The Afterlife

Richard Pliska

Death and Dying

Prof. Brewer

5/1/05

The Afterlife

Considering my thoughts on the afterlife is something I have done several times in my life. My views and beliefs have changed over the years regarding this subject. My Catholic upbringing was probably where my first views came from. They were the traditional heaven and hell beliefs and also of purgatory. Today my thoughts are not so black and white.

I am not sure what lies beyond this life. I do believe that we just don't disappear but that we change forms. I personally struggled with this subject because I have researched several different religions. I saw each had unique beliefs about the afterlife but all believed in one. For me I believe that we are reunited completely with our Creator. As a result all our fears and anxieties will disappear. We will be "one with the father".

For me judgement is something that I don't worry about so much as my motives. What is in my heart and what drives my actions is what I believe my Creator looks at. Questions like: Am I trying to be a better person? Am I living in harmony with Gods will for me? In other words are my values and actions aligned with Gods will. And I am motivated to live by these values because they bring me peace of mind and a sense of right living. I don't follow it because of how it will affect me at the time of my death but because of how it affects me today. I believe most people will at the moment of death have an awakening to how they have lived there life and this can bring either fear or peace. So I guess that there is more of a personal judgement than anything else. I want to be able to say that I did my best to live to good purpose and contributed to life instead of just taking from it.

I was raised as a Christian and believe in the tenets of the faith. I also know that many other religions also share the same tenets, while differing in there views of the afterlife. So I try to personally refrain from judging others ( and it is not easy). I do believe that what goes around comes around and if I want to be forgiven I must forgive. And when it comes to the afterlife that will hold true there too. So in conclusion the afterlife is a place of forgiveness and acceptance. A place of peace