How many Christians believe in reincarnation?

Question

The Jews asked Jesus whether the man (who was born blind) or his parents had sinned to cause it. How could he have sinned before he was born, unless he was reincarnated? Also, there are suggestions that people at the time believed that John the Baptist was the reincarnation of Elijah. Jesus seems to have taught something like karma when he says in the Sermon on the Mount that a person will not be released from punishment until he/she has paid the utmost farthing. It says in the Bible that a person will reap what he/she sows. It seems that belief in reincarnation was common at the time but that it has been suppressed afterwards by the church. (Some of the early Christians certainly believed it.)

I personally find reincarnation much more persuasive than the idea that you will be tortured for all eternity because your distant mythical ancestors stole a piece of fruit (unless you accept the torture and death of God's only son for your salvation).

There is no teaching in the Bible that anyone will be punished for eternity. The exception is in one or two parts of Revelation (Apocalypse) which is highly symbolic and visionary. Historically there have been serious questions raised by Bible scholars as to whether Revelation should be in the Bible at all.

"Once to die." Does that mean only once? "I went to the shop once." (Doesn't necessarily mean I didn't go other times as well.) Try again, guys.

Check this out--it's really interesting. There was this guy Origen in early Christian times who believed in reincarnation but the church establishment persecuted him. So what else is new...

http://reluctant-messenger.com/origen3.html

Jesus clearly stated that Elias (Elijah) had come already, meaning John the Baptist. So he was saying that John the Baptist was Elijah. How could this have been, unless he meant that John the Baptist was the reincarnation of Elijah?

Misinterpreting? That's a laugh. Why don't people accept what Jesus said, instead of trying to find ways around it?

Answer 1

I am not christian.

Answer 2

More than will admit it publicly. The father of a good friend of mine is a lifelong, highly respected Methodist minister who leads a large congregation. In private he is also a devout Reincarnationist. He considers reincarnation to be a sort of "secret" knowledge which most Christians, unfortunately, are not capable of truly understanding. Jesus made references to a vital secret wisdom which would be difficult for the average person to comprehend, which was reincarnation. He was right: the early church leaders distorted almost everything he tried to teach, and borrowed from Roman and Greek folklore to fill in the gaps. As an Essene rabbi, Jesus believed in and taught reincarnation and karma. What he taught was misunderstood and distorted into the idea of bringing the dead back to life in the same bodies.

Imagine if you told a zealous band of unimaginative and not-very-sophisticated people that (a) you have a portion of "God's" energy inside you, (b) that it is important to treat each other with kindness, because that's how you will receive kindness, (c) that as you forgive others you will be forgiven, through karma, (d) that all who are suffering now will be comforted, through karmic enlightenment, (e) that death is an illusion, and (e) that you will come back again after you die. Do all this in a society where people believe in a nasty-tempered god who smites everybody with whom he finds disfavor, and where some people (Greeks, e.g.) believe in multiple gods and a place of terrible punishment (Hades)... Disappear for a few hundred years and see what they do to your teachings.

I believe many well-read and intelligent Christians believe in reincarnation or at least privately allow for the possibility.

After all, we all recall our past lives to some extent, although most people in western society are focused on an "I am my body" mindset.

Answer 3

In no way does the Bible support reincarnation. Infact the Bible says man is appointed once to die and then judgement. The man born blind the diciples thought God may have punished the man for his parents sins or his own because he was blind, although the scriptures says the soul who sins will die if the father is wicked and the son is not then God will not punish the son for his father's sins. This has nothing to do with reincarnation, nor was it what the diciples were applying here. I see you omited what Jesus told them in response to this that this man was blind to bring glory to God. John the Baptist was not the reincarnation of Elijah, who was taken to heaven, rather he came in the spirit of Elijah meaning he came in the same desire and will to serve God as a prophet as Elijah had done. The part about the Sermon on the Mount, here Jesus is saying to take care of your problems here and now and do not wait or you will pay the full consequences, the big picture, get right with God now in this life because when you die you will pay the full consequences if you do not. You do reap what you sow if you do evil you will get evil and destruction, if you do good you will get good and life. That has nothing to do with reincarnation. Reincarnation is a lie and has no truth we die once and then judgement. You want to avoid hell, accept Jesus Christ as your Lord and savior and heaven is yours. He gives us a choice between heaven and hell. Which one will you choose? God bless.

