53 replies to this topic

[MoonChild]

reincarnation doesn't mean you may need to come back here on earth! it is only a matter of another "humanly" life where more of lessons are learned!

[Crone]

As long as I can remember, I've felt that I've lived before.  This was not something I could discuss with my religious leaders, because it went against what they taught, and expected us to believe.  

Now that I'm older, and have (gasp!!!) grown away from the church, I can finally feel comfortable discussing possible past lives, at least with most people.  They don't have to agree or disagree.  I'm comfortable with that, too.

[Willow]

[glow=purple,2,300]Welcome Crone[/glow]
My mother use to have to try and keep me from telling our priest my past life, now what once was 'embarassing' for my family they find fascinating and want to know their past lives

[aloha_spirit]

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And BTW I not only find it offensive that you would put Christ in the category of myth but also think you are pretty naïve in doing so.  The historical record of his existence, what he did in his lifetime, and who he said he was is vast and well documented - more so than many who were born long after him.  Jesus Christ was anything but a mythological character.

Before I say anything. let me re-iterate that I am a Christian.

The search for the historical Jesus has gone on for centuries.  AFAIK, there are only 2 plausible sources outside of Christendom which says that the Jesus who founded Christianity actually lived.

First, let's address Josephus' Antiquities: 18.3.1:

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Now there was about this time Jesus, a wise man, if it be lawful to call him a man; for he was a doer of wonderful  works, a teacher of such men as receive the truth with pleasure.  He drew over to him both many of the Jews and many of the Gentiles.  He was [called the] Christ.  And when Pilate, at the suggestion of the principal men among us, had condemned him to the cross, those that loved him at the first did not forsake him; for they say he appeared to them alive again the third day, as the devine prophets had foretold these and ten thousand other wonderful things concerning him.  And the tribe of Christians, so named from him, are not extinct at this day.

Let me explain the markings I added in the above passage.  The strike is a phrase found in Eusebus' citation that I believe was added.  I also inserted some underlined text which I believe was lost.  The square brackets were inserted by William Whiston (the translator of my copy).

Josephus was a Jew who lived in the last part of the 1^st century of the Common Era.  Josephus never was baptized nor converted to Christianity.  Why would one not converted testify that Jesus is the Christ?  The earliest existent copies of this pasage date to the 4^th century in a quote by Eusebius (an early Christian historian).  Eusebius is generally careful about the sources he cites, so we have cause to believe that the original words were changed to fit the Christian agenda before that time.

The second piece of evidence for the actual existence of the historical Jesus is a tomb that was "recently" discovered.  The tomb is authentic and dates back to the first century.  The occupant is identified as "James the brother of Jesus the son of Joseph".  Again, brother may mean cousin, or possibly used in religious affiliation(we are all brothers and sisters in Christ).

If you know of any other evidence, please send me a personal note.  I like it when science supports portions of my beliefs;)

As Christians, we must accept that what we think we know is based on faith.  We cannot prove the existence of our God any more than any other religion can prove the existence of theirs.

I firmly believe in Jesus and the power of his atonement, but this is not the venue to try win over converts.  We can discuss our beliefs and how they influence our perception of ghosts, spirits, and all things paranormal.

[hawkerdriver]

James, the brother of Jesus the son of Joesph- was proved recently to be a hoax.  I watched a recent news clip on BBC America and has been proven to be a fake.  

[aloha_spirit]

Wow!  I guess the only independent record of Jesus is now Josephus, if only we could know the exact way he phrased them.

This proves my point:  religion (be it Pagan, Christian, or whatever) is faith based.  Religion is theolgy is mythology.

I've enjoyed how most villagers talk of the Creator or God in a way that doesn't deny his (or her) existence nor limited it to their deity.  Hats off to GVers!

