The Christian belief
regarding the Afterlife is a huge topic because of the Bibles apparent
ambiguity on the subject. Each denomination and individual Christian seems to
have their own ideas about what the Bible tells us happens when we die. This
depends on what passages are taken literally or metaphorically. Generally, they
all appear to vary to some degree around the theme of eventually spending
eternity in either Heaven or Hell.
Heaven is a place,
physically or spiritually, where one spends eternity basking in God’s love,
free from suffering and sin. Whereas Hell is a place where sinners and non-believers
are punished.
The Roman Catholic Church
also believes in two other places called Purgatory and Limbo. Purgatory is a
place where people with unconfessed sins go before they may continue to heaven.
It is traditionally viewed as a place of torment and unimaginable pain, for the
purpose of purifying the soul. Limbo is a place where unbaptized infants spend
eternity suspended between heaven and hell. Though many Catholics still believe
in Limbo, a concept they devised in the 13th century, the Catholic
Church officially denounced the idea of it in 2007, stating that God wants all
to be saved and would certainly make an exception for babies who didn’t have
time to be baptized.
Heaven, Hell, Purgatory, and Limbo cover just a few general Christian
beliefs about the Afterlife, and there are far too many to cover in this post.
Sources:
Religioustollerance.org
Religionfacts.com
Reuters.com (Catholic Church Buries Limbo after centuries)
Cathar.info
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