Table of contents
Overview of religionsDifferences between religions regarding the afterlife
Covering the bases
Religions in order of size of population
ChristianityIslam
Hinduism
Buddhism
Judaism
Atheism, agnosticism
Others
Christianity
Christians believe that through God's mercy, Jesus Christ, the son of God, came to earth to atone for our sins. As a result of His grace and mercy - depending on which denomination one examines - a believer will go to heaven either after death or on the day of judgement, or in the rapture. In order to go to heaven (a place where there is no sorrow), one must accept Jesus Christ as their Lord and Saviour. Those who do not commit to Jesus will spend eternity in a lake of fire where there will be great moaning and gnashing of teeth (Hell). As a result of this commitment to Jesus, one will live a life of 'good deeds' since one is to love all peoples.Islam, Muslims
Muslims believe in The Day of Judgment when people will be judged on the basis of their deeds while on earth, and will either attain reward of Heaven or punishment in Hell. They do not believe that Jesus or any other individual can atone for another person's sin. Hell is where unbelievers and sinners spend eternity. Paradise is a place of physical and spiritual pleasure where the sinless go after deathHindusim, also called Sanatana Dharma, Vaidika Dharma, Vaishnavaism, or Shivaism
Hindus believe in the repetitious Transmigration of the Soul. This is the transfer of one's soul after death into another body. This produces a continuing cycle of birth, life, death and rebirth through their many lifetimes. It is called samsara. Karma is the accumulated sum of ones good and bad deeds. Karma determines how you will live your next life. Through pure acts, thoughts and devotion, one can be reborn at a higher level. Eventually, one can escape samsara and achieve enlightenment. Bad deeds can cause a person to be reborn as a lower level, or even as an animal. The unequal distribution of wealth, prestige, suffering are thus seen as natural consequences for one's previous acts, both in this life and in previous lives.Buddhism
Buddhism supports the idea that our experiences in life are a result of our previous deeds, good deeds leading to happy states and bad deeds leading to suffering. Buddhism teaches that life is - until we reach enlightenment - a place of suffering and that nothing ultimately is worth clinging to because all things are impermanent. It urges us to lead a good moral life; failure to do so only leads to further suffering. It also emphasizes two key virtues which are loving-kindness and compassion. Caring for others in an all-inclusive way is something that Buddhism seeks to engender in its followers.Judaism
In Judaism, actions are far more important than beliefs. Traditional Judaism firmly believes that death is not the end of human existence. However, because Judaism is primarily focused on life here and now rather than on the afterlife, Judaism does not have much dogma about the afterlife, and leaves a great deal of room for personal opinion. It is possible for an Orthodox Jew to believe that the souls of the righteous dead go to a place similar to the Christian heaven, or that they are reincarnated through many lifetimes, or that they simply wait until the coming of the messiah, when they will be resurrected. Likewise, Orthodox Jews can believe that the souls of the wicked are tormented by demons of their own creation, or that wicked souls are simply destroyed at death, ceasing to exist.Atheism, agnosticism
Althogh these beliefs are not the same, they do believe basically the same thing about the after-life - there is none. What happens to you in this life is the result of how you live it.Others
Just about all other religions and beliefs, be they animism, shintoism, mormonisam, jehovah's witnesses, or even satanism, believe that what happens to you in this life and/or the next life is the result of how you live in this life.Differences between religions / beliefs
There are miriad differences between each of the religions and beliefs, everything from there is a God to their isn't, from the after-life is heaven or hell, to reincarnation, to there's nothing after this life. However all beliefs hold that the result of this life, or the next one, is determined by your actions, except Christianity. In Christianity your actions are a result of your commitment to Jesus Christ, the after-life is dependant upon your following Jesus.How does one cover the bases?
Or What if I've chosen the wrong religion? or How do I know which belief is right? Obviously I'm biased, but let's look at this logically. We live in this life 100 years if we're lucky, but the after-life is forever. If you believe there is no after-life, aren't you taking a risk? Shouldn't you consider that there might be one, just in case? Logically, why not do a risk analysis of beliefs? A risk analysis is the comparison of risks and rewards. Ask yourself what if a belief different to the one you hold is correct. One way to do this would be to compare each of the beliefs to the others, which is the least risky? Which has the greatest reward?For example, assume that one is a Jew, but Hinduism turn out to be correct. Because you live a 'good life' you will be reincarnated on a higher plane.
Or if one is a Hindu and it turns out Judaism is correct. Once again, because you live a 'good life' you will go to heaven. I believe that the rewards are about the same for most beliefs, but when you get to comparing Christianity you'll find just about the only real difference in risk. By accepting Jesus as your Lord and Saviour, and subsequently living a 'good life', there are no risks since all the other beliefs are based on how you live your life. But that's just my opinion, you should compare each of them yourself and come to your own conclusion.
About the Christian fish symbol
About tolerance
The differences between beliefs and religions
What if I've chosen the wrong religion?
