For those who believe in reincarnation...

[Katzpur]

I have a question. (I put this in the debates forum, since I didn't want to make it specific to just one religion.)

Do you believe you will be reincarnated again and again forever? Or is there a point at which this process comes to some kind of a conclusion? And when, and how do you believe it all began?

 

[Hema]

We reincarnate because of karma. As a Hindu I believe that God is all forgiving therefore he would not send us to an eternity of suffering for our bad deeds. God gives us as many births as we need to correct this bad karma. When we do good now, we help to cancel past bad karma and help to generate good karma for the future. When all karma is resolved and we are spiritually conscious, we break free of the cycle of birth and death and become one with God. I think the cycle of birth and death begins because God puts us on earth to serve him. Not like in a slavery concept, but because we ourselves obtain joy from serving God. We are always connected to God. He is part of us and we are part of him.

 

[Halcyon]

In Gnosticism, the spirit is reincarnated endlessly until such time as it reaches Gnosis and is freed from the world, returning to the true God.

Mythology tells us that it began when the Demiurge stole a portion of Sophia's spirit and used it to animate life in the universe, thus trapping that spirit in countless millions of living beings across the universe. When a person reaches Gnosis, the spark of that original spirit they contain is released and returns to God.

 

[michel]

I have a question. (I put this in the debates forum, since I didn't want to make it specific to just one religion.)

Do you believe you will be reincarnated again and again forever? Or is there a point at which this process comes to some kind of a conclusion? And when, and how do you believe it all began?

I have no idea when or how it began; maybe it began at the same time as the 'creation' of your soul; I hardly think the point is worth debating.

I believe that we are all 'parts' of God; each idividual soul goes through however many incarnations as is needed to ultimately become 'God-like'; at that time, we enter heaven (we re-join God as a whole).

The number of incarnations we have to go through depends on how many lives it takes us to accomplish 'becoming perfect'.

It is even my belief that Jesus Christ's incarnation was his last; by that incarnation (how many he had to live is again purely speculative and needless to know) , he became 'God like', which is why he 'rose to sit at the right hand of God' (I see that as Jesus 'melding' with God. It is my belief that we will all do so, given time.

 

[Katzpur]

We reincarnate because of karma. As a Hindu I believe that God is all forgiving therefore he would not send us to an eternity of suffering for our bad deeds.

Interesting. But just FYI, as a Christian, I don't believe He would do that either.

God gives us as many births as we need to correct this bad karma. When we do good now, we help to cancel past bad karma and help to generate good karma for the future. When all karma is resolved and we are spiritually conscious, we break free of the cycle of birth and death and become one with God.

Even though I took a world religions class years ago, I really can't remember much of it. Would you further explain what you mean by good and bad karma?

 

[Katzpur]

In Gnosticism, the spirit is reincarnated endlessly until such time as it reaches Gnosis and is freed from the world, returning to the true God.

So would reaching Gnosis be the same for you as correcting bad karma would be for Hema? I'm not sure what "reaching Gnosis" actually means.

Mythology tells us that it began when the Demiurge stole a portion of Sophia's spirit and used it to animate life in the universe, thus trapping that spirit in countless millions of living beings across the universe. When a person reaches Gnosis, the spark of that original spirit they contain is released and returns to God.

By the Demiurge, I assume you're referring to the Abrahamic God. Is that correct?

 

[Gentoo]

Personally, I believe that we are reincarnated until we've learned all of the lessons that we can, though for some people, this could take a very long time. I'm not too sure what I believe happens after this though.

As for karma, I believe that it does follow you through your current life. I don't feel that it's right to be punished for something you did in a past life; to me it's like punishing the child for what his father did.

 

[blueman]

I don't believe in reincarnation. We are created once and God knows each one of us by name. We are not reincarnated as another person or being. We are united with God in soul and in spirit as the person He initially created.

 

[Hema]

It's not like punishing a child for what the father did because the soul is the same.

 

[Katzpur]

I hardly think the point is worth debating.

Because you don't know? Aren't you the slightest bit curious as to your past incarnations and what you may have learned from them?

It is even my belief that Jesus Christ's incarnation was his last; by that incarnation (how many he had to live is again purely speculative and needless to know) , he became 'God like', which is why he 'rose to sit at the right hand of God' (I see that as Jesus 'melding' with God. It is my belief that we will all do so, given time.

I suspect that your answer to this particular question is going to be that it's not worth debating, but this belief that Christ was incarnated several times before becoming "Godlike" hardly seems to mesh with your belief in the Trinity. In fact, it appears to be a glaring contradiction. Would you mind explaining how Jesus could have been God from the beginning and yet did not become Godlike until after He had lived several lives?

 

[Katzpur]

I don't believe in reincarnation. We are created once and God knows each one of us by name. We are not reincarnated as another person or being. We are united with God in soul and in spirit as the person He initially created.

Well, I don't believe in reincarnation either, blueman. That's why my OP was addressed to those who do!

