Life After Death

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  • Created by: Maegan
  • Created on: 05-06-13 15:43

Intro

  • Post mortem existence = life carries on after death
  • Gives hope and meaning to short lives
  • Gives purpose and comfort
  • Relationship between mind and body

- Monistic: mind & body linked together - 1 entity - humans = psycho-physical beings

- Dualistic: mind & body distinct & separate - BUT influence each other

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Paragraph 1/2 - Resurrection

  • Belief - traditional forms of abrahamic religions
  • Body dies - one day (Judgement day) God - act divine love - save us - eternal life in bodily form (re-creation of individual - spiritual being)
  • Based on - traditional monotheistic religions - Christianity - Jesus resurrection "I am the resurrection and the life, he who believes in me, though he die, yet shall live"
  • Soma pneumatikon - those saved - return as spiritual being - bodily resemblance
  • Life in heaving generally seen as bodily affair
  • Christians, Jews, Muslims believe - causes no intellectual problems - it is part of the revealed truth in their religions
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Paragraph 3/4 - John Hick Replica Theory

  • Attempted - answer questions of resurrection through his theory
  • Believed - if someone died & appeared in another place with same memories + physical features - meaningful to regard replica as the same person - they would be conscious of being that same person
  • Argued - all powerful God - able to create replica with all characteristics and memories
  • In Philosophy of Religion - stated life after death could be: "as a resurrection replica in a different world altogether, a resurrection world, inhabited only by resurrected persons"
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Paragraph 5/6 - Reincarnation

  • Traditional Hindu belief - transmigration of souls 
  • Rebirth into another body
  • Karma - persons current situation - dependent upon consequences of actions/thoughts in current and past lives
  • Teaches: soul goes through many lives until reaching ultimate reality (nirvana) and soul is reunited with Brahman
  • Enough moral progress - needed to enjoy eternity of bliss
  • All acts influence future reincarnation
  • Good life = good reincarnation
  • Becoming popular belief because of peoples experiences 
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AO2 Strengths

Resurrection

  • Biblically based - fits with scriptures - Bible empirical evidence?
  • Hope and meaning - Judgement day - something to work towards

Reincarnation

  • Karma - motivation to be good - e.g. potential criminals?
  • Evidence of cases
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AO2 Weaknesses

Resurrection

  • Judgement day - when? Already happened? Whilst we wait? Only at end of time we will know
  • Resurrected body - what is it? Bible not state

Reincarnation

  • Cases - from areas were reincarnation = cultural phenomenon - lies?
  • Raises questions on mind & body relationship - does it depend on physical body whether we have same/different characteristics?
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My conclusion

John Hick

  • Eschatological verification - at the end of time we will know 
  • Reality of death in this life - cannot know until end of time 

I acknowledge life after death - gives meaning and purpose and is central doctrine BUT little empirical evidence - major problem

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