Well lets outline what I belive. First I don't belive in an afterlife, reincarnation, ghosts, wandering souls, purgatory, or that you go straight to heaven or hell. I belive what the Bible says.
It says that when you die it is as if you are asleep. That you don't know anything. The Bible says when we die we are awaiting the second coming and when Jesus comes again than he will raise us up from the dead and we will acsend up to meet him. It is very clear about this and dosn't leave any room for misunderstanding. This means that there really isn't any after life so to say. There is Eternal life. That is what we will have when God takes us up to heaven. But we won't get there before the second coming.
Many people belive that you go straight to heaven or hell, this could not be true or the Bible would not say that we are dead in Christ and awaiting his return. Why would we need a second coming if we went to heaven as soon as we are dead?
Also by saying that we are dead in Christ and know nothing that means that there couldn't possible be any afterlife, or ghosts or reincarnation. After all if after we die we came back as something else than there wouldn't be anyone waiting for Christ to come resurect them. And the Bible clearly says that there are people who have died and will be resurected when he returns. Many of these ideas were stared because people did not want to think the the people the loved were simply rotting away in the earth. It helped them deal the loss to say "He's in a better palce, or he's with God" but these things are not true.
With so much Biblical proof for death being like sleep, and us awaiting Gods second return how can anyone belive any differant. Only by ignoring what the Bible says can that be done. There is hope for us, life does not end at death on this earth, but if you belive in God than there will be eteranl life. Just not right away. It will come when the Lord comes back and takes us all to Heaven at the same time.
