G
Gottle_of_Geer
Guest
I’m non-Catholic, but curious as to how Catholics in the pews view the idea of reincarnation. I know reincarnation is officially not part of Catholic tradition, but I’ve found in this forum that Catholics are just as diverse – if not more diverse – than those dreaded Protestants.
We’re certainly diverse
As to reincarnation - one problem with it, is that doesn’t really fit with belief in judgement at the end of one’s life; no matter how much one might try to make a place for it.Another is, that reincarnation is incompatible with the character of the Gospel as a Gospel of Grace. For me, this is a fatal objection to all attempts to find a place for reincarnation in Christianity. Bhakti in some form would be admissible, AFAICS - but not a long cycle of perpetual rebirths.
A reason for not believing in continued rebirths, is that Christianity is a religion which takes history very seriously - it is not (in that sense) a mythological religion. It is basic to Christianity that Jesus “suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried; He descended into Hell. On the third day he rose again from the dead; He ascended into Heaven, and sits upon the right hand of the Father…”
The mythological language is anchored in everyday history by being linked to a crucifixion under a Roman prefect of no great distinction but certain date (26-36 AD, for those interested); the crucifixion of God is one of the most important events of all time. And it is unrepeatable, final, canonical, redemptive, and creative. And Christians are implicated in it. So are all men. So there is no room for a cycle of rebirths or of etere nal recurrences: every event is unique in value, and definitive because it is caught up into the coming of the Definitive Christ.
I don’t have a problem with the notion of human pre-existence - I don’t believe it myself (I don’t know anyone claiming to be Christian who does) but I don’t think it is as much of a difficulty to the “mere Christian” POV (or to a specifically “Papist” one) as reincarnation.
I do sometimes wonder whether there is a common stock of religious ideas - purgation, hell, gods as avatars of greater gods, one god as many and many as aspects of one unique deity, fasting, ecstasy, poverty, salvation, sin, etc.,etc., etc., - because a lot of ideas & things do seem to turn up in some surprising guises and in unlikely places.
But that doesn’t answer your question ##