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I really don't know about the animal issue, I know many people probably do believe that.
There are a number of forms that a reincarnated soul can take, depending upon one's karma: human, animal, vegetative, divine. The Hindus believe that consciousness exists in all forms of life. It is only after one breaks the cycle of samsara, (birth-life-death-rebirth) that one's soul evolves to spiritual illumination and reunites with Brahman.
--So yes, people can be reincarnated into a non-human, animal form...
--But spent many, many, many years studying comparative religion and metaphysics, as well as practicing Zen. (Taught a bit. Emphasis on "a bit.")
Well, please continue to chime in as much as possible, we don't get many people who know much about Eastern philosophies. I love Christians and Atheists, but toss some more ideas into the mix, we may arrive at something great someday!
wzippler---A young child was recently discovered to have been a victim of his mother's boyfriend biting that child so badly that surgery could not fix it. I am sorry I just can not buy that those children deserved that fate.
Wisteria----But people have the same concerns about a Christian God who is "loving," and all the awful things that happen to children and other people.
wzippler---
In Christianity we are each responsible for our own actions, and we only have one lifetime to get it right. We can't rely on the next life to get it right we have to try our hardest in the here and now. If a child is attacked we believe that the child was innocent, and the adult will get get exactly what is coming to him or her when they die.
Reincarnation says the baby had bad karma and therefore deserved it.
And what of the person who attacked the child? If the baby had bad enough karma to deserve to die, did the attacker do a good thing or a bad thing by killing and maybe even torturing the child ?
What kind of message does reincarnation send to kids. How many kids right now are saying "I am poor because I am a bad person and I don't deserve a better life."
And how many kids right now are saying I am rich because I am better than everyone else and deserve better than everyone else because I must have been nearly perfect in my past lives? And thus do NOTHING to deserve a good name, but get it anyway.
The class system in India has brought many hardships on people just because they were born in the wrong class.
Punishing , or rewarding people for lives they don't remember makes absolutely no sense to me.
The class system in India has brought many hardships on people just because they were born in the wrong class.
Punishing , or rewarding people for lives they don't remember makes absolutely no sense to me.
At face value, I absolutely agree with you. For Hindu's, however, the ultimate goal is to be united with Brahman, after having broken the cycle of death-rebirth. Given the whole concept of karma, their actions in this life will determine not only what they do IN THIS LIFE, but afterwards, as well. For Hindu's, "consciousness" is everything; it survives even after death. If you kill that small child in THIS life, you can probably bet that you won't be re-born in the next as a human...More like a plant or animal.
On a sociological level, both their philosophy and religion would perhaps attempt to explain the caste system, and all the injustices surrounding it...
The people that claim to be a reincarnation of someone famous are just the ones you sometimes hear about. Most people that believe in reincarnation do not know who their past reincarnations were and do not care. It is a matter of bettering yourself with each life and moving forward in your spiritual growth. Much of the bible if mans interpretation of what the bible says, and may not alway s be accurate. The bible does say you need to be born again, can that not mean reincarnation?
The bible does say you need to be born again, can that not mean reincarnation?
Well, I think if you read the context of where Jesus mentions being "born again" it becomes obvious that was not His intent.
"Jesus answered, "Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit he cannot enter the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Do not be amazed that I said to you, 'You must be born again.'" John 3:5-7 NASB
So it is apparent that Jesus is speaking of a natural birth and a spiritual birth, not a second physical birth.
How do you deal with Christ's quote concerning John the Baptist in Matthew 11:13-14:
"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."
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