What do Christians believe happens when we die...
well i have done a little reading and found this statement "Many conservative
Christians believe that when a person dies, they enter into complete oblivion
- a state of non-existence. They remain unconscious; they have no self-awareness.
Their body decays. At the time of the second coming of Jesus, the dead are
called from their graves; they will be resurrected and judged. Those who had
been saved while on earth will be given special bodies and go to Heaven; the
unsaved will go to Hell for eternal punishment. Thus, all of the Patriarchs and
ordinary Israelites in the Hebrew Scriptures, the Apostles, the Christians who
have died over the past 2 millennia, and in fact every human who has ever lived,
are held in a temporary state of non-existence."
now in my previous religious article i stated what i had always thought and
this summarizes it pretty well...i read several other believes that Christians
have about death and none of the others really fit me...now i am not saying
that this is the true thing that happens after death b/c none of us really
know...that is the true thing...but these verses are interesting...
John 5:28-29
Don't be so surprised! Indeed, the time is coming when all the dead in their
graves will hear the voice of God's Son, and they will rise again. Those
who have done good will rise to eternal life, and those who have continued in
evil will rise to judgment.
Acts 2:29-36
"Dear brothers, think about this! David wasn't referring to himself when he spoke
these words I have quoted, for he died and was buried, and his tomb is still
here among us. But he was a prophet, and he knew God had promised with an oath
that one of David's own descendants would sit on David's throne as the Messiah.
David was looking into the future and predicting the Messiah's resurrection. He
was saying that the Messiah would not be left among the dead and that his body
would not rot in the grave. This prophecy was speaking of Jesus, whom God
raised from the dead, and we all are witnesses of this. Now he sits on the
throne of highest honor in heaven, at God's right hand. And the Father, as he
had promised, gave him the Holy Spirit to pour out upon us, just as you see and
hear today. For David himself never ascended into heaven, yet he said,
'The LORD said to my Lord, Sit in honor at my right hand until I humble
your enemies, making them a footstool under your feet.' So let it be clearly
known by everyone in Israel that God has made this Jesus whom you crucified to
be both Lord and Messiah!"
they both seem to reinforce what i believe but some people believe that if
you were born before Jesus then something different happens or happened to you
than if you die now...i do not know that there is a good answer to this question
but i think it answers my biggest questions about the catholics and why they
pray to mary - mother of Jesus and to the saints as well...they believe that
when you die and you are saved you go straight to heaven...and asking other
Christians to pray for you (dead or alive) is something we should all do...so
i wonder if my thoughts cleared things up for me...i think so...
|
