Transcript Perspectives on Death: Catholicism

Perspectives on Death:
K. Ortiz/April 2010
Death In General
• Everything dies
• Death comes with life; just as life comes with
death (can’t have one without the other)
• Many try to give death a face
– Evil; Satan
– Skeleton with scythe and bony hand
– Ghost
Death In General
• Many tend to be afraid of death, or attach some
sort of mystery to the concept, but do not deny
it.
• “Death is the great equalizer” – popular phrase
• The concept of death leads many to question
morals.
The Fear of Death
• As there are more vaccinations and even cures
for life-threatening epidemics, the fear of death
is changing.
• All cultures, even those of the past, look at
death as a defining moment in life.
• Many associate death with a bad act:
– Frightening happening
– Retribution
– Punishment
The Fear of Death
• People can fear their own death.
• People can fear the death of another.
• Understanding where the fear comes from can
help to make clear the death rituals and customs
of other cultures.
The Fear of Death
• Ancient Hebrews – dead person is unclean; not
to be touched
• American Indian – worried about evil spirits;
shot arrows into the air to ward off evil spirits.
Consider how this may have translated to the
shooting of guns as a salute.
• Early cultures – Used tombstones as a way to
keep bad spirits deep in the ground.
Effect of Religion on View of Death
• Belief in God has lead to a belief in the
hereafter.
• People will be relieved of suffering and pain by
dying.
• There’s reward in going to heaven. The
suffering is in living.
American Death Customs and
Perspectives
• Richly Christian influence.
• Must prepare children for dealing with death
through literature.
• Americans are very “hush hush” about death.
• Being “laid to rest.” The dead rest in the burial
place. RIP
• As a result of the advances in science, many
people die at hospitals; not in the home.
American Death Customs and
Perspectives
• Tradition in disposal of the body – custom casket with lavish
funeral.
• Grief therapy for the living.
• Buy back guilt of the death of a loved one by paying for the best
funeral.
• Make-up used to make dead seem more life-like.
• Quoted from National Funeral Service Journal, found in Mitford’s
The American Way of Death: “The focus of the buyer’s interest
must be the casket, vault, clothing, funeral cars, etc. – the
tangible evidence of how much has been invested in the funeral
– the only real status symbol associated with a funeral service.”
Tibetan Buddhist Perspective on
Death
• Being aware of death allows for perspective or
awareness.
• Enlightenment will allow one to transcend death.
• There are moments all around us at all times that
remind us of the idea of death.
• Preparations for death must occur during life.
Reflecting on death should be a part of everyday
reflections and meditation.
• Dreams – the moment when we fall asleep is reflective
of the moment of death.
Tibetan Buddhist Perspective on
Death
• Rebirth
• Not every rebirth will be human. Human
rebirths are considered rare.
• According to John Powers, author of Introduction
ot Tibetan Buddhism, quoted on pbs.org, “Humans
are uniquely situated in cyclic existence: we are
intelligent enough to recognize the problems
and sufferings of cyclic existence (unlike lower
types of beings such as animals)…”
Egyptian Life/Death Beliefs
and Rituals
• Egyptians were obsessed with death.
• Rituals for funeral ceremonies were an
important part of death practices.
– Embalmment/mummification/body preservation
– Special burials
– Corpse dismemberment
• Belief in life after death.
• God of the Dead - Osiris
Egyptian Life/Death Beliefs
and Rituals
• While death rituals were significant to their
culture, life was a major focus.
• Life was more desirable.
• Man consisted of an immortal soul – ka
• One’s personality is born out of the chaos of
the world.
• Believe in the god, Khnum, a ram-headed god,
who creates humans from clay.
Final Thoughts
• The beliefs on about death and dying are
different from…
–
–
–
–
person to person
family to family
culture to culture
religious creed to religious creed.
Works Cited
Kubler-Ross, Elisabeth. New York: Macmillan,
1969. Print.
Langone, John. Boston: Little Brown and
Company, 1972. Print.
Leca, Ange-Pierre. London: Library of Congress
Cataloging in Publication Data, 1980. Print.
Mitford, Jessica. New York: Simon and Schuster,
1963. Print.