| Does reincarnation go against all Christian biblical beliefs?
Posted: 11/12/2005 1:07:42 PM | Yeah, but if reincarnation beliefs are true, then the karma you create will affect your life in the future and your next lives. If this is the case, then it would be a good idea to live a life that would benefit you and others the most under karma rules. It is always good to live your life with good morals whether there is a God of Jesus and/or reincarnation or not, yet it is a fascinating topic which has many unanswered questions, which are worthy of exploration!! And though hard core bible thumpers may say I will go to hell if I look at anything other than the Christian way, I believe God will not condemn me for having a curious mind!!!  | |
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| Does reincarnation go against all Christian biblical beliefs?
Posted: 11/12/2005 1:23:24 PM | I don't think reincarnation is spelled out...perhaps hinted at in the Bible?
As he went along, he saw a man blind from birth. His disciples asked him, "Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?" John 9:1-2, NIV
The disciples wanted to know the reason for the man's blindness. They offered two possibilities to Jesus. Either the man was blind because of the sins of his parents or he was blind because he was reaping the fruit of his own sins (karma). If our souls do not exist prior to this birth and if the man was born blind, then when or where could he have committed the sins that caused his blindness? His soul would have existed prior to that birth and he would have been engaged in a corporeal setting with other people to commit sins against or with. In other words, the blind man had a previous life. | |
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| Does reincarnation go against all Christian biblical beliefs?
Posted: 11/12/2005 1:25:51 PM | Good call Sweet, I never thought of that line in the Bible.
There is also the fact that God says he will punish a man through all generations. It makes me wonder if he doesnt' mean his reincarnated soul instead of the children that follow his/her line. | |
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| Does reincarnation go against all Christian biblical beliefs?
Posted: 11/12/2005 2:53:32 PM | I have never heard of any of the mainstream Christian churches teaching about reincarnation. Reincarnation seems to belong more to the Eastern religions.
Essentially, the mainstream Christian churches teach that you have this one life to live and then you are judged. End of story. Do not pass Go. Do not collect $200.
As for what the various splinter Christian churches teach, I have no idea. There are too many to count. I also can't answer to what individual "Christians" believe as many seem to take a "cafeteria" style to their religion, picking a mish-mash of assorted beliefs according to their own fancy. | |
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| Does reincarnation go against all Christian biblical beliefs?
Posted: 11/12/2005 2:54:08 PM |
Good call Sweet, I never thought of that line in the Bible.
There is also the fact that God says he will punish a man through all generations. It makes me wonder if he doesnt' mean his reincarnated soul instead of the children that follow his/her line.
Thanks..it's one of the more direct verses that makes you wonder rather than the usual verse about Elijah. | |
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| Does reincarnation go against all Christian biblical beliefs?
Posted: 11/12/2005 3:00:59 PM | Sweet Treat & SFL; very interesting points!!
Well know if some people didn't come back wouldn't the earths population get smaller not bigger? Or at least stay the same.
I don't think so, because new souls are set free from the storehouse all the time right? Unless of course one believes that ALL souls were created at the same time, and that no other souls are available to incarnate.
Then again, think of all the people that have been on the earth over the centuries! I couldn't even begin to guess at how many since the beginning of time. If there is no reincarnation, well the bible mentions specifically the dimensions of heaven, and even if the soul was only the size of a dime, there is just not enough room to house all the souls that have been on the earth since the beginning of time. | |
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| Does reincarnation go against all Christian biblical beliefs?
Posted: 11/12/2005 3:55:23 PM |
I don't think so, because new souls are set free from the storehouse all the time right? Unless of course one believes that ALL souls were created at the same time, and that no other souls are available to incarnate.
When you say this, you mean "the well of souls"? It is where all the new souls are waiting to be born. There is an archeological site in Jerusalem that supposedly houses the "well of souls".
Edgar Casey suggests that there are old souls and new souls; the old souls, are souls that have lived before: possibly hundreds of lives; new souls, are souls that are waiting to be born for the first time. Could Edgar Casey have meant the new souls were from the "well of souls"?
I don't think reincarnation is spelled out...perhaps hinted at in the Bible?
That is an excellent find and interpretation!! There are supposedly lots of little hints at it hear and there throughout the bible. The most powerful clues were taken out by the Vatican sometime in 500 AD. I've been trying like crazy to find one passage I found years ago about some king was supposedly the incarnate of some prophet, or something along those lines. I'm sorry I can't find that example for this thread. I'll keep looking!! Can anyone else out there find simular passages? | |
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| Does reincarnation go against all Christian biblical beliefs?
Posted: 11/12/2005 4:04:50 PM | | Happening you are correct! Reincarnation was taught in the Roman Catholic Church until 553 A.D. when it was voted out (3-2) at the Council of Constantinople. I'm not sure of the exact passage you are speaking of...hrm.... if you find it though please post it, I'd be interested in reading it. Thanks! | |
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| Does reincarnation go against all Christian biblical beliefs?
Posted: 11/12/2005 5:36:35 PM |
God bless you!! Just when you start feeling a bit like an idiot, someone like you comes along!!! I can't say I'm the most religious guy around, but it does interest me, as well as other beliefs, which I believe ties into eachother one way or another, and all pointing to the One God all Christians believe in!! You are an ,thank you very much!!!
No problem! I'm the same way I love learning about other cultures and religions... it's really interesting to educate yourself on them, even if you don't beleive in them..it's neat to see where your fellow man is coming from:) | |
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| Does reincarnation go against all Christian biblical beliefs?
Posted: 11/12/2005 8:04:47 PM | From what I gathered it was for all Christian denominations.
Now, Jesus says that he is...but when John the Baptist is asked if he is Elias, he says no he isn't.
Some of the churches try and explain it away as, John had the same qualitys as Elias but wasn't reincarnated.
