I believe in reincarnation. Question

[Asthmalady]

Ok, I have a problem. I’m a cradle Catholic and a definite Christianity enthusiast but I’ve not been practicing for several years because I believe in reincarnation and the two are completely incompatible. I don’t feel I can take part in church activities because I would be lying to everyone in the congregation.

I’m not looking to be convinced of my folly. I KNOW all the arguments against reincarnation, that we’re appointed to die once, what the catechism says. I’ve talked to priests and other religious. I’ve been searching and searching for something that will convince me that reincarnation doesn’t happen but the fact is I “knew” as a very, very young child that it is what happens and 40 years on I’ve not found anything that has changed that. My reasons for believing this are too personal to share on the internet.

So, my question: I believe there is something important offered by the Catholic church, and I am open to finding something that would change my mind about reincarnation (whatever that would be…) so I’m wondering if I regularly went to confession and confessed believing in reincarnation with an openness to (but pretty much no actual expectation that) my mind might be changed would it then be licit to partake in the rest of the sacraments?

Every religious I’ve ever spoken to about reincarnation has treated me differently afterwards so I’m reluctant to speak to anyone I know in person. That’s why I’m here.

 

[Entwhistler]

You mentioned that you’ve heard the main arguments against reincarnation and are not convinced by them. I suppose you must now look at why you believe in reincarnation and decide if it is grounded in truth and reality. Does your belief have proof? Or is it just a feeling you have? You say that your reasons for believing in reincarnation are private and that is perfectly fine. Just be aware that those on the forum might not be able to grapple with your question as well.

 

[humbleseeker]

I believe there is something important offered by the Catholic church

Could you elaborate what this is?

 

[mVitus]

I’m wondering if I regularly went to confession and confessed believing in reincarnation with an openness to (but pretty much no actual expectation that) my mind might be changed would it then be licit to partake in the rest of the sacraments?

In all honesty, you mentioned you have very personal reasons. So talking with the priest in the confessional would give the best answer. Looking at it from my lay eyes, I see reasons for and against you being able to confess and receive the sacraments. So a priest who can walk through things with you is, IMO, your best bet still.

 

[Asthmalady]

Does your belief have proof? Or is it just a feeling you have?

No, much like having faith in anything my belief in reincarnation doesn’t have proof. I will say that my first memory as a tiny tiny child was reminding myself that I was “solid now” and trying to memorize my name. I know, sounds nuts and could be anything including my imagination or simple delusion. The rest of my life has been equally “weird.”

But that’s not what people need to grapple with. My question is if I go to confession and confess my sin of believing in reincarnation and lying to the congregation, can I take part in the sacraments. Kind of a fake-it-till-I-make-it type deal which may or may not ever happen.

 

[Asthmalady]

Yea, that’s what I keep coming back to. I would have to go to a different town and do it anonymously because frankly I live in a very small area and speaking of this openly has caused me problems in the past. There are people who actually won’t speak to me after asking about this issue. (Not this particular confession question, that is something that I just thought of recently.)

It makes me feel terrible because I’m just being honest about my situation and it’s alienating the people who I’m trying to confide in. Of course I understand. It must be difficult to be open minded while a person tells you they don’t believe the thing you’ve built your whole life around.

Anyway, I agree with you… it’s just not what I want to hear.

 

[Asthmalady]

I believe there is something important offered by the Catholic church

Blockquote

Sorry - this is my first post… I don’t know how to do these quote things. Maybe this will work? Or maybe it will be fail #3!

Ok, at this point in my life I’m probably one of those “spiritual-but-not-religious” people meaning that I believe there is a whole spiritual world going on that not everyone is aware of. I’ve experienced it my whole life. I believe that the religions of the world serve as a means to help humans safely navigate this spiritual reality and the Catholic church is one of the safest/best ways to navigate the pitfalls. While other “spiritual” methods focus on personal power, Catholicism is more about service and humility and that is my preference. Because of a rather chaotic childhood that taught me to put my needs behind those of… everyone… I’ve also found some benefit in Buddhist teaching which is beside the point.

The point is, I find the selfless service and teachings of Jesus Christ to be quite inspiring. He is my favorite archetype and I also believe that the miracles are true but that events like that are not exclusive to the Catholic church. I have a hard time with the “human” aspects of the church, particularly putting full faith in an entity that was negotiated by humans over thousands of years. There are too many politics in organized religion for my taste and I honestly believe the “rumor” that all traces of reincarnation were removed from the church during the early centuries. I wish I didn’t, but I just do!

Still, I have always loved the teachings of the church. I love the 10 Commandments and the Beatitudes. I see great benefit in confession. My first memory of going to church as a child was sitting in the pew and thinking, “OH! I like this! They almost have it right!” Ha! I know… I know… but it’s still the way I feel. I’ve been trying for decades to not think that, but I need to just accept the fact that I DO think it and go from there. I think Catholicism is almost right.

