Why I believe what I do

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SilverLight

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I was raised Catholic and have taken much from it. I however have found that I like the moral views of some other religions also and their leaders. The Dalai Lama being one of them among others. I do like to thank an animal that has given its life so that I may eat and survive just a simple thank you is good enough for me to say to them and I respect the earth much like the Native Americans did. I have not completely thrown out the possibility of reincarnation also. I just felt the need to get this out.
 
There’s nothing wrong with that. I admire a good many people and philosophies, as well. As Catholics we rejoice wherever we find truth, beauty, goodness, etc., as St. Paul wrote:

Phil.4[8] Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is gracious, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.
 
There is much to admire in the teachings of the Buddha-there is no God in Buddhism -more of a philosophy than a religion per se -they view reincarnation as the chance to suffer more-

as noble truth 1 to paraphrase - All Life is suffering

Reincarnation is to me a comforting thought particularly when I screw up-the concept that we can come back and do better-not really in the Christian canons however-eternal life is also quite comforting -eternal damnation not so much

we all will get the chance to find out
 
SilverLight said:
I was raised Catholic and have taken much from it. I however have found that I like the moral views of some other religions also and their leaders. The Dalai Lama being one of them among others. I do like to thank an animal that has given its life so that I may eat and survive just a simple thank you is good enough for me to say to them and I respect the earth much like the Native Americans did. I have not completely thrown out the possibility of reincarnation also. I just felt the need to get this out.
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Hi SilverLight - Have you ever read about St. Francis and the animal stories?

americancatholic.org/features/francis/stories.asp

I have great respect for the earth as well and as a child would pretend I was Native American. I tell my children when I retire I am going to live in a teepee. 😃
 
I respect all those beliefs (although I do not share them), but reincarnation flies in the face of Church teaching.

ICXC NIKA
 
Anyone who’s ever lived on a farm or in a farming community understands the sacrifice of animals so that we may live. I have no problem when praying before meals keeping that in mind. A cow or hog can provide several people many meals.
 
Greetings,
As for the reincarnation and Buddhists I believe they believe in rebirth not reincarnation and there is a difference between the two but I don’t know what it is. However it seems to me that the afterlife-any afterlife including the Christian view could be seen as a form of rebirth-No-yes? Sometimes we or I at least tend to make things concrete and less flexible. I’m trying to work on this-looking outside the box so to speak. be well.
 
puzzledtoo said:
Greetings,
As for the reincarnation and Buddhists I believe they believe in rebirth not reincarnation and there is a difference between the two but I don’t know what it is. However it seems to me that the afterlife-any afterlife including the Christian view could be seen as a form of rebirth-No-yes? Sometimes we or I at least tend to make things concrete and less flexible. I’m trying to work on this-looking outside the box so to speak. be well.
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The afterlife is a “new life” and so could be described as a birth, however, in the Christian message we remain “us” forever, we do not become someone else, nor a plant or animal.

As such, the Christian eschatology is just incompatible with any reincarnational scheme and should not be assumed otherwise.

ICXC NIKA
 
Hello silverlight,

I also believe in a version of reincarnation. The difference I see is we view our lives as an opportunity to learn while the one timers view their life on earth as a test.
 
superwimp said:
Hello silverlight,

I also believe in a version of reincarnation. The difference I see is we view our lives as an opportunity to learn while the one timers view their life on earth as a test.
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You can’t learn anything when your mind is left behind in each body, or worse yet, if “you” become an animal or plant.
 
SilverLight said:
I was raised Catholic and have taken much from it. I however have found that I like the moral views of some other religions also and their leaders. The Dalai Lama being one of them among others. I do like to thank an animal that has given its life so that I may eat and survive just a simple thank you is good enough for me to say to them and I respect the earth much like the Native Americans did. I have not completely thrown out the possibility of reincarnation also. I just felt the need to get this out.
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Whatever you believe, it is always a good thing to be open to other people’s ideas, otherwise you leave yourself vulnerable to great disappointment if you ever find out that your own beliefs are incorrect.

For instance, if the Christ returns to the world tomorrow and says that reincarnation is a fact, you will not be as devastated as some other people.
 
GEddie said:
I respect all those beliefs (although I do not share them), but reincarnation flies in the face of Church teaching.

ICXC NIKA
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It is impious to say, “I respect every religion.” This is as much as to say: I respect the devil as much as God, vice as much as virtue, falsehood as much as truth, dishonesty as much as honesty, Hell as much as Heaven.

THE CATHOLIC DOGMA, by Father Michael Mueller
catholicapologetics.info/apologetics/protestantism/enemies.htm
 
openmind77 said:
Whatever you believe, it is always a good thing to be open to other people’s ideas, otherwise you leave yourself vulnerable to great disappointment if you ever find out that your own beliefs are incorrect.

For instance, if the Christ returns to the world tomorrow and says that reincarnation is a fact, you will not be as devastated as some other people.
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Jesus never said one word about reincarnation.
Jesus said he was the Truth.
His Apostles whom He taught and appeared to afterwards and instructed, passed on this teaching in the new Testament, "Do not believe in the heathens who believe one is born again many times, there is one death, and one judgement. A man lives once and then he dies. Followed by judgement. "
 
MaryHelp777 said:
Jesus never said one word about reincarnation.
Jesus said he was the Truth.
His Apostles whom He taught and appeared to afterwards and instructed, passed on this teaching in the new Testament, "Do not believe in the heathens who believe one is born again many times, there is one death, and one judgement. A man lives once and then he dies. Followed by judgement. "
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As you said, there is no record of Jesus saying anything about reincarnation - for or against it being true.

However, if the Christ does say something about it when he returns, it is best not to be so invested in your belief that whatever he says will come as a great shock.
 
MaryHelp777 said:
Jesus never said one word about reincarnation.
Jesus said he was the Truth.
His Apostles whom He taught and appeared to afterwards and instructed, passed on this teaching in the new Testament, "Do not believe in the heathens who believe one is born again many times, there is one death, and one judgement. A man lives once and then he dies. Followed by judgement. "
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Explain how there are people who can describe the past life of someone else without even knowing who they are in detail. I’m not talking about past life regression here.
 
openmind77 said:
Whatever you believe, it is always a good thing to be open to other people’s ideas, otherwise you leave yourself vulnerable to great disappointment if you ever find out that your own beliefs are incorrect.

For instance, if the Christ returns to the world tomorrow and says that reincarnation is a fact, you will not be as devastated as some other people.
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Papal infallibility:
“A Catholic who is opposed to any Catholic doctrine of belief is in an automatic state of excommunication.”

The Catholic Church has already made all infallible truths of Jesus known to us.

Don’t go making up your own religion and picking and choosing the beliefs you like best.
 
SilverLight said:
Explain how there are people who can describe the past life of someone else without even knowing who they are in detail. I’m not talking about past life regression here.
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There are many psychics who claim to communicate with, and describe details of the lives of, deceased people. The late great sceptic James Randi devoted decades to demonstrating how these and other ‘supernatural’ feats could be done by purely natural means, including psychological manipulation (via techniques such as ‘cold reading’). From memory he offered a substantial monetary reward for anyone who presented him with something that he couldn’t debunk. No-one has been able to claim it.
 
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