by Connie Morrow

Created on: March 25, 2008

Death is actually the opposite of life. According to the Bible (Genesis 3:19), it tells us "from dust we came and to dust we will return".

Many of us were taught by our religion or our parents that once we die, we will either go to heaven or hell. We were taught that hell is a fiery furnace where those who were bad are sent to burn forever. In the Bible, the word "hell" has the same meaning as the word "sheol", which means mankind's common grave. In that case, we all will go to hell when we die.

Most of us believe in God or some higher power, do we not? All our lives we have heard that God is love. So, if God is love, would he create a place of everlasting torment, such as a fiery furnace, where humans would burn eternally once they die?

In fact, God loved us so much that he sent his only begotten son, Jesus Christ, to die so that we may live. Those who have children could not imagine giving even one of them up for anyone or anything. Our children are the most important possessions we have. How, then, could God, who loves us like we love our children, then sentence us to burn forever.

Many also believe that when a person dies, his or her soul will live on and continue to walk the earth. It is believed that sometimes the dead will even taunt those still living. This is also a myth. The Bible states (Ecclesiastes 9:5, 10) "God blew into his nostrils and he became a living soul (speaking of Adam). Therefore, if the soul is the body, then when the body dies, so will the soul.

When we die, we are not conscious of anything. In this way death is similar to a person sleeping. When asleep, one has knowledge of nothing as he/she is unconscious. There is no awareness of what is going on around us. The difference is that a sleeping person can regain consciousness; but when one dies, he or she will never return to a conscious state.

Over a period of time, the body will deteriorate and eventually go back to the dust from which we came.

There is no need to fear death; for just as God made a way in the past so that we might live, he will again make provisions of life (after death) for those who love him.

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