The Catholic Church rejection of Reincarnation & Karma
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Belief in reincarnation was a central tenet of early Christian communities until it was declared heretical and forever banned at the Second Council of Constantinople in 553 A.D. (Kersten 1979)
Jews at the time of Christ held the general belief of the transmigration of souls..... A finite number of Jewish souls ... would return as long as there were Jews, with occasional punitive reincarnation in an animal form. (Meyer 1907)
… 'Reincarnation’ may be bad theology (that surely, rather than metaphysics) as applied to Humanity ... but I do not see how .... any theologian or philosopher, unless very much better informed about the relation of spirit and body than I believe anyone to be, could deny the possibility of reincarnation… (J.R.R. Tolkien 1954)
Life can't die (Rabbi Manis Friedman 2023)
Reincarnation - the recycling of souls - is the machinery of the universe (Alien in captivity, circa 1950)
Abstract: In 553 A.D. the Catholic Church officially rejected the conception of reincarnation. Since then it has remained a divisive and controversial subject amongst believers, alongside the associated rejection of the concept of karma, which is presented therein as a negative and retributive force, seemingly at odds with the belief in a loving, merciful God. Rejection of reincarnation by the Catholic Church is due to the perceived complexity of the processes surrounding non-physical (spiritual) existence after death and subsequent rebirth. Within Catholic theology there is the decree that, if reincarnation is accepted, there can be no heaven or hell and final redemption and unification of the body and the soul. However, outside of the Catholic Church, a wide variety of opinions and analyses of reincarnation have been expressed by individuals, groups and religions, including Islam, Judaism, Hinduism and Buddhism, with all in support of the concept, though to varying degrees. Much of this occurred prior to the existence of the Christian Church. Existing in the nexus between science and belief, the subject of reincarnation will perhaps forever be one shrouded in uncertainty and unknowing, ultimately subject only to belief. The following article presents arguments for and against, though primarily supports the author's acceptance of reincarnation in its many forms, and the presence of karma as an integral element of humanity's earthly existence, with close ties to the process of reincarnation.
Contents
- Introduction
- The case for Christian reincarnation
- Karma
- The argument against reincarnation
- The Cycle of Life
- A cautious conceit
- Summary
- References
1. Introduction
It's a universal, fundamental question that every human being asks, sooner or later: Where do we go from here? What happens at the end of life? (Rabbi Manis Friedman 2019)
Does the Catholic Church believe in life after death? Yes. Our individual, non-physical (corporeal) energy or essence is eternal and carries on after the end of our singular earthly existence. According to Catholic belief, one's soul then goes to heaven, or hell, or purgatory. Does the Catholic Church believe in reincarnation, or physical rebirth on earth? No.
Reincarnation has long been a core belief of societies throughout the world, from the Aborigines of Australia, through the Jews of Israel, the Hindus of India, and within Islam and Buddhism (Radhika Gopinatha dasa 2021). Outside of these and other religions or defined spiritual beliefs, evidence exists in the form of events such as:
* Young children between the ages of 2 to 5 experiencing and expressing a connection with their past lives. This generally fades and is forgotten by the individual.
* Individuals experiencing into adulthood a connection with a past life or past lives, either as an ongoing connection or a re-connection.
* The widespread belief amongst cultures in reincarnation (Crawley 1983).
* The wide-ranging belief in the sentient nature of life beyond the human species, such as in regard to the natural world and animals, and the connection therein with reincarnation.
* The Judaic belief in everlasting life and rebirth.
* The belief of noted individuals, such as the practicing Catholic, academic and writer J.R.R. Tolkien, in reincarnation, as revealed in that author's statements and greater legendarium through, for example, the rebirth on Middle-earth of Elves, and, to a lesser extent, the eternal life therein of characters such as Tom Bombadil and Gandalf.
The existence of post mortem spirits (ghosts) haunting, or present in the real world and able to express who they are and why they are present, is not evidence of reincarnation. However, it does point to the existence - perhaps eternal - of such spirits in a non-physical plane (Wickland 1974, Fiore 1988). This is described by the Jewish Rabbi Manis Friedman in his 2023 YouTube video Life Can't Die, which provides perhaps the most succinct and believable outline of the context surrounding the non-physical aspect of the individual spirit. This is referred to by Friedman, and by the present author within this article, as Life, in preference to the largely Christian term soul.
