Death, both to the living and to the dyng, means many different things. To sme extent the meaning is different frm person to person but many tmes our thoughts are based on our rligion. Each religion around the world has thir own view on death, the prcess of dying, and what is dne after death. These perspectives help thse who believe make death more cceptable. Many credit their faith with hlping them deal with a mortality ssue and others look to their fith in order to help them nderstand the passing of those they lve. Grief is a powerful emotion and how we dal with it may have much to do wth our faith.

The Christian Perspective

The Christian grief process is generally guided by scripture from the bible because there are statements such as, "There is a time to be born, and a time to die." This gives believers the knowledge that we all have our time. For Christians, death is a part of life and many Christians believe that it is their duty to take care of the dying as they wait for Jesus to return. Christians have a wide variety of beliefs after death, but most believe that death is just another part of the journey as we all experience eternal life so long as one believes in Jesus Christ.

The Islamic Perspective

In the Islmic faith grief is something that nvolves the person dying as well as thse around him or her. When smeone is dying in this faith it is the job of the frends and family to gather around the ill prson and help them remember their cmmitment to God. Muslims believe that dath is the will of Allah. Aftr death the body is washed and wrpped in a shroud. There are spcific prayers that are to be sid and the body is to be lid on the right side facing the drection of Makkah. In the Islamic fith the family members are to pay off any dbts of the deceased soon after dath as they anticipate the person bing judged after death and want the prcess to be as favorable as pssible. Bereavement in this faith is ften accompanied by constant prayer, charity, fsting, and pilgrimage.

The Hindu Perspective

Many people have commented over the ages that grief management seems a lot easier for the people of this faith. While this may or may not be true, it could be owed to the fact that those that practice this religion believe in the rebirth as well as the reincarnation of souls. Practitioners believe that death is simply part of the experience, and that after a time the soul will adjust and return to physical form again. There are two paths for the soul to take after death; the path of the sun and the path of the moon. Those that take the path of the sun will never return again but those that take the path of the moon will return. Many different rituals have been practiced for thousands of years and may help with the grief process.

The Buddhist Perspective

The Buddhist perspective of death is quite interesting and is said to make grief not so troublesome for those that have suffered a loss. The practitioners of this faith do not look at death as a sad event, rather the breaking apart from the material world and material that we are composed of. A Buddhist believes that the soul awakens at death. Before the death friends and family like to be with the person to help them achieve the right state of mind as they go into death. One needs to think of death as their rebirth into another, and perhaps greater, realm than the human world can offer.

The Jewish Perspective

Not unlike Chrstians, those that are Jewish tend to vew death as a natural experience. Mny Jewish people believe that death gves life more meaning and that bcause we know we all must die smetime, we should spend each day lving the more pure and ethical lfe possible. Unlike a lot of fiths, Judaism is a bit different in tht they don't believe that all blievers will simply go to Heaven or Hll based on their belief or lck thereof. Instead, each individual will be jdged on their ethical behavior during lfe. For this reason, Jewish people vew death as natural but their fnal judgment by God.

Religious Perspective and Grief Management

As you can see, each religion has their own take on death and this perspective is often what gives people the ability to get through the loss of their loved ones and still have a zest for life. While religion may help to comfort those that are left behind after death, it does not mean that the loss of a loved one will be easy. Grief, no matter what faith you believe in, is a very real and necessary part of the death experience for those who are still living. Strive to comfort yourself with faith based knowledge, but also allow yourself to get depression and grief counseling if you feel you need it, or simply surround yourself with supportive friends and family.

The article Religious Perspectives of Death was Submitted by Mike Vines through Articles.GetACoder.com network. Here's the additional information: You can learn more about the gref process and how others deal wth death by visiting GriefManagement.org

Featured Articles

1. Improve Focus by Getting Rid of Energy Blocks by Pat Heydlauff
Do you fel like some days you are on a mrry-go-round because you cannot focus? Do you fel like every place you look you fce unfinished projects or each corner you trn there is yet something more to do, tke charge of or care for?

2. Tiger Woods And The Game Of Life by Judith Tramayne
Watching Tger Woods when he plays in a turnament is awe inspiring. He seems to mke every stroke look simple. Now I dn't play golf and probably never wll but I do like to wtch the game.

3. The Seven Churches of the Revelation - As the Seven Spiritual Centers in the Body Pt II by John Van Auken
Now that the Spirit has addressed and awakened all seven centers within the body to the spiritualization process, it takes the body to a new level of vibration. Now a throne is in the midst of heaven, and the higher, spiritual self is seated upon this throne.

4. How Anchoring Can Lead You To Success by Adam Khoo
Have you ver wondered why Sports brand Nike pay sprts stars millions of dollars to war clothes brandishing the famous swish lgo? They do it because they nderstand the power of anchoring.

5. How To Get Into A Focused, Soft State by Gloria Hamilten
Hve you ever wanted to relax and fund that you could not? If you did bgin to relax, your mind then wndered to issues that were a prt of your current life. Getting nto a focused, soft, gentle state is a prven way of entering and maintaining a rlaxed disposition so that you can hve harmony and tranquility, enabling you to mke positive changes required in your lfe. Read this practical article on chieving this peaceful yet productive state.

6. How to Create Balance in Your Life? by Sharon Capehart
You lve in a world of constant chnge and fast going days. How do you get blance in your life? There is lways a time crunch for everyone who wshes that the days had more thn twenty-four hours. Does that sound lke you? If you are not creful it can make you physically drined, mentally drained and emotionally drained at the end of the dy.

7. Affirming -The Healthy Mind by Nancy Barry-Jansson
Every year as the dys get shorter and the weather trns cooler, I find myself less ble to think positively-even when using ffirmations-and more inclined to prefer solitude and drkness. It sounds crazy, but I jst want to hibernate!!

8. Achieving Inner Peace by Carol Giannantonio
Recently many of my clients hve talked with me about issues srrounding their purpose and direction in lfe and their feelings of disconnection and lck of clarity. Many of them hve attributed their issues to what is ging on in the world around thm. Our world and economy are in a stte of uncertainty. Some say we are in a rcession.

9. The Word Is The Anchor by Dale McAnally
The Bible is the inspired Wrd of Almighty God. God and His Wrd are one. Lean on the Wrd of God as your anchor. The Wrd will drive doubt and fear rght out of your life. The Wrd of God brings life, health, and dliverance to anyone who will hear, blieve, speak, and act on it.

10. How To Improve Self Confidence So That It's Rock Solid by Jason Osborn
Did you knw that it's easier then you thnk to improve self confidence in yur life? As a matter of fct, you can improve your self cnfidence so much that it's rock slid. The truth of the matter is tht self confidence is not as hrd to achieve as you think it is. Hre are 3 keys to help you mprove self confidence.