John Bisazza, Sliema
Belief in the afterlife (1)
John Guillaumier's attempt to discredit the Christian belief of the afterlife (The Sunday Times, November 2) was, to say the least, insensitive to the feelings of the majority of your Catholic readers.
We all try to follow a road which leads us to a new beginning - a concept which might seem difficult to comprehend, and which requires the gift of faith.
I wonder what Mr Guillaumier thinks of this life of ours if, according to him, our existence will be terminated without leaving a trace, just like what happens to a domestic pet.
What a useless life that would be, when everything is lost in an abyss of nothingness!
Believers have a wider vision of their earthly presence.
Events of a certain period of time are seen by Christians in relation to the fullness of eternal life.
The concept of an afterlife is not a myth or a fairy tale, but is mentioned in numerous instances in the New Testament; Jesus himself continually speaks of eternal life; some examples are:
"Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth... but store up for yourselves treasures in heaven" (Mt. 6, 19)
"The righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of the Father" (Mt. 13, 41-43)
"Provide purses for yourselves that will not wear out, a treasure in heaven that will not be exhausted, where no thief comes near and no moth destroys" (Luke 12, 33)
Nailed to the cross and shortly before dying, Jesus said to the repentant crucified thief : "I say to you today you will be with me in paradise" (Luke 23, 43).
Our faith in an afterlife rests on solid foundations; three of the evangelists wrote the Gospel just a few years after Jesus's death; had they written falsehoods, they would have surely been challenged by their readers.
I agree with Mr Guillaumier that nobody has ever returned from heaven to recount his or her experience of eternal life and what exists after death; sadly this is normally uttered by those whose faith is not very well founded.
I find it rather strange that he blames priests for peddling the concept of immortality, when it was already recognised by the Ancient Egyptian and Greek religions, and by Islam.
Jesus Christ brought a new meaning to life, which, if focused on our immortality, is seen differently.
Popular Stories
In Discussion
6 Comments
Post comment
Please sign in or create your Account to post comments.
T. Ellul
Nov 12th 2008, 13:53
@ John Cutajar
Why should you take offence at someone’s expression of faith? Others do not take offence at your unwillingness to believe.
How is it possible for someone to be "insensitive and offensive to feelings of non-believers"? If you do not believe in an afterlife, then you have no feelings or emotions - one way or the other - about it because you simply dismiss the belief; and where there is no feeling and emotion, there can be no sensitivity. The feelings that non-believers experience at the loss of a loved one are the sense of permanent loss because their non-belief in an afterlife assumes that their deceased loved one has simply ceased to exist. On the other hand, believers draw consolation from the fact that their deceased loves ones have entered into eternal rest and are now enfolded into the embrace of their merciful Creator.
Peter Dingli
Nov 9th 2008, 19:53
All attempts to justify an afterlife are based on fear. From the ancient Eastern Philosophies to the even older Australian Aboriginal ones, we have always tried desperately and sometimes poetically to explain the essentially absurd nature of human life. Every culture has it proof that is either written in a god inspired manuscript of etched in rock.
I feel that Albert Camus put is neatly in The Myth of Sisyphus when he suggested that we smile on the way down the hill to collect the rock that is life. We will keep rolling that rock up that hill for as long as we live.Then Nothing! A sure way to make sense of life it to realize this and to become responsible for our lives.
Peace to all during the coming festive season
Evarist Saliba
Nov 9th 2008, 18:31
I fail to see how my belief in an afterlife should offend anyone else, in the same way that I am not offended if someone else does not believe in an afterlife.
I do feel offended when someone tries to ridicule my belief.
a. meilaq
Nov 9th 2008, 16:16
@ john Bisazza
You summed it all up when you said that (Belief in the afterlife) requires the gift of faith. and I might add this faith must be BLIND faith as there is absolutely no proof that there is an afterlife. there are some who do not like to walk blindly. Yet even those who don't believe of an afterlife meaning reward or punishment can live an exemplary life by doing good. these individuals are not seeking rewards or are afraid of god's wrath but do good because that's how it should be. if there is no afterlife their good will live after they are gone if there is i"m sure that will be rewarded by a benevolent and just god.
Joe Xuereb (London UK)
Nov 9th 2008, 14:25
I concede it is insensitive. Insensitive to tell children that Father Christmas is a mythical figure and best left to the children to figure it out for themselves in the fullness of time. Unfortunately, so many go to their grave still clinging to their Father Christmas, and the Tooth Fairy, and the Babaw and the rest of the nonsense that is so cruelly visited upon defenseless
children. A veritable case of child abuse and very insensitive and dangerous. Insensitive? The dictum 'no pain, no gain' comes to mind.
John Cutajar
Nov 9th 2008, 11:06
@ john bisazza "John Guillaumier's attempt to discredit the Christian belief of the afterlife (The Sunday Times, November 2) was, to say the least, insensitive to the feelings of the majority of your Catholic readers"
Have you ever considered that your own belief in this imaginary afterlife is also insensitive and offensive to the feelings of the non-believers, especially those who have recently lost a loved one?