Reincarnation 101
Christianity and Reincarnation
Is it true that the early christian Christian church believed in reincarnation?And if they did, why do we no longer follow that belief today?
No, it is not true that the early Christian church ever followed reincarnation. Reincarnation presupposes a cyclical understanding of the wheel of life. The Bible presupposes a linear time frame that humans are locked into, that eventually coalesce into several events on earth that will demonstrate the power, sovereignty and glory of the supernatural creator of the Universe.
Reincarnation teaches that we can be born over and over, the same soul into another body and into another life-cycle. What we need to remember is WHY reincarnation would exist. According to its advocates, the real purpose of reincarnation in our present life - is in order to pay for, or expiate and atone for the sins we have committed in past lives.
The problem is that we do not know really about our past lives and our past sins. Those who can tell us are humans who are in contact with the spirit world. This leads those who believe in reincarnation to attempt to find out about their former lives by consulting astrologers, shamans, mediums, etc.
The concept of "Positive" reincarnation is strictly a Western concept taught in the Western World. Historical reincarnation knows nothing of a positive evolution. The historical idea of reincarnation is not "evolution" but "devolution" where we continue to evolve into lower and lower forms of life, until we have paid off our sins from the past - and then we have a chance to find Nirvana and join in the great universal consciousness on a spirit level.
Reincarnation teaches a pantheistic worldview, the idea that all is God, and God is all, and God is in all. Reincarnation also blurs the lines between right and wrong. Instead of seeing them in terms of moral absolutes, a reincarnationist philosophy supposes that both good and evil are morally neutral, merely temporary perceptual lenses through which our limited minds adjust to the fact of paying for our sins through our life and experiences now - in order to pay for our sins in the past.
Reincarnation teaches that all life is sacred, and that a cow is just as valuable as a person. In fact, the cow of today might be the person of yesterday. However, reincarnation also teaches that we should be passive about the evil that we see in the world, for two reasons:
1) evil is only a perception, not a reality nor a fact and,
2) if a person has something bad happen to them, it is not because of any cause and effect in this life, it is rather because they must pay in this life and accept the evil which happens to them, as part of their atonement for their sins of the past.
Under this concept, when a person is killed, robbed or raped, our response should neither be discouragement to evil nor resistance. Those who resist are in fact (according to reincarnation) resisting the payment for their sins of the past. Resisting payment for past sins will only make future punishment worse and more severe.
We can see the effects of this devastating philosophy in India on a country-wide basis:
1. Animals are not killed for food because they might be "someone", so instead people starve.
2. Evil is not to be resisted nor stopped, so because of this worldview, crime is rampant, and social change to help others...is to be resisted.
3. Those who want to know about their past must turn to occult sources to learn about the sins of the past, so that they can find out if there are better ways to pay for their sins of the past in this life (which leads to involvement with the occult).
Reincarnation philosophy is designed to take a person and move them from the "active" category of living to the "passive" category of merely being an observer. After all, if you really are only an "eyewitness" here, you can change nothing, you will have to pay for your sins in anycase, and all evil which happens to you occurs because you deserve it, then why would you want to delay any of your punishment for past sins...which might slow down your path towards being able to continue your cycles of future lives ?
Many people in the West see reincarnation as a positive worldview and which is environmentally friendly. After all, you would love the earth and animals. It appears that the only group that reincarnation is bad or personally detrimental to - is humans.
"Negative Reincarnation" (devolution) was advocated, but when reincarnationists (often buddhists) saw that this was not catching on in the west, the decision was made to re-market reincarnation as something positive.
The Bible agrees with the basic problem that reincarnation is designed ultimately to address:
We do have sins in the world and in our lives. But whereas the Reincarnationist believe that they can free themselves through their own efforts - from their sins - over thousands of years of life cyles, Christians know that the person who can truly set them free from their burden of sin is Jesus Christ. And since He is the kind of God who paid the price for our sins once and forever, we do not have to worry about any future life and having to pay for our own sins - all over again.
