IBA

REINCARNATION (known in Eastern based religions as transmigration) is the belief that an individual human soul passes through multiple cycles of rebirths until he is finally absorbed or merged with ultimate reality or God. While most reincarnationist affirm the belief in an eternal soul, Buddhism does not. Many Indian based religious systems hold that rebirth can take many forms, including plants, animals, spirits, humans and gods. The Western concept of reincarnation is really a refinement of the Eastern idea of transmigration and usually states rebirth is limited to humans.

KARMA (known as the law of action and reaction or the "Law of Karma") is the teaching that all human souls are responsible for the evil committed in his or her life and the suffering or punishment in the present life come as a direct result of evil committed in the past life. The "Law of Karma" governs the process of reincarnation so the circumstances of this life are meted out in proportion to the level of evil done in the previous life. Karma, in essence, is a form of purification for one's wrong doing or evil deeds.

Because the belief in reincarnation has become so popular in this country and has influenced literally thousands of people, Christians need to be aware of the various arguments presented in favor of this doctrine and prepared to respond logically and biblically in every way possible. The following contrast between orthodox Christianity and reincarnation show they are incompatible and in fact representative of two entirely different world views!

The Bible in Contrast with Reincarnation:

Orthodox Christianity teaches	Reincarnationist teach
there is one God, Father, Son,& Holy Spirit, three Persons of the divine Trinity (Gen. 1:27; Prov. .30:4; John 20:28; Heb. 1:8; 2 Cor. 3:17,18); that God is the Creator of the universe (Ecc. i2:l; Isa. 40:28; that God is distinct from creation, not part of it.(Gen. 1; Ex. 3:14; Rom. 1:20); that God has the attributes and actions of personality (He knows: 2 Tim. 2:19; He loves: John 3:16; He has a will: Matt 6:10)	in Hinduism: that God (Brahman) is impersonal, Absolute (The Upanishads:Breath of the Eternal, by Swami Prabhavan and Frederick Manchester, pp.115-123); in New Age thinking: differentiated Oneness, not separate from the universe (The Reappearance of the Christ and the Masters of Wisdom, p.103, by Benjamin Creme; Revelation: The Birth of a New Age, pp. 210,211, by David Spangler).
men are incapable, apart from the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ, to acquire salvation (enlightenment or perfection in reincarnational terms) or achieve union with God (Acts 4:12; 1 Cor. 15; Jn. 3:14-16; Rorn. 3:21-30; Titus 3:4-7).	the Law of Karma as the immutable law which says that a person pays (through suffering) in this life for evil he has committed in the past life (Mind Transference in Sinhalese Buddhism, pp. 202-219, by R. Gombrech); The Lost Teachings of Jesus (Book Three), p.274, by Mark and Elizabeth Clare Prophet).
at death, the body returns to the dust and the soul returns to God for judgment to damnation (hell) or eternal life (heaven) Eèc. 3:16-22; Matt. 25:41-46; Heb. 9:27; Acts 17: 31; Rev. 20:11-15).	cycles of rebirth through the wheel of reincarnation (Liberation of the Soul, by J. Stanley White, pp. 80-100); Saint Germain on Alchemy, pp. 411, 412; Out on a Limb, by Shirley McLàine, pp. 232-246).