Alternate Theory of Life After Death

The belief system that I grew up in has a unique perspective on life after death that differs from mainstream Christian beliefs. Here is a summarized overview of this alternate theory of life after death.

Mortality of the Soul

My belief was that the human soul is not inherently immortal. I interpreted biblical passages to suggest that the soul is mortal and subject to death. Therefore, I rejected the concept of an immortal soul that continues to exist in a conscious state after physical death.

Sleep

Instead of an immediate transition to an afterlife upon death, I believed that death was a kind of sleep. According therefore to this belief, upon death, we are asleep, awaiting the future resurrection.

Resurrection

I held a strong belief in the bodily resurrection. I believed that at the second coming of Jesus Christ, there will be a resurrection of both the righteous and the unrighteous. Those who have lived faithfully according to God’s will will be raised to immortality. The unfaithful will be resurrected to face judgment.

Conditional Immortality

I believed in the concept of conditional immortality. This means that immortality is not inherent in human beings. It is, therefore, a gift granted by God to the righteous after the resurrection. I believed that only those who have accepted God’s offer of salvation through Jesus Christ will be granted immortality and eternal life.

Life on Earth

Unlike traditional Christian teachings about heaven and hell, I believed that the ultimate reward for the righteous is not an eternal existence in heaven. I interpreted biblical promises to indicate that the faithful will inherit life on Earth. Then in the kingdom of God they will dwell with Jesus Christ in a perfected physical state. I believed that at the end of the millenium, God would be “all and in all” (1 Cor 15:28)

Annihilation of the Unrighteous

The fate of the unrighteous, I believed, is annihilation rather than eternal torment in hell. I beleived that those who have rejected God’s offer of salvation will be judged. Therefore ultimately, they will cease to exist, undergoing complete destruction.

Conclusion

I believed that this was a correct interpretation of the Bible and I often took a more literal approach to certain scriptures. As you can tell, this is a significant departure from traditional views of life after death. I do not necessarily hold to this alternate theory of life after death now.