ESSAY:

1. Compare the legal-medical, religious, and existential definitions of death

and explain in one paragraph the possible reasons of their distinct definitions.

Using the legal-medical definition, death is no longer just the absence of

heartbeat and breathing. A patient who is breathing and whose heart is
functioning through medical machines may no longer have any brain activity,
which according to the new definition is already dead. Death for most, if not
all, religion is simply a biological and medical incident where the brain or the
vital organs stop functioning. The religious meaning of death, which is
considered widespread among religions, is based on the concept of an
afterlife. Because of an afterlife, death is now defined as a transition- a shift
from the earthly life to the life after earthly death. There is something in the
human person which persists after death. However, the existentialists are
against the idea of the afterlife as the central aspect of death primarily
because it takes away the focus of the person to what is actual and concrete-
to human existence. The attention being given by the living to the afterlife
tries to rob the actual world of its meaning and value.

The legal-medical, religious and existential definitions of death

completely vary and contradict with each other simply because they perceive
death using different basis. In the legal medical definition, death is defined as
to the physical component of our body only. On the other hand, the religious
definition focuses on what happens to our soul after experiencing earthly
death and the existential definition focuses on the human mind, on how it
should focus and concrete human existence.

2. Do you accept the religious definition of death as a transition from this life
to the afterlife? What significance will the acceptance or non-acceptance of
this definition make into your life as a human person living here on earth?

As a Christian, I accept the religious definition of death as a transition

from this life to the afterlife. It is because God himself promised us paradise
after our life here on earth and that can all be found on the Holy Scriptures.
The acceptance of that definition would make one live her life according to
what God wants him or her to do and therefore it will lead him or her to an
eternal life after his or her death in the physical world. Believing this
definition would also mean believing in the Creator. The ignorance of this
definition would lead to a misleaded life, in my personal opinion. The tendency
is that a person would do all the things that he/she believes will give him/her
the happiness and pleasures in this life. The phrase “YOLO” (You only live
once) might be used as an excuse to disregard doing what is right. This will
give a life away from God.