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Do Christians Believe in Reincarnation?

ByFaith and Rain

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Reincarnation is a philosophical concept that points to the rebirth of a soul. According to Buddhists, Hinduists, Sikhists, and tribalism advocates, our soul comes back time and time again (partially or fully), entering different body forms.

While the concept of reincarnation is common for Far East philosophies and religions, certain groups of Christians do discuss the possibility of reincarnation (Druze, Rosicrucian). Let’s take a look.

The Concept of Reincarnation

The Hindu concept of reincarnation is linked to the Hindu belief in karma, which holds that our soul (atman) retains the imprint of all our good and bad deeds while we are alive.

We are reborn onto a higher level if the totality of our acts is positive. Alternatively, we are reincarnated onto a lesser level if we are corrupt. Karma appeals to everybody who believes in the justice of God.

Being born low is a punishment for evil, whereas being born high is a prize for righteousness.

The problem that Christians have with karma is that it teaches that individuals who suffer in this life are suffering justly as a result of terrible acts committed in a previous incarnation, which is a double weight.

The Majority of Christians Don’t Believe in Reincarnation

The followers of Cathars, Alawites, Rosicrucians, and Druze do promote the idea of reincarnation. Still, the majority of Christians don’t believe in it, mainly because it contradicts the concept of resurrection.

Before Jesus, the Pharisees had the concept that the body would resurrect at the end of time, albeit it was not widely accepted. The resurrection of Christ from the grave not only reaffirmed that conviction but also solidified it.

Reasons Christianity Rejects Reincarnation

The majority of Christians aren’t supportive of reincarnation because it contradicts the vision of redemption that we have in the New Testament.

Furthermore, it offers us quite a different view of what it is to be a human being – a disembodied self that isn’t connected to any specific moment, suggesting that the “self” has an incidental relationship to any given body.

In addition to that, most Christians assume that if reincarnation is true, we’d never be able to wash away the stain of sin that separates us from God, while it is considered that Jesus died on a cross so we can all have our faults forgiven.

Statistics

Surveys show that around 25% of Catholics support reincarnation. However, the Bible and the majority of Christians don’t believe in reincarnation.

Still, surveys suggest that over 30% of Catholic Christians in the United States don’t have anything against reconciling reincarnation.

Reincarnation word

Can Christianity and Reincarnation Be Reconciled?

Accepting that the human soul is everlasting could be a good place to start heading in this direction.

The human spirit does not exist just at the start of life but initially exists in the realm of spirit before entering the terrestrial world.

Numerous Christians accept wonders like those where real sufferings are recuperated, where individuals are brought back to life.

They can accept belief in God as a being who is ubiquitous, all-knowing, and supreme.

However, it isn’t conceivable for many to expand their convictions to incorporate the plausibility that God might send our human souls back into another human body for another life.

One of the reasons for abandoning reincarnation might have been a fear that such a religion would absolve individuals of responsibility for their actions.

People would be able to avoid taking responsibility for what they did in their current lives if they had more lives to get it right.

While it may be comforting to some to believe that “confession” is enough to cleanse us of our faults, while being sorry is a good thing, it appears to ignore the repercussions of the deed.

It doesn’t make things right. It would appear to be considerably more advantageous to our human growth if we did more than just express real regret but did something to make apologies.

Successive lifetimes would provide us with the opportunity to improve ourselves, equalize the evils we have inflicted, and progressively grow into beings that God imagined us as.

Guidance for Those Feeling Abandoned

From time to time, we all feel abandoned and hopeless. However, overcoming hardships is the best way to grow and become stronger. Before anything, pray and seek help from the holy spirit.

The holy spirit is like your own personal guide. Ask the holy spirit to give you wisdom to overcome obstacles in your life. You will be surprised on how things begin to change when you have faith.

Wrap Up

So do Christians believe in reincarnation? Reincarnation is a concept common for Far East philosophies and religions. Still, while Catholic Christians strongly dismissed it for centuries, the trend is rising today, and more than 30% believe in reincarnation.

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