"Positive reincarnation" advocates (often on college campuses) in the West do not often mention sin or the Reason/Motive for WHY people should be reincarnated: If westerners understood this at the outset, most of them would not turn to reincarnation. Buddhism often incorporates and teaches most of the reincarnation perspective.
Reincarnation and the Early Church
Reincarnation was never taught, nor believed or practiced by the Early Christians. There would be no basis for doing so. The idea of Christians is that of being a Christ-follower. The claims of Jesus Christ about his Deity, His ability to save us, and His claims to have come to save us - are exclusive claims.
Those who teach that Christianity used to advocate Pantheism or Reincarnation often additionally change the definition of the "Christ" [messiah]. Reincarnation advocates attempt to Negate the actual message of what Jesus said about Himself and our need to repent, and instead start talking about the Christ "Consciousness". That concept - by those who present it - is that Jesus did NOT come to save us - but rather to teach us how to save ourselves. That is a false teaching.
To even say that this teaching is demonic remains an understatement. There are many "universalists" who want all people to still be saved, even though they reject Jesus Christ, His claims and his message. Within Christianity, that is not possible.
People seem to want to rebel against Jesus, and then they still want Jesus to save them.
That is not what the Bible teaches. It is important to understand the presupositions that people have about the "Jesus" they are talking about - so we are not misled into receiving false teaching and false instruction - that are Not part of Christian teachings.
Christian teachings are found in the Bible and in no other Holy Book. Other books may agree or validate or reinforce Christianity, but all books and teachings about Christianity must be judged by the Bible.
It is easy to find those who advocate a different Jesus, especially those who advocate Eastern Religions. There is the Jesus who supposedly went into Tibet or India, where he "really" taught them the "Real" Christianity. There is the Jesus who would teach us all how to be a God ourselves. There is the "Aquarian Gospel of Jesus the Christ". There are false teachings such as "a Course in Miracles". There are many philosophies that Claim to teach about Jesus Christ, but these new age concepts of Jesus ultimately attempt to divorce
a) Jesus from b) Christ, or attempt to redefine who Jesus "should" be. These are frankly blasphemous doctrines that we need to recognize as false and anti-Christian teachings.
Jesus himself taught that others would come and pretend to be him"
"Matthew 24:3 And as he sat upon the mount of Olives, the disciples came unto him privately, saying, Tell us, when shall these things be? and what shall be the sign of thy coming, and of the end of the world?
4 And Jesus answered and said unto them, TAKE HEED [pay special attention and take care] that no man deceive you.
5 For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many."
We need to know where we can find the True teachings of Jesus Christ
Only the Bible has the true teachings about Jesus Christ, what he taught, and what He came to accomplish. Reincarnation does away for the need for Jesus Christ; it does away with the need to confess or repent from our sins. It makes the Cross, the sacrifice of Jesus Christ, and his Death and Resurrection a useless exercise. Praise God that we know that this is Not the case.
Those who teach that early Christians believed this are mistaken. Many people simply do not know enough about early Christianity, and so they do not know that Reincarnation was Never a part of Christianity. That is why today - many people are able to be led astray by those who tell them " I will tell you what Really happened - in early Christianity". There were some who taught forms of reincarnation within some Gnostic circles. But gnostics were never Christians. They were the enemies of Christianity, and tried to corrupt it. It is these gnostic false teachers that
John was warning against - in the epistle of 1 John.
The proper response to those who do not know about Christianity is simply to share with them what is the correct view, in a kind way.
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"Everyone has the right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion; this right includes freedom to change his religion or belief, and freedom, either alone or in community with others and in public or private, to manifest his religion or belief in teaching, practice, worship and observance."
--Article 18 of the Universal
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Christian Conversions - According to the Bible - Can NEVER be forced.
Any Conversion to Christianity which would be "Forced" would NOT be recognized by God. It is in
His True and KIND nature, that those who come to Him and choose to believe in Him, must come to Him OF
THEIR OWN FREE WILL.
Don't Let anyone tell you that Christians support Forced Conversions.
That is False. True Christianity is NEVER forced.