Death
From CreationWiki, the encyclopedia of creation science
Death is the process by which an organism ceases to live. It is marked variously by the end of breathing, heartbeat, metabolism, and brain function, depending on which functions an organism has during life.
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Death In History
With two exceptions, all humans in recorded history that are not currently alive have suffered death. Those recorded exceptions are:
- Enoch, who lived in antediluvian times: "Enoch walked with God; then he was no more, because God took him away." Genesis 5:24.
- Elijah, a prophet of Israel: "As [Elijah and Elisha] were walking along and talking together, suddenly a chariot of fire and horses of fire appeared and separated the two of them, and Elijah went up to heaven in a whirlwind." 2 Kings 2:11.
A number of resurrections have been recorded: in recent times, people have been medically revived after having been dead for times ranging from seconds to several minutes. The Bible records the resurrection of several people: most notably Jesus, Lazarus, and a man raised from the dead by Paul after he fell from a building.
Causes Of Death
Death can be caused by any number of things. Sometimes the cause of death is obvious: as when an animal is physically destroyed so that its organs can no longer function. In the case of death by old age, however, the cause of death is unclear.
Scientists are not yet sure why organisms age and ultimately die. Cells within multicellular organisms die and are continually replaced throughout the organism's life. However, for some unknown reason, as the organism ages, its abilities to repair itself fade, and the organism deteriorates slowly, and dies.
Creationists track the ultimate cause of death back to the Fall of Man. There are different views about how death entered at the Fall.
- Some believe that prior to the fall of man, there was no death, for humans or animals. They believe that God brought some physiological or spiritual change to life on Earth as part of the punishment for eating the fruit.
- Others believe that prior to the fall, animals died just as they do today, but humans were spared from death by the Tree of Life, a tree in the garden of which Adam and Eve were allowed to eat, and which healed their bodies, allowing them to live forever. However, "after [Jehovah] drove the man out [of the Garden], he placed on the east side of the Garden of Eden cherubim and a flaming sword flashing back and forth to guard the way to the tree of life." (Gen 3:24). According to this view, Adam and Eve underwent no physical or spiritual change after they ate the fruit which caused them to die. God simply denied them (and all future generations) access to the Fruit of the Tree of Life which would have permitted us to live forever.
After Death
After death, an organism's body begins to undergo decay: cells and tissues break down, and (in many cases) other organisms begin to feed on the dead organism.
Life after death
Beyond the obvious observable decay of the body, there are a number of different views about what occurs to humans after death:
- Some believe that a human's soul or spirit is sent instantly to a spiritual Heaven, Hell, or Purgatory.
- Others believe that after death, humans await the final resurrection, at which time we will have glorified, physical bodies. When Jesus was resurrected, he had a physical body that the disciples were able to touch. In addition to having a physical body, Jesus also had abilities we lack, like the ability to appear in rooms without walking through doors, and the ability to physically ascend to heaven. Also, according to Mat 27:52, when Jesus died, "the graves were opened; and many bodies of the saints which slept arose, and came out of the graves after his resurrection, and went into the holy city, and appeared unto many."
- Others believe that after death, organisms simply cease to exist.
Human science does not yet have the tools to scientifically test or verify any of these possibilities. Creationists typically hold to one of the first two views, because of their faith in the words and promises of Jehovah, Jesus, and the prophets. Those who hold to the last view do so because they do not put credence in the promises of God or the prophets, and have no tangible first-hand evidence of life after death.
A number of what are called "near-death experiences" have been recorded by doctors throughout the world. In a near-death experience, a person who is very near death (as in a coma) or is medically dead experiences a floating sensation, as in they move out of their bodies and are able to see things that they shouldn't be able to see if they were unconcious. Often people have had a vision of travelling upwards through a tunnel with a light at the end, and when they get to the end it is usually a peaceful, pleasant place which is claimed to be heaven. However, some have experienced hell (those who have not experienced salvation). These experiences are usually taken as evidence for the afterlife, although some skeptics claim that it is scientifically explainable. But these have had extremely difficult times explaining near-death experiences, and often they choose to believe in the spiritual explanation.
Related References
- Death by Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy
- Death and Suffering Questions and Answers by Creation Ministries International