Answer 4

Yes, reincarnation is a fact. It was indeed generally believed until about 600 AD when Constantine decided to try to eliminate those parts of the Bible that made mention of it (he obviously missed a few parts). Constantine wanted the people to be fearful of God (and Hell) and therefore be obedient.

God is a loving God who created our souls. He has created Earth as a means for us to have learning experiences and further our souls towards perfection, although some souls choose never to live in human form. Before each journey to Earth, we choose our life theme and goals. The more we choose to challenge ourselves, the more we are hoping to learn. So the next time your life is going badly, remember this....this is what we decided to experience and if we hadn't been talked out of it by our counsels we would have had things even worse.
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Ha ha...I just read some of the answers...I don't understand how people can be so naive such as "4Christ". If he/she truly researched more than just the Bible then he/she would see that so much has been deleted from the Bible. Therefore the Bible alone can not be the sole doctrine for understanding life.

Answer 5

as you said, reincarnation actually fits in with moderate inteperetation, perfectly.

the "once to die" also can be intepereted as that the man, as in, me the person I currently am, in this incarnation, is to die once and be judged... but that does not really say that who I am my greater self, the soul, will not go on after that judgement and have more lives.

look up the Council of Nicea, and Reincarnation... Christianity TAUGHT reincarnation as an actual part of what was believed, until Constantine had it removed.

personally I am Jewish by religion, and hell... well there is no hell in Judaism or the old testament. and any God such as the one "4Christ" describes, that would have such a "choice" is an evil entity unworthy of devotion.

Answer 6

Each soul is a unique and new creation.

Theoretically speaking, at each moment in time, the choices we make in the conscious and dreaming states create whole new universes based on those choices. So in an infinite multiverse, our infinitely creative self will have experienced all possible choices.

An infinite number of lifetimes for each individual soul in parallel - not sequential - lifetimes.

In some of those universes the person never experiences physical death.

Eventually the All becomes the Omega One in the realization of the Alpha -One becoming the All.

Answer 7

Hebrews 9:27 says "Just as man is destined to DIE ONCE, and after that to face judgment".
Being born again is not the same as your concept of reincarnation. In John 3, to be born again means to be born in water and the Spirit.
I believe we only have one life to spend here on earth, and there's life after death. But in our next life, that's when face God's judgement to have eternal life or eternal punishment. We all sin and commit mistakes so we deserve punishment , but we have a loving God whose Son paid the wages for our sins.

Edit:
Read Luke 16:19 -31 about a rich man and Lazarus, the beggar. They both died. The rich man went to hell (v 23) and Lazarus was with Abraham. Isn't he suffering there?

Answer 8

The man born blind was thought to have sinned in the womb.

John the Baptist was thought to be Elijah returned because he lived in the wilderness wore camel's hair and ate locusts and wild honey.

It is appointed to man once to die and after that the judgment
Hebrews 9:27

Answer 9

I am a devout catholic, but I believe with all my heart that we come back over and over more times than can be counted. there is too much in life to learn in just one trip. Most Christians will say no. my answer is some things are true whether you believe them or not.

Answer 10

I asked if people believed in reincarnation and got the same response ("Just as man is destined to DIE ONCE, and after that to face judgment"). Judgment doesnt necessarily mean for eternity, maybe it means you face judgment to learn what you did wrong...and then try again.

Answer 11

I don't believe in it at all. Big waste of time. And stop misinterpreting the Bible. The Serpent is very cunning and misleads in multitudes. When you read the Bible you read it in doubt and that is why the devil is able to decieve you, ask the Lord to give knowledge, wisdom and understanding of the Holy Bible.