Essay On Aging And Religion

Through the process of aging, people are able to learn more about who they are as individuals and how that identity has fit into the society around them for the years that they have been alive. It is during this time that people begin to question what kind of meaning they have found in their lives. A critical aspect of this journey to self-awareness in older age is spirituality. Regardless of whether or not someone is affiliated with a particular religion, it can be seen that spirituality is an integral part of aging. What is the relationship between aging and spirituality? And how does this relationship influence the dying process? These are questions that many consider as they age and are important questions to ask in a society that is death …show more content…
One idea is that in a situation such as death that sometimes lacks stability or significance, religion can “transcend the dark side of suffering, functional disability, bereavement, sorrow, and the unfinished business of this present life” . As seen in the story of the woman who was dying of breast cancer, religion became a comfort for her as she was dying. In other cases where people have been diagnosed with terminal illness, research has found that faith can help the coping process by acting as a pillar of hope and it also assists in helping the person to let go . Research shows that when people are faced with the stages of grief, religion can give people hope, especially when they are first coming to terms with the death. This goes with the idea that if one believes in an afterlife, there is hope that you will see the individual again in one form or another. The way that faith helps people to say goodbye or to let go is by helping terminal individuals to realize the difference between an earthly world and a more spiritual world. It becomes easier for them to cut ties with their earthly connections if they have a belief in continuance after