e3NiNe

thoughts on the afterlife ...

When you die, your religion teaches you that there is an afterlife for your soul, whether you've been good or bad. Good souls carry on to the much anticipated, for lack of words, heaven. Heaven is a place of great importance due to the image of the opposite, hell. But what is hell? After 13 years of Catholic schooling (k - sr. yr of hs), I've been taught it is a place of great suffering, anguish, pain, and hardships where bad souls go to rot.

With that being said, can one assume that everyone who is good is allowed into heaven? I have many friends that don't believe in the same things I do and is it safe to say that one of us is wrong in our beliefs and will be sent to the proverbial "hell" due to our misguidance? We’re both good people, but if I believe in Jesus Christ and they aren’t monotheistic like I am, who is to say that it was my fault for having the wrong “faith”. This is on my mind because I have a friend who is Catholic and his girlfriend is of the Hindu faith. I wouldn’t be surprised at all if they do get married, cherish and love each other till death do them part. When their mortal lives end, it is truly sad understanding that soul mates, a concept that transcends time and space, are separated when their physical being is gone.

With concepts of heaven holding true, won’t prejudice and segregation upon the basis of religion occur in the afterlife? It’s like saying … “people who believe in one god, Jesus Christ, over here” … “people who believe in one god, but not in Jesus over here” … “people who believe in different teachings over there” … and so on. Segregation is bad, but why does it occur on the highest and final plane of existence? Then again, say there was one afterlife and this entire time on earth, you got it wrong. After all the church, schooling, teachings, and studies … you got it wrong. What do you do then? Completely denounce your faith on the spot in an cheap attempt to avoid hell?

I’ve been criticized for “not going to church”. I take different things out of religion. I take the teachings of the bible as a guideline for understanding life and how to be a good human being. I try to be a genuine, kind, caring and good person all week. I think that my consistent behavior based on the idea of “what would Jesus do” outweighs any one hour lesson in church. Religion should be something you accept, not something that is forced upon. Hopefully whoever runs the VIP list to heaven, no matter my beliefs, will understand that I did my best as a person to get in.

Where did all of these thoughts come from? I have no idea … I don’t even see myself as a religious person too.

Bl@ck

you die.. you decompose.. that's it

NoRiCeHeRe

You pose some very good questions, that I believe everyone will ask themselves at some time in there life. The post-mortal life is nothing to be afraid of.

Those who believe in Jesus Christ know that His main purposes were to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man. Therefore He fulfilled His purpose by establishing His church and suffering and dieing for all as well as being ressurected. As we study the scriptures we find that there is a lot more to Christs life then that but those are some of the main highlights.

Everyone, Eklypse39, will be ressurected when Christ comes again. This is His gift to us regardless of what faith and choices we make in this life. Now as for eternal life, that is a different story. Eternal life is offered to all but depending on our choices we make in this life, will determine if we will attain eternal life. This is determined by the Lord only since He is the only perfect and all-knowing judge. All we can do in this life is make correct choices as best we can as well as ask for forgiveness when we make mistakes. There is a lot more to it but I am sure you don't want to read anymore. Hope this helps.

dawrenn

I don't want to die. I am getting really scared and depressed thinking about it. I am scared because I am not going to know when it happens, we will be here one second and the next we are not. I am also scared of not knowing how it is going to feel like to be dead and the thought of no heaven or hell, I would want to be some place and be able to see other people that died. I don't want to feel nothing; that is going to be too wierd. :wtc:

I wish that when we died we would just start our previous life over again so you can fix all of the things you did wrong. I don't think I should be thinking about this right now, I am too young to be thinking about death, when I am older my views might be different but for right now I am getting depressed thinking about it and I don't know what to do?
I really need to stop thinking about it, I am getting more and more depressed thinking about it. I mean I am not able to do stuff that I did before, and I really don't even laugh at funny stuff anymore and things are not really that fun anymore. Everyday I think about death I get more and more scared. I really, really, really don't want to die. Sometimes I get so scared, depressed, and upset that I hit the wall with both of my hands really hard and just keep doing it until my they start to hurt.

I guess that I am trying to seek pity from others. Also I think that if I keep thinking about it, it won't happen, or someone will tell me that it won't happen and it won't.
I guess I will make an appointment with a doctor this week because I am getting tired of this. I am only 18 I shouldnt be thinking about this, I know it could happen anytime but I am too young. I should be thinking about getting a girl friend and starting a family down the road.

What I also hate is that I am never going to be alive again or never know what is going on or anything and that is what is scaring me and making me depressed. I know when the time comes it comes. I guess the reason I keep thinking about it is that if I do keep thinking about it then it won't happen. And another reason I keep thinking about it when something gets in my head it is hard for me to stop thinking about it, it usally stops when the thing happens which I don't want that to be my reason to stop thinking about it this time. Like I said previously I think I am going to set up a doctors appointment so I can get this fixed. I am really scared and depressed right now. When ever I think about it I get sick to my stomach and I almost start to :cry: I don't know what to do but I get more and more depressed everyday thinking about it and I am getting tired of it. All I want to do is sleep all day so I won't think about it.

I am starting to get really ****ing scared that I am starting to go :crazy: I really don't want to die. If I knew how it felt then I wouldn't be as scared as I am.

What I also hate is knowing that one of my parents are going to die before the other. So whenever I see one of my parents I am always going to be thinking about the other one and that is going to get really upset and depressed. I also am getting depressed knowing that my brother is going to die before me of vise versa.

I don't know what to do I am still thinking about it and I am getting more depressed. Sometimes I am into deep thinking and I get even more depressed because it is actually going to happen, sometimes I think of it as something that might or might not happen.

dawrenn

I don't think of it that way.

Bl@ck

different strokes for different folks.. personally i don't buy into the whole religion thing

dawrenn

I never even thought about death before so I didn't even think about that. Right I know I kinda think that way and I kinda don't the reason I don't think about it because I don't want it to be that way but I know it is. I think I am going to start going to church b/c I don't want my life to be ruined thinking about death when it happens to everyone.

I am just really scared and depressed right now thinking about it, I have been thinking about it for a week now and I am getting tired of it.

Bl@ck

so don't stress mang.. death happens to everyone so there's no real reason to stress over the inevitable

dawrenn

It is hard to stop thinking about it. Sometimes I get so scared, depressed, and upset that I hit the wall with both of my hands really hard and just keep doing it until my they start to hurt.

4thgenlude

i believe as long as you have faith and have been good youll go to heaven