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Totoo ba na may Reincarnation?
- Thread starter aspie
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Do You Believe That You Have Lived Before?
“The return to life is an actual fact, and it is a fact that the living are generated from the dead and that the souls of the dead exist.”—PLATO, GREEK PHILOSOPHER, 5TH CENTURY B.C.E., QUOTING “SOCRATES.”
“Since the soul is not found without body and yet is not body, it may be in one body or in another, and pass from body to body.”—GIORDANO BRUNO, ITALIAN PHILOSOPHER, 16TH CENTURY C.E.
“Nothing is dead: men feign themselves dead . . . and there they stand looking out of the window, sound and well, in some new and strange disguise.”—RALPH WALDO EMERSON, AMERICAN ESSAYIST AND POET, 19TH CENTURY C.E.
HAVE you ever wondered who you really are? Have you ever imagined that you have lived before? If so, you are not alone. Since early times, people from both Eastern and Western cultures have pondered such questions. In their search for answers, some have turned to a belief called reincarnation. This is the idea that when a person dies, an intangible “soul” leaves the body and is reborn in another body—human, animal, or even plant—in one or more successive existences.
While such a belief may satisfy some people, how can we be sure whether it is true? What does God’s Word, the Bible, have to say about it? First, though, we must ask, Where did the idea come from?
Where Did Reincarnation Originate?
According to historians and scholars, the inhabitants of ancient Babylon, a city founded in the latter part of the third millennium B.C.E., toyed with the idea of the immortality of the human soul. The problem of immortality “engaged the serious attention of the Babylonian theologians,” said Morris Jastrow, Jr., in his book The Religion of Babylonia and Assyria. To the Babylonians, “death was a passage to another kind of life,” he explained. “No doubt, the impossibility for the individual to conceive of himself as forever deprived of consciousness, was at the bottom of the primitive theory of the perpetuity of existence in some form.”
From that beginning in Babylon, teachings on the transmigration and rebirth of the soul also began to develop in other parts of the ancient world. Indian philosophers formulated an elaborate belief system around a cycle of rebirths based on the law of cause and effect, or Karma. Influential Greek philosophers also adopted the idea of reincarnation, giving it wide appeal.
Coming to our time, there has been a surge of interest in reincarnation in Western countries. Celebrities and the younger generation have become fascinated with Eastern religious ideas and practices. Today, there is a profusion of books and Internet sites that discuss the significance of supposed past-life experiences. Fast becoming popular in many countries is what has been called past-life therapy. It promotes the use of hypnosis to explore people’s presumed previous lives in an effort to understand their present health and behavior patterns.
Is Reincarnation True?
Even though belief in reincarnation has ancient roots, surely an answer is needed to the foremost question—Is it true? And Christians would want to know if that belief is consistent with Bible-based Christian faith. (John 17:17) Since our Creator, Jehovah God, is the Source of life and “a Revealer of secrets,” he discloses things about life and death otherwise unknown to humans. We can confidently look to his Word, the Bible, for answers on the subject.—Daniel 2:28; Acts 17:28.
God’s answers can be easily identified when we allow the Bible to interpret itself. For example, at Genesis 3:19, we find God’s words to Adam after Adam and Eve disobeyed him. God said: “In the sweat of your face you will eat bread until you return to the ground, for out of it you were taken. For dust you are and to dust you will return.” Adam was created from the dust. At death, he returned to the dust. That was God’s clear statement on the matter. So at death a person is not reborn as someone else but ceases to exist. * Just as heat and cold, dry and wet, light and dark are opposites, death is the opposite of life. The dead are really dead! Isn’t that simple and logical?
Recollections of past lives must therefore have other explanations. The workings of the human mind, including the subconscious, and the effects of medication or traumatic experiences are still not fully understood. Dreams and imagined events based on the colossal amount of information stored in the memory bank of the brain can be so vivid that they appear to be real. In some cases, wicked spirit forces create uncanny experiences that can make the unreal appear real.—1 Samuel 28:7-19.
It is a natural human desire to want to live and to know about the future. But where did that desire come from? Interestingly, the Bible says regarding the Creator: “He has also set eternity in the hearts of men.” (Ecclesiastes 3:11, New International Version) Hence, humans have a heartfelt desire to live indefinitely.
If our Creator, Jehovah God, has put the desire to live forever in the hearts of men, it is only logical that he would also explain how that desire can be satisfied. The Bible reveals the Creator’s lofty purpose to bless obedient humans with everlasting life on a paradise earth. “The righteous themselves will possess the earth, and they will reside forever upon it,” said the inspired psalmist, King David. (Psalm 37:29) A primary Bible doctrine inseparably linked with God’s eternal purpose is the resurrection of the dead.—Acts 24:15; 1 Corinthians 15:16-19.
