Death and the Way That People Perceive It - Term Paper Example

Death and Dying Most people are familiar with death since they have dealt with it at some particular time in their lives. People’s view of death depends on several factors; the cause of death, gender and life orientation and acquaintance to the deceased. When dealing with death, feelings differ from person to person according to the circumstances of death. In the case that a loved one dies, sadness is the first emotion accompanied by shock. Grief comes when the bereaved start realizing that their loved one is truly gone. Depression is common in cases of severe closeness. The bereaved becomes withdrawn and angry until they learn to live without the deceased in their life. Death as earlier mentioned impacts differently on people. To humankind death is the last and worst possible punishment on anyone and no wonder it is a taboo in many societies. Death to a random person whom one is not well acquainted with is not taken seriously. Referring to death as ‘passing away’ or ‘moving on’ is enough proof showing how much fear death causes to the living leading to the formation of these gentle names. In religion, death is a passage to the afterlife, which is good for the holy but a punishment for the sinners. Those that believe in reincarnation know that when they die, their reincarnations are bad and have come back to pay for their sins. Christians believe death is a passage to a better life and the rising of Jesus on the cross symbolizes the conquest over death. It is however evident everyone has their own explanation on why death spreads fear to all people. Several authors write about death but they all end up trying to comfort the masses religiously on death. In Clarence and Gregory’s work, ‘taking the sting out of death a Christian perspective’ they write about their knowledge on death and how the bible explains it. They claim that despite the knowledge that all people born will one day die, people react differently towards this fact. Some people let this fact dictate their life and therefore end up living in fear of dying. This fear in others is applicable in self-motivation by knowing one has a specific time to accomplish all they want. Fear is the emotion aroused by knowledge of impending pain, danger or evil. The authors argue that since all humanity was in the image of God, death was not an option since according to the bible God is ever-present. The eating of the forbidden fruit at the Garden of Eden brought death upon humanity. This symbolizes that death is a sort of punishment upon humanity for the disobedience to the creator. God has the right to take lives; however, no one else has a right as seen when Cain killed his brother God cursed him to wander the earth. This further shows death as a huge deal that should be left to the creator alone. According to Christians, in the New Testament of the bible when Jesus took the form of man, died on the cross and rose again represent the conquest of death by Christ. Death is another obstacle that is overcome by holiness. In Christianity and other religions, there is belief that when one dies, if holy they go to a better place and if not they go to a worse place. This magnifies the fear people have for death since they see it as a way of judgment. The superiority with which culture and religion hold death does nothing to help change the fear have for death. Science believes death to be the final stage of life. Science believes in study accompanied by proof, so if a person dies they start decomposing and their body-matter degrades completely. This is another belief that causes fear among the people since they believe that they will simply cease to exist. Some scientists argue that there is life after death through near death experiences. These experiences have victims claiming that they experienced another world when they almost died. Many victims of near death experiences claim they had experience to another world not same as ours. These accounts have given rise to debates whether there is life after death which are inconclusive therefore causing an even bigger fear of death. People are afraid of anything they have no control over and anything they fail to understand. This is the cause that death causes such great fear among people even those that claim they know about it. Death is a way of life for everyone even though coping with it may never be possible; reducing its fear will make others live a little better. Death is a universal that is common to all forms of life in the planet. It is a fundamental fact that each person will have to eventually die and this cuts across all denominations and cultures in the universe. Fanthrope states that “death is no mystery; it is part and parcel of the natural order of things” (11). The views of people regarding death differ from individual to individual based on various factors. It should be noted that relationship between an individual and the deceased plays a major role in determining the response of an individual to death. The real issue regarding death is actually the mystery of what comes after it. The perceptions of death and dying are greatly influenced by the society. In most communities, there is a lot of unnatural fear regarding death. According to Riley and Green, one of the greatest reasons for fear of death is lack of knowledge on what comes after it (160). The notion of the unknown is a difficult reality