SELF, DEATH & THE AFTERLIFE Flashcards
(30 cards)
3 purposes of life for Christians- Meaning and purpose
To glorify god and have a personal relationship with him
To prepare for judgment
To bring about God’s kingdom on earth
Christians don’t argue that one is more important than the other, they just focus on one more than the others depending on their preference
The difference between the Genesis stories- to glorify God and have a personal relationship with him- Meaning and purpose
Genesis 1- Creation of everything
Genesis 2- Shows how god made mankind& earth from nothing
Christians interpretation on Genesis 1-to glorify God and have a personal relationship with him- Meaning and purpose
We possess some reflection of God’s qualities.
Human’s represent those qualities here on Earth.
We have been given duties ““Let us make mankind in our image, in our likeness, so that they may rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky, over the livestock and all the wild animals”
Therefore we should glorify God by displaying qualities of God e.g. care, protection
Christians interpretation on Genesis 2-to glorify God and have a personal relationship with him- Meaning and purpose
“Then the Lord God formed man from of dust from the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life…”
This shows the relationship that God has with Adam was close and something humans should emulate.
This close relationship leads to a belief that another part of the purpose of human existence is to share a personal relationship with God.
Relationship between Jesus and God :
The relationship between Jesus and God the Father is also supposed to be something that Christians should try and copy
How can christians form a better relationship with God-to glorify God and have a personal relationship with him- Meaning and purpose
Prayer& Studying the Bible
Charaties
Kindness to animals
Model lives on Jesus
Trying to follow jesus’ teachings
Original Sin
Inherited washed away by baptism from Adam and Eve
The problem of sin- Stops us from getting into heaven
Can help but be born sinful and can be washed away through baptism
Parable of the Sheep and the Goats
The Parable of the Sheep and the Goats, found in Matthew 25:31-46, illustrates the principle of final judgment. Jesus uses the image of a shepherd separating his sheep (those who have served the “least of these”) from the goats (those who have not) to show how people will be judged based on their actions towards others, especially those in need. The sheep are those who have shown kindness and compassion, while the goats are those who have been indifferent or unkind.
How and why are humans judged - Judgement
Jesus’ death paid the price for human sin, enabling humans to spend eternity with God
In order for humans to receive this, they must first be judged at the end of time.(Sheep and Goats)
There are different ideas about what happens after death and when the judgement occurs.
Protestant- Belief on judgment and how to acheive this- Judgement
Some Christians believe that this judgement will happen when they die
How it might affect their life choices: Good works and faith are nessecary for salvation
Evangelical- Belief on Judgment and how to achieve this- Judgement
Others believe that there will be a Day of Judgement at the end of time, when everybody will be judged at the same time
Spread gods word and convert people
Millenarianists- Belief on Judgment and how to achieve this- Judgement
Some Christians believe in the Second Coming (Parousia) - the anticipated return of Jesus Christ from Heaven to Earth. This will herald the general resurrection of the dead, the last judgement of the dead and the living, and the full establishment of the Kingdom of God on Earth.
Good deeds, Stewardship
Liberal- Belief on Judgment and how to achieve this- Judgement
Some Christians believe that there will not be a literal judgement day, but that the Bible is sending a message to do good works to be closer to God
Do good works, spread the message of God, but not too literally/ out of fear of punishment.
To bring about gods kingdom on earth beliefs- Meaning and purpose of life
Some people believe that the purpose of everything in creation is to bring to completion God’s work by bringing about God’s kingdom on Earth (making it a place of peace, justice and freedom).
Jesus referred to earth as the ‘kingdom of heaven’: ‘Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as in Heaven.’This is an eschatological idea
Quakers-To bring about gods kingdom on earth- Meaning and purpose of life
Quakers have been, and continue to be, involved in working with and supporting many of those who are the most vulnerable and marginalised including refugees and asylum seekers, prisoners, war casualties and those living with mental health issues.
What would the kingdoom of god look like?- Meaning and purpose of life
Christians should provide stewardship, care for all of God’s creations
Humans are called to work, to active service to realise the kingdom on Earth
‘(Christians) are sent to engage in society so that the kingdom of a god can grow among men’ (Youcat 139)
The prophets from the old testament suggested there would be a time of peace and justice to come
Christians must repent, turn away from all that is not God-like and then work to bring God’s qualities to the Earth
God would make a new covenant with the whole of creation
Meaning and purpose of life evaluation
Each person and each Christian will have their own idea about the meaning and purpose of life. Therefore, they don’t all agree on the same purpose.
Some will be motivated to follow God’s law because of the fear of punishment, this isn’t a sincere way to live.
Some Christians want to dedicate their lives to God and so will join a monastic community and spend their life in contemplation. Or focus on Christian mysticism, working through study, worship and contemplation
Beliefs in resurrection
While there are a few other recorded examples of people being resurrected from the dead
Jesus didn’t - Christian belief is that he ascended into heaven.
This shows the power God has, as he can overcome death.
It also shows that sin can be overcome through the power of God
The Soul- Beliefs
The idea of an eternal, non-physical entity predates Christianity
In Judaism, the first idea of the soul appears at the creation of Adam, where God ‘breathed into his nostrils the breath of life.’ Genesis 2:7
In early Old Testament times, there wasn’t a general belief about life after death.
If God was eternal, then it might mean that there might be an eternal life for humans.
Resurrection of the flesh
St Augustine believed;
That the actions of Adam & Eve affected all humans both physically and spiritually.
Souls were stained with sin, and their bodies, senses and desires were also tainted with sinfulness
resurrection of humans would be a physical one
If God can resurrect Christ, then he can perform this miracle for other humans too.
Ressurection of the soul
‘It is sown a physical body, it is raised a spiritual body’
(1 Corinthians 15:44)
‘We shall not all sleep [die], but we shall all be changed.’
(1 Corinthians 15:51)
St Paul either means:
That the soul may be resurrected into a new heavenly body that had no physical existence on Earth.
Or:
that a miraculous change will come over physical bodies so that they become perfect, no longer subject to ageing and decay
Christians beliefs on ressurection
Burial rituals from ancient times underline the importance of the body in defining a person.
The concept of the body & soul as different entities has influenced many philosophers from Plato to Decartes.
Protestant churches will be more supportive of cremation as they believe in a spiritual resurrection, over a physical one.
Until 1963, cremation was forbidden in the Catholic Church as it was seen as a rejection of the belief of the bodily resurrection
Without a physical body, the joy of heaven and the torment of hell will not be experienced.
In the early days of Christianity, they believed that God would reconstitute the bodies of martyrs who had been burned at the stake.
Accoring to the Catechism heaven is…
Purified
Communion of life and love
Supreme definitive happiness
Life, light, peace, wedding feast, wine of the kingdom
“Father’s house”
Beatific vision
Allowed to see God
“They shall reign forever and ever”
According to the catechism, hell is…
Remaining separated forever
Unquenchable fire
Furnace of fire
“Depart from me”
Place for the “wicked and slothful”
“God predestines no one to go to hell”
“Final damnation”
According to the catechism Purgatory is…
Cleansing fire
Blasphemy = unforgivable
Can be purified through; almsgiving, indulgences, works of penance
