1. Tuesday, 06 December 2011
Why do non-religious people
believe in life after death?
Aims:
Explain why some non-religious people believe in life
after death
Explain why dome religious people reject the belief
in life after death
Describe one a film that show belief in the afterlife
Evaluate whether the film was fair to religious beliefs
or people

2. Why some non-religious people do not
believe in life after death?
• If death is the end, then • Mediums and other people
how can there be more? If who attempt to prove there
there is more, then it is not is an afterlife by tricking
the end and therefore not people
death • In an age where science
• There is no evidence for an explain the world, we
afterlife should not believe in things
• Religion offers no good that are unscientific.
reasons to believe in an • When a person dies their
afterlife body decays so how can
• Religious ideas may be they live again?
harmful • Life after death is simply
• Ideas about heaven and hell impossible – we are either
might be made up alive or dead

3. Ghost
Ghost is a film that essentially covers
the theme of life after death and is
about Sam (Patrick Swayze), his
girlfriend Molly (Demi Moore) and
their lives after Sam is murdered.
Sam's spirit tries to contact Molly and
reassure her he is all right but Molly
has no belief in the afterlife. As far as
she is concerned Sam is dead. When
Sam realises who is behind his death
his concern for Molly grows and he
becomes desperate to get through to
her. By chance he comes across Oda
Mae, a charlatan medium who is as
shocked as Sam is when she realises
in fact she can hear him and she does
have psychic abilities

4. Activities:
1. In the film Ghost, the way death is presented is similar
to that of immortality of the soul, although religious
beliefs about death are not mentioned at all in the film.
How could the film directors have included these
themes?
2. The medium explains that ghosts are trapped souls who
have unfinished business. In this film, the afterlife is a
reward or punishment for the actions committed during
a life. Can this take place without a God?
3. Write a list of other films, TV dramas or storylines in
soap operas that explore the issue of life after death.
Does the media represent the beliefs of religious people
fairly?
4. In your own words, outline why some people do not
believe in life after death.