Resurrection—The Proven Hope for the Dead
The Bible contains eight eyewitness accounts of people being raised from the dead back to life on earth. * These were cases of resurrection, not reincarnation. The ones brought back from the dead were immediately recognized by family and friends. In no case did the relatives need to search among newborns near and far to try and ascertain if one of the infants was the reincarnated soul of their dead loved one.—John 11:43-45.
Reassuringly, God’s Word indicates that the vast majority of those who have died will come back in the resurrection of the dead in God’s new world, which will soon replace this wicked world here on earth. (2 Peter 3:13, 14) Right now, the life patterns of billions of individuals are preserved in the limitless, perfect memory of Jehovah, the God who even remembers the names of all the stars! (Psalm 147:4; Revelation 20:13) When he restores successive generations of people to life in his new world, they will be able to trace their family tree and personally get to know their ancestors. What a fascinating, thrilling prospect!
A Superior Hope
Rather than trying to piece together a doubtful framework of past-life experiences shrouded in mystery, why not take time to examine the Bible’s teaching on the resurrection? It provides truly satisfying answers now and great comfort in times of sadness.
For example, Theodore was deeply grieved after losing Rosemarie, his beloved wife of 44 years. He said: “I know Rosemarie is in the safest place possible—Jehovah’s memory. The Biblical accounts of the resurrection are so sure, with so many witnesses to testify that they actually occurred, that I am waiting to hear Jesus say, as he did to Lazarus: ‘Rosemarie, come on out!’”
Costas and Maria were tragically bereaved of their 20-month-old daughter because of a genetic disorder. Maria says: “The death of Evi, our daughter, was truly painful. From that time on, we have had a much deeper understanding of suffering, death, and the resurrection. Bible verses such as Isaiah 33:24; 35:5, 6; and Revelation 21:4, 5 mean so much more to us! Yes, Jehovah has been a loving Father in giving us the sure hope of the resurrection.”
The Bible’s answers to questions about life and death come directly from our Creator. Like Theodore, Costas, and Maria, you too can have a trustworthy hope for the future if you build it on the rocklike foundation of God’s Word. It can never lie!—Titus 1:2.
“The return to life is an actual fact, and it is a fact that the living are generated from the dead and that the souls of the dead exist.”—PLATO, GREEK PHILOSOPHER, 5TH CENTURY B.C.E., QUOTING “SOCRATES.”
“Since the soul is not found without body and yet is not body, it may be in one body or in another, and pass from body to body.”—GIORDANO BRUNO, ITALIAN PHILOSOPHER, 16TH CENTURY C.E.
“Nothing is dead: men feign themselves dead . . . and there they stand looking out of the window, sound and well, in some new and strange disguise.”—RALPH WALDO EMERSON, AMERICAN ESSAYIST AND POET, 19TH CENTURY C.E.
HAVE you ever wondered who you really are? Have you ever imagined that you have lived before? If so, you are not alone. Since early times, people from both Eastern and Western cultures have pondered such questions. In their search for answers, some have turned to a belief called reincarnation. This is the idea that when a person dies, an intangible “soul” leaves the body and is reborn in another body—human, animal, or even plant—in one or more successive existences.
While such a belief may satisfy some people, how can we be sure whether it is true? What does God’s Word, the Bible, have to say about it? First, though, we must ask, Where did the idea come from?
Where Did Reincarnation Originate?
According to historians and scholars, the inhabitants of ancient Babylon, a city founded in the latter part of the third millennium B.C.E., toyed with the idea of the immortality of the human soul. The problem of immortality “engaged the serious attention of the Babylonian theologians,” said Morris Jastrow, Jr., in his book The Religion of Babylonia and Assyria. To the Babylonians, “death was a passage to another kind of life,” he explained. “No doubt, the impossibility for the individual to conceive of himself as forever deprived of consciousness, was at the bottom of the primitive theory of the perpetuity of existence in some form.”
From that beginning in Babylon, teachings on the transmigration and rebirth of the soul also began to develop in other parts of the ancient world. Indian philosophers formulated an elaborate belief system around a cycle of rebirths based on the law of cause and effect, or Karma. Influential Greek philosophers also adopted the idea of reincarnation, giving it wide appeal.
Coming to our time, there has been a surge of interest in reincarnation in Western countries. Celebrities and the younger generation have become fascinated with Eastern religious ideas and practices. Today, there is a profusion of books and Internet sites that discuss the significance of supposed past-life experiences. Fast becoming popular in many countries is what has been called past-life therapy. It promotes the use of hypnosis to explore people’s presumed previous lives in an effort to understand their present health and behavior patterns.
