Matters of Life and Death - Christian beliefs in Life after Death

Matters of Life and Death - Christian beliefs in Life after Death

1. All Christians believe there is an afterlife for those who believe in God

2. Most Christians believe that after death, the body stays in the grave and the soul goes to God for JUDGEMENT.

   • Those who have been good will go to Heaven
   • Souls of unrepentant sinners go to Hell

3. Evidence

   • Protestants
     • Jesus told a thief on the cross that he would be in Heaven that day
     • Jesus said God's house had many rooms
     • The Church teaches that all Christians - dead or alive - belong to the church
     • The paranormal (e.g. ghosts and mediums)
   • Evangelical Christians
     • The creed (Saint Paul): "I believe in the resurrection of the body and everlasting life
   • Roman Catholics
     • Jesus' body was resurrected
     • Teaching of the New Testament e.g. Book of Revelation
     • Teaching of the Catechism of the Catholic Church
     • The creed - Jesus "is seated at the right hand of the father and will come again to judge the living and the dead

4. Differences in belief

   • Protestants
     • Some protestants believe there is no Hell
   • Roman Catholics
     • Believe in Purgatory, where the souls of sinners are sent to be cleansed.
     • Souls of non-believers and unforgivable sinners go to Hell.
     • Resurrection
       • When the world ends, Jesus will return to Earth to raise the dead.
         • God will make a new Heaven and the souls still in purgatory will go to Heaven

5. The effect of belief in the after life on Christian lives

   • Christian thoughts
     • try to live within the guidelines of the Bible and the Church because they will be judged by God
     • Heaven offers comfort to loved ones when they die
     • suffering is possible to cope with in the knowledge that Heaven awaits
     • The afterlife shows they should try to repent and forgive
     • try to live a good life and treat others as they would like to be treated
   • Christian responses
     • Confession
       • repent for their sins
     • Prayer
       • praying more regularly and communicate more frequently with God
     • Doing good work
       • try to live life how God wants them to by helping others, because He is watching
     • Putting Christian teachings into action
       • follow God's commandments and example of Jesus by 'treating others as they would like to be treated'
     • Vocation
       • may choose to dedicate their lives to God through jobs such as nurse or doctor - helping people - or by becoming a priest or minister, or monk or nun