Life Can't Die, Rabbi Manis Friedman, YouTube, 26 April 2023, duration: 57.49 minutes.
This individual spirit (Life) is most commonly referred to in the Western world as the soul or individual essence. Rabbi Freidman's thesis is that Life, as in the non-physical soul, mind, individual essence, etc., once created cannot die. It exists eternally. This definition and belief provides a grounding for discussions around the more complex processes of reincarnation and, by association, the role of karma.
Reincarnation is referred to in the writings and teachings of most religions, whether as elements of accepted faith or deemed heretical and disregarded. It is present in the Bible, both the Old and New Testament, and even referred to by Jesus Christ and the Apostles. Historic instances of belief in reincarnation, outside the Biblical realm, are numerous. For example, famous mathematician Pythagoras (570 - 495 B.C.) could remember his previous birth and was influential in support for reincarnation throughout Greek society; additionally, philosopher Plato (428 - 348 B.C.) also believed in rebirth in the animal kingdom; whilst Egyptians and Chinese believed that kings and emperors could be born again. In the early years of the Christian church belief in reincarnation was widespread. For example, the Christian scholar Origen (185 - 253 A.D.) believed in rebirth (Dhammananda 2002).
Evidence for belief in reincarnation is therefore widespread and continuing. It is therefore somewhat inexplicable to the present author as to why the Catholic Church would outlaw the concept of an ongoing process of life, death and rebirth, and instead excommunicate individuals and groups that support a belief which it has only, since 553 A.D., officially deemed heresy. Such a belief, or rather disbelief on the part of the Catholic Church, is apparently tied in with the focus therein on the physical body and its connection with the spirit, or soul, rather than as with other religions and beliefs which see the physical body as merely a temporary vessel and of much less significance than the spiritual plane, which they accept as eternal.
When reincarnation was declared heretical and banned at the Catholic Church's Second Council of Constantinople in 553 A.D., Pope Vigilius was a reluctant attendee of the Synod and did not put his signature to its decisions. Also, there has never been a papal encyclical opposing the idea of reincarnation (Pandarakalam 2009). The decision was perhaps more political than theological, representing a difference of opinion between various Christian groups following the death of Jesus Christ in 33 A.D. As such, the action has proven highly divisive, and is perhaps one of the many reasons Christians have, over the last century, increasingly looked elsewhere for spiritual guidance, towards practices such as Buddhism, Islam and so-called New Age and Eastern philosophies and beliefs which provide a more varied, and interesting, interpretation of the mechanics and meaning of Life, before, during and after its physical manifestation.
The primary reason currently given to the Catholic Church's opposition is that reincarnation is incompatible with the concept of death (Wikipedia 2023). It is claimed therein that the individual physical body and non-physical soul are intertwined and cannot be separated, but will be reunited at the end of time (Isaiah 26, 17-19; Kirkham 2018). The alternative view, long-held and as expressed in the Old and New Testament and within Judaism, was that the body and soul were separate, and that a continual process of rebirth enabled one's soul to reach a refinement on Earth which would, over time, bring it closer to God and to the ideal sought by all humanity, regardless of belief system. In other words, God offered individuals the opportunity to proactively pursue a path towards redemption through reincarnation; to fix or atone for their mistakes and bad deeds by trying again, moving forward to a more godly state of being. This, one would suspect, is a very Catholic and Christian concept, reinforcing the belief in a merciful God. Yet it was rejected in 553 A.D. as heresy, and is now vehemently, and aggressively supported by many Christians and the Catholic Church in general. It deems that you have but one life, and one chance for redemption. Therefore, you must strictly adhere to the teachings of the Church during that singular period of existence on earth, or face eternal damnation.
It is worth noting that the present author, who is 66 years old at the time of writing (2023) was raised a Catholic during the 1960s, and taught scripture and catechism by Josephite nuns, yet remained ignorant of this rejection of the concept of reincarnation until quite recently. This fact reflects the Church's hesitancy at promoting that element of its expansive theology which deals, or rather does not deal, with reincarnation. It is therefore understandable that this head-in-the-sand attitude has meant that the issue remains contentious.
Despite this rejection by the official Catholic Church, evidence exists for reincarnation in Christian scripture and real life, as briefly noted above, and continues to be uncovered and investigated. Philosophical arguments rage across the board, including both inside and outside the Catholic Church, on wide-ranging subjects such as the meaning of life itself, the scope of the afterlife, the role of God, the nexus between body and soul, and the reality or otherwise of reincarnation.
