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Is Reincarnation
Biblical?
Today
approximately 30 million Americans (one in four) believe in reincarnation. The
word "reincarnation" literally means to "come again in the
flesh." The process of reincarnation - continual rebirths in human bodies
- allegedly continues until the soul has reached a state of perfection and
merges back with its source (God or the "Universal Soul").
One's lot in life, according
to those who believe in reincarnation, is based on the law of karma. This law
says that if bad things happen in one's life, this is an outworking of bad
karma. If good things happen in one's life, this is an outworking of good
karma.
"Karma" refers to
the "debt" a soul accumulates because of good or bad actions
committed during one's life (or past lives). If one accumulates good karma by
performing good actions, he or she will be reincarnated in a desirable state.
If one accumulates bad karma, he or she will be reincarnated in a less
desirable state. In Shirley MacLaine's book Out on a
Limb we are told, "Reincarnation is like show business. You just keep
doing it until you get it right."
Some people twist the
Scriptures and say that Jesus Himself taught reincarnation or "cyclical
rebirth." In Matthew 11:14, for example, Jesus said, "And if you are
willing to accept it, [John the Baptist] is the Elijah who was to come."
Likewise, in John 3:3 Jesus said, "I tell you the truth, no one can see
the
But these passages, rightly
interpreted, do not support reincarnation. Matthew
Regarding
Jesus' words about being "born again" in John 3:3, the context
clearly shows that Jesus was referring to a spiritual rebirth or regeneration. In fact, the phrase born again
carries the idea of "born from above," and can even be translated
that way. Jesus clarified His meaning by affirming that "flesh gives birth
to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit" (v. 6).
There are other Scriptures
that clearly debunk the notion of reincarnation. Hebrews
We must also remember that
Jesus taught that people decide their eternal destiny in a single lifetime (Matthew
25:46). This is precisely why the apostle Paul emphasized that "now is the
day of salvation" (2 Corinthians 6:2).
Further, Jesus taught the
concept of resurrection, not reincarnation. In fact, He predicted His own
resurrection early in His public ministry (John
In addition to biblically
refuting reincarnation, we must also point to some of the practical problems
involved in the theory of reincarnation. For example, we must ask, Why does one
get punished (via "bad karma") for something he or she cannot
remember having done in a previous life? Moreover, if the purpose of karma is
to rid humanity of its selfish desires (as reincarnationists say), then why has
there not been a noticeable improvement in human nature after all the millennia
of reincarnations on earth?
Finally, if reincarnation
and the law of karma are so beneficial on a practical level, as reincarnationists
claim, then how do they explain the immense and ever-worsening social and
economic problems - including widespread poverty, starvation, disease, and
horrible suffering - in India, where reincarnation has been systematically
taught throughout its history?
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