Religion rises inevitably from our apprehension of our own death. To give meaning to meaninglessness is the endless quest of all religion. When death becomes the center of our consciousness, then religion authentically begins.
-Harold Bloom, The Mormons
This is an interesting viewpoint. Death and the afterlife are certainly important doctrines of most religions, but is this really the defining doctrine? My personal view has focused more on meaning while living rather than meaning in death.
And what is the meaning while living?
Only you can decide.
Well, in the reality of the bible, heaven seems like an obvious choice.
I think that Religion is based on death. Think about how much emphasis is placed in Christian churches on not being concerned with this life. I find that most Religions are just cults of death. I would rather live the one life I know that I will have fully, then bet on something no one can prove.
I grew up in a church where we were told the traditional “be good people, love G-d and you will go to heaven” and I never really understood it. I don’t really care all that much about going to heaven because I don’t know much about it, but what really got me interested in Christianity (at the age of 21) was Jesus. When I started reading about Jesus I found that He cared for the earthly bodies of the people just as much as, if not more than, their souls. I would argue against what Harold Bloom has to say about the authenticity of religion coming about when death fully possesses our mind. For me it’s not like that, it’s more about this life and what I can do here, but then again I’m not like everyone else and I’m only one piece to the puzzle.
Harold Bloom is very interesting. Did you read something of his beyond just the quote? I used to read him in literary theory classes in college.
I can’t remember where I foudn this quote. I do have his book “How to Read and Why” or something along those lines.