6.1 Views about life after death Flashcards
What is the immortality of the soul?
idea that your soul lives on after death
What does Hinduism believe allows the soul to live on?
reincarnation- body dies and soul lives on to a new body
What does Buddism believe allows the soul to live on?
Rebirth- energy moves from one life to the next
What does Christianity believe allows the soul to live on?
Resurrection- come back to life after death
What do hindus call the ultimate reality?
Brahman
What do hindus call the circle of life, death and reincarnation?
Samsara- after many cycles your sould reaches ‘moksha’ where it joins the ultimate reality
What do hindus call their soul?
Atman
What is our ‘duty’ called to Hindus?
dharma
What are the hindu beliefs about reincarnation?
- Life and death are part of a circle of life
- Soul is reincarnated into a new physical body
- The life circle goes through many lives until the soul reaches ‘Moksha’ where the sould becomes one with the ultimate reality Brahman
- our soul’s journey is governed by Karma or our actions in a past life
What are the arguments FOR reincarnation?
- Explains ‘odd phenomena’ in humans
- explains gifted young children like motzart, previous life’s knowledge
- Some people have memories of past lives- James Linegar
What are arguments AGAINST reincarnation?
- Cultural phenomena- if people are brought up believing it it becomes more convincing
- no empirical evidence
What do buddists call the fact that we have no permanent self?
Anatta
What do buddists call the system of universal justice?
karma
What do buddists call joining the ultimate reality?
reaching Nirvana
What do buddists call sensations/ consciousness?
Nama Rupa
What are the key beliefs of buddist rebirth?
- we have no permanent soul- anatta
- we have a physical body and mental elements (sensations called nama rupa)
- when we die our physical body ends and releases our nama rupa, which is then reborn into a new person
- No unified self/ soul is transferred to a new body- flame passed to a candle
- We are governed by a universal justice- karma
- At the end of our life cycle we reach Nirvana where our energy joins the ultimate reality
What are the arguments FOR rebirth?
- Karma present in real life
- Sense of cosmic jusice
- Memories from a past life
- Odd phenomena
- child prodigies
What are some arguments AGAINST rebirth?
- karma or chance
- Karma often doesn’t come around
- No God to measure karma
- Unverifiable
- memories unreliable and only individually compelling
What is an example of rebirth?
Dalai Lama- believe when one dies he is reborn into a child
What are the beliefs about resurrection?
- soul- comes back to life after death
- Jesus set example to Christians
- Judgement day- heaven and hell
- Immortal
- impassable- no suffering
- ruled by the soul
- different degrees of glory
What are the arguments FOR resurrection?
- Bible references- 1 Corinthians 15:26- dead resurrected in heaven
- Resurrection of Jesus
- Near death experiences
- ghosts
- Key to other beliefs in christianity
What are the arguments AGAINST resurrection?
- Is resurrected body perfect?
- Jesus only person to ever do it
- Physical bodies decay
- where is heaven?
- no empirical evidence
What does aquinas say about resurrection?
‘Eternal life requires a body and a soul’
What is replica theory?
- thought experiment
- Attempts to defend the Christian concept of resurrection
- Monist- believes body and soul are one substance- but when resurrection occurs the body is resurrected as a perfect replica not rotted, retaining individual identity
Who comes up with replica theory?
John Hick
What are the 3 scenarios in replica theory?
- Mr X disappears and reappears in Australia, still recognised by his friends as Mr X
- Mr X dies in NY and his dead body is seen, he reappears in Australia and is still recognised as Mr X, and is the same person
- Mr X dies and a Mr X replica comes into existence in a resurrection world, new body made of new material, looks exactly the same as old body
What is John Hick’s conclusion to replica theory?
it is logically possible to be resurrected as our answer would be ‘yes’ when asked if its the same person who has died who also finds themself having experiences after death in a new place
What are the arguments FOR replica theory?
- Works logically
- Fits with biblical teachings
- Fits with Irenaeus’ theodicy
What are the arguments AGAINST replica theory?
- Vardy- copy of something not as valuable as original
- A copy can only ever be a copy
- Hick criticised it himself in 2009