As far back as 1904 James Morgan Pryse published his book Reincarnation in the New Testament, which highlighted the global stretch of arguments in the modern era both for and against reincarnation. Recent academic studies record the fact, for example, that very young children, usually aged between 2 and 5 years of age, often remember previous lives (University of Virginia 2023). If the Catholic Church rejects the very idea of a previous life, what then are these children experiencing? Where science reinforces a so-called element of faith, should the Church therefore pick and choose what it chooses to accept?
Holger Kersten, in his book Jesus in India, presents numerous examples of references to reincarnation within the Bible, highlighting contemporary belief from the period during which Jesus Christ was preaching (Kersten 1979). This, and other sources, frequently refer to the following examples in support of a traditional Christian belief in reincarnation:
1) circa 870 B.C. - The reincarnation of Elijah / Elias as prophesied in the Old Testament (Malachi 4,5).
2) Within the New Testament Zechariah is told of the future birth of a son to him and his wife Elizabeth (Luke 1, 13-17).
3) Jesus Christ confirmed to the Apostles that the soul of Elijah / Elias had been incarnated in the person of John the Baptist:
But I say unto you, that Elias is come already .... For all the prophets and the law prophesied until John [the Baptist]. And if you will receive it, for this is Elias, which was for to come (Mathew 10, 10-14).
The argument for John the Baptist as the reincarnation of Elias is, however, rejected by Christian theologians and those opposing the concept of reincarnation.
4) Disciples of Jesus believed in reincarnation and karma, as revealed when a blind man was encountered by them:
And as Jesus passed by, he saw a man which was blind from his birth. And his disciples asked him, saying, Master, who did sin, this man, or his parents, that he was born blind? (John 9, 1-2)
5) The Apostles, disciples and others believed that Jesus Christ was a reincarnated being. When he asked them their views, he received the following response:
Now when Jesus came into the parts of Casarea, Phillipi, he asked his disciples, saying, who do men say that the son of man is? And they said, some say John the Baptist, some say Elijah: and others, Jeremiah, or one of prophets (Matthew 16:13).
Of course Jesus Christ, as the Son of God, is not your typical incarnate, as Christ was a Divine being and not a normal 'son of man', the subject of the current discussion. Neither can appearances of other Divine beings such as angels and the Virgin Mary, the Mother of Jesus Christ, be seen as supporting the case for reincarnation and past lives amongst ordinary people.
An historian, looking at this topic, can find ample evidence amongst documents from the past for widespread belief in reincarnation around the world, and within pre-Christian and Christian communities. As noted, in the pre-Christian era it was a common belief, and remains so amongst so-called pagan religions. For example, the Australian Aborigines, with a cultural heritage extending back some 130,000 years or more, had, and still have, a strong attachment to totems, an element of which includes the belief that certain animals are reincarnated individuals. Beyond that they believe in the reincarnation of humans, and an associated life after death. When Europeans of white skin arrived to colonize their land after 1770, many Aborigines saw those individuals as reincarnated beings.
Hinduism, Buddhism and Islam all have reincarnation as core elements, as does Judaism. For example, according to Buddhist philosophy / theology:
[In order to gain enlightenment] one works for the welfare and happiness of all beings, seeking to reduce the suffering of others through countless lives. (Dhammananda 2002)
Why, then, should Christianity be any different when, in fact, so much of it is a reflection, and evolution, of what has come before in regard to spiritual and religious practices? For example, the ancient practice of Hinduism has a Trinity of Divine beings (Brahma, Shiva and Vishnu) similar to the Christian Blessed Trinity (Father, Son and Holy Ghost). Unfortunately, as we are talking about matters of faith here, and not hard science, arguments for and against a concept of reincarnation within the Christian church can easily be made, and perhaps will ever be so, even in the face of incontrovertible proof or solid argument either way.
Numerous books, articles and videos on YouTube and other open access platforms discuss the pros and cons of reincarnation in a Christian and wider context. Some of the presentations which support the argument for reincarnation in the Bible and as an original, core aspect of Christian belief are included below. In most part they support the belief of this present writer, though, as is ever the case, individual belief does not always tie 100% in with a prescribed system or dogma, and in fact may be drawn from a variety of sources and experiences.
Where does Life come from? According to Christian belief, God created the world and the living creatures therein through speech, or the word of God. However, it also states that God breathed life into the human body to give Life. There is therefore a difference between speech and breath.
