There are many accounts about people, often children, remembering past lives. Here's one (video) of those which takes a lot of conviction to dismiss.
Since we don't seem to have the faintest clue what consciousness really is, I don't think reincarnation needs to go against any faith, not even materialism.
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Without getting into the religious aspects of all this, let me just say that almost everything in nature is recycled, from grass and leaves to
planets and stars, so why should we
be an exception?
Why aren't an exception, but consciousness is a function of the brain, so it's recycled along with the rest of the body when it decomposes. 'Nuff said.
P.S. Reincarnation does go against Christianity. It was part of the early church but it was later decided, probably at Nicea, that it would not be a part of Christian dogma. So if you're a Christian today you can't believe in it. Unless they decide to put it back in. Recently the Catholic church decided to axe Purgatory, briefly repealing the Pope's infallability.
This is what happens when we discuss recycling - someone wants to get religion into the act. Let me remind us that God doesn't need a religion.
It's only mortal control-freaks who really need it.
Eolake mentioned religion in his original post, about how the idea of reincarnation shouldn't conflict with any. It'd be nice if people could pay attention.
Let me remind us that God doesn't need a religion.
That's an empty and meaningless statement.
Jesus is coming soon! Be ready.
Read your Bibles.. God bless everyone!
Maybe
Let me remind us that God doesn't need an organized religion.
would be better.
Yes, Alex -
That's what I should have said.
And Joe, don't get your blood pressure up - that's not the kind of reaction we're hoping for here. And speaking of the early days of the church, there's a lot of evidence pointing to a lot of nasty goings-on back then, while they fought over who should be in charge, and what should be official. I admire the Pope's decision to scrap Purgatory, but what about all those poor souls who were presumed to have been in it? Do they get a free pass through the Pearly Gates, or are they slated for the next barbecue down in you-know-where? There's always problems re-writing history.
That may be why they borrowed a lot of the routines from those famous pagans, the Ancient Egyptians. If it worked for them for 3,000 years or so, why not us?
That seemed to be the thinking...
Hmm, does this mean religions are getting reincarnated?
There are a lot of similarities between gods. Sometimes it looks like there is a single god with many facets, other times many single function gods, but their raison d'etre is nonetheless the same, that is they are there to explain the inexplicable, and to provide an absolute for social guidance.
Heaven, Purgatory, Hell. Hades, Valhalla, Nirvana, Elysian Fields to name a few. Do we need so many, or can we streamline them into fewer afterlives.
"That's an empty and meaningless statement."
Bullshit. If any kind of god does exist there's no reason it has to bend to man-made religions, and an open mind that thinks god could exist has to consider that every known religion may have it wrong. Contrary to what you think, not everyone interested in spiritual disciplines wants dogma to replace mystery.
On the topic of reincarnation, when I come back, I want to be a bra. Because I want to support something that I dearly love and believe in.
Read your Bibles, gentlemen. If you don't read your Bibles, you might reincarnate. Or not reincarnate, depending on which is worse for you. Jesus is coming. God bless you all!
@ ttl -
There are parts of the Bible that read like the writer was definitely using some hallucinogenic substance to enhance his 'vision'.
Was nice looking at this video. I knew these things exist, but was a good moment to confront again.
Cheers! :-)
And Joe, don't get your blood pressure up - that's not the kind of reaction we're hoping for here.
Don't worry, Ray, my blood pressure's just fine.
And speaking of the early days of the church, there's a lot of evidence pointing to a lot of nasty goings-on back then, while they fought over who should be in charge, and what should be official.
If you want to be good at something, you've got to practice.
I admire the Pope's decision to scrap Purgatory,
Really? That's strange. No one's calling him on the fact that he's given up the idea he's infallible. You can't have alternating periods of infallibility and fallibility. What a joke.
but what about all those poor souls who were presumed to have been in it? Do they get a free pass through the Pearly Gates, or are they slated for the next barbecue down in you-know-where? There's always problems re-writing history.
You mean, did anyone think of the children?
That may be why they borrowed a lot of the routines from those famous pagans, the Ancient Egyptians. If it worked for them for 3,000 years or so, why not us?
Stole, Ray, stole. And from a lot of others too. Shameless, really. ;-)
There are a lot of similarities between gods. Sometimes it looks like there is a single god with many facets, other times many single function gods, but their raison d'etre is nonetheless the same, that is they are there to explain the inexplicable, and to provide an absolute for social guidance.
The similarities are why polytheistic societies didn't have a problem with anyone else's gods. The Greeks for example just thought the Egyptian gods were the same as theirs, known by different names. I'm not sure about this providing an absolute for social guidance. Maybe to people who don't read their holy books.
Bullshit. If any kind of god does exist there's no reason it has to bend to man-made religions, and an open mind that thinks god could exist has to consider that every known religion may have it wrong. Contrary to what you think, not everyone interested in spiritual disciplines wants dogma to replace mystery.
Hear that? It's me laughing my ass off. I know it probably felt good, expressing some good, old-fashioned righteous indignation. Too bad you were so off base. I think I'm going to start calling you "Frito."
absolute for social guidance.
The law of the land, we now take, as an absolute standard for our social behaviour. Murder is out, theft is wrong etc.
Sure we challenge our laws because we know they are only created by mortals, and people can be wrong, and things can be made better with revisions.
With a mandate from a deity it becomes more absolute. The 7 deadly sins, the 10 commandments. They carry the clout of a gods word. That was the concept I was trying to get to. It was a form of moral code, backed by the word of a god.
Sure, some gods seem more whimsical, plucking mortals up and using them as pawns in a game, in the Gospel of Harryhausen.
I was thinking more of the Jewish, Muslim and Christian idea of god, rather than Greek, Egyptian and Roman. Should have thought it through before commiting pen to paper.
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