A: One reason Christians don’t believe in reincarnation—the belief that we come back to life over and over again—is because they believe in heaven. All rights reserved. Olam Ha-Ba: The World to Come The spiritual afterlife is referred to in Hebrew as Olam Ha-Ba (oh-LAHM hah-BAH), the World to Come, although this term is also used to refer to the messianic age . Home Reincarnation is the rebirth of a soul into a new body, often with the person carrying little or no memories of past lives. In this article, we’ll discuss what the Bible has to say about reincarnation. Jesus is a statement, God's statement, about humanity as such." They emphasized meeting Jesus on a spiritual level to become liberated and attain permanent citizenship in heaven. heaven is a far more beautiful destination, California - Do Not Sell My Personal Information. Now imagine enduring that for countless lives — that’s reincarnation. For instance, karma allows for no mercy, cannot ensure justice, and no moral basis. Question: "If reincarnation is not true, why do some people remember their past lives?" How much loss hurts and how much sickness and disease and age can as well. In other words, we could never reach perfection. Sikhism; Sikhism believes that the soul passes into new bodies when a person dies. Reincarnation is not part of the doctrine accepted by Baptists or Christians in general. Surveys in the U.S. and U.K. have shown that 25% of Christians in both countries believe in reincarnation even though it is not the official position of any mainline denomination." Toll Free: 1-877-247-2426. After all, when loved ones pass, people may hope they’ve been reborn in another body moments later and that they will find ways to reunite on earth throughout all time. Her modern-day Daniel trilogy released its first two installments with IlluminateYA, and the final one, Vision, releases in August of 2021. I have a friend who says she is a Christian, but believes in reincarnation. After all, why in the world would Jesus Christ die on the cross and resurrect for our sins, if he doomed us to repeat lives here on earth, with no or little inkling of past lives? More than 1,000 of her works have been featured in various publications ranging from Writer's Digest to Keys for Kids. “That seems harsh,” a person may say. Many Christians support it because they do not recognize their own faith, and this has led to much confusion on the subject. At this time they didn’t have the label of Gnostics at all, they were just Christians who followed the message of Christ and just so happened to believe in reincarnation. For example, some people believe in the concept of reincarnation but are not necessarily Buddhist, Hindu or Sikh. The reason this changed is political. The Christian Gnostics believed in reincarnation and the preexistence of the soul. A Christian scholar, well aware of the confusion and inconsistencies of the Christian teaching about death and resurrection (“the last things”) and of the modern philosophical and scientific objections against soul immortality, he wanted to know if Christian doctrine was totally or somewhat hostile to the idea of reincarnation. What Early Christians believed about Reincarnation, New Age 189AD Irenaeus of Lyons "We may undermine [the Hellenists'] doctrine as to transmigration from body to body by this fact--that souls remember nothing whatever of the events which took place in their previous states of existence. After all, if heaven is real (as Christians believe), then there isn’t any need for an endless cycle of dying and coming back to Earth.   •   Topics: Religions, Soul & Spirit. In fact, it compounds as we carry our past debt of sin into new lives and continue to increase it. Can Christians Believe in Reincarnation? ©2020 BGEA Often to break the cycle of reincarnation, a person must reach some sort of Enlightenment or must pass through enough lives at a high enough position to make it into a Nirvana or eternal bliss. Many of the Abrahamic religions do not promote reincarnation. Reincarnation (transmigration, metempsychosis), in religion and philosophy, rebirth of the aspect of an individual that persists after bodily death—whether it be consciousness, mind, the soul, or some other entity—in one or more successive existences. Find out more about her at her website. Finally, there are a number of intellectual inconsistencies with reincarnation, as mentioned in this article. Religions who believe in the concept of reincarnation include Hinduism, Jainism, Buddhism, Sikhism, and Kabbalah Judaism. This is a process that continues until Liberation. Although reincarnation can have its appeal, it actually has some sinister and less-than-pleasant implications. In general, the past-life regression business hasn't got much of a future in Muslim territories. Are the World Religions That Different from Christianity? This concept can also seem all the more convincing when people recall moments from “past lives.”