2. The case for Christian reincarnation
The following presentations support reincarnation from a Christian perspective and provide comprehensive evidence and arguments. A lot of the same arguments are repeated, following on from the few presented above.
* 21 November 2012 - (1) Reincarnation explained, Hans Wilhelm, YouTube, duration: 7.33 minutes; (2) How Karma Works, duration: 9 minutes. Two video presentations which support the ideas of reincarnation and karma.
* 20 December 2017 - Reincarnation - is it Biblical? Jacob Israel, YouTube, duration: 28.02 minutes. Presents arguments which support the concept of Christian reincarnation, though offers no personal opinion.
* 19 March 2019 - Charles Stang, Flesh and Fire: Reincarnation and Universal Salvation in the Early Church, Harvard Divinity School, YouTube, duration: 68.12 minutes.
* 24 September 2020 - How reincarnation really works, MorgueOfficial, YouTube, duration: 14.28 minutes. A rational explanation perspective regarding death and life after death.
* 5 June 2021 - Christ Taught Reincarnation, Hans Wilhelm, YouTube, duration: 5.53 minutes. Supports the idea of reincarnation from a Christian perspective.
* 21 January 2022 - Part 1 - Reincarnation in the Bible, Allan Kardec USA - Spiritism and Reincarnation, YouTube, duration: 23.46 minutes. Part 2; Part 3. Argues in support of the concept of Christian reincarnation.
* 1 September 2022 - How and Why Reincarnation Scriptures were Removed or Left Out from the Christian Bible, Allan Kardec USA - Spiritism and Reincarnation, YouTube, duration: 17 minutes. Argues in support of the concept of Christian reincarnation.
* 28 December 2022 - Why Jewish knowledge of Reincarnation was kept secret, Rabbi Simon Jacobson at Meaningful Life Centre, YouTube, duration: 45.39 minutes. Supports the concept of reincarnation from a Jewish perspective.
* 5 January 2023 - Rabbi Chalom Boudjnah, Does Judaism Believe in Reincarnation?, A Little More Light Podcast, YouTube, duration: 2.56 minutes. Supports the concept of reincarnation from a Jewish perspective.
The many arguments presented above are genuine and convincing. They should not simply be dismissed as Catholic heresy.
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3. Karma
Associated with reincarnation, especially in Buddhist belief and philosophy, is the concept of Karma, wherein the actions of an individual during their lifetime can impact not only upon them during that lifetime, but also carry over into their subsequent rebirth. This is relevant if they are reincarnated as a higher or lesser sentient being, or in the body of a higher or lesser being, such as an animal or enlightened human.
A good example of the operation of karma is the Tibetan Buddhist tradition of the Dalai Lama, wherein a continuing process of reincarnation lies at its core. The present Dalai Lama, Gyalwa Rinpoche, is claimed to be the 14th such incarnate, and has reached a heightened state of enlightenment as a result. The selection process of a Dalai Lama operates upon this belief in reincarnation. This has also been discussed as the reason for the visit of the Three Wise Men from the East shortly after the birth of Christ, as they were purportedly searching for, and aware of, the coming of a reincarnated being of special significance (Kersten 1979). It is said that they came from Tibet / India with such knowledge of the impending, or recent, birth of Jesus Christ. None of this is referred to in any detail officially by the Catholic Church.
The concepts of reincarnation and karma were also the belief of Jews and some of the disciples of Jesus Christ at the time of his preaching in Palestine between circa 30-33 A.D. The following incident reveals one such example:
In an account of Jesus healing a man who was born blind, the disciples asked: "Master, who did sin, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?" The idea that someone could have been born blind because of previously committed sins can only be based on the premise of a previous life and subsequent rebirth. The question also implicitly suggests the sublime concept of Karma, in which the deeds of a previous life determine one's next existence (Kersten 1979).
It can be argued that Jesus refutes this suggestion in his answer to the question:
[1] And as Jesus passed by, he saw a man which was blind from his birth. [2] And his disciples asked him, saying, Master, who did sin, this man, or his parents, that he was born blind? [3] Jesus answered, Neither hath this man sinned, nor his parents: but that the works of God should be made manifest in him. (John 9, 1-3)
Similarly, it could be argued that the karmic element here - the blindness - is part of 'the works of God', and was not related to the parents or the individual in a direct sense, as Jesus points out, nor was it retribution. For example, according to some sect Buddhist beliefs an evil doer in one life may be reincarnated as a lesser species, such as an animal; or as an individual in a body with a so-called "disability" such as blindness, as a direct, karmic consequences of their previous life actions, or not.
