 | Charlie Traffas has been involved in marketing, media, publishing and insurance for more than 40 years. In addition to being a fully-licensed life, health, property and casualty agent, he is also President and Owner of Chart Marketing, Inc. (CMI). CMI operates and markets several different products and services that help B2B and B2C businesses throughout the country create customers...profitably. You may contact Charlie by phone at (316) 721-9200, by e-mail at ctraffas@chartmarketing.com, or you may visit at www.chartmarketing.com. |
Religion
2005-08-01 08:54:00
Is there such a thing as ‘rebirth’ or reincarnation?
: Is there such a thing as rebirth, or what some call (reincarnation)?
ANSWER: The Catechism of the Catholic Church (para. 1013) states: "There is no 'reincarnation' after death." Death is the end of man's life on earth, of the time to prepare for his ultimate destiny, which will be determined according as he cooperated with or deliberately neglected God's plan for human life. When the course of our earthly life is completed, we shall not return to other earthly lives: "It is appointed for men to die once" (Hebr 9:27). Reincarnation refers to the rebirth of a human soul in a new body. Several natural religions, e.g. Hinduism and Buddhism, believe that the soul, upon the death of the body, returns to the earth in another body or a new form. Such religious belief stems from a primitive hope or desire for reward or revenge; but, in reality, such reincarnation does not happen. Occasionally, there may happen coincidences, which seem to lend credence to such a belief. Thus one person might bear some resemblance to an animal or to another person in history. Sometimes in dreams a person might seem to recall a former existence. But such coincidences are fantasy rather than reality. Reincarnation is quite different from resurrection of the body. All Christians and Moslems and most Jews believe that, after death, God judges each human soul and assigns it a proper place in eternity, while the body disintegrates into dust and ashes. At the end of time, through the power of God, all persons who ever lived will be resurrected, i.e. their soul will be reunited with their body. Jesus is the first to be resurrected from the dead. These truths are part of our faith and are certain! The Christian Creed concludes with the affirmation: "I believe . . . in the resurrection of the body and life everlasting. Amen."
