Human mind does not always give room for vacuum. It always look for answers to troubling questions.
Questions like where did man come from, where was he before been born on planet earth, where will he be after death? Is death his final destination? If so, what is the meaning of life?
These are some of the troubling questions that man sought answers for. Somehow, he finds the answer to these troubling questions in religion.
I still wonder if there can be adequate answer to these questions without religion.
If not, then we can consider the spirit world as a realm that is possible. In Africa we have this belief in the spirit world.
Africans believe that ancestors for instance move from this world to the spirit world. The believe is grounded on the idea that the ancestors never left their compound even after death.
This explains why many Africans bury their aged ones around their compounds. To be sure that Africans have this believe in ancestors moving to the spirit world, they venerate these ancestors.
While they are not in the physical world with us, they are with us in the spiritual realm.
This is further strengthened with the argument that one should do good. The one who does good and enters the sagehood has the opportunity to stay around in the spirit world and watch over their children.
This explains why Africans say 'our forefather are angry with us or the spirits of our forefathers are tormenting us.
On the other hand, the idea of heaven and hell thrive in our world today mainly on the idea that there is heaven and hell.
This is justified by the idea that the ones who do good while on earth and obeyed the commandment of the Supreme Being stand the chance of ruling with Him in heaven.
This idea is evident in Christianity and Islam. It is based on the argument that God created heaven and earth. Man was created to serve Him. Those who serve Him diligently and obey all His commandment are rewarded with heaven in the hereafter and those who disobeyed His rules while on earth are condemned to hell fire.
This brings us to the idea of life after death with the concept of God. Obviously, the African ancestral claim can only work for the Africans.
The Western world would see such as superstition. In fact, i consider it to be so too. And if i am to go by the teachings of known religions like Christianity and Islam, it is clear that a man is appointed to live and die once, once he dies, he's judged. This means a good ancestor is judged accordingly and a bad one is also judged according and neither has the will or power to remain on earth 'spiritually' not to talk of watching over their children.
So with no idea of God, obviously, the foundation on which hereafter argument is built will collapse.
Or can it be argued that there is a life after death where there is no place to go after excep this planet? Or can it be argued that both living and the dead still occupies this earth such that once one dies, he moves to the spirit realm. If this is taken seriously, then we will need empirical proof to ascertain such claim that both living and dead coexist in the same world - earth.
If it is so, what happens in the spirit world? Do men continue from where they left off such that a president continue to be the president in this new spiritual world? If not, does a man start afresh like a toddler or a grownup?
Without religion, it appears we will run into onto circle or confusion. In fact, i doubt if there would be a reason to do good or bad or even take anything serious.
While i am still asking myself these questions, what do you think? Does life continue after death or once a man dies, everything ends? What do you think?
Thanks for your time.