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Was reincarnation removed from the Bible?

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Anthony W. writes:

When will reincarnation be re introduced into the bible and the other books which were removed please.

It would appear no one seems interested, despite being a fact.

There are many hints in the urrent version. The Jewish people using the Tora still teach the fact!

Seems extremely odd such a massive subject has never been re introduced?

Lita Sanders, CMI-US, responds:

Dear Anthony,

Thanks for writing in. There is no evidence that the Bible has been edited in any systematic way to remove teaching. Furthermore, the entirety of Scripture teaches against any idea of reincarnation, and many biblical doctrines would be undermined if reincarnation was true.

The entirety of Scripture teaches against any idea of reincarnation, and many biblical doctrines would be undermined if reincarnation were true.

First, humans are uniquely created in God’s image. While this may not be something you were thinking of, many forms of belief in reincarnation—including Hinduism and Buddhism—state that a single soul may be reincarnated as plants, bugs, animals, or people. But if humans are uniquely in God’s image, how can God’s image become not-God’s image, or vice versa?

Second, being in God’s image means that humans are eternal beings. To use mathematical concepts, God is eternal in the same way that a line is, extending forever both when we look back and forward—there has never been a time when God did not exist, and there will never be a time when God ceases to exist. Our existence has a beginning, but no end, like a ray which has a beginning point and then extends forever in one direction. But if I will be reincarnated, I will end when my soul becomes a new entity.

Third, the entirety of Scripture teaches that conception is the beginning of human life—which science supports. No biblical text speaks of someone pre-existing his or her conception, with the exception of Christ Himself (obviously a special case because He is God).

Fourth, this life is the basis for our eternal destiny. If I had ten lives before this one, and in those lives I did not believe in Christ, but in this one I do, where will my soul spend eternity? Was Scripture lying when it said someone who does not believe in Christ before death will be forever lost? Or what if I have another life after this one in which I do not believe in Christ? Will I then be condemned, meaning that Scripture is lying when it says no one who believes in Christ will ever perish? Reincarnation presents unsolvable soteriological problems that Scripture never tries to address, because Scripture does not present it as even a possibility.

The resurrection makes reincarnation impossible. If I had ten lives before this one, when I am resurrected, will I be resurrected as me, or as one of the ten previous entities?

Fifth, under most doctrines of reincarnation, bad things that happen to a person in this life are karma for bad things a person did in a previous life. But this has invidious consequences: (a) a person’s punishment has no remedial value because he can’t remember what he’s being punished for, (b) we shouldn’t help a person who’s suffering, because that will stop him working out his karma.

Sixth, the resurrection makes reincarnation impossible. We are promised that all people will be resurrected, either to everlasting life or judgment (John 5:29). If I had ten lives before this one, when I am resurrected, will I be resurrected as me, or as one of the ten previous entities? And what would happen to them? Or would God split my soul up so that each of the dead bodies could have a soul? The whole idea is absurd.

These are only some of the arguments against reincarnation. I also encourage you to read the related articles below.

I hope this helps.

Sincerely,
Lita Sanders

Published: 25 March 2017

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Christianity for Skeptics
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