Reincarnation – an original Christian doctrine

24 this kind of relativity must also be conceded to other philosophical societies. 27 If we therefore want to give an overall picture of the philosophical system of the doctrine of re- embodiment, we must reveal our position of considerations to begin with. We mainly referred to the doctrine of the Catholic Church during our account of the Christian view of man, because it is spread all over the world and its doctrines are concise and set in concrete. What are the sources we draw the principles of the doctrine of reincarnation from and what spiritual background is involved here? Most attacks are actually not directed at the idea in itself, namely that human beings could have numerous lives. “The respective philosophical system and environment the idea of reincarnation is embedded in represents the bigger problem.” 28 The repeated re-embodiment is taught in eastern religions like Hinduism and Buddhism , but we do not refer to it. Reference to the Indian cast system with its unmerciful social behaviourism usually makes people reject the law of karma and the veneration of holy cows, souls are supposed to be incarnated in, furnishes the reason that reincarnation as such is rejected. 29 a) Spiritualism Outside of eastern religions and independent of them, the idea of reincarnation is taught from the background of spiritualism that is however largely rejected by the Churches. What is the cause of this rejection? According to the dictionary, spiritualism is “a theological direction that emphasises the direct, spiritual connection between God and human beings in contrast to historical revelations.” 30 Spiritualism maintains that it is possible to gain information from the world of spirit, the world beyond our physical senses, through direct spiritual connections. This does however contradict the Church’s doctrines that only allow the divine revelations of the Holy Scriptures to have prevalence. Catholics do indeed give traditions equal footing, but only once they have been acknowledged by the Church’s lectureship. The things mystics and other extraordinary people have received as proclamations from the world of spirit are at best tolerated as “private revelations” and “subjective religious experiences”, but not as obligating religious principles. It is for instance left up to every Christian these days whether they want to believe in the appearance and prophecies of Mary at Lourdes, Fatima and Garabandal or in the very well-known visions of the hereafter in the 19 th century by Anna Katherina Emmerich the poet Clemens of Brentano recorded. 31 Reformed Christians , ergo Protestants , have generally speaking even less of a relationship to such proclamations than Catholics. While it has been purely a matter of discretion to consider access to otherworldly regions in the past, a lot of verifiable parapsychological phenomena lead to the interpretation that they could also come about through influences from souls from the regions of the hereafter. 27 Adler, see P. 86 28 Adler, see P. 89 29 See Köberle, see P. 134 30 Duden - Dictionary, see P. 668 31 See Rosenberg, see P. 195ff.

RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy MjI1MzY3