Reincarnation is the religious or philosophical belief that the soul or spirit, after biological death, begins a new life in a new body which may be human, animal or spiritual depending on the moral quality of the previous life’s actions.
It is a mainstream teaching tenet in Hinduism, Sikhism, Buddhism, Kabbalah Judaism and Jainism. They believe that, once a living being dies, its atman (soul/spirit) will be re-born or reincarnated into a different body depending on its karma in a previous life. If a person has good karma in a previous life, their atman will be re-born or reincarnated into something better than they were previously. Thanks Marek pexels.com
Christians believe that reincarnation runs contrary to their beliefs. After all, why would Jesus have died on the cross and then be resurrected for our sins if our lives were doomed to be repeated continually?
People often say that they have experienced déjà vu and clearly remember something happening to them in a past life. From my own experience, I recall our 2-year-old grand-daughter, who had only recently started to talk, saying “Look at that gargoyle” as we passed an old building! It was only one of many times I recall commenting that she was an “old soul” as she would mention words which were way beyond her life experience.
Similarly, I have read many books and seen several documentaries on television which very convincingly try to prove that reincarnation is real.
Graham – I know you are a very strong believer in the resurrection and that people who have faith in God will go to live with Him in heaven after death.
What have you read that so convinces you that this will be the case? Have you any life experiences where you have met people who strongly believe that they have lived on earth before?
Rev Graham replies: Thank you, Carol, for yet another question which is very much current in the minds and aspirations of millions of people with faith and intellect. When considering a review and answer to your question, it is important to think about the starting position in life and creation which will reflect a Christian viewpoint. Then to move on to consider how such beliefs affects a present lifestyle and also to think about what implications there are for a future reincarnated or resurrected body and spirit.
Origin of the Soul
In the Christian tradition, the origin of the soul/spirit is a question that the early church fathers debated and centres on three points of view:
1) Pre-existence Plato believed that a soul had pre-cosmic falls and migration (Metempsychosis) and so enjoyed some higher existence prior to entry into a human body which emanated from a divine substance itself. Such a view was rejected by the church from the 5/6th century.
2) Generationism this view holds to the fact that a soul comes from our parents via procreation and the soul was material.
3) Creationism God creates a soul, ex nihilo (from out of nothing) for each human person. There is debate as to when a soul is implanted into the body be it at conception or gestation. The soul is believed to be immortal while the body is mortal. When we think of Jesus, he possessed a human body with a perfect soul free from sin and in his own way breathed God’s breath into his nostrils and became a living being. (Genesis 2: 7)
Overall there is an agreement that the soul is to be seen as distinct from the body but such a view is affected by one’s view of original sin and how it may impact on a human’s soul. There is a difficulty however concerning the fall of humankind as we are all created in God’s perfect image!
A more modern view might be that the soul is not a part of human nature but does characterise its flesh and so the soul and body are both part of God’s creation. The Bible emphasises how man and woman are unique and special above all other creatures and angels and formed in God’s image with a material body and an immaterial soul and spirit.
Karma, Enlightenment, Nirvana
Reincarnation has been believed for thousands of years but is not accepted by Christians or Orthodox Judaism because it is not found in the Bible. As you have mentioned, Carol, it is central to many Indian religious traditions which include Hinduism, Sikhism and Jainism. There is also the case that modern pagans, new age movements and spiritism also believe in reincarnation. Thanks Bruno pexels.com
Any system that believes in reincarnation or a transmigration of human bodies also includes animals so that a dying dog may return as a living cow. The soul is seen as being able to mature, grow, transform and evolve.
There are a number of Christians who do support reincarnation and refer to Matthew 17: 10-13 where Jesus speaks about Elijah returning to earth before the Messiah and think that ‘Elijah’ identifies as John the Baptist in a reincarnated form.
