LIFE, DEATH AND THE AFTERLIFE

 We know there is life because we are alive.  We have seen deaths, and it is clear we won't live forever.  But this is my view.  Buddhists might disagree.  While I don't think there is any kind of afterlife, most religions promise or suggest that there is something after you die.  Aside for attempting to sway people into being better human beings, perhaps this final carrot at the end is why religion has done so well in the history of humanity.  Even if reality turns out to be my viewpoint, at least many religious-inclined individuals gain the benefit of some psychological relief about the coming inevitability.

Hindu and Buddhism teach origins quite different from Islam and Christianity, but these two have rather similar beginnings because they developed in adjacent locales.  For Christians, in the beginning God created the heavens and Earth.

• Only on the fifth day did He bring forth life, in the seas and also flying creatures.
• Land animals and us came on Day 6.  

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  Well, us meaning Adam first, then Eve from one of his ribs, and specifically made her subordinate to Adam, something that must be an irritant to many women today.
• While the Bible essentially treats time as relative, some think that this 6th day occurred around 10,000 years ago.

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  After death, there will be a day of judgement when you go before God, and he sends believers to heaven, purgatory (this mid-point is mostly for Catholics and maybe even non-believers) or hell.  Most of what I have read indicate that God does not like non-believers, and sends them to a place called Hades, as a temporary stop to the Lake of Fire, which makes no sense because all unbelievers, as good as you might be, will still ultimately end up in that fiery lake.  Oh, those who are not Christians, by definition, are non-believers.

While the Koran (also Qur'an and Quran) borrowed from the Bible, there is no Genesis in the former, but instead a variety of beliefs that is closer to evolution.  

• Allah made every living thing from water, with human beings made with unique gifts and abilities.
• Human life began with Adam and Hawwa (Eve).

Hinduism is the world's oldest religion, dating back to more than 4000 years ago.  

• There are today 900 million followers, with 95% living in India.
• There is no founder, and the early history is vague.

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  Because they all developed from India, Hinduism is closely related to Buddhism, Sikhism and Jainism.
• In a way, this is not a religion but a compilation of traditions and philosophies, and is a way of life.
• There is a worship point, a deity known as Brahma.  Then there are deities, maybe 330 million of them.

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  The universe was created by Brahma.  He split himself into two to create a male and a female.  They were created equal.
• A cow is a sacred animal, and most Hindus don't eat meat and are vegetarians.
• Life is a continuous cycle leading to death and reincarnation.
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  You ask, why is there a swastika (which is a Hindu word) in their religion?  The basic meaning has to do with good and meaning to exist, and is a symbol of auspiciousness and good fortune.
• The swastika, before the rise of Nazism, appeared in Coke products, Carlsberg Beer, Boy's/Girl's Scouts material and even American uniforms.

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  How Hitler became associated links back to German explorer Heinrich Schliemann and scholars, who noticed similarities with Sanskrit, and concluded that Indians and Germans had a shared ancestry of white god-like warriors, Aryans.  As the Nazi Party rose, and eugenics became of interest, the swastika began to be used to reflect their master race.
• Germany today bans displaying the swastika and prohibits the use of the Nazi salute.  However, American white supremacist groups have picked up this symbol and practice.

Buddhism began in India around 2500 years ago and too has no beginning or end. 

• Buddha was born in 563 BC and founded this religion.
• With 520 million followers, it is the fourth largest religion.
• There is no creator god to explain any origin.
• Existence is endless because individuals are reincarnated over and over again, with a lot of suffering.  
• There is one escape to a place called Nirvana that occurs when  you are enlightened.  

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  So how can you get there?  Here is a guide, which makes no sense to me if reaching Nirvana is the goal.
• What turned me away from religion (my parents were Buddhists) was a discussion with a friend of my mother, a Buddhist priest.  When I was quite young (8-10?) I asked how many people she knew attained Enlightenment?  She could not identify any.  On that basis I calculated that my changes were low, so I began to look for other solutions, all leading me to my current state of mind, which is a disbelief of anything called the Afterlife, whether it be Nirvana, Heaven or whatever.
• Then again, though, Wikipedia lists a few who probably can be found in Nirvana.  Best as I can tell, you need to become a buddha to be allowed there, which is a kind of ultimate Heaven.

The death of Jesus Christ, and perhaps even a few years before he ascended, was the beginning of Christianity.  As such the church will be celebrating the beginning of its Third Millennium in a few years.

• There are 2.8 billion followers, making it the largest religion.
• You pretty much know how we came to be through God and what will be the options when we die.
• To hold the faith while being good are the keys to an afterlife in Heaven.

The youngest of the big four is Islam, which originated in the 7th Century.

• Is the second largest with 2 billion followers, with 12% living in Indonesia, the most populous Muslim-majority nation.

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  There are three denominations, Sunni (85%), Shia (15%) and Sufi (maybe 1%).  The difference between the two larger sects has to do with the succession to Muhammad, the messenger from God, who got his first revelation at the age of 40 in 620 AD. 

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  Followers of Islam are Muslims.
• The beginning is somewhat similar to Christianity, for Alah uses the same heavens and earth language following what sounds like a Big Bang, and mentions those six days, but like the Bible, time is flexible.  As mentioned earlier, Allah made life from water.

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  Much like Christianity, after death, Allah will judge whether you go to Heaven or Hell.  Thus there most definitely will be an afterlife.  The latest thinking is that Muslim martyrs will not be rewarded with 72 virgins, but RAISINS.  Further, these raisins will come from white grapes.

All signs point to more Muslims than Christians sometime soon after 2050:

Okay, we then come to me, the non-believer, who fears the eternal gloom after death.  I am now leaning towards eternal rest as my option, which sounds better than total blackness, forever.

• On the other hand, Pope Francis in 2013 did assure me that atheists who don't believe in God can still go to Heaven.
• Here is another article that also says non-believers of Christianity can also go to Heaven.  There is some mumbo jumbo about Goodness.  To quote:

Those who don’t know Him by name but still live a life striving after goodness may be saved.  Notice it is “may” and not “will,” because just like Christians, non-Christians will be judged by their choices and why they made them.  But if they strive for goodness, then they are, in reality, striving for the source of goodness.

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  Here is another wishy washy attempt entitled, How Can Atheists Go To Heaven.  And another one where Jesus gets involved.

Relative to the average, I am better, I think, in terms of morality and such. 

• That should help me with God and Christianity, in a best case scenario,
• I could join some of those other religions, for my life certainly should be good enough to avoid becoming a cockroach on reincarnation.  
• But does it matter, for Heaven aside, many scholars seem to think that you won't enter a next afterlife stage with any memory of the past.  

Of course there is no finality to this topic, so I'll continue with my life hoping for the best, and not really expecting anything.  Yet, I have been very lucky so far.

Several days ago Darby was a Category 4 hurricane headed for Hawaii.  The expectation of a weakening and passing south of the Big Island happened.  Some high waves, but that was all:

Taking a slightly northward path towards Hawaii is Hurricane Estelle, now at 85 MPH, but with an expectation of strengthening, perhaps also to a Category 4.  However, like Darby, there should be a weakening as she approaches Hawaii.

I end with some piano music, and an unanswered question.

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