Reincarnation is believed to occur when the soul or spirit, comes back to life in a new form after the death of an individual, or an animal. However, once said individual is born most of the things or events from that person's previous life are typically forgotten. This doctrine is a central doctrine within the majority of Indian religious traditions, such as Hinduism, Jainism, and Sikhism; even the Buddhist concept of rebirth is also often referred to as reincarnation. The idea was essential to some Greek philosophers and religions. Several other religions, such as Druidism, and many years later, Spiritism, and Eckankar may also be included in this category. It can be found in many small-scale societies around the world, in such places as Siberia, West Africa, North America, and Australia
Statistics world-wide are difficult to obtain, but the US Gallup Organization took a survey in October 2001 of Americans’ belief in the probability of reincarnation (referred to herein sometimes as ‘believer’); Gallup asked adults 18 years and over (along with other things) if they believed in “Reincarnation”, which was described as the rebirth of the soul into a new body after the death of an individual. When the results were in, only 25% said they did consider reincarnation as a real event, 20% said they did not have any idea, 54% didn’t believe in it at all and 1% had no opinion. When considered on a world wide basis however most researchers think about half the people on earth do believe.
Almost any biologist will tell you that everybody’s cells are constantly dying and being replaced by new ones. Approximately seven years is required to completely change a set of cells which comprise the human body. This means that we change our body every seven years automatically but this change is so gradual that it’s undetectable, at least, without the aid of a microscope. Some proponents of reincarnation say this fact lends support to their case since each of us has several “different” bodies in a given life. In spite of these bodily changes, the person within remains the same. In short, we reincarnate even in the course of one lifetime, assuming that we live beyond seven years. Something similar, it is said occurs at the time of death, when this body cannot be worked any more, the ‘self’ is subjected to a final ‘change of body’.
An accepted reincarnation premise puts forward the argument that the soul, once attaining human form, always comes back in a human body in the next life and never reincarnates in a lower species. Yes, we may reincarnate as humans, but we could come back as dogs, cats, hogs, or some species as well (yes, even cows). There is in fact no scientific or scriptural verification anywhere for this fanciful: “once a human, always a human” notion; this thinking runs contrary to the true principles of reincarnation; such ideology as this has been understood and followed by millions of people since time beyond memory or record.
Here’s how to get a Sex Change without surgery: Many people who 'believe', claim that a person gets his next life’s birth gender type according to who he or she is thinking of at the time of death. If a man for example is thinking about his wife or girl friend at the time of death, then in his next life he takes the body of a woman. Similarly, the opposite is true of a woman in determining her next life’s gender.
The appeal that reincarnation holds for most Westerners is its promise that life goes on after death but perhaps most important: we get as many chances to get it ‘right’ as we need. If reincarnation is the case, an individual has no convincing need to make peace with a righteous God in this life or even to treat mankind with love and respect. If a man has as many lives as he needs to attain perfection, he might think, "I’ll live it up in this life and leave the good works and making peace with God for the next life?" Making peace with God actually may never occur to a true 'believer'; since a lot of these people don’t necessarily believe in a personal deity. The real goal of reincarnation is to obtain freedom from the painful cycle of birth and death. Think about it. It’s not much fun to die or experience birth in the first place, but to do it again!
A lot of potential reincarnation 'wannabees’ are curious about the concept of heaven. There is certainly an eternal spiritual sky or heaven that comes into play. But to reach that place from here, the believer is required to attain specific goals: For example, we must obtain godly qualities to enter the kingdom of God
If you consider yourself a true 'believer' or a reincarnationist you are in some well know company: Such as the actress Shirley MacLaine or the actor Glenn Ford; who have told of their "former lives"; and then there are the "Christian" reincarnationists such as Jeanne Dixon and the late Edgar Cayce who was perhaps the best known American physic to date (he was also called the sleeping profit).
Biblical Scriptures to support reincarnation beliefs are often used. The references typically used are John 3:3, Matthew 11:11-15, Hebrews 7:2-3 and John 9:2. Each of these passages are said to contain statements that may in fact support the reincarnation philosophy.
The Bible contains several passages regarding reincarnation, but perhaps these Elijah & John the Baptist passages constitute clear proof of reincarnation:
John carried Elijah's living spirit, but not his physical memory. And since John did not possess Elijah's physical memory, he did not possess the memories of being the man Elijah. Thus, John the Baptist denied being Elijah when asked: see John 1:21-27
But Jesus obviously knew better, and said so in the plainest words possible: "This is the one ... there has not risen anyone greater than John the Baptist.... And if you are willing to accept it, he is the Elijah who was to come. He, who has ears, let him hear." (Matthew 11:11-15).
I expect it comes down to this: Jesus said John was Elijah, and John said he was not. Which of the two is to be believed - Jesus or John?For those who refute this reincarnation connection it is often said that John the Baptist merely came in the spirit and power of Elijah. This naturally has been said to be a perfect description of reincarnation however.
Having said all this, you should take note that in just one verse, the Bible devastates the concept of reincarnation. Hebrews 9:27 says that "it is appointed for men to die once, and after this comes judgment."
Apparently the reincarnation theory was accepted by the Christian faith until some time around 325 AD; at which time the church reversed its position. Only one thing remains certain: no one knows if half the world is wrong or not. We do know however that each of us will get at least one chance to find out.
One more point to make: the Bible's Old Testament is clear in forbidding attempts to contact spirits of the dead, which many "pure" reincarnationists try to do when a soul purportedly is "between" incarnations. The Old Testament chapters; Leviticus 20:6, 27, Deuteronomy 18:11, Isaiah 8:19, 1 Samuel 28 and 1 Chronicles 10:13 make clear that God does not want His people engaging in such activities. Furthermore, I have not found in the New Testament any scripture suggesting this ban was ever removed.
Post Script:
You may find it interesting to know that in my youth as a Contract Trucker I had a 'Partner' who became a very good friend. He strongly professed (he convinced me completely) to be living proof that reincarnation was real! He told me his accounts of a few past life experiences; one in which he was convinced that he was a Pre-Civil War era black slave and he especially remembered having the "hots" for one of the white daughters of the plantation owner ... He was a great guy who also believed in "out of body experiences" because he had them ... I will try to offer that topic within a few days.
http://reluctant-messenger.com/origen3.html
http://www.believersweb.org/view.cfm?ID=669
http://krishna.org/reincarnation-faq/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reincarnation
The King James Version of the Holy Bible
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