Déjà Vu
You asked, Carol, if I had read and had some personal experience or proof in respect to reincarnation or feelings of déjà vu, recurring dreams and people having an old soul when young. I think everyone in some way or another does have feelings and thoughts about the past which might be in a measure real or completely fanciful. Such experiences are very much subjective and can be argued for and against accordingly.
Everyone is special and different to angels and animals and those who make any reference to having a previous life experience may in themselves be misguided by demonic powers who have always been around and want to confuse any clarity about life, salvation and everlasting life with God.
Death and Resurrection
You have also mentioned, Carol, that the death and resurrection of Jesus is central to any thoughts about the after-life. Once a person dies it does not depend on karma, enlightenment, nirvana or eternal bliss or any previous spiritual experience, both good and bad, to determine what will happen. As a result of the atoning and redeeming work of Jesus, if we confess our sins and seek to live a repentant and holy life then, on that basis alone, God will determine only once our everlasting fate which can be reassuring for a Christian to have a hope and knowledge as to where one is heading after death.
After death, the Christian believes that we enter into heaven, a place where God is, and that will be for eternity leaving behind any sufferings experienced on earth (Romans 8:18) and does not require a continual cycle of death and re-birth. Another important factor for the Christian is that, no matter how much good works are done or any re-birth gained, it cannot take away the stain of sin which only Jesus can and does erase.
Jesus, while hanging on the cross, said to the thief next to him that he would enter paradise on the day of his death (Luke 23:43) and did not intimate that the thief would have other chances to return to earth.
In Hebrews 9: 27 ‘we are to die once and face judgement’ so we do not have a second chance of life or return in a different form. One day at the resurrection, those who have rejected God will go into an eternal judgement and believers will be given a new and glorified body (John 5: 25 – 29). Thanks Karol pexels.com
As individuals, our identities will not change after death as recorded in the appearances of Moses and Elijah in (Luke 9:30). In Matthew 25:46 it tells us that when we die believers go to eternal life and unbelievers go to eternal punishment. The mortal body returns to dust while the soul continues in the presence of God or in a place for those who have rejected Jesus and God as their Saviour and Creator.
In all there are around six views concerning what happens when we die:
1) Materialism – When we die nothing of ourselves survives so all is gone which follows on from an atheistic point of view.
2) Paganism– Upon death all ghosts and other after-life beings will enter into their own underworld which is distinct from God’s after-life.
3) Reincarnation – the individual soul survives and is then re-integrated into another body as a result of karma and, when it is fully enlightened, it is absorbed into a divine presence known as nirvana or eternal bliss.
4) Pantheism – believes that after death nothing changes and everything – Brahman (the ultimate reality, supreme God and divine consciousness) continues and any concept of separation, including time, is just an illusion. Therefore, any question as to what happens after death is unanswerable and so should be ignored.
5) Immortality – The soul of an individual survives but the body does not. The soul finds its own eternal destiny through various intermediary stages such as reincarnation and what survives is a bodiless spirit. Such thinking emanates from Platonism which may be confused with Christianity.
6) Resurrection – at the point of death the soul separates from the body to embrace a new immortal, resurrected body in God’s own time by a divine miracle which is the Christian view as found in scripture. (Check out Carol’s previous question and my answer about Why is Jesus’ Resurrection is so Important?)
Take Away
All classical views on reincarnation do not legislate for an individual being able to have a personal knowledge and relationship with their creator God based on the redeeming work of Christ.
The relationship is not based on any merit of their own like those who work towards reincarnation where a person’s fate is believed to be dependent on past life experiences. In that sense they do not have any control over their outcome and, in a measure, get what they are given after a life of good works.
This compares with a Christian believer who in repentance and confession of sin is freed and cleansed from all of their sins through Jesus (1 John 1: 9). A Christian does not have to worry about any merit out-weighing a demerit, for God remembers our sins no more (Hebrews 8: 12) and we can confidently look forward to an everlasting life with Almighty God forgiven and be truly accepted.
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