Unit 4 Immortality

Question 1

What is a soul

Answer 1

The spiritual rather than physical part of humans

Question 2

What is resurrection

Answer 2

Rising from the dead or returning to life (applied to souls after death)

Question 3

What is a legacy

Answer 3

Something handed down from an ancestor, a way to be remembered after death

Question 4

What is heaven

Answer 4

The state of eternal happiness in the preacher of God that Christians believe will be granted to the faithful after this life

Question 5

What is hell

Answer 5

The state of eternal separation form God seen as a punishment for sin

Question 6

What is reincarnation

Answer 6

Being born again in another form

Question 7

What is karma

Answer 7

The law of cause and effect (Hinduism)

Question 8

What is rebirth

Answer 8

Being born again after death

Question 9

What is scripture

Answer 9

The sacred writings of a religion

Question 10

What is channeling

Answer 10

Communicating with the death through a medium

Question 11

What is a near death experience

Answer 11

When people are close to death or in an intense operation situation claim to have has a sense of leaving their bodies and seeing what exists beyond this life

Question 12

What is dualism

Answer 12

The idea humans had two basic natures, the physical and the spiritual

Question 13

What is immortality

Answer 13

Endless life or existence, life after death

Question 14

What is the traditional opinion about immortality

Answer 14

In religions such as Christianity, Islam or Judaism they believe after death we go to heaven or hell o spend eternity with God Allah or Yahweh

Question 15

How is memory a form of immortality

Answer 15

Survive in the memory of those left behind either through memories or items. They can be in psychological memories of loved ones or left behind in artefacts like diaries. Problem is will your immortality die when the person who remembered you dies as well

Question 16

How is immortality obtained through legacy

Answer 16

William Shakespeare for examples his work is read and studies hundreds of years after his death. Anyone who remembers him personally has died but we still rmemeber him for who he is and what he achieved

Question 17

Who believes in resurrection

Answer 17

Christianity, Judaism, Islam

Question 18

Christianity on resurrection

Answer 18

Jesus resurrected and proves to Christina’s that there is both a spiritual and physical afterlife. People will be resurrected after death to be judged by God and they will be physically resurrected to be judged ( judgement day)
“My fathers house has many rooms” - everyone has a place in heaven

Question 19

Judaism on resurrection

Answer 19

It is not a physical resurrection but a spiritual one. They have sheol which is where souls are resurrected and judged by God and the awareness of our sins will help cleanse our souls and the soul will be resurrected to one of the seven layers of hell with God at the top one

Question 20

Dualism expanded

Answer 20

It is the belief that here are two parts to a human being the mind (soul) and the body. It is considered the body is a shell which is the non essential part to this and that the mind is the part that ocntinues after death

Question 21

René descartes

Answer 21

He Argues we must have a mind because we are capable of thoughts “I think therefore I am”. We can’t see the soul with our eyes (eg a doctor performing surgery) but we have the ability to have individual thoughts so we have a soul

Question 22

Materialism

Answer 22

Materialism believes the soul and body are completely inseparable and it is not possible for the soul to carry on in the afterlife as the body is needed for survival. We need a heart lungs brain in order to survive so once these stop life ends

Question 23

The impact of dualism

Answer 23

Agrees with the spiritual resurrection and reincarnation it also brings the question of where the physical resurrection in Christianity features if body must remain on earth after death. Some other religions believe God didn’t intend for the desperation of his creation and they must stay as an inseparable unit

Question 24

What does Reincarnation argue

Answer 24

The souls are reborn from one body to another which could insinuate the soul might require a body but could be an issue for the people who believe the souls are reunited with bodies after resurrection in heaven as it is unclear when the body reaches heaven

Question 25

Who believe in reincarnation

Answer 25

Hindus, Sikhism

Question 26

What does reincarnation teach

Answer 26

The soul is transmigrated into another new living body after death of previous body. Traditionally it is relived that karma determines the life that the soul inherits (better karma = better life)

Question 27

Hindus on reincarnation

Answer 27

They have a final destination of achieving moksha (the ending of reincarnation) and the unification with Brahman. But to achieve this they need good karma which is done by living a dutiful life. Good act in this life the next life will be a good one and consequently and actions will equal life full of suffering and hardship in the next

Question 28

Sikhs on reincarnation

Answer 28

They have an aim in life to be reunited with God called Mukti and they believe they need good karma to do this they will perform selfless services (sewa)

Question 29

What is rebirth

Answer 29

Rebirth is like reincarnation however there is no soul

Question 30

Who believe in rebirth

Answer 30

Buddhists

Question 31

Buddhists on rebirth

Answer 31

They don’t believe in the soul so they don’t believe in reincarnation but instead rebirth which is the idea of the continuation of an ever changing state which exists in humans. This state isn’t connected to the body but is like flames on candles - they are all made of the same essence but are equally as different and will burn at different rates and emit different lights

Question 32

Supernatural

Answer 32

Belief n ghosts requires a belief in the afterlife and the ability for he dead to return. There have been various sightings of ghosts which is used as proof eg Burley Rectory

Question 33

What is a medium

Answer 33

People who believe they can talk to ghosts and can channel the ghost so it allows a link between the living and the dead

Question 34

Argument against ghosts

Answer 34

By definition ghosts should my be able to interact with he human world so examples such as poltergeists should not be possible

Question 35

Three categories of near death experience

Answer 35

1 - out of body experience occurs when people claim they were drawn out of their body and able to see themselves as if they had been seperated
2- some people say they experience being drawn down a tunnel into a bright light
3 - experience a sense of wonder and perfection which has been said to be a heavenly experience (could of seen Jesus)

Question 36

Problems with resurrection

Answer 36

If physical resurrection requires a body then what happens to a decayed body as we have scientific proof of decomposition of bodies and have even had some people cremated. This means no body for resurrection.

Question 37

Problems with reincarnation and rebirth

Answer 37

There are accounts of people having past memories but not everyone who is reincarnated remembers. If there are different experiences how do we know which one is correct

Question 38

Problems with supernatural and near death experiences

Answer 38

• Lack of proof
• they rely on human experience so proof comes from them
• no physical evidence me so the argument for immortality is too weak
• some could say they only have these experienced because they wish they were able to communicated with deceased loved ones or hope there is an afterlife
• NDE happen near death or under strong medication so experiences could be hallucinations rather than reality

Question 39

Problems with scriptures

Answer 39

Religious believers say proof for immortality comes from scriptures but scientists argue that because all of the scriptures often conflict with each other how it is possvile to know which is correct - if we don’t know how do we know immortality exists

Question 40

Buddhism on immortality

Answer 40

Believe in rebirth because of the ancient scriptures such as Tripitaka which says the life of the Buddha. Buddha taught them to follow the eightfold paths and five moral precepts and gain good karma for a good next life

Question 41

Christianity on immortality

Answer 41

Bible teaches Christians about resurrection through the resurrection of Jesus - various convos between Jesus and criminals and disciples teaching about the afterlife.

Question 42

Hinduism on immortality

Answer 42

Believe in reincarnation and The Bhagavad Gita offers advice to Hindus on how to obtain good karma and reach Moksha

Question 43

Scientific argument against immortality

Answer 43

According to evolution there can be no souls, no souls means no purpose and no after life. Only possvile way for immortality is through an individual’s DNA but it can’t be a direct form of immortality as is it always different. could also be frozen after death which could become a type of immortality but this means freezing after death and therefore means there is no immortality as soul has already passed. We are continually searching space and have found no heaven.

Question 44

Atheism argument against immortality

Answer 44

There should be a focus on humanism so rather than being obsessed with life after death we should be thinking about life now and the aspects of or lives