Enjoying the Experience

Namaste Jesus said:
"NJ, I think it is also very possible that you are a reincarnated Hindu."Funny you should say that. When preparing my wife's original visa, we had to make several trips to the US Embassy located in Fiji's capitol city, Suva. My wife and brother-in-law, who went with us, had never been to that part of Suva before and I had never been to Fiji at all. No one knew exactly where the Embassy was, but before my brother-in-law could ask for directions, I told them where it was and led them directly there. Everyone was puzzled including myself, but we didn't think too much of it. Prior to this, starting in my late teens, I had this reoccurring dream about being killed by a grenade during WWI. Never really thought too much of that either until one day, after being married for several years, I stumbled across a very interesting tid-bit on the web. It seems that a small battalion of men from the Fiji Islands composed of Europeans, Native Fijians and Indo-Fijians had taken part in one of the earlier battles of WWI. Nearly all were killed in a grenade attack. Wait, it gets better. It seems, this battalion was trained in Suva; on the site that was later used to house the US Embassy!
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Glad to hear Jesus guided you to the embassy but how do you square reincarnation with the Christian teachings with which it is ostensibly incomparable
 
voiceofwood said:
Glad to hear Jesus guided you to the embassy but how do you square reincarnation with the Christian teachings with which it is ostensibly incomparable
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I didn't say Jesus guided me to the Embassy. That was what I believe to be a past life memory.

Yes, some Christian teachings do seem to be incompatible with the idea of reincarnation. It's all a matter of interpretation though as most Biblical passages may be interpreted in more than one way.
 
Namaste Jesus said:
I didn't say Jesus guided me to the Embassy. That was what I believe to be a past life memory.

Yes, some Christian teachings do seem to be incompatible with the idea of reincarnation. It's all a matter of interpretation though as most Biblical passages may be interpreted in more than one way.
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I know you didn't. Well, there is interpreting text and reading more into the text than is there. Good interpretation does no violence to the text. So, I guess my question is; how is it possible to interpret Christian text without doing violence to it and yet render it compatible with reincarnation?
 
voiceofwood said:
I know you didn't. Well, there is interpreting text and reading more into the text than is there. Good interpretation does no violence to the text. So, I guess my question is; how is it possible to interpret Christian text without doing violence to it and yet render it compatible with reincarnation?
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That's an interesting turn of phrase, "violence to the text!" I get a mental image of someone taking a broad sword to the NT.

In any event a simple web search for, 'Resurrection in the Bible' will turn up a number of sites pointing to Biblical passages that have been interpreted to at least suggest the idea of resurrection. That same search however, will turn up a number of sites that refute this claim.

In my own ministry, I leave it up to each individual to decide for themselves.

Personally though, I wholeheartedly believe in it. I base that on both Christian and Hindu scripture as well as personal experience.
 
Namaste Jesus said:
That's an interesting turn of phrase, "violence to the text!" I get a mental image of someone taking a broad sword to the NT.

In any event a simple web search for, 'Resurrection in the Bible' will turn up a number of sites pointing to Biblical passages that have been interpreted to at least suggest the idea of resurrection. That same search however, will turn up a number of sites that refute this claim.

In my own ministry, I leave it up to each individual to decide for themselves.

Personally though, I wholeheartedly believe in it. I base that on both Christian and Hindu scripture as well as personal experience.
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So, if you accept reincarnation do you accept also the evil doctrine of Karma that goes with it?
 
voiceofwood said:
So, if you accept reincarnation do you accept also the evil doctrine of Karma that goes with it?
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Not sure what you mean by, (evil doctrine), but as far as Karma is concerned, I do believe it plays a part in all of our lives. As Christian scripture says, those who live by the sword, shall die by he sword and vs versa.
 
Namaste Jesus said:
Not sure what you mean by, (evil doctrine), but as far as Karma is concerned, I do believe it plays a part in all of our lives. As Christian scripture says, those who live by the sword, shall die by he sword and vs versa.
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By Karma, I meant the doctrine that our present form and conditions are determined by actions taken by some previous self.

It is evil because I am, at least in part, the sum total of my experiences and choices, that I should be rewarded or punished for actions taken by some self that was in no true sense of the word me, is evil and could only have been devised by an evil deity.

In India and perhaps elsewhere it has been used to justify the oppression of the weak and powerless by the powerful and, though the caste system, kept many in near slavery. As such it is one of the great evils in the world
 
voiceofwood said:
By Karma, I meant the doctrine that our present form and conditions are determined by actions taken by some previous self.