The words of Jesus in the above example can also be read in a number of ways. For example, according to science, the body of the blind man was likely the result of genetics or direct action of the parents, and not necessarily of a sin by either of them, or therefore karmic. The soul which then occupied that body was probably, or possibly, that of a being not directly connected to the parents, and, according to God's plan, karma decreed that it should be placed in a body that was debilitated to some degree. This sort of analysis points to the complexities inherent in our understanding the process of reincarnation and karma, as are the arguments which arise to explain such events. The truth is elusive.
Karma acts alone. It is not payment or retribution from God or any other being or entity for good or bad actions. It is created by the individual alone, dependent upon their actions. If you do good, good will come to you. It is like interest on an investment, or loss therein. Nothing is predetermined, but all are the results of one's own actions.
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4. The argument against reincarnation
Christian opposition to reincarnation and karma can be summarised as follows:
- There is an eternal connection between the physical body and the individual soul.
- At the end of time, the physical body and eternal soul will be reunited.
- Karma is rejected due to its retributive nature, which is seen as antithetical to the ideal of a loving God.
Of concern to the Christian Church is the misuse of karma to blame and punish individuals in the present for their supposed karmic actions in the past. This is considered abhorrent and un-godly. An example of the reincarnation-based stigma associated with disability in Burma highlights this behaviour, wherein lack of support is provided by society as part of karmic retribution (Humanitarian Aid Relief Trust 2019). Also, in 1999 the English national football coach and 'born-again Christian' Glenn Hoddle blamed disability on retributive karma and was condemned for his comments. Both instances reflect a failure to consider the important aspect of individual compassion which is core to Buddhist belief (Arlidge and Wintour 1999). They also demonstrate a misunderstanding of the concept of karma and its relation to reincarnation.
The core elements of Buddhism are identification of suffering, and the role of compassion in dealing with this. Suffering drives one towards compassion and the attainment of perfection / Nirvana, just as the teachings of Christ do, in a similar though different way or theology. Integral to the Buddhist philosophy is reincarnation / rebirth / karma, which enables one to ultimately achieve compassion / perfection / Nirvana, just as a Christian strives to achieve 'goodness' and a reflection of God, or closer to God-like qualities, whilst on earth. Of course karma as a blame mechanism is wrong. But that misuse by an individual should not be seen as an excuse to reject the idea of reincarnation, just as misuse of Christian teachings and theology by an individual should not be used as a reason to reject the true teachings of Jesus Christ, which centred around love and compassion.
There are literally hundreds of articles, blogs and online presentations which support the argument against reincarnation and karma held by the Catholic Church. A few of these are included below. Needless to say, the present author is, in some instances, critical of them for their omissions and distortion of fact and belief. For example, one YouTuber states categorically that the Jews never believed in reincarnation; real evidence, as presented above, indicates otherwise. Statements such as 'There is no evidence in the Bible for a belief in reincarnation' are likewise common, and made without proof and in ignorance of evidence to the contrary.
Below are presented a selection of videos which argue against the concept of reincarnation from a Christian perspective.
* 16 January 2021 - What does the Bible say about reincarnation? Got Questions Ministry, YouTube, duration: 4.38 minutes. Argues against the concept of Christian reincarnation.
* 17 November 2021 - The Reincarnation Investigation: Past Lives, Karma, the Bible and Jesus, Melissa Dougherty, YouTube, duration: 58.25 minutes. Dougherty believes "reincarnation is a bad thing" and argues against the concept of Christian reincarnation.