So, since I’m spiritual but not religious at this point (not taking part in any occult activities) and I think Catholicism is almost right it would be GREAT if I could just discover that I’m wrong and it’s TOTALLY right. (It’s much harder to walk a spiritual path without a community thought I think it can be done.) I always hear that faith is a gift and comes from grace and that the sacraments are the way to grace so I’m thinking that if perhaps I took part in the sacraments I might magically discover I’ve been wrong all these decades and I could live a normal life in my tiny rural area.

My reasons for all of this might be a tad selfish.

 

[otjm]

You may believe in reincarnation either as someone involved with an Eastern religion, or because of venturing into New Age.

There is nothing in Scripture or Tradition which supports such a belief; in fact, scripture indicates that upon death we are judged - and no comment about second chances.

Either Scripture is true, or it is all one big joke and lie.

I choose to believe the former.

 

[Asthmalady]

You may believe in reincarnation either as someone involved with an Eastern religion, or because of venturing into New Age.

HA! Well, I certainly wasn’t delving into the new age when I was 1-5 years old… and that’s when all of this started. And I’m curious about where I mentioned delving into the new age or new age activities? I believed in reincarnation before I ever looked at an eastern religion.

Nothing against you, this is just a very common (and I feel oversimplified) reply to my issue so it’s slightly frustrating. I’m glad believing has been easy for you. You are quite fortunate. I choose to be honest about my confusion and brave about not fitting in.

 

[humbleseeker]

I find the selfless service and teachings of Jesus Christ to be quite inspiring.

Do you believe that Jesus is the son of God, the second person of the Holy Trinity?

 

[catholic4ever]

I am glad to hear that you are so attracted to Catholicism.

I think it’s admirable that you do not wish to “lie” by taking part in the Sacramental life of the Church while at the same time holding a belief in reincarnation. I also think it is admirable that you are genuinely open to the possibility that you are wrong about this and Catholicism is right.

Here’s what I’d do if I were in your shoes. First and foremost, I would pray to God to help me to be open to whatever the Truth is. I would pray that he would grant me wisdom, understanding, and knowledge. I would pray to be genuinely open to the teachings of the Catholic Church. I do think that Confession is a good idea too. We must remember that we must confess things with the intention of not committing these sins again. Your resolve doesn’t have to be perfect, but there needs to be a desire for it. Otherwise it’s like #sorrynotsorry. I don’t think it would be “honest” to confess believing in reincarnation without desiring to believe what the Church teaches. It sounds to me like you do wish that you believed what the Church teaches. You can also talk to your priest in Confession to explain to him your dilemma.

The most important thing here is figuring out whether or not to receive the Eucharist. We do not want to receive communion in a state of mortal sin because of how much we honor Christ in the Eucharist. I honestly have no idea whether or not believing in reincarnation is a “grave matter,” and I also have no idea how the fact that you’re on the fence about what to believe plays into this. That would be something to ask the priest at confession–he will be able to advise.

Here’s what I would do (but do ask your priest for advice in Confession). I think that you can (almost completely) partake in Church life as you study up on this issue and pray for understanding. I would not receive the Eucharist unless you genuinely desire to believe what the Church teaches. If you want to believe in reincarnation in spite of what the Church teaches, I would not receive communion. In receiving communion, you are not only receiving the Body of Christ, but also affirming your unity with Church, which includes believing her teachings. Even if you choose not to receive communion, it’s still very worthwhile to come to Mass and continue praying, seeking, researching, and getting involved in your parish community. Never stop growing and learning.

And finally, I will emphasize again that you should take any advice your priest gives you more seriously than my advice.

 

[Asthmalady]

Do you believe that Jesus is the son of God, the second person of the Holy Trinity?

Well, things get fuzzy there. Reincarnation being true would cause a fundamental shift in the understanding of Jesus and his “title.” I am not trying to be disrespectful with the use of the word “title” I just can’t think of a good way to say it and I’ve been staring at my computer for like 5 minutes trying to come up with something more appropriate. I know I’m missing the mark, and I want to be respectful so I imagine that means I probably do see Jesus as an extension of God but I don’t understand the “family-like” terms the whole thing is presented in. I did hear a priest once say at a silent retreat that I went on that people who have combative relationships with their fathers or families have a hard time understanding the concept. That could be my problem.

There is a great chance that I’m just overthinking the whole thing. I mean, I meet “Catholics” all the time who tell me in secret they believe in reincarnation or go see mediums or do all these things you’re not supposed to do, but still consider themselves Catholic. I look at them and think, “dude, you’re not Catholic” which I would of course never say because it’s not up to me to judge their inner life. Though if you’re ding those things you’re probably lying to yourself about being Catholic. Unfortunately a large part of my journey has been to honestly examine my beliefs and claim only what I can say without flinching. So if I were to do that I would say that Jesus was real. He was a human in the most ideal form and yes, that would the equivalent of being God.

I am too wordy… I need to split this into two posts.

 

[Asthmalady]

Do you believe that Jesus is the son of God, the second person of the Holy Trinity?

