Reincarnation? What is it based on? – Greg Albrecht

Question:

Would you please give me some guidelines about reincarnation? I am trying to have a sensible conversation about it, but I find its assumptions ludicrous, to say the least. 

Response:

Big topic — lots of ground to cover. Here are a few off the cuff thoughts — 

  1. Reincarnation is, as I see it, yet another Christ-less religious attempt to explain the here and now and the hereafter, and to do so in a way that will keep people “in line.” But Christ-less religion is a mirage, a yellow-brick road of lies and deception.  
  2. Reincarnation literally means “to take on flesh again” — whereas in Christian teaching, most notably in the Gospels, we read that God became flesh in the person of Jesus. He was “incarnated” — taking on human flesh he never had before while retaining his divinity, for it is impossible for eternity to end, impossible for divinity to cease. So Jesus, God in the flesh, in his incarnation, added flesh — he added humanity to his divinity. On the other hand, we humans “take on” flesh by virtue of human birth, and all humans die (Hebrews 9:27). God is creator of all life.  
  3. While the gospel of Jesus Christ does speak of a second birth, a born again,  from-above spiritual conversion (John 3),  it most definitely speaks of this transformation as being in Christ, into him, and thus a new spiritual creation. Most of all, this birth is by the grace of God, it is from “above” — with no human source (John 1:12-13). Nothing about spiritual birth is given as the result of or as a reward or payment for human effort or lack thereof.  
  4. Reincarnation, in a similar way as so much of the popular assumptions and practices of Christendom, insists that what we become in the afterlife is the result — the payment — the payday if you like — for what was done in this life. Since so many Eastern religions think of physical life as cyclical, it is easy for many to believe if a human did not or does not live a good life as a human then perhaps after the death of their human body they will be reincarnated as an animal, a lower life form.   

    Within Hinduism, the cow is either the highest or perhaps one of the highest forms of animal life, a part of the cycle of reincarnation, and perhaps, as assumed by some, the final “chapter” before being reincarnated into a higher life form than even humans. All of this, to word a word you used, is, based on the gospel of Jesus Christ, “ludicrous.” It is indeed ludicrous to suggest that humans inhabit many “chances” — many “do-overs” if you like to make good on the previous less- than- virtuous life (lives).   
  5. Reincarnation, as primarily an Eastern mindset, sees all life as cause and effect, payment in kind, and it uses the word “karma” to describe a transactional, business-like presumed/supposed relationship humans have with the gods. The word “karma” comes from the Sanskrit — an Indian language, dating back at least 1500 years before the birth of Jesus Christ.  Sanskrit is the religious language of Hinduism, in some aspects of Buddhism and is also used in secular applications.   
  6. Karma means the total accumulation of deeds, and the good and bad consequences that humans bring on themselves by their actions and behaviors. Ironically, while many who think of themselves as Christians are deeply offended by the idea of karma and reincarnation, they fail to understand that the same notion of “karma” has invaded their own faith, thus in legalistic churches many believe that they will earn and deserve heaven or hell on the basis of their human efforts. The grace of God, so beautifully explained in the New Testament, explains that any religious idea of earning and deserving anything on the basis of human goodness or human sin is invalid, preposterously impossible. 
  7. Once again, to put the religious ideas and beliefs of karma (and reincarnation) as well as performance based Christ-less religion to rest, we remember Paul — “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 6:23).   

    Wages are what one earns, a gift is a gift … no strings attached, depending solely on the generosity and goodness of the gift giver. All we can earn in life, no matter how good or virtuous we might be, is death. We are incapable of earning our way into an eternity where our reward is a better place. All we can do, for we all sin, is receive our wages, which is death. However, the GIFT — by the grace and goodness of God, is eternal life. We do not earn it nor do we nor can we deserve it. It is a gift. No karma. No lower life form as a penalty, teaching us the lesson that we must do better to earn higher life forms.  
  8. God alone is good, no human is perfect and flawless. God alone inhabits eternity and only by his grace, not by or because of any human merit of goodness or virtue, can any human share eternity with God. God does for us what we can never do for ourselves — that is the glorious theme, the beautiful good news of the gospel of Jesus Christ, that inspires, teaches, fills us, comforts us, leads us and blesses us. Apart from Jesus we are nothing (John 15:5). Christ-less religion denies that clear imperative of Jesus and in order to control its followers offers a complete illusion of false promises about what a human can do to earn and deserve the afterlife.    
  9. Romans 11:33-36 is an apt conclusion for this brief discussion: Oh, the depths of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments, and his paths beyond tracing out! Who has known the mind of the Lord? Or who has ever been his counselor? Who has ever given to God, that God should replay them? For from him and through him and for him are all things. To him be the glory forever! Amen. 

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