Why Christianity is against the doctrine of Reincarnation
Though the doctrine of Reincarnation is mainly known in ancient religions in the orient such as Hinduism and Buddhism, it is also been found that the early Christians believed in it. Believe it or not, not only ancient writings but also the Bible itself show that Jesus himself taught Reincarnation.
Despite the orthodox church’s efforts to stamp out the doctrine, it continued to exist. Probably the main reasons for its longevity is not due to only the writings of Jesus and others, but the simple fact that this doctrine gives a logical explanation to many of the mysteries of life that can be solved no other way. Most importantly, it helps to give answers to some of the most basic questions in life such as: “Why am I here?”; “What happens after I die?”; “Who am I really”; “What am I supposed to do?”; etc.
The church has tried to stomp it out in order to get a stronghold over the masses of people for control and manipulation. In part, this has caused a great darkness to come over humanity. Fortunately, many are shaking off this stronghold and are beginning to see the light.
How the doctrine of Reincarnation ceased to be a part Christian theology
One of the greatest church fathers of the time, Origen, was an early church scholar and ascetic. Over a great part of the course of his career he wrote around 2000 books and was considered as the greatest genius of the Early Church. Among his writings the concept of pre-existence of souls proved to be extremely unpopular with the church. Even the pope, Pope Virgilius, deemed that Origen’s teachings were in accordance with the teachings of Jesus in the Gospels.
Despite 500 years of Origen’s doctrine of reincarnation being an integral part of Christian theology, emperor Justinian was determined to wipe it out. Though reincarnation was a common view within Christianity, emperor Justinian became alarmed that this doctrine could become a threat to his empire. Consequently, the emperor and Pope Virgilius were at odds as to whether the teachings of Origen should be condemned as heresy.
Cardinals and Bishops who were bent on doing away with Origen’s doctrine of pre-existence of the soul were instrumental in convincing the emperor that if every soul in the beginning were with God, then it was no great thing for God to have sent Christ into the world and people would begin to believe that they no longer needed an emperor, or to pay taxes or even have the need for the Church.
The logic they submitted to the emperor was that if only Christ had come from God and every soul was created at the time of conception, then there was hope the church could influence the minds of his subjects since they would have need of the church to bring them to God. The power of the church over people’s lives was advantageous to the church.
The idea was that the church could use the fear of Hell to create a dependence of the people on the Church for salvation and the guidance of the Empire. The emperor fell for the reasoning of the churchmen and realized that Origen’s teachings presented a danger to his control over the people. Therefore, the emperor had the doctrine of reincarnation and pre-existence with God condemned. In 543, Origen was condemned as a heretic and all of his writings were burned. It was decreed:
“If anyone asserts the fabulous preexistence of souls, and shall assert the monstrous restoration which follows from it: let him be anathema.”
For three hundred years Origen’s teachings had been considered of utmost spiritual wisdom. The emperor would have had Origen’s teachings of reincarnation destroyed and condemned by the church, but Pope Vigilius declined to obey the emperor’s orders to make a papal decree. As a result, the emperor had the pope arrested. However, on the way to prison the pope escaped.
Despite the popes refusal to cooperate, the emperor commanded the general fifth counsel to continue without the presence of the pope, and Origen’s writings were condemned as heresy.
The reason Christianity is void of the doctrine of reincarnation that had been an integral part of Christian theology for years was that the emperor was convinced by some powerful cardinals that it would be not be in the best interests of the empire if the writings and teachings of Origen were to continue to be disseminated.
So ended the concept that humanity originally came from God and returned to God via the natural birth and death cycle.
Because of this, a huge portion of humanity has been deprived of this Truth that would have spared millions of lives the pain and suffering and fear of death. The church won a victory in being able to utilize fear to enable it to control and manipulation men’s minds — until this very day!
- The Bible and Reincarnation
In the Old Testament there are predictions of figures such as the Messiah and Elijah being sent by God to a future time.
Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the LORD: (Mal 4:5)
Jesus tells his disciples in no uncertain terms that John the Baptist is Elijah that was prophesied to come in the old testament.
And his disciples asked him, saying, Why then say the scribes that Elias must first come?
And Jesus answered and said unto them, Elias truly shall first come, and restore all things.
But I say unto you, That Elias is (has come) come already, and they knew him not, but have done unto him whatsoever they listed. Likewise shall also the Son of man suffer of them.
Then the disciples understood that he spake unto them of John the Baptist. (Mat 17:10-13)
Jesus said that Elijah had already come — he made the disciples understand that he was talking about John the Baptist. It was the spirit of Elijah in John with Elijah’s power: “in the spirit and power of Elijah”.
- The Pharisees and Reincarnation
There are several passages in the New Testament Gospels that indicate the Pharisees believed in Reincarnation.
And they (the Pharisees) asked him, and said unto him, Why baptizest thou then, if thou be not that Christ, nor Elias, neither that prophet? (Jn 1:25)
It seems as though the Pharisees knew that when the Messiah and Elijah came they would be baptizing. How they knew this is not clear, but we know that both Jesus and John the Baptist baptized. This indicates that the Pharisees believed in reincarnation.
What’s more is that when they asked John, directly, if he was Elijah, the question in itself indicates that they suspected that he might be. Evidently, the reason they suspected this was that there was talk going around that John was the reincarnation of Elijah. Why else would they have had the suspicion?
- Josephus
…a Pharisee himself, said the Pharisees believed that the soul was immortal and only the souls of good people would be reincarnated and pass into other bodies, and the souls of the wicked would suffer eternal punishment.
“They say that all souls are incorruptible; but that the souls of good men are only removed into other bodies,—but that the souls of bad men are subject to eternal punishment” (War 2:8:14).
Now, there are lots of religions that believe in reincarnation. But they all have a little different idea about what it is. Just because their belief in reincarnation is different in one than another doesn’t mean that it’s the doctrine of reincarnation is false — it just means each religion has a different view of how it works.
In some religions even the wicked must reincarnate into “other bodies”. Some religions believe that the soul of the wicked is completely destroyed. Some religions even believe that the soul can incarnate into an animal. But just because a religion teaches something different than what another one does, doesn’t mean Reincarnation isn’t a reality.
- The Jews and the Kabbalah
There were Jews that believed in the Kabbalah. These believe that reincarnation is for the purpose of cleansing the soul, not a reward of good men.
Some Church Fathers and Reincarnation
- St Jerome, who was the first to translate the Bible into Latin wrote:
“Is it not more in conformity with reason that every soul for certain mysterious reasons is introduced into a body, and introduced according to its deserts and former actions?
Is it not rational that souls should be introduced into bodies, in accordance with their merits and previous deeds, and that those who have used their bodies in doing the utmost possible good should have a right to bodies endowed with qualities superior to the bodies of others?” (Contra Celsum)
And:
The soul has neither beginning nor end… Every soul… comes into this world strengthened by the victories or weakened by the defeats of it’s previous life.
Its place in this world as a vessel appointed to honor or dishonor is determined by its previous merits or demerits. Its work in this world determines its place in the world which is to follow this…” (De Principiis)
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Justin Martyr – reportedly said the soul inhabits more than one body
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St. Augustine:
“The message of Plato . . . now shines forth mainly in Plotinus, a Platonist so like his master that one would think . . . that Plato is born again in Plotinus.”
- St. Gregory, Bishop of Nyssa:
It is absolutely necessary that the soul should be healed and purified, and if this does not take place during its life on earth it must be accomplished in future lives. . . . The soul . . . is immaterial and invisible in nature, it at one time puts off one body . . . and exchanges it for a second.”
and:
“Every soul comes into this world strengthened by the victories or weakened by the defeats of its previous life.”
- Origen
taught that the soul pre-existed with God before birth. Though not all religions that believe in pre-existence of the soul believe in reincarnation, pre-existence of the soul is fundamental to the concept of reincarnation.
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