. Local: 704-401-2432 Sin has lifetime staining effects. BGEA is a registered 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. Not all people who believe in life after death would call themselves 'religious'. After all, if heaven is real (as Christians believe), then there isn’t any need for an endless cycle of dying and coming back to Earth. As the Bible says, “I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us” (Romans 8:18). Why Do Cults Use God Falsely in Their Mission? Even with Hinduism being the oldest amongst the religions, those who wrote the Bible lived during the origin of these religions and likely encountered people who held certain beliefs similar to the ones listed above. (vanillapics via Getty Images) Most American adults self-identify as Christians. He remembered that they were but flesh, a passing breeze that does not return (Psalm 78:39). To that person, I would want to show a number of reasons why reincarnation is actually a distasteful concept, even to those grieving loved ones whom they wish to see again, myself included. But many Christians also hold what are sometimes characterized as “New Age” beliefs – including belief in reincarnation, astrology, psychics and the presence of spiritual energy in physical objects like mountains or trees. The Christian solution, reuniting with loved ones in the eternal joy that is heaven, has a far more beautiful outcome than repeating life cycles on earth, with no clear sense of how to reach Enlightenment. Belief in reincarnation is an ancient phenomenon and is a central tenet within the majority of Indian religious traditions, such as Hinduism, Sikhism, and Jainism. Instead, face your own need of God and by faith commit yourself to Jesus Christ. Although the majority of denominations within Christianity and Islam do not believe that individuals reincarnate, particular groups within these religions do refer to reincarnation; these groups include the mainstream historical and contemporary followers of Cathars, Alawites, the Druze, and the Rosicrucians. Who Was Dagon, the Philistine Fish Deity? Think about how painful life is. Answer: While the Bible never addresses reincarnation specifically, it is clear that the biblical model of life, death, and afterlife is incompatible with any form of reincarnation as posited in religions such as Hinduism, Buddhism, and certain New Age or Neo-Pagan belief systems. That way is Jesus Christ, who died as the one final sacrifice for our sins. Learn more about reincarnation here. In fact, why would we want to return time and time again to the pain and insecurities of this life? 2)Christians believe in reincarnation only for Jesus but not to others. A: It’s true that Christians do not accept the idea of reincarnation (which is the name for the belief you outlined). We don’t get several lives here on earth to make the right decision; we have only the one. What Does the Bible Say about Reincarnation? That means, even if we live thousands of lives and do only good deeds, we still cannot overcome the debt toll of sin. In fact, why would we want to return time and time again to the pain and insecurities of this life? The traditional history consists of mystical allegories and fascinating legends that have been passed down for centuries by word of mouth. It is said in bible that Jesus carried our sins but he is not sinful. ii. 94a, 99b). Here is the question, finally: Why do Christians need to believe in the Incarnation? One reason Christians don’t believe in reincarnation—the belief that we come back to life over and over again—is because they believe in heaven. Many Christians believe in reincarnation, 25% back in 2015. December 8, 2004 This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged. Thomas G. Long, professor at Candler School of Theology, explains, “There are two images in the New Testament about what happens. The concept of reincarnation in itself is cruel because it makes someone relive an often painful and finite life over and over again with no clear sense of how to overcome the cycle. But other polling indicates that beliefs in reincarnation and ghosts are not mutually exclusive with belief in traditional Christian conceptions of life after death. Privacy Secondly, reincarnation doesn’t solve the problem of sin. However, the belief in reincarnation did not disappear easily, and in fact persisted for centuries afterwards. What do Muslims believe about reincarnation? They refused to believe in a resurrection of corpses at the end of time. Sinful characteristics differ to God and human personality. Many people ask themselves: Do Christians Believe In Reincarnation? But God loves us and has provided the way for all our sins to be forgiven. Hope Bolinger is a literary agent at C.Y.L.E. Contact Us. Let’s dive into some verses that discuss the biblical thoughts on the concept of reincarnation. Scripture makes it clear that we have one life on earth before we receive an eternal judgment and verdict, based on whether we accepted Jesus as our Savior. However, there are sects that believe … 1 Billy Graham Parkway, Charlotte, NC 28201 The history of the Rosicrucian Order, AMORC, may be divided into two general classifications: traditional and chronological. In Him we have hope—hope for this life and hope for life with Him in heaven forever. Reincarnation can seem like an appealing notion to many people. Don’t be misled by false hopes or deceptive dreams that will only take you down the wrong path. She is also the co-author of the Dear Hero duology, which was published by INtense Publications. Christians were subsequently instructed to drop any belief that was not covered in the doctrine. Not only do they see no evidence for it, but they also realize it … Upon the discovery of these crucial and important documents listed above, scholars have been able to confirm that Gnostic Christians also believed in reincarnation. “Wouldn’t you want a bunch of do-overs to finally choose Christ as your Savior?”