It seems like reincarnation is a popular theory of the after-life by most people (not just from Buddhists or Hindus) which include other religions like Christianity and Judaism. However, people have different interpretations of reincarnation though, I think.
I remember one wise person said, all the world religions are like puzzles, where each has truth to it, but not one provides the means to an end. That’s why there are so many beliefs.
So, here’s one where it talks about reincarnation being a gift from God.
Now, God isn’t any religion though, but it kinds of make sense. Science to understand reincarnation is about the “how” and religion is about the “why?”. God created and choose who to be reincarnate since the beginning of time, and scientists are trying to explain the process of it?
I don’t think science is quite at the “How does reincarnation happen?” stage. Drop the first word off that question, and it’s a little better depiction of what the current state of the research is.
Reincarnation never did fit in with Xtianity. Judaism doesn’t believe in reincarnation, and the NT doesn’t say reincarnation is how the afterlife works.
I’d like to see independent documentation of their claims.
Some modern authors have argued that reincarnation is compatible with Christian teachings, but based on what’s in the Gospels, it doesn’t sound like an early Christian idea.
Like immortality, I think reincarnation would turn out to be more of curse from God than a gift. There must be more to the universe than pertual rebirth on this backwater planet.
Perhaps when people rebirth to a different planet (out of this galaxy) that higher in intelligent than earthly beings, that could be heaven the Bible refer to?
And there’s no Nobel Prize for any scientists who can prove heaven/hell in the after-life exist either? Most of the belief for which heaven exists are just speculation with no scientific evidence. While reincarnation fits the theory of conservation of energy and so on.
If you make a bunch of assumptions about ‘the soul’ being energy and such, maybe it could be interpreted to do that. Reincarnation is every bit as much speculation as heaven and hell are.
The thread I linked to in post #9 had some discussion of the topic. The short of it is that while reincarnation has never been a part of official Jewish belief, there may have been sects that did believe in it at some point.
Several years ago I did a personal study on this question. Is belief in reincarnation and belief in Christ as Savior mutually exclusive or is it possible that both are true?
According to my reading it is possible for both to be true. Part of that study included a study of references to reincarnation in the Bible. There are quite a few that might be interperted that way in both the old and NT. They are more along the lines of alluding toward Reincarnation than outright support. Considering the changes the Bible went through and how the included books were selected thats seems significant enough to not dismiss the idea. There’s lots of references on the third testament link earlier in this thread if you explore.
I have yet to figure out how to insert a link into my posts. DUH!!
but there’s
For all the prophets and the law have prophesied until John. And if you are willing to receive it, he is Elijah who was to come. (Matt. 11:13-14)
And the disciples asked him, saying, “Why then do the scribes say that Elijah must come first?”
But he answered them and said, “Elijah indeed is to come and will restore all things. But I say to you that Elijah has come already, and they did not know him, but did to him whatever they wished. So also shall the Son of Man suffer at their hand.”
Then the disciples understood that he had spoken of John the Baptist." (Matt. 17:10-13)
When Jesus came to the region of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, “Who do people say the Son of Man is?”
They replied, “Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, Jeremiah or one of the prophets.” (Matt. 16:13-14)
Is reincarnation a gift from God? Not nessecarily. It might just be the result of our own slow awakening. How many lifetimes it takes to return to union with God depends on our own choices.