RE B601 End of Life

RE B601 THE END OF LIFE NOTES

Christian Beliefs about the soul

• Humans are made up of body and soul
• It is invisible
• Animals dont have it
• It's what makes Humans sacred

"So God created man in his own image" Gen 1:27a

the soul is a bit of God passed into everybody, a holdy/divine/immortal bit

"The Lord God formed hte man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life"

Gen 2 animals dont have life breathed into them so humans are more important

• Soul is eternal
• Soul that is judged at the end

3 views about the soul in heaven

• New physical body for soul, body made perfect
• Soul doesnt need a body, just exists spiritually
• soul gets a new kind of spiritual body

1 Corinthians 15:44b "If there is a natural body, there is also a spiritual body"

General Christian concept of life after death

Christians believe that when we die we are judged and go to heaven, hell, or purgatory for RC. we are judged relative to how we have behaved during our lifetime.

Heaven, Hell and Purgatory

 Bertrand Russell, an Atheist, said "When I die, I rot"

Faith/Works debate, which is more important?

Heaven is the result of judgement, if your soul is judged worthy you go to heaven

God decides

St. Paul "No one is righteous"

Hell 

Revelation 20:15 "He whose name was not found written in the book of life was thrown into the lake of fire"

Gehenna, burning rubbish tip outside Jerusalem, used by JC as a metaphor for hell. 

"Into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels" Parable sheep+goats

Miltons paradise lost describes hell as being pretty damn awful

or it is solely a place without God

God can't let evil go unpunished because he is JUST

Hell is eternal. 

• Idea of Hell embellished to get…