SOCRATES' WORDS OF WISDOM
On the appointed day of his death, Socrates, at 70 years old, is in a jail in Athens, Greece. His friends and family are allowed to see him. Socrates calmly discusses matters of the afterlife before drinking the hemlock.
Socrates’ Parting Advice
“Such is the nature of things,” Socrates said. “When the dead arrive at the place to which each has been led by his guardian spirit, they are first judged as to whether they have led a good and pious life. Those who have led an average life make their way to the Acheron and embark upon such vessels as there are for them and proceed to the lake. There they are purified for any wrongdoings they may have committed. Those who are deemed incurable because of the enormity of their crimes – their fitting fate is to be hurled into Tartarus, never to emerge from it. Those who are deemed to have lived an extremely pious life are freed and released from the regions of the earth as from a prison.
Those having purified themselves sufficiently by philosophy make their way to even more beautiful dwelling places which it is hard to describe clearly.
Because of these things, one must make every effort to share in virtue and wisdom in one’s life, for the reward is beautiful and the hope is great.”
“Now the rest of you,” Socrates continued, “will each take that journey at some other time, but my fated day calls me now, as a tragic character might say. And it is about time for me to have my bath, for I think it better to have it before I drink the poison and save the women the trouble of washing the corpse.”
When Socrates had said this, Crito spoke, “Very well, Socrates, what are your instructions to me and the others about your children or anything else?”
“Nothing new,” said Socrates, “but what I am always saying, that you will please me and mine and yourselves by taking good care of your own selves in whatever you do.”
“We shall be eager to follow your advice,” said Crito,
“but how shall we bury you?”
“In any way you like if you can catch me and I do not escape you,”
Socrates said, laughing quietly. Then, looking at us, he said, “After I have drunk the poison, I shall no longer be with you, but will leave you to go and enjoy some good fortune of the blessed. I will not stay after I die, but I shall go away. You must be of good cheer and say that you are burying only my body, and bury it any way you like and think most customary.”
(From: https://socratesjourney.org/socrates-death-and-the-triumph-of-reason/ 2. Socrates' Death and the Triumph of Reason - The Socratic Journey of Faith and Reason (socratesjourney.org)
Socrates, as wise and brilliant as ever, nevetheless followed all the other religions of the world, save one, where, in sum, they ALL believe in works righteousness. And yes, I indeed HAVE read the Qu'ran twice, the Bhagavad Gita, the Buddhist canon, the Tao de Ching, Analects of Confucious, the Book of Mormon (which is closet Hinduism - "as we are now, God once was") even Black Elk Speak on Native American spirituality, which did differ among tribes, and the Norse Hamavall.
It is, everyone of them, works righteousness.
Except Jesus and the faith He inspired, which says in Ephesians 2 "For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast." And Socrates did miss the fact that even our very good actions are often tainted by self righteouness. The Bible is explicit that we are ALL of us, even the relatively good ones, still "dead in our trespasses and sin." And for a stone cold dead man, you don't give him CPR or tell him to "do better." In fact, he has no motivation to do better, particularly if he can just appear better, or fake it (aka Phariseeism). Rather, we need a new life imparted to us, by a God who loves us and died for us. Pretty simple, but an offense to many, because it tells us all, in our pride, that no, you in fact cannot do it. The answer? Ask Christ into your life, to live His life in us through His power. It does take humility though, which many refuse the offer of God for that reason.
As one PhD friend of mine, a Christian said, "If Christianity is a crutch, thank you, I'll take TWO please."
Please stay safe. Telling the truth these days has become a huge liability. Glad there are still some out there willing to do the right thing, and you are one of those people.