Is Reincarnation True?
Even though belief in reincarnation has ancient roots, surely an answer is needed to the foremost question—Is it true? And Christians would want to know if that belief is consistent with Bible-based Christian faith. (John 17:17) Since our Creator, Jehovah God, is the Source of life and “a Revealer of secrets,” he discloses things about life and death otherwise unknown to humans. We can confidently look to his Word, the Bible, for answers on the subject.—Daniel 2:28; Acts 17:28.
God’s answers can be easily identified when we allow the Bible to interpret itself. For example, at Genesis 3:19, we find God’s words to Adam after Adam and Eve disobeyed him. God said: “In the sweat of your face you will eat bread until you return to the ground, for out of it you were taken. For dust you are and to dust you will return.” Adam was created from the dust. At death, he returned to the dust. That was God’s clear statement on the matter. So at death a person is not reborn as someone else but ceases to exist. * Just as heat and cold, dry and wet, light and dark are opposites, death is the opposite of life. The dead are really dead! Isn’t that simple and logical?
Recollections of past lives must therefore have other explanations. The workings of the human mind, including the subconscious, and the effects of medication or traumatic experiences are still not fully understood. Dreams and imagined events based on the colossal amount of information stored in the memory bank of the brain can be so vivid that they appear to be real. In some cases, wicked spirit forces create uncanny experiences that can make the unreal appear real.—1 Samuel 28:7-19.
It is a natural human desire to want to live and to know about the future. But where did that desire come from? Interestingly, the Bible says regarding the Creator: “He has also set eternity in the hearts of men.” (Ecclesiastes 3:11, New International Version) Hence, humans have a heartfelt desire to live indefinitely.
If our Creator, Jehovah God, has put the desire to live forever in the hearts of men, it is only logical that he would also explain how that desire can be satisfied. The Bible reveals the Creator’s lofty purpose to bless obedient humans with everlasting life on a paradise earth. “The righteous themselves will possess the earth, and they will reside forever upon it,” said the inspired psalmist, King David. (Psalm 37:29) A primary Bible doctrine inseparably linked with God’s eternal purpose is the resurrection of the dead.—Acts 24:15; 1 Corinthians 15:16-19.
Resurrection—The Proven Hope for the Dead
The Bible contains eight eyewitness accounts of people being raised from the dead back to life on earth. * These were cases of resurrection, not reincarnation. The ones brought back from the dead were immediately recognized by family and friends. In no case did the relatives need to search among newborns near and far to try and ascertain if one of the infants was the reincarnated soul of their dead loved one.—John 11:43-45.
Reassuringly, God’s Word indicates that the vast majority of those who have died will come back in the resurrection of the dead in God’s new world, which will soon replace this wicked world here on earth. (2 Peter 3:13, 14) Right now, the life patterns of billions of individuals are preserved in the limitless, perfect memory of Jehovah, the God who even remembers the names of all the stars! (Psalm 147:4; Revelation 20:13) When he restores successive generations of people to life in his new world, they will be able to trace their family tree and personally get to know their ancestors. What a fascinating, thrilling prospect!
A Superior Hope
Rather than trying to piece together a doubtful framework of past-life experiences shrouded in mystery, why not take time to examine the Bible’s teaching on the resurrection? It provides truly satisfying answers now and great comfort in times of sadness.
For example, Theodore was deeply grieved after losing Rosemarie, his beloved wife of 44 years. He said: “I know Rosemarie is in the safest place possible—Jehovah’s memory. The Biblical accounts of the resurrection are so sure, with so many witnesses to testify that they actually occurred, that I am waiting to hear Jesus say, as he did to Lazarus: ‘Rosemarie, come on out!’”
Costas and Maria were tragically bereaved of their 20-month-old daughter because of a genetic disorder. Maria says: “The death of Evi, our daughter, was truly painful. From that time on, we have had a much deeper understanding of suffering, death, and the resurrection. Bible verses such as Isaiah 33:24; 35:5, 6; and Revelation 21:4, 5 mean so much more to us! Yes, Jehovah has been a loving Father in giving us the sure hope of the resurrection.”
The Bible’s answers to questions about life and death come directly from our Creator. Like Theodore, Costas, and Maria, you too can have a trustworthy hope for the future if you build it on the rocklike foundation of God’s Word. It can never lie!—Titus 1:2.
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Thousands of years of talk, like the resurrection, all without an iota of proof. It's a good source of business, though, so don't expect it to die soon.
