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Religious Perspectives of Death

by Mike_Vines

Death, both to the living and to the dying, means many different
things. To some extent the meaning is different from person to
person but many times our thoughts are based on our religion.
Each religion around the world has their own view on death, the
process of dying, and what is done after death. These
perspectives help those who believe make death more acceptable.
Many credit their faith with helping them deal with a mortality
issue and others look to their faith in order to help them
understand the passing of those they love. Grief is a powerful
emotion and how we deal with it may have much to do with our
faith.

The Christian Perspective

The Christian grief process is generally guided by scripture
from the bible because there are statements such as, �There is a
time to be born, and a time to die.� This gives believers the
knowledge that we all have our time. For Christians, death is a
part of life and many Christians believe that it is their duty to
take care of the dying as they wait for Jesus to return.
Christians have a wide variety of beliefs after death, but most
believe that death is just another part of the journey as we all
experience eternal life so long as one believes in Jesus Christ.

The Islamic Perspective

In the Islamic faith grief is something that involves the person
dying as well as those around him or her. When someone is dying
in this faith it is the job of the friends and family to gather
around the ill person and help them remember their commitment to
God. Muslims believe that death is the will of Allah. After death
the body is washed and wrapped in a shroud. There are specific
prayers that are to be said and the body is to be laid on the
right side facing the direction of Makkah. In the Islamic faith
the family members are to pay off any debts of the deceased soon
after death as they anticipate the person being judged after
death and want the process to be as favorable as possible.
Bereavement in this faith is often accompanied by constant
prayer, charity, fasting, and pilgrimage.

The Hindu Perspective

Many people have commented over the ages that grief management
seems a lot easier for the people of this faith. While this may
or may not be true, it could be owed to the fact that those that
practice this religion believe in the rebirth as well as the
reincarnation of souls. Practitioners believe that death is
simply part of the experience, and that after a time the soul
will adjust and return to physical form again. There are two
paths for the soul to take after death; the path of the sun and
the path of the moon. Those that take the path of the sun will
never return again but those that take the path of the moon will
return. Many different rituals have been practiced for thousands
of years and may help with the grief process.

The Buddhist Perspective

The Buddhist perspective of death is quite interesting and is
said to make grief not so troublesome for those that have
suffered a loss. The practitioners of this faith do not look at
death as a sad event, rather the breaking apart from the material
world and material that we are composed of. A Buddhist believes
that the soul awakens at death. Before the death friends and
family like to be with the person to help them achieve the right
state of mind as they go into death. One needs to think of death
as their rebirth into another, and perhaps greater, realm than
the human world can offer.

The Jewish Perspective

Not unlike Christians, those that are Jewish tend to view death
as a natural experience. Many Jewish people believe that death
gives life more meaning and that because we know we all must die
sometime, we should spend each day living the more pure and
ethical life possible. Unlike a lot of faiths, Judaism is a bit
different in that they don�t believe that all believers will
simply go to Heaven or Hell based on their belief or lack
thereof. Instead, each individual will be judged on their ethical
behavior during life. For this reason, Jewish people view death
as natural but their final judgment by God.

Religious Perspective and Grief Management

As you can see, each religion has their own take on death and
this perspective is often what gives people the ability to get
through the loss of their loved ones and still have a zest for
life. While religion may help to comfort those that are left
behind after death, it does not mean that the loss of a loved one
will be easy. Grief, no matter what faith you believe in, is a
very real and necessary part of the death experience for those
who are still living. Strive to comfort yourself with faith based
knowledge, but also allow yourself to get depression and grief
counseling if you feel you need it, or simply surround yourself
with supportive people. You can learn more about the grief
process and how others deal with death by visiting
GriefManagement.

Mike Vines, in association with <a
href="http://griefmanagement.org/">GriefManagement.org</a> and <a
href="http://forum.griefmanagement.org//">GriefManagement.org
Forums</a>, seeks to provide a safe and congenial home to those
suffering from grief, along with the hope and understanding from
a community of concerned individuals willing to share their own
experiences to help others through the difficulties of life.

Syndicated by Top Gazebos - www.topgazebos.net

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