1.8 : Eschatology (Beliefs about Life after Death)

Question 1

What does the Catechism teach about life after death?

Answer 1

• When people die, they will be judged by God
• Perfect, pure souls will go to heaven.
• People who have unforgiven sins will go to purgatory
• People who are evil, and who totally reject God will go to hell
• Christ will come again at the end of the world, when the dead are raised, and build a new heaven and a new Earth
• Those purified in purgatory, will go to heaven

Question 2

What do Catholics believe about heaven?

Answer 2

• Heaven is perfection, and eternal peace with God
• The Cathechism says it is “beyond human understanding and description.”
• People have to use their free-will to enter heaven.

Question 3

What does the Bible teach about eschatology?

Answer 3

• John’s Gospel records how Jesus raised Lazuras from the dead
• St Paul says in his letters that Jesus’ resurrection guarantees life after death, and everyone will be raised up for a final judgement on the Last Day, and the good will be rewarded in heaven, and the bad will be punsiehd in hell.

Question 4

What are some divergent views about life after death?

Answer 4

• Non-Catholics do not believe in puragtory as the belief is based on church teachigns and not the Bible.
• Some Evangelical Protestants believe that when people die, their soul remains in the grave, until the Last Day and a final judgement, when born-again Christians will go to heaven, and everyone else will go to hell.
• Most Liberal Protestants believe in the immortality of the soul, where when your body dies, your soul leaves the body to live with God in a spirit world. This belief is based on the ascension of Jesus, when Jesus became a spirit and went to the spirit world.
• Some Christians don’t believ in hell, and instead believe that everyone should have the oppourtunity to learn from their msitakes, and travel through various types of heaven, until they reach God..

Question 5

Why is belief in life after death important to Catholics?

Answer 5

• They believe they will be judged by God and so belive in life after death gives them an incentive to live a good Christian lofe by loving God and loving their neighbour.
• They believe that sin can prevent people from going to heaven, so they try to avoid commiting sins.
• Those beliefs give a purpose to theit life.
• Trying to love your neighbour as yourself, and the Parable of the Sheep and the Goats, as well as the Good Samaritan, are bound to affect a Catholic’s life and explains why Catholic charities, such as CAFOD are so involved in helping those in need.