for most people to accept. People are brought up knowing that death is such a big mystery and a grim reaper. This means that the perpetual fear of death is cultivated on each and every person right from the early stages of life. The unpredictability of realities beyond death evokes emotions of fear and uncertainty (Howarth, 3). It is important to note that the there is inherent lack of understanding concerning the concept of death among most people in the society. For instance, Riley and Green note that “kids are given a vague description of death, often painted in a shallow and inappropriate manner” (161). This implies that the society has little knowledge on the issue of death. What is not understood is usually held as a great mystery and it is inevitably viewed in a negative manner. Ignorance among most members of the society makes death a fear inspiring issue that no one wants to talk about. The perspectives of people towards death differ depending on their cultures, exposure and beliefs. In this regard, different authors have come up with independent analysis of the concept of death and made conclusions depending on their understanding. In their book “Taking the sting out of death: A Christian educational perspective”, Riley and Green have attempted to explain death based on the Christian religion. The Christian teachings point out that “on the day we are born, we begin the process of dying (88). This imperatively means that death is an inevitable occurrence for every life form. The authors postulate that the reason why people fear death is due to the fact that they lack the knowledge of what comes thereafter. Riley and Green contend that even though the Christian teachings indicate there is life after death, most people have uncertainties (164). Some personalities are scared of death since they are never certain of when it will come. The authors conclude that death as to be accepted as a reality of life and demystified. Religious beliefs are an important component that shapes the feelings of a person regarding death. Christianity teaches that there is life after death. In this religion, it is postulated that all people will face judgment after their deaths. Those who live righteously will go to heaven while the evil people will be condemned to burn in hell (Fanthrope, 34). In essence, the Christian teachings advocate that there is life after death. This life depends on an individual’s action during his or her present life in the world (Riley and Green 169). Therefore, Christians are taught to believe that death is just an avenue for them to be rewarded with eternal life in heaven. I believe that the Christian teachings of life after death lack substance and concrete backing in terms of evidence. Suffice to say, the Christian fraternity does not provide tangible evidence that indeed, there is life after death. The basis of their belief in life after death emanates from bible stories which basically encourage Christians to just have faith (Howarth, 25). Therefore, I believe that the Christian religion makes assumptions that cannot be substantiated. Whatever beliefs that are put forward, it is important for them to have concrete evidence so as to stand the test of time. The scientific community has also made significant contributions to the understanding of the issue of death. According to science, death is the final stage of life. Once a person dies, their body begins to decompose and becomes organic matter. Essentially, scientific beliefs hold that a person simply ceases to exist upon death (Fanthrope, 8). Scientific beliefs portray death as just a biological process that marks the end of life. Therefore, science makes a person to perceive death in a practical manner without shrouding it with mystery. Also, science depicts death as a reality that every life form has to face at a certain point. Howarth contends that “the grief that people experience due to the death of loved ones is due to their emotional attachment with the deceased persons” (17). Scientific beliefs offer a straightforward analysis regarding death without relating it to any mystery. In conclusion, this draft evaluates the issue of death and the way that people perceive it. It is notable that most people in the society fear death. The fear of the unknown has made death to be taken as a mystery. Several authors have different views regarding death. Riley and Green attempt to analyze death based on the concepts of Christianity. They point out that death is inevitable for every life form and it should be taken positively (Riley and Green 85). The fear of death arises due to the vagueness of what comes after it. Based on Christian beliefs, there is life after death. Righteous people will go to heaven while the evil people will burn in hell. The shortcoming, in this case, is not supported by any tangible evidence. In terms of science, death is simply the final stage of life. Scientific beliefs point out that every biological process has to end and hence, death is inevitable for all human beings. Works Cited Howarth, Glennys. Death and Dying: A Sociological Introduction. Cambridge: Polity, 2006. Print. Fanthorpe, R L. Death: The Final Mystery. Toronto, Ont: Dundurn Group, 2000. Internet resource. Riley, C. & Green, G. “Taking the Sting Out of Death: A Christian Educational Perspective” Project Innovation Inc. (1999): 158-169. Print Scarre, Geoffrey. Death. Stocksfield: Acumen, 2007. Print. Read More