Día de los muertos

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Is there an afterlife?

Yes.
6
46%
No.
3
23%
Not sure.
3
23%
I believe the story about the land of the dead.
1
8%
 
Total votes: 13
Anonymous

We've had a thread about God, but what about one based on the afterlife? To be honest, I'm pretty straight forward when it comes to this - you die, and then you rot. But there's a Mexican belief based on Aztec mythology that I really like. In my opinion, if you're going to believe in an after-life then why not this one, as it's the prettiest. :D

After you die you go to the land of the dead where you continue to live in a physical (though not enitrely human) form for a maximum of four years. At the end of the journey is a temple which leads to the ninth underworld, eternal rest - like heaven, although the soul ceases to exist after it enters.

Nobody goes to 'hell' - everyone has a chance to get to the ninth underworld. Although those who have done good are helped along the way. In El Marrow, the city of the dead, the good deeds in your life are added up - like Karma. If you've been a good person, you earn a ticket on the number nine train - a train which takes you straight through the land of the dead in four minutes.

If you've lead a bad life, you get little help, and have to set off on your journey alone. If you haven't reached the ninth underworld by the fourth year, you become a lost soul and are trapped in the land of the dead for eternity. You are still very much a fragile being and things that cause death in humans (like falling off a buiding) would result in the death of your soul - you become trapped in the land of the dead. Obviously, it's best to do good in your life and catch the train as this minimises the chace of becoming a lost soul.

Once a year on 'Día de los muertos', the day of the dead, the souls who have failed to reach the ninth underworld become trapped, whilst the living celebrate in memory of their deceased on Earth.

You reach the temple at a mountain after going past the cities of Rubacava and Los Angelitos. At the top there is a large marble building which you enter alone. Inside there is a pool, in which you wash away your sin, cleanse the soul and reflect on your life. Then you enter the gateway, into the ninth underworld. Eternal rest follows.

Well... it's nice to believe in something, even if it is a little unlikely.
dvboy
Posts: 218
Joined: Wed 03 Dec, 2003 01.59
Location: Wolverhampton, West Midlands

I believe in reincarnation, but you didn't give an option for that, dear.
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dvboy
Posts: 218
Joined: Wed 03 Dec, 2003 01.59
Location: Wolverhampton, West Midlands

Oh, I'd say they were different things. An afterlife being something in a different dimension to the life we're living now, wheras reincarnation brings you back to this world.
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Cheese Head
Banned
Posts: 918
Joined: Fri 15 Aug, 2003 13.39
Location: Rockhampton, Australia

I don't think about heaven or hell, I do belive that your 'soul' goes somewhere else, I'm just not sure where! I do belive that you can't just die, and you then cease to exist, you have to go somehwere else afterwards.

I like that mexican story, its better than having to be a good person all your life, wasting time every sunday to get into heaven.
» James »
I don't know my future after this weekend, and I don't want to
eddie gallagher
Posts: 12
Joined: Mon 01 Dec, 2003 00.32
Location: Badger's Drift

I don't believe in the conventional hell/heaven/purgatory view of the afterlife. I do however think that re-incarnation is possible, I believe in spirits and ghosts and I understand that I was a pair of grey Y-Fronts in a previous life. If there is a heaven and hell, then I think that we are living through it on earth, in a physical sense. Remember that the incentive/fear of heaven & hell was a great money-maker in the old days, people would pay money for 'indulgences' aimed at sending their souls closer to heaven. Indeed even today people pay for masses to be said for their lost loved ones. Where does this money go, for the deceased's spiritual well- being or to a new collection-plate, new vestments for the priest etc? I think we all know what is more likely!

Therefore I do believe in some sense of afterlife,possibly reincarnation, but not the conventional Christian theories of heaven/hell.
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