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Reincarnation: Philosophy Talk: April 30, 2015: John Perry
Cited
Here’s a definition from the Dalia Lama --- he believes himself to be the reincarnation of previous Dalai Lamas, and as he gets old is starting to think about the next one, and has been writing about it. He says, quite succinctly, "In order to accept reincarnation . . .we need to accept the existence of past and future lives. Sentient beings come to this present life from their previous lives and take rebirth again after death.
MPhil, Bangor University, 2003: The Problem of Evil: Anglican and Baptist Perspectives
PhD, University of Wales, Trinity Saint David, Lampeter, 2010: Theodicy and Practical Theology
From MPhil
Woods mentioned the Hindu and Buddhist principal of reincarnation:
"The only answer is to try by good works to be reincarnated in an ever higher existence until at last one can escape the cycle of life and find oblivion through union with the great world principle." Woods (1974)(1982:18).
Simon Blackburn defined reincarnation, also known as metempsychosis:
"The transmigration of the soul, whereby upon death the soul takes up residence in a new body." Blackburn (1996: 241).
I will offer two objections to reincarnation.
One is Biblical and is provided by R. M. Enroth. Biblical Christianity, in contrast to reincarnational teaching, emphasizes grace, atonement, and forgiveness for fallen humanity through the once-for-all death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. The Christian’s disavowal of reincarnation is anchored in the biblical assertion that "man is destined to die once, and after that to face judgment." (Heb. 9:27). Enroth (1996: 926). Clearly the Biblical world view opposes reincarnation, as a spirit belongs to a body for everlasting existence after resurrection. There is the earthly life and then the afterlife. One’s position in the afterlife is judged by God. A belief in Christ means forgiveness of sins, disbelief in Christ means judgment for those sins. Judgment of sins means guilt and separation from God. There would thus be no need for reincarnation as a person’s destiny had been determined by their one earthly life.
Two, existence of the human spirit cannot be proven empirically, but in Christianity, at least there is Scriptural evidence of Christ’s bodily resurrection in which his body contained his spirit. Scripture states that believers will experience the same type of resurrection. Philosophically, it does not seem far-fetched for human beings in the afterlife, if it existed, to contain the same, yet altered (for everlasting life) spirit and body; however, in my view, there is neither empirical nor deductive evidence to support reincarnation.
Empirically, there would seemingly be no scientific way to prove reincarnation since spirits are seen as entering new bodies with different genetic code, each body thus appears to be distinct from another. From a deductive perspective, most people can barely remember their own past, let alone past lives.
For people who claim to remember past lives it would be extremely hard to prove that they lived these lives, for those past lives would probably not be documented to see if they were actual, and if they were, it could be thought that perhaps the person claiming to have had a past life was simply using historical information. As well, with the idea of reincarnation and karma ("the universal law of cause and effect, as applied to the deeds of people") Blackburn (1996: 206-207), without a clear recollection of past lives, I doubt that people can learn from past failings and achieve oneness with God. How can one learn from past mistakes which one cannot remember? It makes much more sense for one to be judged by God for earthly life and then receive a reward or punishment in understanding.
BLACKBURN, SIMON (1996) Oxford Dictionary of Philosophy, Oxford, Oxford University Press.
ENROTH, R.M. (1996) ‘Reincarnation’, in Walter A. Elwell (ed.), Evangelical Dictionary of Theology, Grand Rapids, Baker Books.
WOODS, B.W. (1974) Christians in Pain, Grand Rapids, Baker Book House.
