According to one Rabbi I heard (many Jews don't even know there's a concept of reincarnation in Judaism) every single one of us are new incarnations of souls that screwed up. We're no longer in "this is your first rodeo" territory.
I grew up in a Reform synagogue. What we were told was: "Jews believe when you die you go six feet underground. That's it." Or something a little more interesting: "Judaism has nothing to say about afterlife because that Egyptians were obsessed with afterlife, building tombs instead of palaces, practically worshipping death. So Judaism is a religion of life." Maybe that's true.
But I found some orthodox Chabad Rabbis online who give a lot of info on afterlife. Heaven, Hell, Reincarnation, Ghosts, the whole nine yards. A lot of sophistication.
No way. Christianity has always been quite clear that there is for each of us one death, and after that the judgement, and then eternity of reaping the consequences of our decisions, in heaven or hell. What redo's we get are all in this one life, not endlessly, later.
Anything that lessens one's sense of the uniqueness of each human person, and their irreplaceable role, loved into being by the Creator for precisely the time they are in, is IMO actually both dangerous and harmful as a worldview.
There is not a single reference in the New Testament to reincarnation, nor of course is there any mention of it in the Old Testament.
The earliest Christian writings, by Polycarp, Ignatious, Clement, etc also are quite clear about Chrisian belief and I challenge you to produce a single reference in them or anywhere else, that indicates Christian belief in reincarnation.
According to one Rabbi I heard (many Jews don't even know there's a concept of reincarnation in Judaism) every single one of us are new incarnations of souls that screwed up. We're no longer in "this is your first rodeo" territory.
I grew up in a Reform synagogue. What we were told was: "Jews believe when you die you go six feet underground. That's it." Or something a little more interesting: "Judaism has nothing to say about afterlife because that Egyptians were obsessed with afterlife, building tombs instead of palaces, practically worshipping death. So Judaism is a religion of life." Maybe that's true.
But I found some orthodox Chabad Rabbis online who give a lot of info on afterlife. Heaven, Hell, Reincarnation, Ghosts, the whole nine yards. A lot of sophistication.
I could go further into it but ... I'm afraid I'll say something even too mean.
I mean, it's one thing to deemphasize the after life. Another to deny it completely.
No way. Christianity has always been quite clear that there is for each of us one death, and after that the judgement, and then eternity of reaping the consequences of our decisions, in heaven or hell. What redo's we get are all in this one life, not endlessly, later.
Anything that lessens one's sense of the uniqueness of each human person, and their irreplaceable role, loved into being by the Creator for precisely the time they are in, is IMO actually both dangerous and harmful as a worldview.
There is not a single reference in the New Testament to reincarnation, nor of course is there any mention of it in the Old Testament.
The earliest Christian writings, by Polycarp, Ignatious, Clement, etc also are quite clear about Chrisian belief and I challenge you to produce a single reference in them or anywhere else, that indicates Christian belief in reincarnation.