14: The Sanctity of Life

Christians believe that death is not the end, but that it is the point at which your eternal destiny, whether you go to Heaven or Hell, is settled. Note that for Christians there is only one life in this world, and the rewards and punishments come in the next. Christianity has no place for belief in reincarnation, which is an idea which has come in from Eastern religions.

It follows that if death fixes our eternal destiny, we should prepare ourselves for death very carefully. The whole Christian life is really a preparation for death. Christians believe that they should spend their lives developing a personal relationship with God. Many Christians believe that they should leave the world a better place than they found it. This means that every Christian life should add to the total of goodness in the world. In this way they believe that they are preparing themselves for death.

Why are people afraid of talking about death? Ought they not be more honest about it?

Often the relatives and friends of a sick person try to conceal from that person the fact that they are dying. Are they right to do so?

Read these two quotes.

" I believe that we are reincarnated in another body after we die. I am quite happy that this will happen."

" I do not believe in reincarnation, and anyway, who wants more of this world when you can spend eternity with God in Heaven."

What do you think of these views?

Heaven and Hell

There is much talk about Heaven and Hell. We have images of Heaven being on the clouds and Hell being a fire. However, these are only images. The best way of looking at Heaven and Hell is to see that Heaven is being with God and enjoying His supreme goodness; Hell is the final loss of God and this goodness. Heaven is symbolised as being in the light of God; Hell is darkness. Heaven is a condition of harmony and love between God and all people; Hell is hatred, disharmony and Godlessness.

There are differences of opinion about Hell. None of us like to think that anyone is lost to God. Some people think that Hell does not exist. Others believe that it exists as a possible destiny for people, but that we don’t know if anyone is there. This is the official line of the Catholic Church. If we believe that people are free we believe that they are able to reject God’s love and deny him for eternity. We do not know whether anyone has been fool enough to do so.

It is not often realised that Christians believe that ultimately there will be a resurrection of the dead and that all the saved will be as Christ now is. God will act to restore creation and the resurrected people will be part of this great divine act.

What are your views on Heaven and Hell?

Some people believe that a loving God could not allow Hell; others believe that humans cause Hell when they reject God’s love. What do you think?

"Heaven and Hell start here on Earth, in ourselves and our relationships." Do you agree?

One Life, and only one life

Christians do not believe in reincarnation.

Many people say that they believe in 'reincarnation'. By this they mean that when they die they will be reborn as someone (or something) else. They also believe that they have lived before as a person or an animal perhaps. This idea comes from Eastern religions such as Hinduism and Buddhism.

Christians do not accept this idea. It is ruled out by the Bible and the Church. The Church teaches that every person is created by God and that each person has one life and only one life which they can choose live in a good or bad way. The soul which God has made does not die, but the body does. God will judge all souls at the end of time.

Funerals

What should be the Christian attitude to funerals? Certainly, for Christians there is no need for the grief that the godless feel. There is a confidence that if we have lived well we will meet again. There is the hope that the deceased will be enjoying Heaven. Yet we must be aware that they are times of parting when people know that they will never again meet a loved one in this world.

"At funerals Christians should grieve for themselves not for the dead." Do you agree?

Should a Christian funeral be partly a happy occasion?