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I'm confused which one should I believed.
but I believed in GOD.
but I believed in GOD.
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Reincarnation is real daw =)
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One thing that is really striking is how from ages back, humanity has played with the idea of something from humans surviving death to another level, perhaps another dimension. It is all from fear of death, and wily, clever people have made big business catering to that fear, placating people with ideas of resurrection and reincarnation. Nothing bad there, as some people seem to handle death better if they think there could be a life for them again from the hereabouts.
Yet while this is all going on, humanity has now come up with the science and technology to print entire DNA/RNA sequences and teleport them elsewhere. It's in early infancy, but it allows us to think into the future where we could send probes/drones all over the universe equipped with such printers in microforms and seed life all over the universe. And who knows if life on Earth did not start that way, initiated by some advanced civilizations from some pocket of the universe somewhere?
And of course right now, humanity stands on the brink of realistically achieving immortality in many ways: capturing any individual profile and reassembling him/her anywhere in the universe where life is possible, or even peopling an entire planet with clones.
And we're not even talking of other life extension technologies in the work right now, like DNA editing where humanity stands on the brink of achieving agelessness by making genes regenerate themselves forever.
So all in all it's ironic that we still hold on to some mystical beliefs while real sciences forge ahead and offer us humans now the chance to achieve what those mystical beliefs in immortality have been making all along. Peace, hehe.
Yet while this is all going on, humanity has now come up with the science and technology to print entire DNA/RNA sequences and teleport them elsewhere. It's in early infancy, but it allows us to think into the future where we could send probes/drones all over the universe equipped with such printers in microforms and seed life all over the universe. And who knows if life on Earth did not start that way, initiated by some advanced civilizations from some pocket of the universe somewhere?
And of course right now, humanity stands on the brink of realistically achieving immortality in many ways: capturing any individual profile and reassembling him/her anywhere in the universe where life is possible, or even peopling an entire planet with clones.
And we're not even talking of other life extension technologies in the work right now, like DNA editing where humanity stands on the brink of achieving agelessness by making genes regenerate themselves forever.So all in all it's ironic that we still hold on to some mystical beliefs while real sciences forge ahead and offer us humans now the chance to achieve what those mystical beliefs in immortality have been making all along. Peace, hehe.
Does the Bible Teach Reincarnation?
The Bible’s answer
No, it does not. Neither the word “reincarnation” nor the idea appears in the Bible. Belief in reincarnation is based on the teaching of the immortality of the soul. * However, the Bible teaches that the soul is the entire person and is thus mortal. (Genesis 2:7, footnote; Ezekiel 18:4) At death, a person ceases to exist.—Genesis 3:19; Ecclesiastes 9:5, 6.
What is the difference between reincarnation and resurrection?
The Bible’s teaching of the resurrection is not based on the immortality of the soul. In the resurrection, people who have died will be brought back into existence by God’s power. (Matthew 22:23, 29; Acts 24:15) The resurrection offers the positive hope of coming back to a new earth with the prospect of never dying again.—2 Peter 3:13; Revelation 21:3, 4.
Misconceptions about reincarnation and the Bible
Misconception: The Bible says that the prophet Elijah was reincarnated as John the Baptist.
Fact: God foretold: “I am sending to you Elijah the prophet,” and Jesus showed that John the Baptist fulfilled this prophecy. (Malachi 4:5, 6; Matthew 11:13, 14) However, this did not mean that Elijah had been reincarnated as John the Baptist. John himself said that he was not Elijah. (John 1:21) Instead, John performed a work like Elijah’s, proclaiming God’s message calling for repentance. (1 Kings 18:36, 37; Matthew 3:1) John also proved to be “strong and mighty like the prophet Elijah.”—Luke 1:13-17, Good News Translation.
Misconception: The Bible refers to reincarnation as being “born again.”
Fact: The Bible shows that being born again is a spiritual rebirth that takes place while a person is still alive. (John 1:12, 13) This rebirth is, not an inevitable consequence of past actions, but a blessing from God, giving those who receive it a unique hope for the future.—John 3:3; 1 Peter 1:3, 4.
The Bible’s answer
No, it does not. Neither the word “reincarnation” nor the idea appears in the Bible. Belief in reincarnation is based on the teaching of the immortality of the soul. * However, the Bible teaches that the soul is the entire person and is thus mortal. (Genesis 2:7, footnote; Ezekiel 18:4) At death, a person ceases to exist.—Genesis 3:19; Ecclesiastes 9:5, 6.
What is the difference between reincarnation and resurrection?
