Flood, Apocalypse

Running Head : RELIGIOUS BELIEFS

Religious Beliefs on the Afterlife and Apocalypse

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Religious Beliefs on the Afterlife and Apocalypse

Since the dawn of time , man has always been fascinated with the world of immortality . And with this comes his expression of a world in his imagination , where beasts and angels appear to send the news of judgment day . In forms of myths and fantasies , literary masterpieces were written time and again all across the world in to define the human

concept of what will come after one dies , and what will be after the end of time

The concept of afterlife is generally a religious and spiritual promise that existence continues after death . Most of the different belief systems in the world , since time immemorial , are founded on the concept that one must do good unto his neighbor and one must serve his God in for him to find bliss and eternal happiness . In the guise of different names and concepts , afterlife is the reward for doing good on earth or the punishment for doing evil deeds (p . 64

It is perhaps possible to attribute the ubiquity of the idea of life after death to the human desire of eternity . There is more difficulty for humans to accept the idea of the 64 ) than the possibility of resurrecting after death , whether the consequence be eternal happiness or suffering . But the origin of the entire concept of afterlife is perhaps from the dual nature of existence on earth . It is a reflection of the cyclical tendency of the processes people witness in their surroundings . Examples of these cycles include the ebbing of tides , rising and setting of sun and moon , and the changing of seasons . The circular path that governs the creatures of the earth givese the suggestion of naturally regaining what is lost therefore restoring life after one encounters death (p . 64

In the famous Greek story of Odyssey , written by the legendary author Homer , a Land of the Dead is a clear expression of the Greek 's view of what afterlife is . According to stories , this land is a place of darkness and suffering , where cries of despair overwhelm and echo . But for the Greek , this manner of existence is not necessarily due to the punishing of one 's sins . On the other hand , the Christian and Muslim view of the afterlife is composed of the division between heaven and earth , where the human struggle of becoming good or evil is either blessed in heaven or welcomed in hell (p . 64

Another essential concept that governs human life is the Apocalypse . The etymology of this word is the Greek apocalypsis , which literally means a revealing (p . 33 . But the word has evolved to its modern connotation of a massive destruction that would lead to the end of human existence . Numerous mythological stories were written time and again Most of them have the common objective of portraying the possible catastrophe...