Living The Faith

I came across this post which reminded me of the hypocrisy of religious beliefs with regards to an afterlife. The post tells about a Pakistani mystic who bound a volunteer faithful, Isaac style, and slit his throat. The idea was to show the mystic's ability to raise the dead. Of course this, like the various claims of miracles made by Nigerian christian preachers and televangelists, was a lie. The mystic was arrested. Then the interesting part: the  dead man's sister insisted the mystic should not have been arrested while saying "why should I mourn when I know that my brother is in heaven? He will be rewarded for his services for the spiritual leader in the afterlife."

If I was still a christian, I would be modelled after this woman. Why would I mourn a dead relative or friend when this person is going to be "in a better place?" Why waste my tears, take time of work to grieve, and suffer the anguish and pain of losing someone who has clearly gone to a place of merriment, and whom I would see again when I die? Why, I should be itching to join this fellow in the journey to paradise! For a muslim man, he would be going to the waiting arms of 72 virgins (I still do not know what paradise has in store for muslim women). The death of a loved one therefore, should fill us with envy at the life of lavish luxury they are transitioning into while we are left to languish in this world of disease, devastation and death. The assurance of a place in paradise for a departed family member or a friend is surely a cause for some serious celebration which is exactly what a funeral should be for people of faith; but all we get is a solemn and grim ceremony filled with paroxysms of weeping and regret. Such an attitude towards the dead does nothing to uphold the beliefs held by religious people.

The attention of those who believe in an eternal afterlife should be brought to the fact that they are not living up to their delusions and superstitions. I would really like to know the reason for the amount of grief displayed at funerals and memorial services. I speak for myself alone when I say that if I believed in an afterlife of eternity in paradise, I would bury any relative with fanfare, a lavish party, and absolutely no tears. The party would be my way of sharing in the paradise this relative will be going over to enjoy until I can join in the merriment when I die. Unfortunately, there is no afterlife, so I have instead chosen to enjoy my life with my family and friends while we all still can; while we are all still alive.