Posted by Ed Viswanathan on May 08, 1998 at 21:14:25:
During my seminars audience always ask me questions such as IS REINCARNATION THEORY PART OF THE HOLY BIBLE? DID CHRIST TALK ABOUT REINCARNATION? DO YOU THINK REINCARNATION THEORY WAS DELETED FROM THE CHRISTIAN BELIEF? etc etc--------------
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My answer is very elaborate.
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1. DID JESUS CHRIST CONDONE REINCARNATION?--answer NO
2. DID JESUS CHRIST CONDEMN REINCARNATION?--answer NO
3. DO WE HAVE ANY CLUE WHAT JESUS CHRIST THOUGHT OF REINCARNATION FROM THE BIBLE? ----answer MAY BE.
4. WHO SPOKE AND WROTE AGAINST REINCARNATION CONCEPTS? answer ST. PAUL who was a fanatic Jew before he came a Christian.-----------------------------------
5 I conclude REINCARNATION THEORY was removed from Christian thinking during COUNCIL OF CONSTANTINOPLE [ 6TH CENTURY AD]------------------------------
6 Justim Martyer [ 100-165AD] and ORIEGEN were the two Christian theologians who supported REINCARNATION THEORY in Christianity-------------------------
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7----------In the modern versions of the Holy Bible available to us today, we note Jesus Christ did not address the question of reincarnation at all, EVEN THOUGH REINCARNATION WAS IN THE MIND OF APOSTLES, KING HEROD, PHARISES, ROMANS ETC....------- During the time Christ lived, pagan religions, Celtic religions, Gnostic and ROMAN, GREEK, EGYPTIAN, civilizations believed in REINCARNATION---------It is very difficult for any one to ignore REINCARNATION-------To ignore REINCARNATION CONCEPTS during the period Jesus Christ lived is similar to some one ignoring COMPUTER and INTERNET today.------After researching through many documents, I conclude Jesus Christ MIGHT have addressed reincarnation question and it was deleted for the fear of pagan, Greek, Roman, Hindu beliefs entering into Christian beleifs.----------
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8-------Regarding the question concerning John the Baptist, Apostles thought he was referring to ELIAS [ MATT 11:14, MARK 9:11-13, LUKE 1:17] when he answered them------Jesus could have said: HEAR ME NOW ONCE FOR ALL, THERE IS NO SUCH THING AS REINCARNATION; DO NOT BELIEVE IN THINGS PAGANS BELIEVE-----But Jesus did not answer like that------At the same time, John the Baptist answered that question by saying that I AM NOT ELIAS [ JOHN 1:21] John the Baptist very clearly stated that HE IS NOT THE REINCARNATION OF ELIAS,
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9---The statement of Jesus Christ I AM BEFORE ABRAHAM [ John 8:58] is exactly like the statement of Lord Krishna to his disciple Arjuna in the Bhagavad Gita, I AND YOU HAD MANY LIVES----I KNOW THEM ALL, YOU DON'T--- I AM BEFORE SUN GOD----So I feel Jesus was saying to us that HE IS ONE OF THE INCARNATIONS OF GOD.
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10---John 9:1-3 is another important verse in the Holy Bible, where Apostles asked Jesus: MASTER, WHO DID SIN? THIS MAN OR HIS PARENTS, THAT HE WAS BORN BLIND? The question is very clear cut and it is a question regarding reincarnation-----once again, Jesus Christ did not make any referance to reincarnation at all in his answer-----Instead he said: NEITHER HATH THIS MAN SINNED, NOR HIS PARENTS: BUT THAT THE WORK OF GOD SHOULD MANIFEST IN HIM----This would have been a pefect instance for Jesus Christ to put to rest all discussions and questions about reincarnation.....But he did not------UNLUCKILY CHRIST IGNORED THIS QUESTION ABOUT REINCARNATION!!!!!!!!
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I have quite a lot to write-------Please read my book AM I A HINDU? [ISBN 1-879904-06-3 800-723-4508 415-892-0649 read about it at www.amazon.com] If at all you are interested, please write to me FOR FREE EDUCATIONAL FLOW CHARTS ON HINDUISM with your postal address--------If you need my article on KARMA & REINCARNATION, Please write to me in e-mail
I SHALL CONTINUE IN THE NEXT POST------READ POST NO.2