http://cosmos.bcst.yahoo.com/up/player/popup/?rn=3906861&cl=13873561&ch=4226713&src=news This story is pretty interesting. This child started recanting stories of WWII flights and a crash at the age of 2. He later supposedly gave intimate details of flights, who he flew with and what happened when they were shot down and killed. Some of the information this kid recanted took his father 3 years to document as factual. If it took his father 3 years to document this information how on earth could this kid have known all of it by age 4? I've never really thought seriously about the theory of multiple lives and reincarnation but a story like this makes you think. Of course it could also simply be a great gimmick dreamt up by the parents for a book........ which they've now written.
Don't believe it. And I love how the kid is like all "I have no idea WTF these people are talking about."
The dad said that the reincarnation facts reaffirmed his christian faith. Is reincarnation part of christian faith?
No it isn't. Yet I liked the Dad's willingness to say there are things out there beyond our ability to explain. That would be a basic tenet of the Christian faith.
Yes but christians, along with all religions, fight tooth and nail against anything that veers in any way from what they've been led to believe. So if this family really are devout christians their acceptance of this would get them ostricized in many circles would it not? That's always been a problem that has pushed me away from religion. You're a chaplain or something right Ohio? Interested on your personal take on this...... let's assume for arguments sake it's true. What effect does that have on your belief system? Would past lives just be taken as a twist that we just weren't told about and accepted or would this be something that threatens everything about your faith?
I have heard stories similar to this one before.I suspect thats why some religions consider re-incarnation as part of lifes cycles. The Dalai LLama is selected on basis of his past lives.As part of the process of selecting a candidate they show him some objects that only a past DL could identify .Strangely the Dalai LLamas re-incarnate as new Dalai LLamas a highly unlikely possibility statistically speaking. Thats a head scratcher . I just think we dont fully understand our human condition and our capabilities especially those with deal with our psychic and spiritual abilities.
Reincarnation is a part of Wiccan faith. Wouldn't surprise me in the least if it's true. I've had my own connections to past lives.
Totally cool, and as a Roman Catholic I am not in conflict over the powers of what can be. Very interesting that the family went to great lengths to corroborate and even provide closure for their son and (other family too it seems) including trip to site of crash in Japan with ceremony, etc. That fact that from that point forward the child began to no longer have nightmares and even begin to replace those old memories with new ones from his current live is pretty interesting. Nice find...enjoyed it.
I grew up catholic and they were pretty adamantly against reincarnation. Here's an answer to that question from catholic.com Reincarnation Members of what is commonly called the "New Age" movement often claim that early Christians believed in reincarnation. Shirley MacLaine, an avid New Age disciple, recalls being taught: "The theory of reincarnation is recorded in the Bible. But the proper interpretations were struck from it during an ecumenical council meeting of the Catholic Church in Constantinople sometime around A.D. 553, called the Council of Nicaea [sic]" (Out on a Limb, 234–35). Historical facts provide no basis for this claim. In fact, there was no Council of Nicaea in A.D. 553. Further, the two ecumenical councils of Nicaea (A.D. 325 and A.D. 787) took place in the city of Nicaea (hence their names)—and neither dealt with reincarnation. What did take place in A.D. 553 was the Second Ecumenical Council of Constantinople. But records from this Council show that it, too, did not address the subject of reincarnation. None of the early councils did. The closest the Second Council of Constantinople came to addressing reincarnation was, in one sentence, to condemn Origen, an early Church writer who believed souls exist in heaven before coming to earth to be born. New Agers confuse this belief in the preexistence of the soul with reincarnation and claim that Origen was a reincarnationist. Actually, he was one of the most prolific early writers against reincarnation! Because he is so continually misrepresented by New Agers, we have included a number of his quotes below, along with passages from other sources, all of which date from before A.D. 553, when the doctrine of reincarnation was supposedly "taken out of the Bible." The origin of Shirley MacLaine’s mistaken notion that Origen taught reincarnation is probably Reincarnation in Christianity, by Geddes MacGregor—a book published by the Theosophical Publishing House in 1978. The author speculates that Origen’s texts written in support of the belief in reincarnation somehow disappeared or were suppressed. Admitting he has no evidence, MacGregor nonetheless asserts: "I am convinced he taught reincarnation in some form" (58). You may judge from the passages below whether this seems likely. http://www.catholic.com/library/Reincarnation.asp Obviously, catholicism and christianity are not synonymous so not all beliefs are identical. I did some research on reincarnation and christianity and there seems to be some branches christianity that believe in reincarnation and some that don't. There have been some books and articles on the topic. And the theory has been proposed that early christians taught/believed in reincarnation. That makes sense to me since so little of christianity is original.
Certainly some Christians as well as followers of other faith systems fight against things that would tend to disrupt their ideas. It is especially true for those whose systems are only logic based! Professionaly, I am the senior pastor of a large Lutheran Church and hold a number of other offices within the denomination. I have served and do serve as Chaplain to a number of groups and organizations as well. I mention that because chaplaincy requires a level of co-operation with people of other faith systems (or no no faith system) that most parish pastors are not required to have. While I personally do not believe in re-incarnation, I am not threatened by it. I have come to understand my own smallness in the vastness of creation and how little I will ever understand. My relationship to Christ is that of one who longs for a bride, a love that is passionate and searching. I delight when I feel His presence and endeavor to be in that presence. "Proof" in faith matters is a tricky thing. What would "proof" look like? Are there other ways memories could be shared between two people? In the billions of folks out there could similar synaptic patterns create memories that don't exist? I don't know? When DaVinci code came out folks asked me if Jesus had been married and fathered a child would it shake my faith? I thought about it and replied that it might make me ask different questions, but my faith would remain! Does this begin to answer your question? btw, Rafael's answer would pretty much be the official position of most Christian groups. Folks like MacClaine and their claims of being at the Last Supper are problems to take seriously any discussion of the topic.
I thought about that a lot when I read the DaVinci code. I believe that Jesus was probably married. And I also concluded that it had nothing to do with my faith. I believe in many of the principals that Jesus taught. I believe that if Jesus were alive today he'd be very critical of anybody who read the bible literally. It wouldn't even shake my faith if it were proven that Jesus never existed. I believe in the principals he taught not in the specifics of one version of those events.
Oregen was crazy. He castrated himself so that he could remain celibate and not be tempted by his human urges. Needless to say, all his theories were seen as heretical. One question I would ask about the theory of Jesus being married and having a kid would be, does that affect his divineness or perfect state? Celibacy for Christians is seen as a higher state of being that not all humans can achieve, but only those blessed with it. So if Jesus was not blessed with the gift of celibacy, would it have an impact on the divine nature of Jesus?
Short answer, No. The classic Christian formulation is that Jesus was fully divine and fully human. Once upon a time it would have been a huge deal but in the last 50-100 years, I think it would more likely to be seen as Jesus blessing marriage. Interestingly, the Eastern Orthodox position on celibacy for clergy is by far the most logical. Whatever you are when you are ordained, married or single, you have to stay. If married and your wife dies, you do not get to replace her. Only celibates may become Bishops. Why? Not because they are more holy but because the travel and work schedules of Orthodox Bishops is so heavy they would not be home enough and thus would be lousy models for fatherhood! Interesting, logical, and practical thinking. I wouldn't like it because when my first wife died I would not have been able to marry Sue but the position has a certain logical elegance. We have drifted pretty far afield from the opening post. Sorry.