One Christian theologian framed his personal opposition to the concepts of reincarnation and karma in the following terms:
I personally don't agree with Reincarnation due to a sense that it is contrary to the Resurrection of the body as your own body glorified. I think a good example would be St Francis of Assisi, who was so visibly holy that after his death there was a full blown heresy that he was the Reincarnation of Christ. Now, St Francis did not hold this, and nor do the 1,200 years of Franciscans since him. I am also not at ease with the doctrine of Karma which to my mind is contrary to God's mercy and the dignity of disabled people etc. In terms of mercy, the good Thief crucified with Jesus is a good example that paradise opens for a "bad" person due to the humility of accepting the salvation offered by Jesus. Disabled people, in my opinion, are also made in the image and likeness of God, rather than living out a punishment for former wickedness. For an interesting modern literary expression of Reincarnation there is Paulo Coelho "Aleph". He was raised Catholic but came to embrace a view that tried to reconcile various ideas. Councils in Catholicism, to my mind, are ultimately not arbitrary but guided by the Holy Spirit to remain faithful to salvific faith. This provides a safeguard against personal whims, and the ultimate authority resides in a divinely instituted authority. [For example], the very unworthy Peter, who asked to be crucified upside down. The councils are in direct communion with this man through the line of the papacy until today and do not "change" their teaching. Within this tradition saints continue to interact with the Church on earth, appearing with their own glorified bodies in heaven and as individual persons. A good example would be the universal appearances of the Virgin Mary in the last 2,000 years. She is not reincarnated in these appearances. Also, the view of the Eucharist as literally Christ's body shows its unique integrity to be welcomed by each Christian, to save them uniquely and once and for all.
The arguments presented therein are self satisfying and stray from the actual issue of reincarnation. The belief by some that Francis of Assisi was a reincarnation of Jesus Christ is not an argument against reincarnation, but simply an example of a mistaken belief. The conflation of disability and karmic retribution is a similar, abhorrent mistaken belief. Also, the appearances over time of the Blessed Virgin Mary are not instances of reincarnation, as in rebirth. Neither are good deeds in this life a refutation of the existence of karma, with the above author seeking to suggest that it is only associated with retribution for bad behaviour. Karma applies in regard to both good and bad actions. As one can see, the arguments presented are weak, distorted and fallacious.
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5. The Cycle of Life
Life is the co-existence of mind and matter (Dhammananda 2002)
The following is a simplified scenario for the cycle of Life, developed by the author based upon his research into the subject of reincarnation and related events as outlined above. It draws from all religions, ideologies, theologies, and spiritual beliefs and attempts to provide a bare bones structure to an infinitely complex process and belief system. It is a personal interpretation only, with God at the centre as the controlling entity, or originating force. God is not precisely defined, though the author believes in the Catholic concept of the Blessed Trinity, and accepts aspects of variant systems, such as Buddhism, where the original, creative source is not defined in such terms, or in Hinduism where godhead takes a multiplicity of forms.
1. God exists at the origin of everything - of time and of presence.
According to atheists and others, existence and creation occurs spontaneously, without any entity as its finite, original source. To others, including the author, God, or some variant, was the origin of everything. This concept is totally beyond human comprehension or proof, and must remain an unverifiable belief.
2. The physical universe is created.
At some point, God commenced the process of creation. There are numerous oral accounts and texts describing this, from the Hebrew Book of Genesis in the Bible through to the Catholic writer J.R.R. Tolkien's semi-fictional Ainulindale chapter in The Silmarillion (Tolkien 1977). The act of creation covers all the physical realm, across the universe. On earth it applies to the geographical elements and all other physical things, including carbon-based entities which were subsequently identified as living. This creation of the physical environment may have occurred contemporaneously with the creation of living creatures.
3. Life is created.
Life is defined herein as a non-physical entity - an essence or energy - created by God and comprising an individual consciousness or life force. It can be applied to everything from a single celled organism which is 'alive' through to the complex creatures known as human beings, and all those physical entities in between, inclusive of flora and fauna, many of which we refer to as sentient, i.e., those living creatures that have feelings. It primarily applies, however, to those higher sentient beings, though with a human emphasis on what is often, but not necessarily, referred to as the soul or the spirit.
In the present discussion this God-given, non-physical energy or essence is simply referred to as Life. It is unique to an individual being, though in some belief systems it can be broken down into parts which are dispersed upon rebirth. How God created Life is referenced in the Bible as follows:
The Lord God formed man from the dust of the earth. He blew into his nostrils the breath of life, and man became a living being (Genesis 2.7).
The process of the creation of an individual Life for the billions of people currently on planet earth must be ongoing, apart from the fact of belief in reincarnation, whereby many of those lives have previously existed. It should be noted that according to some Buddhist teaching:
There can be no end to the number of beings in the whole universe (Dhammananda 2002).