 

[Gentoo]

It's not like punishing a child for what the father did because the soul is the same.

I just don't see it that way. Yes, the soul is the same, but it's also different, it knows and has expereinced more than what it was before. Since my soul has changed since it's last incarnation, and since my present mind has no way of knowing what I did in a past life, how can it be held responsible? Just a rhetorical question for thought.

 

[Katzpur]

Gentoo's question raises another question in my mind. I know that people who believe in reincarnation will occasionally mention who or what they were in a past life. But it seems as if, for the most part at least, there is little if any memory of one's past life. If that is the case, how can you be expected to use your prior experience to build on, whether it is ridding yourself of bad karma or attaining gnosis? Wouldn't you have to retain the knowledge or experiences of past lives in order to move closer to your goal? Otherwise, it would seem as if you were starting over from scratch with each incarnation.

 

[Gentoo]

Gentoo's question raises another question in my mind. I know that people who believe in reincarnation will occasionally mention who or what they were in a past life. But it seems as if, for the most part at least, there is little if any memory of one's past life. If that is the case, how can you be expected to use your prior experience to build on, whether it is ridding yourself of bad karma or attaining gnosis? Wouldn't you have to retain the knowledge or experiences of past lives in order to move closer to your goal? Otherwise, it would seem as if you were starting over from scratch with each incarnation.

In my opinion, I think that each individual life has it's own score card for lack of a better phrase, and at the end, each score card is laid out in succession to see just what each individual life has accomplished or not accomplished as the case may be. I'm still fine-tuning this belief, by the way.

 

[Halcyon]

So would reaching Gnosis be the same for you as correcting bad karma would be for Hema? I'm not sure what "reaching Gnosis" actually means.

More like the Buddhist Nirvana. I don't think there is a concept like karma in Gnosticism - you're either blind or seeing, living or dead, asleep or awake; all metaphors for having Gnosis or lacking it.

By the Demiurge, I assume you're referring to the Abrahamic God. Is that correct?

Simply, yes. However, its slightly more complicated than that as some references to God in the OT are taken to be the Demiurge, and others to be the true God - it depends on context and character.

 

[Katzpur]

In my opinion, I think that each individual life has it's own score card for lack of a better phrase, and at the end, each score card is laid out in succession to see just what each individual life has accomplished or not accomplished as the case may be. I'm still fine-tuning this belief, by the way.

Okay, but Hema believes the end of the process will be reached when there is only good karma. Halcyon believes it will conclude when gnosis is reaches. Do you see the reincarnation process as going on indefinitely? You say, "at the end," but what determines the end, and what happens after the end?

 

[Gentoo]

Okay, but Hema believes the end of the process will be reached when there is only good karma. Halcyon believes it will conclude when gnosis is reaches. Do you see the reincarnation process as going on indefinitely? You say, "at the end," but what determines the end, and what happens after the end?

Good question... I have no idea, I haven't gotten that far in my thinking yet.

 

[Hacker]

I have a question. (I put this in the debates forum, since I didn't want to make it specific to just one religion.)

Do you believe you will be reincarnated again and again forever? Or is there a point at which this process comes to some kind of a conclusion? And when, and how do you believe it all began?

Yes I do Katz, whole heartedly. It just doesn't make sense to me that we only live once and that's it, I feel that we are destined to learn and grow spiritually. Can you imagine how many souls would actually be in heaven right now if there wasn't such a thing? Also, there are numerous accounts where people's ailments were healed during hypnotherapy from releasing these repressed experiences from the superconscious mind. I believe in it 100%, otherwise, life wouldn't make sense to me.

 

[Hacker]

We reincarnate because of karma. As a Hindu I believe that God is all forgiving therefore he would not send us to an eternity of suffering for our bad deeds. God gives us as many births as we need to correct this bad karma. When we do good now, we help to cancel past bad karma and help to generate good karma for the future. When all karma is resolved and we are spiritually conscious, we break free of the cycle of birth and death and become one with God. I think the cycle of birth and death begins because God puts us on earth to serve him. Not like in a slavery concept, but because we ourselves obtain joy from serving God. We are always connected to God. He is part of us and we are part of him.

This is exactly what I believe.

 

[Katzpur]

Yes I do Katz, whole heartedly. It just doesn't make sense to me that we only live once and that's it, I feel that we are destined to learn and grow spiritually.

Well, I agree, with some qualification. I believe that spiritual progression is eternal and individual potential without limits. I just don't believe it takes place in a series of different bodies.

Can you imagine how many souls would actually be in heaven right now if there wasn't such a thing?

Hmmm. You lost me. Would you mind explaining what you mean?

This is exactly what I believe.

You said this in response to Hema's statement, so I'm assuming you believe that there is a point at which reincarnation stops. Would that be correct?

Also -- and this question isn't just directed to you, but to everyone: If you were once a non-human life form (whether a snail, a vulture or a grizzly bear), how would this experience have benefited you? Or do you believe that all of your incarnations have been as humans?