Question to any and all religious folk here: do you or do you not believe in hell, or similar places, and why?
Here’re my thoughts on the afterlife in toto:
SCENARIO 1
If one lived their life as a good person, when they die all their minor sins are forgiven. They then move on to the Summerland. There they recall all their past lives, process the information they gathered from their most recent life, and spend time pondering it all. From there, there are three possible routes to take:
- They can depart the Summerland to return to the cycle of reincarnation. Their next incarnation will be better than their last.
- They can stay in the Summerland for however long they want, enjoying its delights while spending time with loved ones also in the Summerland and/or watching over loved ones still in the material world. They’re allowed to reincarnate once they grow bored of it all.
- They can depart the Summerland to return to the material world as ghosts, to provide aid/comfort to the loved ones they left behind. Personally, I don’t think this happens often, as I believe, as a general rule, God doesn’t allow “Earthbound spirits” to exist.
SCENARIO 2
If one lived their life as a truly ugly, evil person, they go straight to Purgatory. There, they pay for each and every one of the sins they committed, minor and major. Once they’ve atoned for their sins, they are immediately thrust back into the cycle of reincarnation. Their next incarnation will be no better and no worse than their last, though they will be wiser, even if they won’t remember why.