4. Life exists in the non-physical realm.
Following the creation of a Life by God, it exists in the non-physical realm. This place is often referred to in a religious context by names such as heaven, hell or purgatory, though other terms can be used. The Life can exist in this place for various lengths of time, from an instant to an eternity, dependent on the various stages of rebirth and karmic status. It could be suggested that encounters on the earthly plane with spirits, ghosts and apparitions are examples of a Life briefly entering the physical plane for some reason. The Jewish religion, for example, contains a complex suit of scenarios regarding the stages in which an individual Life engages with the physical realm, both before birth and after the death of the physical body, prior to any instance of reincarnation.
5. Life connects with a physical entity.
This occurs where inanimate matter become alive, whether it be a single cell, a tree, an animal or a human being. It can happen naturally or proactively, as is likely the case with sentient creatures and human rebirth. While this connection applies to all living things, this discussion will focus on human beings and, to a lesser degree, animals where karma has resulted in a progression or regression between human and animal. For humans, this process of connection between a physical body and non-physical Life begins when a male sperm and female ovum (egg) connect at the point of physical conception. It is assumed that at this point the Life essence leaves the non-physical realm and joins with the fertilised egg. From that point a life begins.
6. Life has a life.
Following conception, the united physical body and non-physical Life force develops in the womb, is born, and experiences life for a period of time. During this life, their actions, good or bad, give rise to karma. The aim of life is to advance in the spiritual, non-physical sense, through doing good works, attaining positive karma, and thereby reaching a state of enlightenment or godliness. This can take place anywhere from during a single lifetime (according to Catholic dogma) or over a number of lives.
7. The physical entity dies.
At some point the physical body dies, but the Life essence continues, because an individual Life cannot die. Some atheistic groups believe that Life begins and ends with a single life, and there is nothing beyond this, either before or after. The author rejects this. The Catholic Church and Judaism believe that at the end of time the Life force will reconnect with the physical body, supposedly reconstituted from dust. It is for this reason that the Catholic Church does not support the concept of reincarnation. Most other religions and spiritual belief systems, including Judaism, support multiple lives, rebirth and reincarnation, and therefore do not see an eternal connection between a short-term physical body and an individual eternal Life or soul.
8. Life returns to the non-physical plane.
Following the death of the physical body the Life force returns to the non-physical plane. Dependent upon karma, and the specific religion, this plane can be in the form of a positive heaven or a negative hell, or something in between. The Jewish religion does not believe in the Christian heaven or hell, but proposes a single, non-physical realm where the state of the Life force is in a good or bad state based on their karma. That is, there is not a separate, physical hell or heaven. Time spent by an individual Life in the non-physical realm can vary.
9. Life reconnects with a physical entity and repeats the process of life and rebirth.
The process of reincarnation offers the opportunity for the Life force to proactively decide to leave the non-physical plane and return to the physical realm to continue their journey towards enlightenment and godliness. This is achieved through good acts, and the attainment of positive karma. This reconnection with a body, or rebirth, may occur many times, with both progression and regression possible. In some beliefs regression results in a move from the human to the animal form, though it also allows for progression in the opposite direction. For some belief systems there is only a constant process of progression through various rebirths, rather than the possibility of regression. The Life can proactively makes a decision to reconnect with a physical body, as it seeks spiritual progression.
10. Life permanently returns to the non-physical plane.
According to Catholic doctrine, this occurs after a single life, as there is no acceptance of reincarnation. That is, an individual Life has a single chance to achieve godliness or enlightenment, and following death of the physical body will find itself in heaven, hell or purgatory until the end of time. Most other religions and spiritual ideologies believe that Life cannot die, or at least lives on through rebirth until it reaches enlightenment or a state of godliness. An individual Life is therefore given the opportunity to evolve into a higher plane of existence, at which point it then permanently returns to the non-physical plane. It is unclear what permanent existence in the non-physical plane entails, outside of the prescriptive Catholic scenario present above.
11. Life ends?
This 'death' may happen at the so-called end of time, or, rarely, beforehand, though the general belief across most religions is that Life is eternal, and that Life Can't Die.
Within each of the above categories there is a seemingly endless variety of possibilities and beliefs, many of which are highly nuanced and arise out of individual interpretations or opinions. Any reading of related texts, listening to oral accounts, or viewing of presentations, will quickly reveal this complexity.
