Can a Christian experience reincarnation? In a thought provoking book, the author asks what the real meaning of life is as under a normal hypnotic session to cure his fear of snakes, the author suddenly began to recount events from another life. As the hypnotist hastily began to write down the scenes he was describing, they both began a journey that not only found out why he was terrified of snakes in this life, but what the meaning of life is as past and different ones came to the surface.
The author had been no great emperor or discovered anything new. He had been an ordinary human being learning to live each life through the devastation of war, human suffering and emotional pain, as he came to realize the only true and important thing in life – to learn to forgive and to learn to love.
Chapter Two Does God exist?
“It may seem a ridiculous question if you believe in God, but many people today do not. After all, if you believe in God, I mean really believe, you would never lie, you would never say wrong things about another, you would never harm any animal unjustly and certainly not a human being. You would never kill. You would also value the body that houses your soul, and so be careful what you eat, how much alcohol you drink and never smoke. This does not mean that you should become a recluse or abstain from the pleasures of life. It simply means that you are aware of the need for balance in all things. For when a balance is lost in how much food you eat, how much alcohol you drink, how much television you watch or computer games you play, then you risk injury not just to your body but also to your mind in the ways you behave to others. And when you do this, you risk creating problems for yourself in this life, and if you believe in reincarnation then also with karma.
Therefore, to some this question will seem irrelevant, for they will know with certainty and so respond with a definite “Yes” or a ‘No”.
For those who say ‘Yes’, it may be because they were raised to believe this, and so say they do without a spiritual experience to back up their reasoning. Equally, they may have had a deeply meaningful experience that did not leave them with any question in the belief they hold.
Those who say ‘No’, may judge the question on their lack of faith in a religion. As people were taught to be devoted to their religion, as it convinced them it was the only link to God, so in their rejection of that religion they rejected the god that came with it. In a sense this is understandable, because many people today have drifted away from the religion their family held to in the past, due to their understanding of how it interfered if not sought to control the ways people lived. As religion faded in relevance in their lives, so also did their awareness of God and the real meaning of who and, as we shall see, what they are.
If I were to answer the question “ Does God Exist?”, I would do so by saying: Yes. I know God exists. I would also say again that I respect all religions and I love all people who are pure in their heart. I am happy to go into any Christian church, Mosque, Synagogue, Buddhist or Hindu Temple, and pray to God there because I know God is above religion.
To me, a religion is a path to help people find God and there are many, many paths. I have been in great cathedrals and simple mosques and attended very humble shines, but the only real place where I felt the peace and love of God was in a place of nature where I had buried our dog. There were no bibles, incense, orders or rules to follow in that place, only a deep, deep loving peace in nature. God, after all, is always with us.
Yet, another might say to me, “Ok you believe and I don’t”, or as we find more today, someone will say ”that is your perception of your world,” which means the same thing. But if they asked me why I believe, I may tell them what has happened to me.