The Bible’s teaching of the resurrection is not based on the immortality of the soul. In the resurrection, people who have died will be brought back into existence by God’s power. (Matthew 22:23, 29; Acts 24:15) The resurrection offers the positive hope of coming back to a new earth with the prospect of never dying again.—2 Peter 3:13; Revelation 21:3, 4.
Misconceptions about reincarnation and the Bible
Misconception: The Bible says that the prophet Elijah was reincarnated as John the Baptist.
Fact: God foretold: “I am sending to you Elijah the prophet,” and Jesus showed that John the Baptist fulfilled this prophecy. (Malachi 4:5, 6; Matthew 11:13, 14) However, this did not mean that Elijah had been reincarnated as John the Baptist. John himself said that he was not Elijah. (John 1:21) Instead, John performed a work like Elijah’s, proclaiming God’s message calling for repentance. (1 Kings 18:36, 37; Matthew 3:1) John also proved to be “strong and mighty like the prophet Elijah.”—Luke 1:13-17, Good News Translation.
Misconception: The Bible refers to reincarnation as being “born again.”
Fact: The Bible shows that being born again is a spiritual rebirth that takes place while a person is still alive. (John 1:12, 13) This rebirth is, not an inevitable consequence of past actions, but a blessing from God, giving those who receive it a unique hope for the future.—John 3:3; 1 Peter 1:3, 4.
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haven't you heard the story of shanti devi? tungkol sa istorya ng isang babae sa india na naalala niya ang past life niya at the age of 4. may book na na-publish about sa kanya. di ko pa din nabasa yung book nakuwento lang sakin ng friend ko
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^
The Council of 451 by the Church actually upheld reincarnation as a fundamental dogma. Know the history of your religion, not just in its current form.
The reason the Church did away with reincarnation was fear of diminishing wealth: the priests’ source of wealth could have been in danger if people believed that they would come back to life many times; the bishops came to be afraid of the knowledge which could prove that the institution of the Church wasn't the only option to bring “eternal life” to people. During the Middle Ages, the growing Christian religion faced new unexpected problems. With the rising number of priests, bishops, parishes, and churches the new religious structure needed more money. Due to these needs, they also invented celibacy, to allow the church to own everything what belonged to their priests. Another aspect which made the Church even more resistant in allowing the belief in reincarnation was related to the Crusades. During the Crusades, people were offering all they had to the Church and fought in the name of Jesus. The religious fighters may have been less intent to lose their lives for their religion if they thought they would be reborn in the future.
When the Inquisition started to kill people for crimes of heresy and witchcraft, the religious society remained silent. Although they were losing neighbors, friends, and family, the Christians believed that it was necessary to stay on the right side of the Church and Inquisition if they wanted to go to Heaven. A belief in the rules of karma and reincarnation wouldn't have allowed the leaders of the Inquisition to hurt so many people.
The Council of 451 by the Church actually upheld reincarnation as a fundamental dogma. Know the history of your religion, not just in its current form.
The reason the Church did away with reincarnation was fear of diminishing wealth: the priests’ source of wealth could have been in danger if people believed that they would come back to life many times; the bishops came to be afraid of the knowledge which could prove that the institution of the Church wasn't the only option to bring “eternal life” to people. During the Middle Ages, the growing Christian religion faced new unexpected problems. With the rising number of priests, bishops, parishes, and churches the new religious structure needed more money. Due to these needs, they also invented celibacy, to allow the church to own everything what belonged to their priests. Another aspect which made the Church even more resistant in allowing the belief in reincarnation was related to the Crusades. During the Crusades, people were offering all they had to the Church and fought in the name of Jesus. The religious fighters may have been less intent to lose their lives for their religion if they thought they would be reborn in the future.
When the Inquisition started to kill people for crimes of heresy and witchcraft, the religious society remained silent. Although they were losing neighbors, friends, and family, the Christians believed that it was necessary to stay on the right side of the Church and Inquisition if they wanted to go to Heaven. A belief in the rules of karma and reincarnation wouldn't have allowed the leaders of the Inquisition to hurt so many people.
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People who have died are unconscious. “The living know that they are to die, but the dead no longer know anything.” (Ecclesiastes 9:5, NAB) A person who has died cannot feel anything and therefore cannot be cleansed by any fire of purgatory.
There is no punishment for sins after a person dies. The Bible says that “the wages of sin is death” and that “a dead person has been absolved from sin.” (Romans 6:7, 23, NAB) Death is the full and complete punishment for sin.
There is no punishment for sins after a person dies. The Bible says that “the wages of sin is death” and that “a dead person has been absolved from sin.” (Romans 6:7, 23, NAB) Death is the full and complete punishment for sin.
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Reincarnation, like Karma, is not a Christian doctrine.
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