Did the Catholic Church ever believe in reincarnation?greenspun.com : LUSENET : Catholic : One Thread |
I was wondering if the Catholic Church, at any time, ever believed in re-incarnation? If so, when?
-- Ellen K Hornby (dkh@canada.com), July 05, 1999
No The Church has never taught that. The Scriptures state that we are appointed to die once and after that Eternal Life. The will be a resurection of the body at the end of time . Our soul will be re- united to our body for Eternity. It's possible that some may misunderstand this teaching on the resurection.Br. Rich S.F.O.
-- Br. Rich S.F.O. (repsfo@prodigy.net), July 05, 1999.
Am in total agreement with Br Rich on this issue. Re-incarnation as such is a form of hoping to rid oneself of guilt absorbed during one's life. Karma and all that stuff does fit in with what Christ brought us which was redemption through Him. = Peace= Jean
-- jean bouchard (jeanb@cwk.imag.net), July 05, 1999.
I don't think that the Church believe in re-incarnation!!!!!!!!!!!!!
-- Julian Antonio Pacificador (babytac@goplay.com), July 06, 1999.
I would agree that the "church" has never talk reincarnation, but..."The Scriptures state that we are appointed to die once and after that Eternal Life. "
Not exactly. The "Scriptures" don't say "die once and after..". There IS a "second death." And, Adam was "made" a living Soul, not given one. Only "tradition" states "Eternal Life." The "soul" dies. It does not live on "after death." The "soul" must be kept "alive" , acoording to the Scriptures.
-- Jamey (jcreel@hcsmail.com), July 06, 1999.
"Just as man is destined to die once, and after that to face judgement . . ." Hebrews 9:27
-- David Bowerman (dbowerman@blazenet.net), July 06, 1999.
Jamey,I feel you are somehow missing a point in the life of a soul. We are nothing in this body but a temple of the Holy Spirit therefore we are conneted directly to the "spirit" of Christ and the Father.
For those who do not believe in a spiritual life not much can be said. For those like myself who do it is all I live for.
-- jean bouchardRC, (jeanb@cwk.imag.net), July 06, 1999.
Jean,I would disagree on the basis stated in the other thread and the statement above. I do not live "for" a spiritual life. "Spiritual life"is not just living in hopes of dying to be resurrected to some "spiritual realm." Adam and Eve are not said to have this kind of hope. They never knew Christ. They were designed to live forever in the bodies the had. They messed up. Then they were kicked out. Before that they had the opportunity to live in a paradise forever. Without their sin they would not have died in the first place. So their "spirituality" must have already been with them. They didn't know of what death truly meant. They already "walked with God." They had no plans of dying and "going to heaven."
A "spiritual life" is not something to be waited "for", it is to be lived now as best we know how. The "body" is part of that "soul." Not in that it dies and the soul goes somewhere else, but in that the soul can't live without it. The only thing that leaves when we die is that "spirit", that breath that The Father gave us as He did with Adam. In Genisis 2:7 Adam "became" a living soul. He was not made a living soul. The "spirit" that "returns to the Father" is that breath, not the soul. The soul can't live without it. It dies, just as all the animals'. I don't believe we can take the "body" and "soul" and have two separate pieces in which the "soul" keeps going to some other realm. There are too many, imho, verses in the Bible contrary to this thought of "eternal soul" for me to believe it. Can you explain it better and intergrate the verses given that seem to contradict it?
We don't live "for" A "spiritual life". We live it "now" in the hopes for the resurrection.
Jamey
-- Jamey (jcreel@hcsmail.com), July 06, 1999.
Jamey,As is said " a fool dies once only while the brave dies many times." =Peace=Jean
-- jean bouchard (jeanb@cwk.imag.net), July 06, 1999.
We have proven OBEs and NDUs real (out of body experiences and near death experiences) and yes your soul does leave your body. Scientificaly through hypnosis we have proven reincarnation true (past life regresion).
-- Christopher Fox (martinaj@spryent.com), November 18, 2000.
Hebrews 9:27-28"And just as it is appointed for men to die once, and after that comes judgement, so Christ, having been offered once to bear the sins of many, will appear a second time, not to deal with sin, but to save those who are eagerly waiting for Him."
This is the clearest, although by no means the only, passage regarding the finality of death. "There is no second chance", nor any "endless cycle". We die , we either go to heaven as believers or to hell as unbelievers. Anything else is outside the scriptures.
Christopher, if you died today would you go to heaven or to hell?
-- Susan Shepherd-Magistro (heartwjesus@yahoo.com), November 19, 2000.
"Until the time of John all the prophets and the Law of Moses spoke about the Kingdom; and if you are willing to believe their message, John is Elijah, whose coming was predicted. Listen, then, if you have ears!" (Matthew 11:13-16) Ellen
-- Ellen K. Hornby (dkh@canada.com), November 19, 2000.
SSM, may God reward you for speaking up rightly about the main issue === that there is no such thing as "reincarnation." Christianity has always rejected this pagan theory. No Catholic can believe it (or even suspect it) and still remain a Catholic.Possible existence of obes/ndus is interesting, but irrelevant to reincarnation. Alleged "past life regression" by hypnosis has been debunked.
The CCC 1013 teaches us, "Death is the end of man's earthly pilgrimage, of the time of grace and mercy which God offers him so as to work out his earthly life in keeping with the divine plan, and to decide his ultimate destiny. When 'the single course of our earthly life' is completed, [Vatican II, LG 48 # 3.] we shall not return to other earthly lives: 'It is appointed for men to die once.'[Heb 9:27 .] There is no 'reincarnation' after death."
Jesus was not stating literally that Elijah was reincarnated as St. John the Baptizer. Even non-Catholic Christians who often err in too literally interpreting scripture realize this. A Catholic who reads and privately interprets scripture as saying something contrary to the CCC can know that he/she has erred.
Around the year 400, the great Bible scholar, St. Jerome, wrote, "John then is said to be Elijah -- not according to the foolish philosophers and certain heretics, who bring forward their metempsychosis or passing of the soul from one body to another [reincarnation] -- but because (as it is stated in another passage of the Gospel) John came in the spirit and power of Elijah, and had the same grace and measure of the Holy Spirit. In austerity of life, and fortitude of spirit, Elijah and John were alike. They both dwelt in the desert, both were girded with a girdle of skins. Because he reproved Ahab and Jezebel for their wickedness, Elijah was compelled to flee. Because he condemned the unlawful union of Herod and Herodias, John was beheaded."
SN
-- Slave Nolonger (free@long.last), November 19, 2000.