Christianity and Abortion
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Visitor Comments
The comments stated below are not necessarily the opinions of Andy Hughes or DarkroomSource or Hughes Computer Consulting.I am in great turmoil at the moment, because I dared to express my opinion that \'I am a Christian, and I am a Pro-Choice person\'. I knew it would open up a can of worms, yet I took the chance. My belief is that a Christian is a person who believes that Jesus was God\'s Son and that believing in Him and that He did die on the Cross, saved us from our sins. I believe that as a Human being we continue to sin, often on a daily basis. Jesus\' death is what saved us as some continue to sin. I would venture to say that all people sin whether Christian or not. If abortion is a sin, then the Christian who commits abortion will be forgiven and still enter the Kingdom of Heaven. I also believe that our society is more accepting of \'illegitimate\' children today and that concept makes abortion less of a necessary choice. However, in past times and even today, women who bore children out of wedlock could and probably would lose their jobs and subsequentially their ability to care for the child could become virtually impossible. As a teacher for 31 years in an inner city school system, I have personally witnessed the abuse of many unwanted children on a daily basis by parents who did not properly care for them in many ways. I pray that abortion stays LEGAL so that for whatever reason a pregnancy is terminated it can be done in a clean environment so that only the fetus will be eliminated instead also the life of the woman making the choice for whatever reason.Contributed by on 2005-07-31 15:05:25
I hope is clear what Im about to say since English is not my first language, but here a go...Anonymously contributed on 2006-06-08 05:44:42
Religion is just a way of discipline ourselves and bring out the good in us while avoiding actions that can affect this. As individuals we differ in believes, therefore is understandable the variety of existing religions and cults. I respect the way each person seeks its own spirituality, sense of security and belonging.
But personally I believe there are some people taking advantage of this pure (vulnerable as well) act materilising religions and involving them with political points of view. Religion is such a delicate topic that is better not to mess with it, therefore is not a surprise people tursty for power use religion as a shield while getting what they want.
I believe our fear of not been able to answer all our questions about existance had lead us to seek hope in our believes and use them as placebo for answers. We might never get those answers, because maybe we don\'t posses the inteligence to comprehend it all. But just like the animals less inteligent than us, we should just trust our instincts of what is good and wrong, and live trusting our nature, respecting ours and others individuality, believes and needs to fulfilled ourselves.
I dont know if there is heaven, hell or afterlife, nobody alive knows! I really dont care, is hard enough to plan for the next 5 years to worry for what is going to happen with you after life. I say, be good and true to yourself, give your best, live it, love it.
From reading the Holy Scriptures of Christianity, I\'ve learned that GOD\'S main concern for all man-kind is that we come to find the ROOT of GOD\'S plea. Which is not mearly just to believe that JESUS CHRIST is our savior, but to learn from scriptures, what GOD is really trying to URGE us to do. He shows us the way to rightousness thru scripture, and even tells us that there are only very few that can make it into Heaven. Most people misunderstand that when they are saved that this is a stamped and sealed ticket into Heaven, and that they will be alright in doing the barest of service which will not put them too far out of their comfort zone; thinking agian, \'Well, If I live a pretty good life, and if I\'m a pretty good person, and attend churh. Then I\'ll be able to count worthy of my ticket to Heaven.\' But from what I have learned by reading GOD\'s Holy WORD, is that it takes something other than just being good. GOD says, that it will be those who love him; those whom are his children which he will judge first., and he also says that those whom are in sin are not in him. The thing I get from that is; that it,s not enough to just believe that JESUS is our savior but to further that belief by understanding, that by believing, is also doing, just what JESUS did. He shed his blood Because of his level of love which he had reached in being as that of GOD\'S depth and level. The same goes for everything else that JESUS was about. Our salvation only begins our journey to rightousness. It\'s rightousness that gets us our pass into heaven. If after salvation a person falls asleep then the quenching of the spirit will occure leading them back into the wilderness. It\'s one thing to hear the scriptures but another to fallow and obey them. RIGHTOUSNESS from what I\'ve learned, is coming to a point in your whole being, mind - body - soul - and spirit. Where you are fully complete in reaching incorruption. GOD wants us to fallow JESUS and overcome the world as he did. For example; not only to overome the world, but harder yet; to overcome ourselves, our flesh, In which we need to fast and deadend to any and all desire, not only the evil ones but also the essential needs which our flesh naggs us over, for instance; hunger, thirst, and even sleep. GOD also wants us to reach the fullness,not ofContributed by on 2006-07-23 07:22:28
ourselves, but of him, at his level, and in his depth in all love, mercy, ect. He wants us to choose LOVE over FEAR. For fear is the power of the enemy, and love is the power of GOD. He wants us to feel, above all things, the fullness of his joy. How long, how deep, and how wide. When we are truly and completly in him, and him in us. We will experience his fullness. After doing a little research on STIGMATA, I believe that this could well be, one of the signs which may accure when reaching fullness in spirit, in rightousness, in child like heart, in redeemed, in HOLINESS. Maybe it\'s the complete accomplishment in dieing to ourselves, and loosing our life, in order to find our life, being of spirit not flesh, flawless, blameless before GOD, purified, having garments of brilliant white, crowned, exalted, and sealed upon the forehead as being one of the 144,000 !!!! These are what my own personnel beliefs and understandings are to what GOD might mean when speaking about him showing us \'THE WAY\'....
Please reply!! Sincerly, Michele Tye
I find Andy\'s exposition very sensible and helpful...and indeed very didatic. He is able to draw on learned sources and make them sound simple and logic, which is a blessing.Contributed by on 2006-11-03 08:58:49
What I think must be remembered, though, is that Christianity is not about striking a a bargain with God, but rather about love. Christ\'s example on Earth must serve as paradigm for understanding, and that means love. If you love, you add value to other people\'s lives and, thus, to your own . Eucharist is emblematic of exchange, and, to my mind, that should mean elevation. Transcendence in Christianity must mean elevation , after all, that is what \' salvation \' means ( check your Latin) and Christ is our guide. He was brutally sacrificed to show that it is possible to transcend even when under great duress and suffering , but he didn\' t ask for it. Ideally, it wouldn\'t have been necessary, and it only happened because love is scarce on Earth. We can only experience Jesus \' s message if we are able to LOVE.......love is the positive state of the soul; love is energy and force; love is transcendence. And the first step to love is PRAYER . Let\'s pray.
Religions are just labels given to the different \'branches of love\', but the tree that all true religions sprout from is love.Contributed by on 2008-01-12 09:33:40
