MSI Press Blog

  People often confuse reincarnation and purgatory , and at first glance, it’s easy to see why. Both deal with what happens after death , both involve some form of ongoing process, and both seem to suggest that the soul is not instantly “finished” at the moment of death. But beneath that surface similarity, they are answering the same human question in fundamentally different ways: What happens to us if we are not yet fully what we are meant to be? What Reincarnation Says Reincarnation, most commonly associated with traditions like Hinduism and Buddhism, proposes that: The soul (or stream of consciousness) lives many lives Each life is shaped by previous actions (karma) Growth is gradual and cumulative The goal is eventual liberation (moksha, nirvana) In this view, life is a cycle : birth → death → rebirth → repeat If you are not yet perfected, you return—again and again—until you are. What Purgatory Says Purgatory, as taught in the Catholic Church , is something quite...

  Since today is my birthday, this guest post seemed very apropos! DYING AND LIVING “Yet if we love one another, God dwells in us, and his love is brought to perfection in us.” --I John 4: 12     I watched Dad die. I was only seventeen at the time, too young to understand much of what was going on. My father had been diagnosed with throat cancer two years before, a disease common to heavy smokers and drinkers. He underwent brutal cobalt treatments and lost his voice. He was in constant pain, unrelieved by the medications. For the last three months of his life he was bedridden at home. Mom, my brothers, and I took turns sitting by his bedside, mostly in silence. He could not speak, and I did not know what to say. It was decided not to tell Dad he was dying, so he could keep up his hope. But he knew. The priest later told us how Dad spoke with him about his dying and not to tell us. So no one said anything about the elephant in the room. In the silence durin...

  1. The Question What happens when we die? Not biologically. Spiritually. Existentially. Is it a doorway? A judgment? A return? A release? 2. The Human Angle You lose someone. You face your own mortality. You wonder: Is this the end? Or the beginning of something else? Different traditions offer different answers — each shaped by their deepest hopes and fears. 3. The Inquiry Here’s how Eastern and Western religions describe the end of life: Western Religions (Judgment and Eternity) Christianity : Life ends in judgment. The soul is either united with God (heaven) or separated (hell). Some traditions include purgatory — a place of purification. Resurrection is central: the body will rise again. Islam : After death, the soul enters Barzakh — a waiting period until the Day of Judgment. Then, based on deeds and faith, the soul enters paradise or hell. The body is resurrected and judged. Judaism : Views vary. Some believe in bodily resurrection and a world to come ...