101." //Judaism 101//. 1999. Webmaster, Web. 22 Oct 2009. . **

My interpretation of this quote is that people are to prepare for the Olam Ha-Ba or “world to come” (afterlife) so that they can go to a sort of heaven (the banquet hall). In order to prepare for this, people must do good deeds and fulfill their duty in doing their best to. The Christian and Jewish religions believe in the same afterlife but have different ways of defining the afterlife. In conclusion this quote means that the world is the place to prepare for judgment that is to come.
 * Analysis/Interpretation:**

My beliefs as well seem to match up with the rabbi’s message in this quote. I believe that the world is a place in which we are to make decisions in life in order to improve our living and by doing so, determining where we are going in the afterlife. For clarification, I am saying that we are on earth and given a life in order to make a decision of what religion we are going to believe and where we want to go in the afterlife through actions that we take and our beliefs of the religion we are following.

“ Daniel 12:2 declares, "And many of them that sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life and some to reproaches and everlasting abhorrence." Neh. 9:5
 * Quote: Sacred Text**
 * Source and Citation:**

Host, Blue. "Jewish Beliefs on the Afterlife." //Religion Facts//. 2004-2009. Dreamweaver, Web. 22 Oct 2009. .

The Torah

My interpretation of this quote is that many dead people will “awake” or be resurrected (through the spirit) and some will go to heaven (“everlasting life”) while others go to hell (“everlasting abhorrence”). I concluded that this quote is basically saying that there are two sides of the afterlife, which are heaven and hell and those who are dead and those who are alive that do/did good deeds will rise to heaven while those who did the complete opposite will be banished to an eternity of suffering in hell.
 * Analysis/Interpretation:**

Once again, I would have to agree with this quote because of my own beliefs about the afterlife. What I would add to the quote would be who is going where once they die. I believe that this quote is important because it shows what Judaism believes in the afterlife and that even the dead will rise again in spirit to join the living in either everlasting life or suffering. **__Islam__** Like Christianity and Judaism, Islam is also a monotheistic religion. Believing that the God of Christianity and Judaism are components to one God, Islam believes that their God, Allah is the one and only true God with all three parts (two from Judaism and Christianity). Allah is believed to be the creator of everything, making the religion creationist like Christianity and Judaism. Islam was started by the prophet Muhammad and carried on by his followers. Islam is a religion that is focused mainly on the afterlife. Like Christianity, Islam believes in a Judgment Day in which God will raise all people and //jinn// (spirits that appear in animal and human form) from the dead in order to be judged. Those who have followed Islam and done good deeds are taken to “paradise” (a sort of heaven) where spiritual and physical pleasures for an eternity are existent. Hell is where the non-believers go and the sinners, but they can be taken out of hell after their souls are purified and cleaned from sin. In heaven, it is believed that each man will be given seventy two virgins for sexual pleasures and because Islam accepts homosexuality, young boys are offered in paradise as well.
 * Introduction To Islam:**

"Life after death is actually the starting-point of further progress for man. Those in paradise are advancing to higher and higher stages in knowledge and perfection of faith. Hell is meant to purify those in it of the effects of their bad deeds, and so make them fit for further advancement. Its punishment is, therefore, not everlasting." – Muslim.org   My interpretation of this quote is that life after death is what brings people further in knowledge and faith so that they can be perfected. The quote is also saying that Hell is meant to change those who have done wrong so that they can enter what Islam calls “paradise” or heaven and because of the purification that hell does. Hell is not everlasting according to Islam. I disagree with this quote because I believe that there is a heaven and hell and that hell is everlasting and doesn’t purify those who have committed wrong, but it keeps those who have done wrong there forever (an eternity). I feel as though Islam believes in a heaven and hell but doesn’t have the same beliefs about the afterlife as Christianity. For instance, Islam believes in resurrecting and judgment and so forth but during those processes things are different. Christians believe that one people are judged they go to either heaven or hell for an eternity where as Muslims believe that everyone eventually ends up in heaven.  “ Warriors who die fighting in the cause of God are ushered immediately to God's presence – Qur’an 2:159 “Enemies of Islam are sentenced immediately to Hell upon death.” – Qu’ran3: 169 The first quote basically says that anyone who fights along God’s side and dies will automatically go to heaven to be with God. The second quote says that anyone who is against Islam will automatically go to hell once they die. Something that I found interesting when reading the first quote was that the Crusaders also believed that if you fought along side of God (Christ in their case) and died, you would automatically be sent to Heaven to be with God. I disagree with the second quote of course because of my faith. I am unsure of the first quote because of the different beliefs in religion. In order to go to heaven in Christianity, one must follow the Ten Commandments, believe in the lord (Christ), and follow his ways to the best of ability as well as do good deeds. I am unsure if the quote applies to other religions.
 * Quote: Source Text**
 * <span style="color: black; font-family: Times; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-family: Verdana; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">Source: **<span style="color: black; font-family: Times; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-family: Verdana; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">[]
 * <span style="color: black; font-family: Times; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-family: Verdana; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">Analysis/Interpretation: **
 * <span style="color: black; font-family: Times; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-family: Verdana; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">Quotes: Sacred Text **
 * Sources: ** Qur’an Texts and []
 * Analysis/Interpretation: **