. and a graduate of Taylor University's professional writing program. Reincarnation doesn’t eradicate the problem. Even when some religions seek to find Nirvana or Enlightenment, to break the cycle of past lives, none provide a clear path on how to achieve this. Unlike other mainstream religions, it does not see the reincarnation as a new person. Belief in reincarnation is commonly held by many Chasidic sects, as well as some other mystically-inclined Jews. God cannot reside in sin, as our human body is sinful God cannot reside. This worldview doesn’t exist just outside of churches. Dr. Ian Stevenson had devoted most of his life to the study of children who had memories of their previous past life … Most Hindus believe that humans are in a cycle of death and rebirth called samsara. Scripture makes it clear that we have one life on earth before we receive an eternal judgment and verdict, based on whether we accepted Jesus as our Savior and Lord. Many Americans who are religiously unaffiliated also have these beliefs. Nevertheless, we, as Christians, believe that reincarnation runs contrary to our beliefs. The answer is No, belief in reincarnation is absolutely incompatible with faith in the resurrection since it preaches separation between spirit and matter. Nevertheless, we, as Christians, believe that reincarnation runs contrary to our beliefs. She has worked for various publishing companies, magazines, newspapers, and literary agencies and has edited the work of authors such as Jerry B. Jenkins and Michelle Medlock Adams. The Zohar [the great 13th-century kabbalistic text] refers to the doctrine in a number of passages (e.g. The Rosicrucian Order’s chronological accounts are based on specific dates and verifiable facts. Members of what is commonly called the “New Age” movement often claim that early Christians believed in reincarnation. When a person dies, their atman is reborn in a different body. It makes sense that early Christians believed in reincarnation in line with older religions. The answer is simple, watch to find out! A person has no way of knowing how many lives they have to go or why any deity would doom them to repeat life cycles over and over again. And just as it is appointed for man to die once, and after that comes judgment (Hebrews 9:27). Article Images Copyright © 2020 Getty Images unless otherwise indicated. Photo Credit: ©iStock/Getty Images Plus/wildpixel. By Billy Graham   •   We’ll also discuss the problems with the concept of reincarnation, and ultimately, why this matters. After all, why in the world would Jesus Christ die on the cross and resurrect for our sins, if he doomed us to repeat lives here on earth, with no or little inkling of past lives? Permissions For more verses on the Bible and its stance on reincarnation, check out this article here. It is this: No matter how long we lived—or how many lives we had—we could never erase the stain of sin that keeps us from God. There is, however, another reason why Christians reject the idea of reincarnation. "The point of incarnation language," the Catholic theologian Roger Haight writes, "is that Jesus is one of us, that what occurred in Jesus is the destiny of human existence itself: et homo factus est. Worse than that, reincarnation does not allow one to clearly remember past lives, in most cases. (Check out this article on a Christian explanation for people remembering “past lives”). What can I say to her?Can depression be overcome without medicine? Christianity.com is a member of the Salem Web Network of sites including: Copyright © 2020, Christianity.com. Even when some religions seek to find Nirvana or Enlightenment, to break the cycle of past lives, none provide a clear path on how to achieve this. Many modern pagans also believe in reincarnation as do some New Age movements, along with followers of spiritism. Shirley MacLaine, an avid New Age disciple, recalls being taught: “The theory of reincarnation is recorded in the Bible. Certain religions believe that good deeds in a past life can lead you to have a better standing or social position in the next life (or bad deeds can lead to lower positions). Many Christians through the centuries have believed that when persons die, they remain dead (asleep) until the final judgment, at which time they are resurrected to life or punishment at Christ's final judgment. The kabbalists, on the other hand, do believe in reincarnation. Many religions, whether they believe in the soul's existence in another world like Christianity, Islam, and many pagan belief systems, or reincarnation like many forms of Hinduism and Buddhism, believe that one's status in the afterlife is a reward or punishment for their conduct during life. We don’t get several lives here on earth to make the right decision; we have only the one. First, heaven is a far more beautiful destination than another life here on earth. 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