In trying to sort out fact from fiction, there are confusing moments when faced with two competing views. Take reincarnation. There is the traditional viewpoint which rejects it and alternate viewpoints that accept it as fact. In the latter case, I was stunned by the following:
“Just as people are destined to die once, and after that to face judgment, so Christ was sacrificed once to take away the sins of many; and he will appear a second time, not to bear sin, but to bring salvation to those who are waiting for him.” (Hebrews 9:27-28)
The above verse has historically been interpreted to mean that people die physically only once and then are raised to face judgment at the “Last Day. But Hebrews 9:27-28 can also be interpreted in a way which supports both reincarnation and the “one man/one death” concept this verse suggests; but only if interpreted according to the reincarnation principle that a person’s physical body dies once – never to be inhabited again.
There are many methods of truth discovery. In the book “Meeting the Masters: A Spiritual Apprenticeship“, William Wildblood suggests that ultimately one has to rely on “intuition” to separate fact from fiction and that rational thought, which has its place, is ultimately in the lesser physical plane of existence. This minimization of rational thought is incredibly dangerous. We must use reason to separate fact from fiction.
The Bible quotations are taken out-of-context to support a viewpoint that the text does not justify. The arguments appear to be compelling and they pass the tests of plausibility. But it is nothing more than believing whatever you want to believe. One cannot posit support for a complicated theology involving multiple rebirths and karma from a statement on singular rebirth at the end of time, no matter how much one tries. The most anyone could say is that the verse in isolation is neutral with the doctrine of reincarnation, but it could never lend support to it.
This is not a post that goes into depth on methods for interpretation and using logic to avoid circular reasoning. There are plenty of books on these topics. But it is a warning to not be swayed or trust alternative viewpoints on their appearance only. The claims being made can be evaluated rationally, and the cracks will certainly shine through. This applies whether the claim is popular or not.
While reevaluating my personal beliefs, I discovered numerous beliefs that were based on traditions without real substance. Many of the beliefs that you hold dear are probably based on foundations of sand. Learning these takes time and a willingness to admit that you could be wrong.
* This is the same process by which in a court of law the two sides can derive completely opposite conclusions from the same evidence.
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