The best one is the one that turns your attention back to God, that inspires you to make the changes you need to make, that lifts you up to a new level of consciousness, encourages you to live more kindly, more patiently, more servicefully, more considerately. It is the one that provides the surest and fastest route to direct personal communion with God. Everyone is There are some interesting possibilities actually. It is not so far fetched. And it definitely doesn’t conflict with any the teachings of Jesus. At first I thought it was far fetched because I had never heard of reincarnation and Christianity together. But I looked into it and it kind of made sense as I started to find more texts discussing the possibility and more Biblical passages which make so much simple sense of seen in terms of reincarnation. So before all the self-proclaimed master scholars of divinity go crazy at the notion, please at least consider these possibilities in terms of Biblical interpretation.
And understanding that reincarnation is not an endless cycle but a cycle determined by a soul’s efforts to return consciously and deliberately to its perfect state, the image of God, makes many of Christ’s teachings far more realistic. Let’s say reincarnation was part of the evolution of the soul, that instead of one life we had numerous lives to come back and try to make sense of it all, get it together, live life to "Be ye therefore perfect." Is it possible, in a single life, to do that? To live perfectly? Not partially, perfectly?
I wonder if anyone reading this thinks they live perfectly, as the Lord directed us to in Matt 5:48? He didn't say, "Do your best to live perfectly, but if you can't make it in one life no problem. At least you tried." No, he d...
... middle of paper ...
...s I asked, so there is no need for you to go out again into another life. You can stay here with Me, with my name, one with my word.”
The idea that reincarnation is a fun ride back here is completely erroneous. On the contrary, it is more a form of punishment for our sins, because once we DO overcome the trials and temptations of the world, and become perfect as Jesus told us to, we can remain in Paradise, along with Jesus and our Father. We want to work even harder so we don't have to come back. So it is not a lazy excuse to avoid responsibility at al, it is the exact opposite. It is a prod to greater efforts in our spiritual practices precisely so we don't have to return.
I am adding this in the hope of encouraging sound discussion, not arrogant, holier-than-thou comments of how foolish I am. Let’s see if this can be truly considered at least as a possibility.
As a last resort, Guatama began intense yogic meditation under a papal tree. One night, he went into a deep trance, and moved through different levels of being. First, he saw all of his previous lives, living through each one over and over again. He then realized that reincarnation is based on how you treat all living things and whether you do right or wrong. He then achieved the knowledge of everything there is to be known in the world, and he attained perfection. He became the ?Buddha?, which means ?Enlightened One?, and he found the release from reincarnation. Buddhacarita, the best k...
Hinduism as a similar belief the only difference seems to be for you to reincarnate you have to go down a very long tunnel to do so. Like christianity islam also has a hell. Heaven has seven different levels the higher the level the better you were, hell also has seven levels the lower the level the worse you were in the afterlife. To be honest I really don’t believe in the afterlife I think once when you die nothing happens after that.My belief has both pros and cons the pros being to live life to the fullest because there I think there is no afterlife I am not going to have another chance. The main con of my belief is that I will never see anyone of my dead friends or family in another
It presupposes our finitude and it opens up a futurist perspective of a situation, which is on the other side of the finite boundaries that now prevail in this world. Therefore the act of baptism points back to a death which happened once for all in the work Jesus Christ, that took place down in the depths of destruction; at the same time it points forward toward the baptized person’s coming death, which we perceive to be a misfortune but which in reality cannot hurt us. Both in the pointing backward and in the pointing forward baptism speaks the same reality – eternal life. “We have been born anew to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.” And even though the baptized have been born anew destructive forces still remain and continue their devastations, even though Jesus as Savior has fulfilled his work. This is why we live in hope. I believe that my vocation as grounded in baptism is to hold fast to the promise of enteral life in Christ that is available here and now. The place where family and friends, many classmates and community members (and even myself) function is in this world, and the boundaries for its activity is death and destruction. I have experienced this in my own life in
It is comparable to the belief in reincarnation. Reincarnation is the belief that a person is born innocent and perfect. If during life if perfection is not achieved, birth and rebirth will continue until it is ultimately accomplished. This is similar to grief. When tragedy strikes it leaves heartbreak, and so a person begins the grieving and healing process and it is similar to life in reincarnation. A person becomes imperfect and has flaws as they grieve. Depression and anger will surface before peace and understanding is achieved. By the time the healing process is complete, the original person has died and is reborn into a stronger, more perfect person because of the journey grief took them
When we return to our Creator, it’s okay because we lived our lives … we have fulfilled our lives.
There is much belief that when humans die their lives are not yet over. They will live on as something else or they will live as their spirit/ soul. How is it though, that people would be able to live on in an afterlife because once you’re dead you cease to exist? There are three common explanations to how there is an afterlife. The first, near death experiences take place when someone is close to death and can either feel the soul separate from the body, or are able to see what is known as the “white light”. The second, reincarnation which occurs when someone passes on and has a second chance at life as either someone different or a whole new organism is general. The third, resurrection, the way Jesus rose from the dead, happens when someone confirmed dead return to life. Each one of these theories for life after death has a series of truths behind them, however, which one is considered the most reasonable truth? This paper will analyze each theory and conclude with the best answer possible why people should believe in the afterlife.