[Wind of Light]

I do believe in reincarnation, because after my unlce died my grandma saw a fox(uncle's favorite animal) that acted like my uncle in some ways..Plus I see people that it seems like I know them, but I dont,I must know them from another life...I dont know, maybe Im going crazy

[hawkerdriver]

As an astrologist I can impart that Astrology does have a basis in reincarnation.  One of Astrology's tenets is that the people we deal with in our lives such as mother, brother, wife, husband are all souls that in each different life play a different role.  There's a guy with whom I met when I was 13, of course, I fell head over heads.  I dated him in High School though not steady and met up with him again in College.  He and I formally tried to go steady but towards the end it was like I was with my brother.  To this day we are still in contact with each other and he considers me as his sister and he's my brother. MY astrologist told me he was a soul that no matter what, we would be in each other's lives.  I also look at it another way.  Look at all the people out there when you're out and about. Why is it that, in all reality, that you only 'cross paths', with a certain few?  Why does your path cross with John Doe and not Joe Farmer?  Coincidence?  I don't buy it.  There's more to it than that.  And I think reincarnation, destiny and all that good stuff plays a role in it.  That's my take.  

[MoonChild]

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Coincidence?  I don't buy it.  There's more to it than that.

There is nothing named coincidence, because everything happens for a reason.

ps:well, I am reincarnated yet again in the GV world! 9th time now and it doesn't feel so good![smiley=cwm1.gif]

[hawkerdriver]

Moonie!  Ya' Goof!  You've found the fountain of youth now stop complaining!  Most people would be thrilled to be able to start anew! J/K!   ;D [smiley=cwm20.gif]








PS-- Candy, little boy?

[MoonChild]

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Moonie!  Ya' Goof!  You've found the fountain of youth now stop complaining!  Most people would be thrilled to be able to start anew! J/K!   ;D [smiley=cwm20.gif]PS-- Candy, little boy?

[smiley=cwm27.gif]wasnt complaining pal, was boasting to my sister last evening (she is registered littlesis) that i am the number 6 poster in GV and if i had the crredit of all the posts, i would have had almost 3500 + posts to my credit. the last time I whowed here, arounf 1370 posts, i was deleted, and yet again now, perhaps i hould learn not to open my mouth too much ;D anyways, it feels good to breath again, atleast it is proven that I am eternal as far as GV is concerned.

but I also wish, there woulnd't be no more FORUM losses here!








candy? what flavour? blood?

[hawkerdriver]

An eternal Moon. Ohhh, mmmyyyyy.....


Maybe it's just us human's problem of having intelligence and having to try and come to terms with our own mortality.  I mean,we humans really think quite highly of ourselves and to even begin to fathom that maybe we just become worm food is just not palatable.  So as an escape we invent the thought of a higher power and an afterlife(s). Maybe it's a kind of Santa Claus thinking for us adults.  (Must be swinging back to my atheist mood.)

[MoonChild]

it is quite possible Hawker, but have we really thought about the inner power? Maybe we humans ARE everything, but then, why all these nonsense happenning around in the world?

[ghosthunter1010]

I am a believer.  I had an experince once that made me believe.  I think it was a life flash back but I saw a man dressed in medeivl clothing and he was fighting with a lady over some beytral.  It felt so real, than to make things stranger I met my boyfriend and as I was meeting him for the first time the image flash before my eyes again and the feeling that I had know him before came over me.

[Cristelle32]

Ice, My view is that we're here to experience our Oness with the Higher Being (which is perfectly achievable without belonging to a religion or not).

The truth of the matter is that, we could achieve that connection (Nirvana for Buddhist, or Blissful state for Christians) right now, even as I'm speaking to you, but we don't.  Instead, we decide (mostly subconsciously) what experiences to go through in oder to finally get to that stage.  

In this context reincarnation makes total sense to me and with reincarnation the concept of Karma which explains so many things like why are we so different from each other? How are some people able to commit the most horrifying crimes if not through their own ignorance of self ?

Please note that the word ignorance means just that: lack of self knowledge.

Which also explains why we so often feel repulsion at the crimes some vicious people commit: because those take us away from our only true nature: Love, Joy and Truth.  


'God' is all these things - and they are indivisible....