Reincarnation - has anyone looked at the evidence?

[corydoras]

Could you please explain to me why you still read a book that you dont believe in ?

Sometimes you ask the strangest questions. I don't know if that's tongue-in-cheek, a serious question or just a dum question but I'll give you the benefit of the doubt and treat it like a serious question.

 

Christians don't "beleive in the Bible", they beleive what is written within it, although I'd also argue that many American Fundamentalist Christians do practice a kind of idolatry and worship the book and not the God mentioned within, but that's another story, another thread.

 

I study the Holy Bible for many reasons, the main one being that in order to debate with a Christian it is essential to understand the scriptures they base their beleifs on. I aim to know ther scriptures and the theology behind their religion at least as well as they do.

 

The KJV version of the Bible is an important part of English literature and is interesting on it's own merits whether you beleive what is written in it or not. I have read Lord of the Rings, but I don't beleive in Middle Earth or Mordor, or Elves or Orcs. I have read Frank Herberts Dune Anthology, but I don't beleive that Paul Maud'dib is the Messiah of the Fremen, outside of the books.

 

I hope that answers your question.

[Andrew]

Sometimes you ask the strangest questions. I don't know if that's tongue-in-cheek, a serious question or just a dum question but I'll give you the benefit of the doubt and treat it like a serious question.

 

Christians don't "beleive in the Bible", they beleive what is written within it, although I'd also argue that many American Fundamentalist Christians do practice a kind of idolatry and worship the book and not the God mentioned within, but that's another story, another thread.

 

I study the Holy Bible for many reasons, the main one being that in order to debate with a Christian it is essential to understand the scriptures they base their beleifs on. I aim to know ther scriptures and the theology behind their religion at least as well as they do.

 

The KJV version of the Bible is an important part of English literature and is interesting on it's own merits whether you beleive what is written in it or not. I have read Lord of the Rings, but I don't beleive in Middle Earth or Mordor, or Elves or Orcs. I have read Frank Herberts Dune Anthology, but I don't beleive that Paul Maud'dib is the Messiah of the Fremen, outside of the books.

 

I hope that answers your question.

 

And you have a certain way to reply , why question me and accuse me of asking a dumb question ? i asked you a legitimate question and i'm greeted with a reply like that first sentence ? Whats strange in asking why you read the Book, you are always putting down Religion, and at time's belittling people of faith. How can you label it a dumb question.

 

Anyway, thanks for your reply.

 

PS

Nice to have you back.

Edited January 11, 2013 by Andrew

[Ken L]

Does re-incarnation exist ?

Such a proposal would require – amongst other things:

The existence of personality and memories outside of the physical structure of the brain.

The persistence and cohesion of personality and memories after the physical death of the brain.

Some way of integrating that personality and those memories back into a new human being.

There’s not a single shred of evidence that any of those prerequisites are possible in the sense required for reincarnation.

 

 

If reincarnation were actually happening, then in addition to descriptions of past lives that match what can be found in books, one might expect those claiming to have had past lives revealing things about history that were unknown at the time that they announced their past life experience but which are subsequently proved to be true. Things like the location of unknown secret rooms, treasure stashes or tombs in places that the subject has never visited, the ability to describe art or books that are lost but subsequently rediscovered or real insights into historical mysteries.

To the best of my knowledge, no such evidence has been presented.

In the absence of evidence there’s absolutely no reason to believe that reincarnation if anything other than a fanciful and romantic self delusion.

[Old geezer]

And (Scientific fact) man will never travel at speeds of faster than light.

 

And:

• "The bomb will never go off. I speak as an expert in explosives."
• - - Admiral William Leahy , US Atomic Bomb Project

A persons own beliefs are exactly that....... his own beliefs...

[corydoras]

Sorry Andrew, I just never know how to take you, no offence was intended.

 

I don't "put down Religion", I put down what some people do to others in the name of their religion.On the other hand, if a religious person starts making testable claims, about things like the age of the earth or the universe, questions evolution, makes silly claims that dinosaurs and people lived on the earth at the same time as if the Flintstones was a documentary then I will come down on them like a ton of bricks. Everyone may be entitled to there own opinion, everyone is NOT entitled to their own facts.

 

Every Christian knows exactly how I feel. Like me they do not give one thought to the notion that Brahma is the true creator of the universe nor do they lose sleep worrying that Muhammed received the literal word of God as a dictation lesson via the Archangel Gabriel (yes the same Archangel Gabriel of the Old Testament) before flying off to heaven on a winged horse. I just beleive in one god less than they do. I hare the word "atheist". We don't have a special word for those who think that astrology is a crock of dog poo or who don't beleive in the gods of Ancient Greek Mythology, so why do we need a special word for those who live there life based on reason rather than Middle Eastern Bronze Age Mythology?

 

I don't have respect for faith, "faith" is just pretending to know what you cannot possibly know. Faith is not a good thing. The young men who flew aircraft into the World Trade Centre had more faith in their little fingers than most Christians that I know have in their so called soul.