J. W. Dunlap, an educational specialist and a medium, in her article “REINCARNATION AND SURVIVAL OF LIFE AFTER DEATH,” defines reincarnation as life being eternal and with a purpose that each individual will experience and continue to experience after death. The belief in reincarnation is universal in certain aspect of the world; based on the lives of Africans and Native Americans there is a strong belief in the concept of reincarnation from past human history (Dunlap 157-170). Looking at some Africans, they have a strong belief in ancestral rebirth; they do not believe that once an ancestor died they will never see them again; they believe that it is just a separation and only temporary (Dunlap). Some Native Americans have a different view; they have a spiritual, philosophical view with regards to reincar...
In the Book of Job (14:14), Job plainly asks, “ If a man dies will he live again?” but receives no answer. So in the Old Testament, reincarnation is not ruled out it is just not brought up as a major point in the book. On the other hand, if one were to look into the Bible, the question of like after death is brought up and answered.
The followers of the Buddha believe life goes on and on in many reincarnations or rebirths. The eternal hope for all followers of Buddha is that through reincarnation one comes back into successively better lives - until one achieves the goal of being free from pain and suffering and not having to come back again. This wheel of rebirth, known as samsara, goes on forever or until one achieves Nirvana. The Buddhist definition of Nirvana is "the highest state of spiritual bliss, as absolute immortality through absorption of the soul into itself, but preserving individuality" (Head1 57). Birth is not the beginning and death is not the end. This cycle of life has no beginning and can go on forever without an end. The ultimate goal for every Buddhist, Nirvana, represents total enlightenment and liberation. Only through achieving this goal is one liberated from the never ending round of birth, death, and rebirth (Head3 73). Transmigration, the Buddhist cycle of birth, death, and rebirth, involves not the reincarnation of a spirit but the rebirth of a consciousness containing the seeds of good and evil deeds. Buddhism's world of transmigration encompasses three stages. The first stage in concerned with desire, which goes against the teachings of Buddha, is the lowest form and involves a rebirth into any number of hells. The second stage is one in which animals dominate. But after many reincarnations in this stage the spirit becomes more and mo...
When a person is saved from hell to heaven by the grace of God and the death of Jesus Christ he becomes a new creature. The things he used to be must be left behind and he must strive to become Christ-like (2 Corinthians 5:17). Jesus Christ was the only blameless, sinless, perfect human being to ever walk the face of the earth. There is no possible way for anybody to achieve such perfection. The only way one is able to ever come close is to put away all things of this world, and live only for Christ. You must walk for Christ, talk about Christ, live for Christ. In doing so you will come up against persecution and hardship from outside forces, however one must endure. You must suffer as Christ has suffered. You are after all the reason for Christ’s suffering. Had he not willingly gone to the cross, there would be no salvation. There would be no eternal life. God cannot look upon us unless we are covered in the blood of Christ.
"In Hinduism, salvation is achieved through a spiritual oneness of the soul, atman, with the ultimate reality of the universe, Brahman. To achieve this goal, the soul must obtain moksha, or liberation from the samsara, the endless cycle of birth, death, and rebirth. As a result of these basic teachings, Hindus believe in reincarnation, which is influenced by karma (material actions resulting from the consequences of previous actions), and dharma (fulfilling one's duty in life)"(Teachings and Beliefs, 2004, par. 1).
In the western world, a dominant belief is that after life, a person’s soul is sent to a place of eternal bliss, heaven, or a place of eternal damnation, hell. To Buddhists, this concept is not the norm. Buddhists believe that a person is reincarnated into another life form, either human or animal. What life form a person is reincarnated as is determined by the person’s karma. The concept of karma not only affects reincarnation, but also what path a person’s life takes. While much of the concept of karma is believable and comprehensible by a person of any denomination, some aspects are dependant upon a belief in reincarnation and that a person will eventually be punished for his sins or rewarded for his good deeds, whether in this life or the next. At the same time, in order to believe in how reincarnation works, a person must understand the idea of karma.
...o live by a higher standard as my leaders here at Bethel have exemplified greatly, and invested massive amounts of time into me and others to strive for. God is good and one of mercy, but He is just and grace cannot be openly abused but for so long in his eyes when we know the truth but cast it for a character that reflects us as Children of the devil. I desire to be a leader of people and to set people free from addictions as I have. Therefore I must scorn the nature I dismiss and cover with whispers of self-exaltation. I must drag the inner side of my life out to the forges and let the hammer of the Holy spirit shape me into the being God created me to be. Then I will cultivate the calling on my life and everything I need to accomplish and do in this life for the glory of God and His kingdom which is coming soon and may I be ready for such a time as then and now.
Stemman stated that “growing numbers of people are prepared to mix and match the beliefs of teachings that most appeal to them” (Stemman 3) this then suggests that the idea and beliefs of reincarnation are increasing; people are tending to expand their knowledge and beliefs and integrating the different beliefs into their own. Stemman also states that “we already know that at least half of the worlds’ po...
From the time of the creation of God’s Kingdom and the earth until present day in the eternal life, God has intended for His people to live as full human beings in order to live a fulfilled life, and a life of salvation and redemption through His son Jesus Christ. Through living the eternal life and living within God’s Kingdom, the anticipation of the return of Christ and the beginning of the New Heaven and the New Earth is what Christians are currently living for and anticipating. New Heaven and New Earth are both goals Christians work towards through their faith in Christ, along with the anticipation and work towards the eschatological goal as we work and live towards the future and end result, while some aspects of life will continue and some will discontinue in the New Heaven and the New Earth. While the New Heaven and New Earth is an opportunity to refresh our spirituality and redeem ourselves in a spiritual way through the work of the Holy