There are varying spiritual and religious beliefs – including:
- Christianity, Islam, Judaism (the Abrahamic faiths) – teach that the soul leaves the physical body at death and moves on to an after-life – heaven, hell, or resurrection.
- Hinduism and Buddhism – typically emphasise reincarnation where consciousness or karma continues in a new form or being.
- Spiritualism / other New Age Beliefs – suggest consciousness survives physical death continuing in spiritual dimensions or other forms of existence.
Although many people would like to believe in some sort of afterlife or rebirth. Many just assert an afterlife based on scripture, spiritual experiences and faith.
Humanists do not share these beliefs as there is no evidence for them. Instead they would want to remember those who died and use this to live their own lives fully, find meaning and happiness.
A humanist believes when they die that is the end of them – so they live this life as if it is the only one they have.
What's Humanism? 