Roman Catholicism has been around for a long time, nearly 2000 years. Due to this long history, tradition plays a very important role in this belief. Roman Catholicism's distinctive tradition is the backbone to their beliefs and rituals of death and afterlife. These beliefs explain to them the ways to achieve this afterlife, what is waiting for them in the afterlife and how they could be denied heaven.
Catholics believe first in the nature of God. The bible reveals in a special way God's inmost personality, what he is really like. He is an awesome, sovereign Lord, is generous, accepting and selflessly shares with innumerable creatures the life that is his alone by right. He is upholding of the moral law yet remarkably is non judgmental, wants to forgive not punish.
Second is the nature of human beings. Created in the image of God, more like him than anything else that exists. We are destined to share his own unlimited life and felicity. Roman Catholicism believes in the basic goodness of human nature.
Third, existence of the Devil is essential. Such a belief gives an explanation for the pervasive evil that infects our world. Even with such a creature the biblical God reigns, supreme and serene, unthreatened by hostile forces.
Fourth, the meaning of suffering. Christianity acknowledges a God who is all-powerful and good. Suffering in contrast is both real and evil, in itself the opposite of fulfilled living. But God remains in charge of his creations. God doesn't cause suffering and hurt, but like a loving parent allows it to exist for its potential to further human growth. These four previous points are the building blocks of the Catholic religion and their beliefs of personal growth.
Belief in life after death is at the heart of Catholic faith, along with resurrection of the body. Death is not an unnatural thing; it is something already due by creation. We receive death as the final, undeserved and unmerited, gift from God by reason of Jesus" death and resurrection.
