O
YOU BELIEVE in reincarnation? Reincarnation is one of the doctrines,
which is being propagated and upheld by other religions that came from
different countries, like Buddhism and Hinduism. One of those who
taught this doctrine was Chris Butler, a spiritual leader, who is
better known as Jagad Guru. At present, this doctrine is adhered to by
people who consider themselves as intellectuals. And because of over
self-confidence, they have forgotten to listen to the teachings of God.
The same thing is true with those who are ignorant about the Holy
Scriptures.
The concept of reincarnation involves rebirth, transmigration of
the soul, and metempsychosis, or the transfer of a soul to different
beings. It could be to a human, to an animal, or to a plant. Those who
adhere to reincarnation claim that the soul of a man has no beginning
and no end. And a soul develops a human form only through fusion of the
4 elements – earth, fire, water, and wind. And from there, it will
transfer to different life forms when the person dies. It is also
believed that this next life form will depend on his karma, or the
result of his deeds in his previous life. Thereby, if a person lived a
virtuous, peaceful, and orderly life, he will merit a good karma (as a
reward). And in his next life, he will experience abundance, and he
will be placed to a much better condition. They say, he will live
comfortably when his soul transfers to another body. On the other hand,
those who lived in wickedness will be accorded a bad karma as a
compensation for the sins that he had committed. He will have a
miserable condition in his next body. There is also a possibility that
a man, whose ways are beast-like, he will become a beast in his next
life.
They say that a person’s attachment to the material world and to
the different earthly pleasures is one of the reasons behind
reincarnation. For example, a person who is fond of surfing, scuba
diving, and other water sports, is bound to become a fish, or any water
creature, when he reincarnates. And this process, they say, will go on
until a soul has completed going through 8,400,000 kinds of existence.
This is highly impossible because if we are to respect the field of
science that deals with the study of living organisms, there no such
thing as 8,400,000 species.
There are also those who claim that, a soul will continue migrating
to different life forms until the expiration of the earth. And they
believe that the world expires every 5,000 years. They say that after
5,000 years a new world will appear, and everything that had happened
will transpire once more. And this is a big lie!
Do you know that at present, there are structures of earth whose
age is about 7,000 years old? This was discovered by an archeologist in
Kercado, a place near Carnac, Brittany in western France. Based on the
latest manner of carbon dating, the tomb that they found in Kercado was
approximately built about 4,650 years after Christ was born. Therefore,
today, 1999, these structures would age about 6,649 years old. And this
has exceeded the 5,000-year mark, which they say, is the expiration of
the earth.
And one more thing, are you aware that scientists had unearthed
remains of a woman who lived about 200,000 years ago? This was
published in Newsweek magazine in1988. If it is true that the earth
expires every 5,000 years, then no fossils of this sort could have been
found. The same with the remains in Kercado. This only leads to a
definite conclusion that, this belief is not true! And never will it
become acceptable to a sensible man who considers archeological facts.
All of these complicated beliefs about reincarnation result out of
the people’s ignorance of what actually happens to a person after
death. If we are going to use the Bible as our basis, we will find out
that, the belief in reincarnation is wrong. According to the Bible, the
death of a person means that everything about him also ends, and he
will only have to wait for God’s judgment come Judgment Day. This is
what Hebrew 9:27 states—
“And as it is appointed unto men once to die; but after this the judgment.”
Please, take not of that. Man is appointed to die but once, not
8,400,000 times. It is not true that a soul may migrate, or transfer,
to another being. The Bible said, a person who has passed away no
longer knows anything anymore. This is written in Job 7:9-10—
“As the cloud is consumed and vanisheth away: so he that goeth
down to the grave shall come up no more. He shall return no more to his
house, neither shall his place know him anymore.”
It is true that the Bible teaches us a particular rebirth, but this
does not refer to reincarnation, because reincarnation literally means,
being reborn in the flesh. What the Bible is referring to is, being
born again of water and of spirit. This is what John 3:3-5 says—
“Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto
thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.
Nicodemus said unto him, How can a man be born when he is old? Can he
enter the second time into his mother’s womb, and be born? Jesus
answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of
water and the spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.”
This is a spiritual rebirth, and this refers to baptism. According to Titus 3:5—
“Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according
to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing
of the Holy Ghost.”
The Bible calls it “the washing of regeneration.” Acts 22:16 says—
“And now why tarriest thou? Arise, and be baptized, and wash away thy sins, calling on the name of the Lord.”
Therefore, being born again, or being reborn, means to undergo baptism and to lead a new and better life.
It is also impossible that a soul of a person simply transfers from
one being to another. If it is true, there wouldn’t be any way for the
souls to increase in number. Originally, there was but a single soul
that God created. This can be read in I Corinthians 15:45—
“And so it is written, The first man Adam was made a living soul; the last Adam was made a quickening spirit.”
From one man, the souls, or the men, have multiplied in number. If
reincarnation is true, then, the number of souls should not have
increased. But it is the opposite of what is true today. Do you know
that at present, there are about five billion, seven hundred million
(5.7 B) people living on earth? And if the world population projection
will come to pass, by the year 2000, the world’s population would be
about 6.2 billion, and it will continue to grow bigger.
If you believe in our Lord Jesus Christ, the Great Teacher who was
sent by God from heaven, we must never believe in reincarnation because
our Lord Jesus Christ did not teach this doctrine to the Apostles.
Reincarnation is not true, and this is against the teachings in the
Gospel. But nevertheless, we leave everything to your judgment.
