Reincarnation

Today millions of intelligent people believe in the idea of reincarnation. This is the idea that after death the soul or life-force will eventually find its way into another body. There are many different and contradictory theories concerning how reincarnation works. One thing is sure however. If reincarnation is true, then death is not final. It is only the gateway to a new existence. Death, then, is therefore also relatively safe. There is no need to fear hell-fire or eternal judgment. This is comforting.

Most systems of thought which accept the idea of reincarnation also hold to the doctrine of karma. This is the doctrine that one reaps what one sows in future incarnations. Thus, if I am bad in this life, I might come back as a beggar in the next, or as a dog or a frog. If I am good, the law of karma will ensure that I come back in a more fortunate situation or as a more exalted being. The law of karma is unforgiving but totally fair and always results in everybody ultimately getting what they deserve. Hopefully next time they will learn their lesson and move upward on the karmic scale.

If the law of karma is true, then if someone has an easy life or many advantages, it is because they are being rewarded for what they did in past lives. If someone is poverty-stricken and diseased, it is believed that they have bad "karma" because of misdeeds in a previous life. It would be no use to help them - they would pay for their misdeeds anyway in a future life.

There are many variations on these ideas. The Hindu idea of reincarnation has animals - even insects - coming back as humans, and vice versa. There are therefore some groups in India who take precautions to avoid swallowing or accidentally killing bugs - who knows if that bug will come back as your grandson one day? Also, cows are seen as very exalted creatures. They are worshipped by millions of Hindus as gods and seen as higher than people in the scale of things. It is a fact that there are even temples in India where rats are worshipped.

The New Age movement, which draws on Hinduism for a lot of its ideas, teaches the doctrines of reincarnation and karma. Normally the idea that you have been or might one day be an animal are not promoted. The less pleasant ideas of karma and reincarnation are often played down or ignored altogether. There now even appears to be a short-cut for many. A number of NDE (near death experience) researchers are asking us to believe that when we die we will be instantly promoted to a sort of perfection and oneness with the Universal Consciousness known as the "Omega Point". Again, there is no need to fear hell or judgment.

Why do people believe in reincarnation? Here are some possible reasons.

1. Because they have been brought up to believe in it. They may have been brought up with Hindu, Buddhist or other religious ideas in which the concepts of reincarnation and karma have been accepted as fact.

2. They have had an experience of "deja-vu" and are convinced it is because of a memory of something they saw or knew in a previous life.

3. People under hypnosis have given detailed descriptions of things they never could have seen - things which they are supposed to have seen in a past life.

4. They want to believe it, because the Christian doctrine of hell-fire for the ungodly seems too cruel and unjust to be right.

5. Because they have been influenced by the teachings of the New Age movement, as they have come through various self-improvement seminars and Hollywood fantasies.

6. "Something" just tells them it is so. Some might be so bold as to say that their "spirit guide" told them it was so.

7. They have had an out-of-the-body experience in which they got in touch with what happened in their past. Having experienced such an amazing thing, they need not consider the dogmas and doctrines of theologians who declare it to be not so.

If you have a different reason for believing in reincarnation, I'd be interested in hearing from you. Write me an e-mail.
 

Objections to Reincarnation

1. The Bible teaches something quite different.

According to the Bible, "It is appointed unto man once to die, and after that the judgment" (Hebrews 9:27). It didn't say that there would be many chances. God's judgment is described in Revelation 21:8, "But the cowardly, unbelieving, abominable, murderers, sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters and all liars shall have their part in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death."

"And the smoke of their torment ascends forever and ever; and they have no rest, day or night, who worship the beast and its image, and whoever receives the mark of his name." (Revelation 14:11).

Some would object to this, stating that the Bible is wrong about many things, either because it never was right, or because it was changed. There are so many references to eternal judgment and no clear references to reincarnation in the Bible today, or for as long back as we have manuscripts. The idea that the Bible used to teach reincarnation is pure speculation. Jesus himself warned about hell many times in the gospels. He would not have done so if he knew reincarnation to be true.

When Jesus said of John the Baptist that he was "the Elijah which was to come and restore all things" (Matthew 17:11-13) he was referring to the function of Elijah in restoring the people of God back to the truth. He was referring to the spiritual empowerment and task that Elijah had to get God's people out of idol worship and back to God and His ways. This function has not been fully completed yet, since "all things" have not yet been restored. In one sense, the true church of Christ must also be an "Elijah" before the second coming of Christ. We don't have to see this passage as some endorsement of reincarnation at all. In fact, John the Baptist himself denied that he was Elijah (John 1:21), doubtless because if he had affirmed it, the people would not have understood correctly in what sense he was Elijah. In fact, they might have erroneously supposed that he was Elijah reincarnated.

2. Demons may be involved in the re-calling of supposed past lives.

The Bible teaches the existence of demons. Jesus said, "These signs will follow those who believe. In my name they will drive out demons." (Mark 16:17). I personally have had demons driven out of me, and have driven them out of others. There is definitely a flow of supernatural power when this happens which you can sense. There are often unusual manifestations. When demons are cast out, people's personality improves and sometimes diseases leave them. At times demons have taken over the features and voices of people I have known, and have talked out of them to me. Tens of thousands of Christians whose lives have been changed through a relationship with Jesus Christ can testify to the reality of battles with these unseen spiritual forces known as demons.

In fact, it is very likely that the "spirit guides" which so many are being encouraged to contact these days are nothing more than demons masquerading as wise and helpful departed spirits. Those with experience with "spirit guides" will have to admit that these spirits do sometimes lie to them and deceive them. They cannot always hide their true

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