I can’t recall exactly what it was that prompted my pondering of this topic recently (maybe it was the book I’m currently reading: The Bone Clocks by David Mitchell), but something got me thinking about all the different possible scenarios presented to us as our eventual fate after death. A potentially morbid topic, I admit, but it doesn’t necessarily have to be–depending on what you believe, and how you reconcile that belief.
Of course, there are the customary variations of heaven and hell: one an ethereal paradise awarded to those who have earned it through their good deeds on Earth (“good” within the constraints defined by a particular religion or personal belief system); the other an ultimate punishment for one’s misdeeds (“sinners” as defined, again, by religion or belief). The specifics of each of these fates may vary depending on the teachings of a particular religion or the belief system of the individual, but the basic premise is the same: eventual reward or punishment. Even the varying reincarnation scenarios loosely subscribe to this idea of reward vs. punishment; eventual enlightenment after different iterations of unenlightened terrestrial life. Some have criticized this idea as a marketing tactic by organized religion to instill fear of eternal damnation as a deterrent for sinning–and that the notions of “good” and “bad” as defined by religion don’t always allow for “gray areas” due to context. Obviously, I am vastly oversimplifying very complex ideas–but that’s not really my point here.
My point is to present a slight variation on this idea that has the potential for liberation from traditional religious dogma, yet still offer the hope of an existence of sorts beyond death.
I used to subscribe to my own variation of the paradise vs. damnation dichotomy, but more recently I’ve started to embrace a simpler explanation for the afterlife–one that doesn’t dangle the carrot of eternal bliss or torment.
What if there is no existence or consciousness after death, as most atheists or agnostics believe? And our existence ends with our final breaths, and all that we are–as we define ourselves–is simply no more.
For some, that is a dismal prospect; for others, a simple reality without any inherent value unless we subscribe value to it from our own belief system.
Unless you choose to factor in whatever legacy we’ve left behind through our relationships and our deeds.
Maybe our afterlife existence is merely this legacy, whatever it is, and nothing more. Maybe our “afterlife” is however we are remembered by those we encountered and hopefully impacted throughout our lives. If we’ve treated others with kindness and respect–even independent of any religious constraints–then that is our ultimate reward: an enduring place in the hearts and minds of those we knew. If we’ve squandered our lives with little or no regard for anyone else or habitually mistreated others, then we will be forgotten or intentionally dismissed with a “good riddance.”
This is by no means an original concept, obviously–I’ll be the first to admit that. But it is an idea, I think, that is deceptively simplistic–and one that merits more consideration. And for me it promises hope; a hope that is more certain than the more speculative notions advocated by organized religion. In fact, one could argue that it complements what most organized religions preach. So even if we are eventually awarded admission past the Pearly Gates to an ethereal paradise because of treating our fellow human beings with regard, love, and respect–then so much the better.
But at the very least, if no such mythical afterlife exists in one form or another, we are still guaranteed an enduring place in the memories of those with whom we connected during our all-too-brief time on Earth. And that, to me, is an encouraging idea.