Does it matter one way or another whether you believe in an afterlife? Maybe you believe it doesn’t. Or maybe you haven’t thought about it. I want to show why it should matter, and matter a lot. You might forward this message to your doubting friends.
There is nothing more fearful than dying if you think nothing follows. If you value life and are glad you were born, then watching its end approach can’t help but be depressing and even frightening. Many people find it so frightening that they refuse to even think or talk about it.
But the horror of dying vanishes if you confidently believe in an afterlife. This doesn’t mean you look forward to death. If you are healthy, you shouldn’t. It just means that the fear of total extinction disappears. And that will feel like a great blessing, a burden removed, as you navigate your way through life.
For most of us who have lived a long life, an afterlife provides hope of meeting loved ones. If you have lost a precious parent, spouse, friend, or even child, grief can be unbearable if you feel they have ceased to exist. But if they are alive in an afterlife, as spirit literature universally affirms, grief becomes more manageable. It’s amazing how many people report sensing the presence of their beloved dead. That can turn tears or harrowing anguish into tears of sorrow tinged with uplifting joy. They are not lost to you. They are waiting for you. What a difference that makes!
Another blessing that belief in an afterlife provides is a sense that what we do in life has consequences. We call this the law of karma, the law of the deed. The spirit literature I’ve been recommending makes it clear that the kind of afterlife awaiting you is determined by your moral character, the habits you build with your free will. If you believe this, you’ll often find the incentive to do the right thing when tempted to do the wrong. Our prisons are filled with criminals who never give this a thought. Would all those scammers who are forever trying to steal your money follow their trade if they believed in an afterlife governed by the law of karma? Belief in this law helps you mount the petty temptations we all have. It can make all the difference.
But belief in an afterlife brings something even better. The spirit literature I follow builds confidence in a Creator of immense proportions at the helm of a soul-making process. This means that we don’t just stop growing in the world we enter at death. Greater worlds follow. No one is forced to enter them, but many will seize the day and march ahead to realms of indescribable glory. For those who don’t, reincarnation is available.
Think of all the people you know who are drifting or slumbering through life. So many are trapped in meaningless jobs. So many kids never make an effort in school. So many jobless or retired people find nothing better to do than endlessly watch television or play video games. The days and hours of meaningless boredom just plod on. Belief in an afterlife that rewards character growth through loving service can awaken tired souls and open new vistas. The way we spend time matters. We should use it constructively. We might read a good book. Or volunteer our time to help someone. Or join a yoga group. Or pray or meditate daily. Or find a church, synagogue, temple, mosque, or gurdwara—whatever motivates us to do the inner work we need. The payoff at death for each of us is coming soon.
Until it does, let us all be a force for good in this world.
Stafford Betty, Professor of Religious Studies, CSUB, (ret) is the author of When Did You Ever Become Less by Dying?, Heaven and Hell Unveiled and his novel, Guardians of the Afterworld. His latest book, The Hell Dwellers: A Novel about the Dark Side of the Afterlife is coming in 2026. Stafford can be found at staffordbetty.com.
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