http://www.biblicalperspectives.com/books/immortality_resurrection/4.htm
THE BIBLICAL VIEW OF DEATH
Samuele Bacchiocchi, Ph. D., Andrews University
Throughout human history, people have refused to accept the finality
that death brings to life. Death brings an unacceptable, sudden
interruption to one's work, plans, and relationships. Though the
inscription on many tomb stones often reads "Rest in Peace," the truth
of the matter is that most people do not welcome the peaceful rest of
the grave. They would rather be alive and productive. Thus, it is not
surprising that the subject of death and afterlife always has been a
matter of intense concern and speculation. After all, the death rate
is still one per person. Each of us at the appointed time will face
the grim reality of death.
Today we live in a death-denying culture. People live as if death did
not exist. Doctors and hospital personnel generally think that death
is something that should not happen. Regardless of how miserable
people may feel, they usually respond to "How are you?" with an
artificial smile, saying: "Just fine." When we can no longer maintain
the facade, we begin to wonder, "What is going to happen to me now?"
Even at the end of life, we tend to deny the reality of death by
embalming the dead and using cosmetics to restore the corpse to a
natural, healthy look. We dress the dead in suits and gowns as if they
were going to a party instead of returning to dust. A special mourning
color that has been prevalent in most countries, such as white or
black, is gradually disappearing, because people do not want to
believe that death is an intrusion that terminates their life.
In recent years, courses on death and dying have been introduced in
many colleges and high schools. Some colleges and universities also
offer courses on the occult and other phenomena such as near-death
experiences which allegedly offer scientific evidence for life beyond
death. All of these trends suggest there is a renewed interest today
to unravel the mystery of death and to gain reassurance about some
form of life after death.
(cont..... http://www.biblicalperspectives.com/books/immortality_resurrection/4.htm
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