triplew00t

I am curious as to if any of you know of ANY religion that has gods, but no afterlife. I was hoping to find one of the ancient pagan religions that had neither reincarnation nor a place of life after death. Is there such a religion that accepts physical death as the end of existance for a person, yet worships gods?

-Nero

xorbie

What kind of afterlife are we talking here? Would reincarnation count as an afterlfie? Personally, if I were you I would look into some native american religions

leyline

triplew00t

its an interesting question. I can't think of any, except possibly as you suggest pagan religion. Some interpretations of Wicca for example, but it is very diverse.

there may be some interpretations of buddhism too. Not all believe in reincarnation after physical death, and ghost realms and the like are written about. But whether they combine literally i do not know.

The only other that comes to mind ...... and i have to be a bit careful here, is that i seem to remember that there was a religious off shoot from chritianity i think, in the usa, that stated that black people could not enter heaven. Surprisingly such a racist religion still had black followers! I hope i have'nt offended anyone. It was a memory from an old tv programme, and we know how unreliable the media can be.

Of course there is a big difference between 'no after life' and 'not necessarily an after life', depending upon ones nature, behaviour, luck or otherwise. I assume you mean the former?

andy_d

Don't some Jewish sects believe that some souls are destroyed after death?

Sarpedon

I doubt such religion would exist, as it wouldn't be very marketable.

"Worship my god and support my church"
"What's in it for me?"
"Well--nothing"
"Go to hell!"

Religion is all about money. You can't make money unless you have something to sell. Even something imaginary. Some of the more primitive religions had undifferentiated afterlifes that were sad and boring. They were quickly displaced when someone had the bright idea of heaven and hell. Very popular (and profitable) ideas. I expect that that was the earliest form of religious belief. I cannot postulate an earlier one that would have gods and no afterlife. The belief in immortal beings and the immortality of the soul seem to go hand in hand. But if anyone knows one, please let me know, I am interested.

Waning Moon Conrad

I don't think you'll find one.

You could always make one up and see if it becomes popular.

emotional

You needn't look any further than the Hebrew Bible (the Old Testament alone). There's no mention of life after death there. It's one of the reasons why I reject the Bible.

Ojuice5001

Well, depending on how strictly you define "no afterlife," Roman paganism might qualify. The traditional Roman belief was that a favored minority went to the Elysian Fields (heaven), and a detested minority went to Tartarus (hell), but most people go to the Plains of Asphodel. And what is consciousness like in Asphodel? You experience none of the earthly experiences, including boredom. I have to think a state of natural blankness would be more like being half-asleep than anything else. If traditonal Roman belief is right, and I understand it right, what awaits us after death is like an eternity of being 20 minutes into sleep.

I also speculate about other possibilities, but the above is my understanding of the traditional belief. I don't know if that's what you were looking for.

never been there

There's a few listed at God-u-like with low "afterlife" scores - I'm sure a couple are typos, but there you go.

It looks like you're stuck with Confucianism, or some near-vanished indigenous religions, but even they seem to have some "afterlife".

Infidelettante

Hello triplew00t, I suggest you explore the neo-pagan movement. I follow a solitary path so what I think may, no, will not apply to much of the pagan thought available but it will give you some idea of the diversity it contains. I will make this as short as possible.

I do not hold to an after life. Goddess has blessed us with this one and no other. The material realm is her gift to us. To be in the body is the meaning of life. I do hold to Universal Reincarnation. It says that there is no soul which dwells in the body so the rebirth of the individual is not possible nor is it possible for the individual to exist apart from the body. There is no after life.

Rather there is one soul and all bodies ( and so all things ) are immersed in the one soul. The one soul is in a continuous state of incarnation and reincarnation. The material realm is the body of the one soul. All things are connected through the one soul. You and I share life within one soul and through it we share a connection with all things.

This is one tiny part of the vast world of pagan thought available to you. Go to Yahoo or Google and search for ‘Goddess’ or ‘Paganism.’ Take your time and be patient and creative. Most of all realize it is your understanding of life and meaning that matters. You can create a religion that suits you. There is no need to change in order to fit a religion that has no affinity for you, that does not fit you. Paganism is about an inner journey that results in an outer expression of your truth. Let me know how it goes.

JT