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Are you ready to die?
Summarising briefly:
I am not sure what Judaism teaches, but I do not know of any reference to an afterlife in the Old Testament.
If you are a committed Christian, you may look forward to spending all eternity with your Saviour, Jesus Christ. I have in fact encountered many Christians who, while in no hurry to die, because they believe they are ?saved,? actually look forward to death for this reason. If you fail to pass the test however, you will spend eternity in torment in hellfire.
From my very superficial understanding of Islam, I think the belief may be similar to the Christian belief.
If you are a Hindu, Buddhist, Theosophist or New Ager, you will expect to be reincarnated in a body and circumstances determined by positive or negative karma produced in this life. I am actually amazed to learn that many of the Buddhists and Hindus whom I know are quite convinced that they may be reborn as an animal if their karma so dictates.
An agnostic would not, I guess, have the slightest interest in what, if anything will occur after physical death.
An atheist would no doubt assert that upon corporeal death, there is total annihilation of individual consciousness.
As for myself, I maintain an open mind. As I have never met anyone who has returned from the dead, this possibility remains purely hypothetical. As for reincarnation, I have no recollection of past lives, so that this theory also comes from third parties. I understand that past lives may be recalled under hypnosis or Scientology auditing. But can the subject know that these recollections are genuine?
While I am not in any hurry to find out for myself, the prospect of death does not hold any fear for me. A Professor Emeritus of Biology, who was also a Christian, once made the statement: ?Life after birth is more important than life after death.?
This, I consider, is a very sensible attitude because, whatever you believe about a possible afterlife, the only way to prepare for it is to do the best of which you are capable in this life.