Afterlife

• Afterlife


  What Christians believe follows life on earth
• Day of Judgement


  A time when the world will end and every soul will be judged by God and rewarded or punished
• Heaven


  A state of eternal happiness in the presence of God; the place of eternal peace ruled over by God
• Hell


  The place of eternal suffering/state of being without God
• Purgatory


  The intermediate state where souls are cleansed in order to enter heaven
• Christian beliefs about resurrection


  • Christians believe God will resurrect them before Judgement Day
  • Jesus told people the new mode of existence would be different from the earthly one - perishable on earth, raised imperishable (a spiritual body)
  • The Catholic Church believes the resurrection will be a bodily one, with people receiving their old body but transformed into a glorified state in which suffering will not exist
• Christian beliefs about the afterlife

  • Christians believe humans receive eternal life as a gift from God, so belief in the afterlife is dependent on belief in God
  • The afterlife begins upon death/at Day of Judgement, when Christians believe their souls enter a different dimension
  • Christians believe they will reunite with the dead, easing the pain of bereavement
  • The Book of Revelations says God will wipe every tear - there will be no more death or crying or pain
• Christian beliefs about judgement

  • Christians believe it is God who decides the fate of those who die, taking into account the life of the person and the extent to which they have tried to get close to him, by following the teaching and example of Jesus
  • At the end of time on Judgement Day all souls will be judged - the sheep represent those who will be saved and the goats are those who will be condemned
• Christian beliefs about heaven

  • Christians use earthly images to explain their understanding of heaven, which is a state of being rather than a physical place, being with God outside time and space
  • People often see heaven in a way they see their present lives, often described in a way that would appeal to them now
• Contrasting beliefs about who will go to heaven

  • Some Christians believe heaven is reserved for Christians and perhaps followers of other faiths who have lived good, principled lives and pleased God
  • Others believe it is for all those who call themselves Christians regardless of how they live their life
• All Christians believe that God will forgive sins and this will enable people to approach God's presence
• The Parable of the Sheep and the Goats seems to indicate that heaven is a reward for both faith and actions - only one is insufficient
• Christian beliefs about hell


  • Hell is often seen as the opposite of heaven, with the Bible painting a picture of hell via the metaphor of an unquenchable fire ruled by the Devil
  • Hell is now seen as eternal separation from God, not decided by God nor what God wants for us - humans choose it by turning away from God
• Influence of belief in an afterlife


  • The afterlife influences Christians as they know that God will be their ultimate judge, and if they live Christian lives and believe in Jesus then heaven is open to them
  • The afterlife offers hope and comfort that this life is not the end and that God is waiting for them
• The Bible: 'The Parable of the Sheep and the Goats - the sheep represent those who will be saved and the goats are those who will be condemned'
• The Bible: 'Since death comes from man, resurrection of the dead also comes through a man. Christians believe their soul will be raised after death and will go to heaven/hell based on their actions.'