It is evil because I am, at least in part, the sum total of my experiences and choices, that I should be rewarded or punished for actions taken by some self that was in no true sense of the word me, is evil and could only have been devised by an evil deity.

In India and perhaps elsewhere it has been used to justify the oppression of the weak and powerless by the powerful and, though the caste system, kept many in near slavery. As such it is one of the great evils in the world
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Not everyone sees karma as evil. I don't really look at it that way myself. To me, it's merely a system of checks and balances. If you are a right SOB in your present life for instance, rather than going directly to hell, you have a chance to atone for your sins in the next. I can remember my late Mom, a Christian woman, saying in times of strife, "I must really have done something bad in my past life to deserve this!"

I think the problem is, for those of us, not born unto it, the concept of karma and the cast system is difficult to understand, but to many Indians it's just an accepted part of life. Now a days however, do in part to western influence and the media, many in India are speaking out against this.

I have mixed feelings on the subject. On the one hand I hate to see people taken advantages of. On the other, I hate to see the old traditions fade away. I'm just not sure the loss is worth the gain.
 
I've been following your posts for a while now. I just noticed that your last post has been deleted. No worries. I still find your message inspirational and wish you luck in all future endeavors.

That was a powerful image you attached to your last message, (Krishna and Jesus walking on water together). Sadly, I doubt if anyone here grasps it's true meaning. Then again, maybe someone did and that's why it was deleted. What a shame. Any road, I just wanted to let you know, in case you still check in from time to time, I do get it and wholeheartedly agree.

God speed mate!
 
voiceofwood said:
It is evil because I am, at least in part, the sum total of my experiences and choices, that I should be rewarded or punished for actions taken by some self that was in no true sense of the word me, is evil and could only have been devised by an evil deity.

In India and perhaps elsewhere it has been used to justify the oppression of the weak and powerless by the powerful and, though the caste system, kept many in near slavery. As such it is one of the great evils in the world
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But if one believes in reincarnation, then it is the same soul enjoying the rewards of its good deeds and being punished for its bad deeds. How is that evil?

Caste system is not slavery and is not oppression. It is autonomy which gives a caste the right to live its life in its own way. Castes depend on origins, regions, languages, traditions, occupations, etc. All castes had their own councils.

Only that it is so trumpeted as slavery by non-Hindus. And modern politics has skewed the system.
 
Aupmanyav said:
Sadly, I do not think it is a good idea. One would drown the other (mostly Krishna, since Jesus is the only door). They can continue walking on water, but separately.
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This is the deleted photo Aussie Thoughts spoke of. If your post is any indication, Aussie was correct in his assessment that no one here would grasp it's true meaning..........
 

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true meaning? This is the place for riddles and secrets and not sharing thoughts....after all, that is what interfaith is all about.
 
Hi voiceofwood –
voiceofwood said:
Well, there is interpreting text and reading more into the text than is there.
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Exegesis in the first instance, eisegesis in the latter.
Eisegesis ... is the process of interpreting a text or portion of text in such a way that the process introduces one's own presuppositions, agendas, or biases into and onto the text.

While exegesis is the process of drawing out the meaning from a text in accordance with the context and discoverable meaning of its author, eisegesis occurs when a reader imposes his or her interpretation into and onto the text. As a result, exegesis tends to be objective when employed effectively while eisegesis is regarded as highly subjective. (from wiki)
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The overwhelming evidence points in the direction of reincarnation never being a part of Christian doctrine. The teaching is dependent on a strict dualism, which is at odds with the holistic notion of the person that underpins Christian scripture and later theological contemplation.

Neither the Greek nor the Latin Christian Traditions discuss reincarnation, nor indeed karma, as a matter of doctrine for the simple reason that the idea was never seriously put forward. The Catholic Church never mentioned it until the matter arose in the discussion of New Age doctrines, that is, the syncretic interpretation of texts that became popular in the last century.

voiceofwood said:
So, I guess my question is; how is it possible to interpret Christian text without doing violence to it and yet render it compatible with reincarnation?
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Nigh-on impossible, I would say, when Luke 13:4 pretty well refutes the idea.
 
voice is long gone Thomas. Tossed for antisemitic remarks if I remember right. Then, he changed his name and got tossed again. That was back when iBrian was in charge.
 
Ooops! LOL. Never mind. Truth is always worth repeating.
 
wil said:
true meaning? This is the place for riddles and secrets and not sharing thoughts....after all, that is what interfaith is all about.
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We must come to certain realizations on our own in order to accept them. Merely being told often garners rejection.

Thomas said:
Truth is always worth repeating.
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Ummm...... nah... I ain't bitten!;)
 
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