Why Christianity Rejected Reincarnation

Who created the New Testament? Was it Jesus? Was it His apostles? Was it God? The answer is none of the above. The first Christian emperor of Rome, Constantine the Great (285-337 AD), in the year 325 AD called together the First Ecumenical Council (a religious council) which consisted of the five main churches at the time to determine which opposing viewpoints concerning Jesus' teachings would constitute religious doctrine. Hundreds of writings by a wide range of authors were considered and voted on. Yes, voted on! A number of writings received a majority vote while many other books, some with opposing viewpoints, were subsequently excluded. A few of the more noteworthy texts that did not make the cut include The Gospel of Mary, The Gospel of Thomas, and The Acts of Paul. As additional ecumenical councils met over the centuries, certain words or sentences contained within the Bible were altered or deleted; in some instances, whole sections were removed. Many of the translations from Aramaic, Hebrew, and Greek (the original languages of the Bible) to other languages were incorrectly translated and as a consequence, the wrong meanings were applied to them. Those that believed in ideas or texts that contradicted the decisions made by the councils were called heretics and faced excommunication from the church. Ecumenical Councils over time determined what was to be considered religious doctrine and what wasn't. Many scholars believe that the Fifth Ecumenical Council (553 AD) deleted most verses addressing reincarnation from the Bible. But why? The reasons are simple. The church elders wanted the general populace to believe that it was only through the church and its elders could anyone communicate with God or ever hope to reach heaven. This kept all power within the church versus within the people themselves. And since the elders were men, this kept women at a subordinate level as well.

What does this mean for us? It means that the Bible is the work of men; maybe God inspired initially, but definitely the work of men. It means that we cannot consider the Bible to be absolute doctrine. It is far from it. So then, what is the truth? The answer is frankly, we don't know. Did Jesus really rise from the dead? Why is it suggested and written in ancient texts that Krishna, Horus, Mithra and a number of others rose from the dead before Jesus was even born? How is it possible that they too were believed to be born of a virgin, walked on water, performed countless miracles, died on a cross, and had twelve apostles? So what is the truth? Is reincarnation true? Let's say for a minute that reincarnation is a reality. It would place the power of heaven back into our own hands, right? Who would determine whether we go to heaven or hell? Could hell even be a possibility? Or does reincarnation suggest that we keep coming back until we get it right? Do we re-incarnate until we rise in consciousness eventually to the point of re-enlightenment? This concept, by the way, is what many of the church elders argued in favor of at the First Ecumenical Council way back in 325 AD. However, this too was voted down. Believing in reincarnation places the power of choice between good and evil back into our own hands. Reincarnation implies that we return to heaven when we have balanced out our negative karma with good karma and have returned to a consciousness consistent with being in heaven. We were enlightened once before, but fell in consciousness as metaphorically described by the parable of Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden.

Reincarnation is necessary because our soul's vibration no longer resonates or vibrates with the vibration of a perfected being of light. Today our greatest enemy may be materialism. Materialism pollutes our soul with greed, jealousy and envy just as human waste pollutes our rivers and oceans. But what is a soul? A soul, I believe, is that aspect of God Consciousness attributed to our own self as defined by ego. Ego is based on perceived separation when in reality it doesn't exist. Ego is our own wave of consciousness which is simply a part of an ocean of consciousness. Just as a wave within the ocean is separate from the ocean, we are separate from the ocean of God Consciousness by our own ego. So, if we are a wave of God Consciousness, how could God ever condemn an aspect of himself to an eternity of hell? It's not only improbable, it's not possible. Why most Christians disregard the possibility of reincarnation is in large part due to what a few hundred men voted on nearly two thousand years ago. I apologize if this information bursts your bubble of ignorance, as is "ignoring the truth," but now that you have been educated, you can no longer ignore the possibility of reincarnation. The world is no longer flat. We know better now and so do you. Reincarnation is a distinct possibility. As our consciousness continues to expand we will become aware of even greater truths such as "hell is only a temporary place of punishment." Even hell doesn't last. Eventually we are reincarnated. We may even come to the realization one day that there is more than one heaven. In truth, "there are seven heavens." Why do you think we say "I'm in seventh heaven?" It is a "soul truism," which is nothing more than saying something true that we only know as true on a soul level. We say soul truisms every day but we don't even realize it.

As it stands, more than one out of every six people in the world believes in the concept of reincarnation. That's more than one billion people on this planet. If the direct references to reincarnation had not been deleted from the Bible, more people than not would believe in reincarnation as Christianity is the largest religion in the world. However, there are verses concerning the possibility of reincarnation remaining in the Bible. In the Gospel of Matthew (11:13-14), Jesus identifies John the Baptist as Elijah.

"For all the Prophets and the Law prophesied until John. And if you are willing to accept it, he is the Elijah who was to come."

I could fill this article with verses that suggest reincarnation is a reality if space allowed, but none seem possibly more revealing than the following verse concerning reincarnation found in John (3:13).

"No one has ever gone into heaven except the one who descended from heaven--the Son of Man."

This verse may suggest that Jesus is the reincarnation of Adam. If so, the man responsible for closing the gates of heaven is also the man that reopened them. Talk about karma! Jesus being the reincarnation of Adam has also been suggested by Edgar Cayce, one the greatest prophets ever to have lived. Whether true or not, I choose to believe in reincarnation and karma. Karma places the responsibility of my actions directly upon my shoulders, where it should be. I must pay for my actions one way or another, but not by spending an eternity in hell. Karma makes more sense to me than a God that would condemn His children to an eternity of hell for whatever reason. As for me, I believe in a God that loves me and you unconditionally.

Author of the soon to be released book Everything You Need To now To Get To Heaven Gary J. McDonald holds dual Bachelor of Business Administration degrees in Marketing and Finance from the University of Wisconsin in Milwaukee and a Master of Arts in Counseling from the University of Colorado in Colorado Springs. A Licensed Professional Counselor in Colorado, the author is well versed in spiritual subject matter, trained in past life regression, and has worked with Celtic, Native American, and Peruvian shamans. A businessman and entrepreneur, McDonald has dedicated his life to humanitarian work both nationally and internationally. Website Address http://EverythingHeaven.com/