[Andrew]

Sorry Andrew, I just never know how to take you, no offence was intended.

 

 

I don't have respect for faith, "faith" is just pretending to know what you cannot possibly know. Faith is not a good thing. The young men who flew aircraft into the World Trade Centre had more faith in their little fingers than most Christians that I know have in their so called soul.

 

I for one cannot take that closing statement. I bet we agree that they were brainwashed,?

One thing that did come out about those murderous sons of camels, the only one's who knew what was ahead was their plan to crash into the WTC, Mohammad Atta, left proof of that, according to the powers that be. Faith and brainwashing are a very different meaning, How many Chinese Christians have set them selves on fire, how many Indian Christians have set themselves on fire, WHY, because of their strong belief in their Faith.

Can you recall my topic about VISIONS, that to me ( visions ) are total poppycock, but i was put down because i did not agree with certain members explanations of it, including you i may add.

To class those murderous brainwashed bastards with Christians is, in my opinion terrible.

[Phone]

Ken, Cory,

 

You do tend to tell "others" how they should feel also. A trait of superioUrity.

 

In Theology - we believe the doctrine that the second person of the Trinity assumed human form in the person of Jesus Christ and is completely both God and man, We even toss in a few "angels" from the Jews for good measure that bring us up to the time of Jesus Christ (I guess so it won't be such a shock(?). (Cory, actually I believe it was his brother-in-law Ali and scribe who wittnessed what Abraham told Muhammad (same Abraham - yes). I guess that's why the Koran is nearly word for word from the Torah (as is the old testament.. Muhammad never said anything to my knowledge.)

 

By what right can you tell us not to have "faith" in that statement? You have no, none, zippo, nada proof to the contrary mearly your "faith" it hasn't happened. Do you?

 

Phone

[corydoras]

And (Scientific fact) man will never travel at speeds of faster than light.

 

And:

• "The bomb will never go off. I speak as an expert in explosives."
• - - Admiral William Leahy , US Atomic Bomb Project

A persons own beliefs are exactly that....... his own beliefs...

And as I have already said everyone is entitled to their own beleifs, but not there own facts.

 

A "scientific fact" is a simple thing, it is merely a "confirmed observation". Most facts are trivial things that would be unreasonable to dispute. The moon orbits the earth. This is a fact, a confirmed observation, not a matter of opinion. The earth and the moon orbit the sun. This is a fact, a confirmed observation not a matter of opinion, Gene frequencies in a population vary over time, This is a fact, a confirmed observation and is the cornerstone of the Theory of Evolution, it is not a matter of opinion. If ones beleifs clash with any of those facts then one's beleifs are wrong, period.

 

Try to understand this. I am a skeptic, I don't do "beleif" There are things that I reject as being false, but I am willing to change my mind should the evidence change, there are things that I accept as being provisionally factual, but will reject as being false should the evidence change. I like to keep an open mind, but not so open that my brain might fall out. You can beleive anything you wish, I don't blindly "beleive" anything.

 

Your quote proves what exactly? That some people who should know better sometimes say the dangdest things, nothing more.

[corydoras]

I for one cannot take that closing statement. I bet we agree that they were brainwashed,?

One thing that did come out about those murderous sons of camels, the only one's who knew what was ahead was their plan to crash into the WTC, Mohammad Atta, left proof of that, according to the powers that be. Faith and brainwashing are a very different meaning, How many Chinese Christians have set them selves on fire, how many Indian Christians have set themselves on fire, WHY, because of their strong belief in their Faith.

Can you recall my topic about VISIONS, that to me ( visions ) are total poppycock, but i was put down because i did not agree with certain members explanations of it, including you i may add.

To class those murderous brainwashed bastards with Christians is, in my opinion terrible.

Here is the thing Andrew. I don't care if you can "take it" or not. I don't like the word brainwashing but since you started it then here we go. They were no more "brainwashed" than than millions of Christian children in America are brainwashed into beleliving that if they don't beleive what Mummy and Daddy beleive the will burn in the fire of hell for eternity.

 

The fact that Christian faith on the whole forbids suicide and that to a Moslem an act of martyrdom means that you get to go directly to the land overflowing with milk and honey, wearing fine silks and being teneded to hand on foot by seventy-two virgins, without any hanging around waiting for juudgement day does not make one faith good and one faith bad. I thought I had already said that it is not religion that I have an issue with, it's what people do in the name of their religion.

[Ken L]

To class those murderous brainwashed bastards with Christians is, in my opinion terrible.

 

 

 

And what of the victims of the crusades, the inquizitions in Spain, Goa, Portugal or Rome, the religious violence on Rwanda or the former Yugoslavia or the thousand year dark agees when the christian church was strong and brutal and up to it's armpits in gore. Were the Christian perpetrators of their deaths any different to the islamic perpetrators of 9/11 ?

Seems to me that the one thing they have in common is irrational beliefs for which they are prepared to kill.