One of the greatest and oldest human mysteries on Earth is death and the fate that accompanies it. The inquisitive minds of human beings constantly wonder about the events that occur after death. No one really knows what happens after a person ceases to live in the world, except for the people who have died themselves. As a result, throughout history, people of diverse backgrounds, ethnicities, and religions have speculated and believed in many different possibilities as to the fate that awaits them beyond the world of the living. The great ambiguity of the afterlife is extremely ancient, so many different beliefs about it date back centuries. These beliefs go back as far as those of the ancient Egyptians, who described the journey taken by the dead to the land of Osiris; and the ancient Greeks' belief that all souls eventually end up in the realm of Hades, the Underworld. Throughout history, the opinions and beliefs of emerging religions continue to develop as human consciousness persists in finding answers to this ancient and unsolved mystery. Primary examples of diverse and distinct beliefs regarding death and the afterlife are found in the various denominations of Roman Catholicism, Islam, and Buddhism. The religion of Roman Catholicism paints an important picture of life after death. To begin with, the Roman Catholic Church believes in the right to give eternal life to its believers. A person's death simply ends his mortal life; the soul itself is eternal. Eternal life is determined by the person, by his acceptance or refusal of the divine grace of the Lord (Catholic Church 1021). Although the Church mainly speaks of the Last Judgment, the second coming of Christ, the...... middle of paper ......rlife/>.—. “The Islamic belief in the afterlife.” 2014. The Immortality Project. May 11, 2014, “Islamic beliefs about the afterlife.” April 28, 2013. Religious facts. May 11, 2014. Leatham, Jeremy. “The Islamic afterlife.” March 12, 2013. Faithology. May 11, 2014, “Secular Thoughts on Life After Death.” 2014. Beliefnet. May 12, 2014. Smith, Andrew. “Chapter Nine: Life After Death.” 2014. A Secular Vision of God. May 12, 2014. Wikipedia. “Zaqqum.” April 20, 2014. Wikipedia. May 11 2014 .