Afterlife in Judaism

	Afterlife The Torah emphasizes rewards and punishments in this life, however, one can find in the Torah evidences of the afterlife, when the righteous will be reunited with their loved ones after death. " Abraham breathed his last and died in a good old age, an old man and full of years, and was gathered to his people" (Gen. 25:8). "Many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt. Those who are wise shall shine like the brightness of the sky, and those who lead many to righteousness, like the stars forever and ever." (Dan. 12:2-3) The sinner can be "cut off" from his people and the soul loses its portion in Olam Ha-Ba: (the World to Come). "...everyone who profanes it shall be put to death; whoever does any work on it shall be cut off from among the people. " (Ex. 31:14) There are many opinions about the afterlife. - the souls of the righteous dead go to Gan Eden (the Garden of Eden, heaven). This is not the place where Adam and Eve were; it is a place of spiritual perfection. - the souls can reincarnate through many lifetimes - the souls can wait until the coming of the messiah, when they will be resurrected. - wicked souls cab be destroyed at death, ceasing to exist. Olam Ha-Ba: The World to Come Judaism is not focused on the question of how to get into heaven. Judaism is focused on life and how to live it. However, during this life Jews prepare for the Olam Ha-Ba through Torah study and good deeds. "This world is like the eve of Shabbat, and the Olam Ha-Ba is like Shabbat. He who prepares on the eve of Shabbat will have food to eat on Shabbat." (from the Talmud). The Talmud also states that all Israel has a place in the Olam Ha-Ba. However, not all places are equal. Gehinnom Only the very righteous go directly to Gan Eden (heaven) after the death. The average person descends to Gehinnom (a place of punishment or purification). Some souls are punished for 12 months. The wicked souls are destroyed or they will exist in a state of consciousness of remorse. Click here to read more

          Afterlife in Christianity

	Everyone after death will either enter Heaven, or suffer in Hell. It depends on many factors: whether or not one sought salvation through Jesus Christ, one’s deeds, beliefs and unforgiven sins at the time of death. Conservative Christians Doing good deeds does not guarantee entrance into Heaven. A terrible sin is disbelieve in Christ, or believing falsely in the nature of Christ. Even in Heaven people will not be treated equally. A wicked man who found salvation prior to death will get less rewards. Hell as a place of eternal suffering without any chance of relief. Liberal Christians Hell is not a place of eternal punishment or annihilation. It is the separation from God. God would not punish someone for small sins and errors. No punishment will be applied to children and young people who are too young to understand the Gospel. Catholics:  Purgatory. All who die in God's grace and friendship, but still imperfectly purified, are indeed assured of the eternal salvation; but after death they undergo purification, so as to achieve the holiness necessary to enter the joy of heaven. The Church gives the name Purgatory to this final purification of the elect, which is entirely different from the punishment of the damned. "... he himself will be saved, but only as through fire" (1 Cor. 3:15).

         Afterlife in Islam

	Paradise “But those who believe and do good deeds, We will admit them to gardens (Paradise) in which rivers flow, lasting in them forever...” (Qur’an, 4:57) Hell Hell is a place of eternal torment. “If you could but see when they are set before the Fire (Hell) and say: ‘Would that we might return (to the world)! Then we would not reject the verses of our Lord, but we would be of the believers!’” ( 6:27). Your fate depends on what you do in this life.

         Afterlife in Hinduism

	Heaven and Hell There are many heavens (worlds of light) and hells (worlds of darkness). The Heaven is ruled by Indra. This world is inhabited by many great and noble souls. It is a pleasant world in which there is no pain and souls become immortals. The Hell is rules by Lord Yama, who keeps a record of the various activities of people and decides the nature of punishment. After leaving the body the soul can travel along the path of light or along the path of the night. However, the people who accumulate very bad karma, these paths denied. They go down into hells and suffer there for long till they are cleansed and purified. The stay in Heaven or Hell is not permanent. The souls return to earth towards final liberation. Read more: hinduwebsite.com Reincarnation Hinduism followers believe in the Samsara (transmigration). Souls pass from one body to another. The precise quality of the new birth is determined by result from all the actions (karma). If the person leads a life of good deeds, his soul will achieve release from this entire cycle of lives to be united with the Universal Soul (Supreme Being). Otherwise, the soul will be forever involved in this cyclical process transmigration from one body to another. Click here to read more

         Afterlife in Greek Mythology

	Afterlife Greek ideas about the soul and the afterlife were indefinite, but it was apparently the popular belief that the soul survived the body. It either hovered about the tomb or departed to a shadowy region where it led a melancholy existence in need of the offerings brought by relatives. The disembodied soul was also presumed to have the power of inflicting injury on the living, and proper funeral rites were held necessary to ensure the peace and goodwill of the deceased. Click here to read more about Greek Afterlife myths The Underworld The underworld is hidden in the earth. It is the kingdom of the dead and ruled over by Hades, who is greatly concerned with increasing his subjects. For most, life in the underworld is not particularly unpleasant. It is rather like a miserable dream, full of shadows, without sunlight or hope. A joyless place where the dead slowly fade into nothingness. The underworld is surrounded by rivers.Upon death a soul is lead by Hermes to the entrance of the underworld and the ferry run by Charon across the Acheron (river of woe). Only those who can pay the fare receive passage. The rest are trapped between two worlds. The souls then enter through the gates. Cerberus will allow all to enter but, none to leave. The souls then appear before a panel of the judges. The very good go to the Elysian Fields. Others are singled out for special treatment. Click here to read more about Underworld Greek myths

         Afterlife in Buddhism

	Similarly to Hinduism Buddhism has the doctrines of reincarnation, karma, the cycle of death and rebirth, and a possibility of escaping from this cycle through religion and nirvana (freeing oneself from desire, the extinction of all craving). The most important difference between Hinduism and Buddhism is the doctrine of anatta. A man does not have an eternal soul. Instead of eternal souls, individuals consist of a set of habits, memories, desires, and so on. All these are transferred from a body to a body, what is a source of suffering. The desires of the senses and the mind, leading to suffering, shall be recognized as not belonging to the self (anatta); and shall finally vanish and lead to the state of nirvana Releasing from this cycle is the main goal of every Buddhist. After 45 days after the death the spirit either enters nirvana or returns to earth for rebirth. Click here to read more

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