Quote:
Originally Posted by n david
They do believe in an afterlife, the Jewish term for it is Olam Ha-Ba. And the Torah does speak of the afterlife.
Even the 13 Principles of Faith, which they faithfully recite every day after morning prayers in the synagogue, show belief in the afterlife:
1. Belief in the existence of the Creator, who is perfect in every manner of existence and is the Primary Cause of all that exists.
2. The belief in G-d's absolute and unparalleled unity.
3. The belief in G-d's non-corporeality, nor that He will be affected by any physical occurrences, such as movement, or rest, or dwelling.
4. The belief in G-d's eternity.
5. The imperative to worship G-d exclusively and no foreign false gods.
6. The belief that G-d communicates with man through prophecy.
7. The belief in the primacy of the prophecy of Moses our teacher.
8. The belief in the divine origin of the Torah.
9. The belief in the immutability of the Torah.
10. The belief in G-d's omniscience and providence.
11. The belief in divine reward and retribution.
12. The belief in the arrival of the Messiah and the messianic era.
13. The belief in the resurrection of the dead.
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No matter how you slice it and dice it, the Afterlife was not a prominent or dogmatic thought in the Old Testament, and it was never used as a tactic of Salvation. Bits and pieces seem to point to a different place beyond this one, but nothing was concrete or considered doctrine regarding the destiny of the dead.
The "Evolution" came when the New Testament appeared on the scene. Christians suddenly had the answer; Heaven and Hell. If you were good enough, Heaven would become your place of mansions, streets of gold, walls of jasper, and a crystal sea. If you didn't make it, too bad, you will be tortured forever in fire and brimstone.
Since the Old Testament doesn't even come close to supporting such ideas, we can clearly see this transition from one state to the other, where Religion(s) began to realize that greater control comes from greater fear, especially fear of the unknown.
Control was clearly Rome's intention, as uniting the Christians (Jews) with the Heathens (Gentiles) would be a difficult one. With the "Fear Bag" called Hell, Religious leaders could now initiate forms of discipline or ideas that tormented their followers if they became rebellious to Catholic/Christian dogmas.
When Adam and Eve failed in the Garden, there was never one word said about anyone burning in Hell for Eternity, or, of someone going to Heaven forever. Then you travel 1000's of years later into the future, and WAHLA, that's all people worry about; the unknown.
I have spoken with so many Christians who are depressed, anxious, and full of worry. With messages at Church that reflect, "We're going to be OUTTA HERE!", or "The World is going to END!", people have lost the joy of this life, for another life they aren't even sure exists.
This is a reproach to the Creator and the Creation that is meant to bless us with provision, family, and the realities of life. Eternity has created heartless Religions, where people will be tortured by a G-d that tolerates no disobedience, in a way we will never understand. As our families develop, we see that not all people are the same and that failure is a dominant trait in humans that cannot be suppressed, yet, we still throw the weak over our cliffs of judgment and into the doom of pure horror, all because "We THINK we know, even though we DON'T".
Folks, something is severely wrong with this picture.
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