Around Tokyo
For our Salvation in the Afterlife
According to surveys conducted between 2017 and 2020, the ratios of people in major countries who believe in the existence of the afterlife or the life after death are as follows:
Turkey: 91.8%
Egypt: 88.1%
USA: 68.2%
Chili: 61.8%
Taiwan: 57.2%
Thailand: 57.1%
Switzerland: 50.4%
Italy: 49.4%
UK: 41.7%
France: 41.2%
Russia: 40.3%
Germany: 39.9%
Sweden: 37.8%
JAPAN: 32.2%
China: 11.5%
In Islamic countries, it is unlikely that ordinary people would rather express a view against their state religion Islam teaching the existence of the paradise and the God or the Allah. So, it is no surprise that high percentages were shown in Turkey and Egypt.
However, it is a little surprise that most of major European countries show less than 50% for those who believe in the afterlife despite existence of the Vatican in Europe. In this context, the fact that more than two thirds of Americans believe in the afterlife is worth attentions.
Generally speaking, in East Asian countries such as Taiwan and Thailand under strong influence of Buddhism, more than a half of each population believe in the existence of the afterlife. However, in China under the Communist Party, people might not express their views supported by or linked to traditional religions. And, as Japan is highly Westernized, even in another survey, only 40% of the Japanese believe in the life after death, although most of the Japanese accept Buddhism.
However, because the Gospels are based on the notion that there is the afterlife and this doctrine of Christianity has been supported by many people, including the Vatican, for 2000 years, this notion should be reliable. Otherwise, we have to judge that there is no God and Christ Jesus is a liar, which cannot be accepted if we look back to the 2000 year history.
Nonetheless, it is not easy for a living man to see the afterlife or spiritual entities who usually live in the spirit world except in the near-death-experiences, etc. reported by Kübler-Ross, Moody, etc. And, though since Socrates and Plato in ancient Greece the relationship between this world and the spiritual world has been focused on by scholars and scientists, the modern science has not succeeded in clarifying what the spirit world is or our consciousness is.
According to some medical scientists, a human being is made of the material body, sensation, emotion, intelligence, and a soul. If a man dies in this world, a soul leaves the physical body to become a spirit that lives in the spirit world. And a spirit will have a spiritual body with memory of life in the material world, according to the Bible. And, it seems that spirts can communicate with living men in certain situations such as the case when the God allows it.
Put simply, if the God approves, the mankind will be able to scientifically understand what the afterlife is or whether spiritual entities exist such as spirits of dead men, Angels, evil spirits, Satan, etc. Till then, we have to read the Gospels and strengthen our faith in the God and Christ Jesus for our salvation in the afterlife.
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John 8, King James Version
8 Jesus went unto the mount of Olives.
2 And early in the morning he came again into the temple, and all the people came unto him; and he sat down, and taught them.
3 And the scribes and Pharisees brought unto him a woman taken in adultery; and when they had set her in the midst,
4 They say unto him, Master, this woman was taken in adultery, in the very act.
5 Now Moses in the law commanded us, that such should be stoned: but what sayest thou?
6 This they said, tempting him, that they might have to accuse him. But Jesus stooped down, and with his finger wrote on the ground, as though he heard them not.