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6. A cautious conceit
Caveat emptor .... let the buyer beware.... that's what they say. There is much we do not know about life: before it begins, during its existence, and following its ending. We have not been told; it has not been explained to us. Buddha's discovery of the Four Noble Truths around 500 BC is based on personal experience and is ultimately mere conjecture, though it is very much truthful, logical, undeniable; a brilliant conclusion. The Bible - the so called word of God - just like the Koran and other texts deemed sacred and infallible, is likewise made up of personal stories, second-hand accounts, parables and wishful thinking, all of which can resonate with us, providing us with guidance and comfort. But the undeniable truth? How can this be, when we know nothing with any assurity or absolute confidence. What we have is only belief, and nothing more. Whoever is ultimately responsible for all of this - what we often refer to as God, or the Creator - has put us on this earth for a time, provided us with a body and soul, with matter and mind, and given humans the free will to undertake a journey of discovery, or not. Why were we not given the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth of our creation and existence? The answer is obvious: there would be nothing to discover if we were told, if we did know, if we were already god-like. It is as though we are part of a game; free-thinking entities participating in a world where rules have been set but the outcome is open to chance, and where the game can begin again, and again, and again - ad infinitum if we like - until we hopefully, and finally, come out winners, achieve our spiritual Nirvana, heaven or hell, or nothingness.... Who knows? No one, actually. So we believe, in something, and hopefully try to be the best we can, by doing the best we can. Om mani padme om.
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7. Cosmic Consciousness
The journey of the present author in this area through the latter half of 2023 and into 2024 followed a path in which his initial youthful education during the 1960s within the Catholic faith was supplemented around the turn of the millennium by an introduction to Tibetan Buddhism, which is turn appeared to be more of a consciousness-raising philosophy rather than a traditional religion. So it was that in the middle of 2023 the author, through a study of Picnic at Hanging Rock, was brought into the aspect of multidimensionality via the faerie realm. This in turn led to the area of UFO / Alien phenomena and, through the studies of Dr. Steven Greer, to the concept of cosmic consciousness and, ultimately, to the proposition that 'God' was at the centre of the fractal disintegration of that consciousness into the creation of our individual being, which manifest as a soul. Of course the author was not alone in this journey, as it was and is part of the prevailing zeitgeist. As of writing, the ultimate expression was revealed through an 2022 interview by Linda Moulton Howe with the Anunnaki (Alien) / human hybrid, Marina Seren, as seen in the following videos.
Linda Moulton Howe: An interview with an Anunnaki Hybrid, UAMN TV, 1 November 2022, YouTube, duration: 91.03 minutes.
The Anunnaki Hybrid details her connection to the Blue Giants Anunnaki race, UAMN TV, 16 December 2022, YouTube, duration: 93.43 minutes.
Across the videos are wide variety of aspects of reality are addressed, including the issue of reincarnation, which seems central to the idea of the non-corporeal cosmic consciousness to which all sentient beings in the universe belong.
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7. Summary
The issue of reincarnation and its declaration as heresy by the Catholic Church in 553 A.D. will continue to be debated by Christian theologians and others within the Church, and by those outside. The issue of previous lives, life before and after death, and karmic rebirth are ultimately beyond the realm of philosophical and theological debate, and scientific proof. It is, then, at the end of the day, and as it has forever been, a matter of individual belief, based on teaching, evidence presented therein, and actual experience. The current author was raised a Christian, has studied Buddhism, and possesses a background in science. He believes in reincarnation and issues associated with it such as karma, though he does not claim to fully understand them, and likely never will. He does not see a belief in reincarnation as a conflict with his belief in the basic tenets of the Catholic faith and the role of Jesus Christ as the son of God, or belief in the Blessed Trinity. He takes exception to many of the constructs and constraints of institutionalized religions and spiritual practices, and in the case of Christianity he attempts to hold true to the basic teachings of Jesus Christ which, like those of Buddha, emphasize compassion, love and the seeking of righteousness (i.e., to be a good person). This is ultimately at the core of all religions, though often gets lost or distorted by well-meaning individuals and organisations in their attempts to bureaucratize and enforce belief and the interpretation of their individual set of teachings. He will continue to listen to the arguments for and against reincarnation and come to a conclusion, or belief, which, at the present time at least, is decidedly supportive of the idea. A definitive answer can only be attained upon death of the physical body and during those first few years of rebirth (if it be true), before memories of a previous life, or previous lives, fades. Such are, in his view, 'the works of God', to quote Jesus Christ.
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Last updated: 10 January 2024
Michael Organ, Australia 🇦🇺
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