Part two:

Unfortunately, I also believe that we are on a path of spiritual growth that takes us longer than just one lifetime and that reincarnation is purgatory… we come back to another human experience to learn the lessons we need to in order to become ready for eternal life with God. I also, unfortunately, believe that we play a part in planning our lives so I believe in the pre-existence of souls which makes sense if you believe in reincarnation. I believe in that because I spent my entire childhood dreaming of a stranger who I "had to meet" and that parson eventually appeared in my life and had an enormous impact. I know… could be imagination or simple delusion. Finally, I unfortunately know that all of this is a conglomeration of beliefs from different world religions and that people often point to new age when they hear this kind of talk.

The reason this is becoming important now is that I’ve accepted that I have some traits that might be considered “charisms” in the Catholic church but would be considered “powers” by new age groups. I don’t have “powers” and I don’t want “powers.” I feel like they are something of a responsibility and I want to use these traits for their highest good which has nothing to do with whatever potential benefit they might have if I were to use them for personal gain which I don’t. I have been reading a Christian author who says these experiences (which can be quite painful) are about intercessory prayer… but since I’m not a practicing Catholic I haven’t been able to connect with anyone who can teach me about this… they all think that since I’m not a Catholic I must be deceived somehow.

SO, I figured if I AM deceived and I could take a fake-it-till-you-make-it path to Catholicism I might be able to find faithful people of God who would lead me through this “gift” and I might even find that I am wrong about the beliefs I’ve had since childhood. After all, children are wrong all the time.

So much for keeping my private stuff private. I feel like I just let ALL the cats out of the bag. Please be kind!

 

[humbleseeker]

Well, things get fuzzy there.

God bless you, after all those words, you answered your own question. To receive the Eucharist is to receive the body, blood, soul and divinity of Jesus, the Lord. Nothing fuzzy, straight forward. Follow the advice in catholic4ever’s post and definitely talk with a priest. I wish you the best and may God guide you on your journey.

 

[Asthmalady]

And finally, I will emphasize again that you should take any advice your priest gives you more seriously than my advice.

This was very good advice. Thank you. I do pray all of the time. God does a lot of things in my life but he hasn’t straightened this out yet, at least not in a way that would make my life easy. I’ve listen to Catholic radio daily for more than five years trying to find the thing that will finally click but what I hear is solid advice coupled with a lot of politics. I find a lot of value, but no life changing epiphanies. I will have to ponder the #sorrynotsorry part because I’m terribly convinced about my stance and so I’m not sure if I can honestly say that my desire is true or it it’s something I’ve come to out of a growing need for a path with other people on it. (see my novel of a post from earlier). I think if I were ever to become a full-blown Catholic I might suffer from scrupulosity. Ha! It gets ridiculous sometimes.

 

[Asthmalady]

God bless you, after all those words, you answered your own question. To receive the Eucharist is to receive the body, blood, soul and divinity of Jesus, the Lord. Nothing fuzzy, straight forward. Follow the advice in catholic4ever’s post and definitely talk with a priest. I wish you the best and may God guide you on your journey.

Well, curses! You’re right and I knew it as soon as I saw your question. I know I don’t fit… but for a million reasons I just don’t want that to be true. Blarg!

Thank you.

 

[Roseeurekacross]

HA! Well, I certainly wasn’t delving into the new age when I was 1-5 years old… and that’s when all of this started.

Your memories might be wrongly interpreted by you. You might have seen or heard a discussion on reincarnation and thought, well there you go, thats me.

But you are a cradle catholic. Have you been given the sacraments ?

We are Catholic because we love God. And to love God we must follow His commandments.
You don’t have to tell everyone you think reincarnation is real. just go talk to the priest where you would attend mass. Go to reconciliation there.

Why not try this. Forget all the reincarnation stuff you have going on. And just start attending Mass and Praying to God.

Reincarnation really breaks the first and most important Commandment. It puts something else as an idol over the worship of God and the acceptance of what God gives us for our salvation.
In believing in Reincarnation you are saying NO to God, No to God’s salvation.

 

[Roseeurekacross]

i have another post but its pending for some reason,

Its about the choice you are making , that we all make, between God and evil. Between our will or serving the will of God

 

[Vico]

…

So reincarnation is true for each soul for one time only, per Catholic dogma, called resurrection. We have individual souls not a corporate soul. The dogma of the particular judgment presents a conflict with multiple reincarnations of the same soul.

What is required of a Catholic is mental and external assent to dogmas. It is the mental acceptance of a dogma as true. There does not have to be complete understanding of it.

 

[Roseeurekacross]

The reason this is becoming important now is that I’ve accepted that I have some traits that might be considered “charisms” in the Catholic church but would be considered “powers” by new age groups. I don’t have “powers” and I don’t want “powers.”

Catholicism is about losing our will and doing the will of God. Its not about powers . Did you know we consider new age a step into opening the door to the occult.

To me you have one foot in either camp, serving God versus serving evil.
You have a choice to make. Is your love of self stronger then your love of God. This will take prayer and discernment. What does God want of you.

Pope Francis tells us not to dialogue with the devil. Dismiss these powers as temptations of those who would damn your eternal soul.