I'm sure you can do a web search on it. | |
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| Does reincarnation go against all Christian biblical beliefs?
Posted: 11/14/2005 10:01:50 PM | Yes, there was a Council of Constantinople in 553 A.D. in Constantinople. However, reincarnation was not an issue. When we look at the councils that occured AROUND that period, we find the two Ecumenical Councils of Nicea in 325 and 787 A.D. which took place in, you guessed it, Nicea. They did not discuss reincarnation either. When we review all the councils BEFORE that period, again, reincarnation was not discussed at all. As far as what happened afterwards, I have no data at present. If I have the time to look, I'll let you know.
Meantime, here is some data:
"Reincarnation" by James Akin
http://www.catholic.com/thisrock/2000/0003frs.asp
You'll find this passage:
The origin of Shirley MacLaine’s mistaken notion that Origen taught reincarnation is probably Reincarnation in Christianity by Geddes MacGregor—a book published by the Theosophical Publishing House in 1978. The author speculates that Origen’s texts written in support of the belief in reincarnation somehow disappeared or were suppressed. Admitting he has no evidence, MacGregor nonetheless asserts: "I am convinced he taught reincarnation in some form" (58). You may judge from the passages below whether this seems likely.
As far as the thought that some bible passages seems to indicate a belief in reincarnation...there are many words in the bible...and how we choose to interpret them is not necessarily what God was trying to say.
Some have quoted the following passages as proof that reincarnation was believed in the early days: "Who do people say I am?", "some say you are John the Baptist, some Elijah," etc. I do not find this proof compelling. I'm quite certain that people 2000 years ago were intelligent enough to realize that was impossible for Jesus to be a reincarnated John the Baptist. John the Baptist was killed a scant six months earlier. I've never heard of anyone dying, being reincarnated, and growing to adulthood quite THAT quickly! 
About this "elias" thing, I'm not sure which bible passage you're confused about. I do know that "Elias" is Greek for "Elijah", so they are both one in the same....unless someone was simply saying "Yahweh is my God" which is what the name means. Do you have the chapter and verse for that passage? I could see what I can dig up if you like. | |
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| Does reincarnation go against all Christian biblical beliefs?
Posted: 11/15/2005 5:09:07 AM |
"And as they were coming down the mountain, Jesus commanded them, "Tell no one the vision, until the Son of man is raised from the dead." And the disciples asked him, "Then why do the scribes say that first Eli'jah must come?" He replied, "Eli'jah does come, and he is to restore all things; but I tell you that Eli'jah has already come, and they did not know him, but did to him whatever they pleased. So also the Son of man will suffer at their hands." Then the disciples understood that he was speaking to them of John the Baptist. " ( Matt 17:9-13, RSV). | |
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| Does reincarnation go against all Christian biblical beliefs?
Posted: 11/15/2005 6:06:55 AM | There is also this verse in the bible.
Him that overcometh will I make a pillar in the temple of my God, and he shalll go no more out... (Revelation 3:12). (Authorized King James Version).
The statement, "he shall go no more out," suggests that the norm, that is the usual expectation, is to go out repeatedly. This repeated going out stops only for those who have overcome, have conquered all sins, have passed the Last Judgment, have gained full spiritual maturity. | |
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| Does reincarnation go against all Christian biblical beliefs?
Posted: 11/15/2005 7:30:59 AM | Here's the biggest reason why Christianty doesn't embrace ANYTHING about reicarnation.Reincarnation teaches that the door to reformation is never closed,that the soul can pay his dues so to speak each time he reincarnates.
The Christian church wants you to believe that you have a limited time to make your decision and you only get ONE SHOT at it!Make your decision now because you never know when your number will be up and that's all she wrote.If you tell this convincingly enough over a long enough period of time,make sure it gets psychologically conditioned in people and that will insure that people will pack the church aisles and give their money.
If you could just "make it up in the next life"where is the urgency to join the church,pay your tithes and make your peace? | |
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| Does reincarnation go against all Christian biblical beliefs?
Posted: 11/15/2005 7:27:48 PM | | Wow!! This debates getting hot!! Lol!! It has been extremely fascinating to hear a lot of these replies. Much more than I was expecting! The reason I want to know if reincarnation has a place in the bible, is because I believe in Jesus and God to the very core of my being; and at the same time, I feel, deep within me, that reincarnation plays a major role in my existence. I have always felt, or been made to feel, like I was sinning with my thoughts of reincarnation. I now truly believe that it is not a sin or unchristian like to believe in reincarnation! Thanks everyone for their great input on this debate!! Keep your opinions rolling - good and bad!!! | |
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| Does reincarnation go against all Christian biblical beliefs?
Posted: 11/25/2005 4:05:55 PM | Taurus, I don't believe that the teachings on reincarnation say that you can just "make it up in the next life". As I understand it, they teach that you get what you deserve in the next life....and if you mess up, you'll be reincarnated a few times as the mosquito that gets squashed on the windshield or live as a human in squalid misery. However, do well and you get to live the good life, plush with riches and comforts.
Sounds like the motivation to be good is about as strong as in the christian faiths. Yes, Christianity talks about eternity instead of your next life....but for most of us, a lifetime is an eternity. | |
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| Does reincarnation go against all Christian biblical beliefs?
Posted: 11/25/2005 6:05:49 PM | | The problem with that theory is that, a life of luxury and easy living doesn't give much reason for growth. From what I understand, the most evolved souls will choose to incarnate into extremely difficult conditions to force growth. Makes you wonder about some of the homeless people that we pass on the street without giving them a second thought.... | |
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I can't say I'm the most religious guy around, but it does interest me, as well as other beliefs, which I believe ties into eachother one way or another, and all pointing to the One God all Christians believe in!! You are an 
