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Thread: Reincarnation

  1. #1
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    Reincarnation

    Why I believe in reincarnation.

    #1. Life is too short to test everything and think about everything for myself. Therefore, the important thing is to find reputable sources of information and listen to them. Rather than travelling to the moon to investigate the properties of gravity, I listen to the people who've already done that. Rather than running DNA tests on my parents, I read my birth certificate. Rather than figuring out for myself how to dance, I go to dance lessons. Similarly, rather than working out the whole of metaphysics for myself, I listen to people whose metaphysics have, to date, been useful, clear, and compatible with my other sources of knowledge such as the scientific community. In other words, I listen to Buddhists.

    #2. Death is certain. There are essentially three possibilities for what happens after death. One is nothingness. One is moving to a world where death is absent (ie, "heaven" or "hell"). One is moving to a world where death is present, possibly this world (ie, "reincarnation"). I can only obtain evidence of which of these is correct by dieing, which I'm not in a hurry to do. Given the choice between a number of models, each of which is equally capable of explaining, we have to make choices based on other reasons. Of the various models, reincarnation provides the most aesthetically pleasing behaviour, allows for simple and quick reasoning, and does not complicate my model of the world.

    You may now explain why I'm irrational and/or clinically insane.

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    Re: Reincarnation

    Quote Originally Posted by MartinHarper View Post
    You may now explain why I'm irrational and/or clinically insane.
    We don't need to, you just did that yourself.

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    Commercial Operator Gus's Avatar
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    Re: Reincarnation

    Quote Originally Posted by MartinHarper View Post
    #2. Death is certain. There are essentially three possibilities for what happens after death. ...... Of the various models, reincarnation provides the most aesthetically pleasing behaviour, allows for simple and quick reasoning, and does not complicate my model of the world.

    You may now explain why I'm irrational and/or clinically insane.
    As the views of the World (and even this Forum) will not alter the facts of what lies beyond death, your choice of one that brings your peace is excellent. As you say, no one can prove to you any different.

    Oh ... caveat. The views of the World may not change the 'afterlife' experience ... but members of the Forum may want you put in a padded room under sedation as you don't totally agree with their view of the Universe and hence you MUST be insane.

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    Commercial Operator Gus's Avatar
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    Re: Reincarnation

    Quote Originally Posted by Double Trouble View Post
    We don't need to, you just did that yourself.
    Bu@@er ... looks like my Caveat edit was a little late .....

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    Forum Bombshell - Our Queen! Lory's Avatar
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    Re: Reincarnation

    I think the idea of reincarnation is flawed... someone, (and I can't remember who) told me that when we die, our soul is reborn into someone else?

    Now, the worlds population has grown and grown, so if that were true, where do all the extra souls come from
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    Re: Reincarnation

    Quote Originally Posted by Gus View Post
    Bu@@er ... looks like my Caveat edit was a little late .....
    Look Ducky...we are all worm fodder when we die, end of. Anyone who thinks otherwise is just a weak and fanatical fruit cake.

    There....pick the bones out of that one.

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    Re: Reincarnation

    Quote Originally Posted by Lory View Post
    where do all the extra souls come from
    Souls 'R' Us?

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    Re: Reincarnation

    Quote Originally Posted by Lory View Post
    Now, the worlds population has grown and grown, so if that were true, where do all the extra souls come from

    Most come from Motown concerts ??

    See here

    The Magic of Motown - Touring Concert Shows - Entertainers

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    Registered User Icey's Avatar
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    Re: Reincarnation

    Quote Originally Posted by Lory View Post
    Now, the worlds population has grown and grown, so if that were true, where do all the extra souls come from
    The debrief has to be done quicker so that they can go back through the revolving door quicker?

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    Re: Reincarnation

    Quote Originally Posted by Lory View Post
    I think the idea of reincarnation is flawed... someone, (and I can't remember who) told me that when we die, our soul is reborn into someone else?

    Now, the worlds population has grown and grown, so if that were true, where do all the extra souls come from
    Perhaps if we've been 'good', we get to come back twice ... just imagine ... two DJs!

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    Registered User killingtime's Avatar
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    Re: Reincarnation

    Quote Originally Posted by Lory View Post
    I think the idea of reincarnation is flawed... someone, (and I can't remember who) told me that when we die, our soul is reborn into someone else?

    Now, the worlds population has grown and grown, so if that were true, where do all the extra souls come from
    I like the idea of reincarnation but I can't really say I believe it in.

    Perhaps reincarnation has no restrictions on time so you could be born in the middle ages after you were born in the "modern" world. Also you make the assumption there is only one planet worth of life.

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    Re: Reincarnation

    Quote Originally Posted by Feelingpink View Post
    Perhaps if we've been 'good', we get to come back twice ... just imagine ... two DJs!
    Hmmmmm ....."DJ" ... "Good" ... in the same sentence. Sorry, not quite getting what you mean. Besides which it will take many years for him to atone for the sins to dance that he committed when he was still a muggle dancer all those many years ago.

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    Forum Bombshell - Our Queen! Lory's Avatar
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    Re: Reincarnation

    Quote Originally Posted by killingtime View Post
    Perhaps reincarnation has no restrictions on time so you could be born in the middle ages after you were born in the "modern" world. Also you make the assumption there is only one planet worth of life.
    Hmm, let me get my head around that one?

    So, what your saying is.. When I get a feeling, of having been somewhere 'before'.. it could actually be, that I've been there 'after'?
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    Re: Reincarnation

    Quote Originally Posted by Double Trouble View Post
    Look Ducky...we are all worm fodder when we die, end of.
    Prove it

    Quote Originally Posted by Double Trouble View Post
    Anyone who thinks otherwise is just a weak and fanatical fruit cake. There....pick the bones out of that one.
    Dunno what you put in your fruitcakes, but I'd have been more inclined to pick out the currants. And maybe some of the icing off the top...

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    Re: Reincarnation

    Quote Originally Posted by Gus View Post
    As the views of the World (and even this Forum) will not alter the facts of what lies beyond death
    How do you know this ? Who knows what happens after death and how it can be affected by the living ? You're taking a lot on faith there

  16. #16
    Commercial Operator Gus's Avatar
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    Re: Reincarnation

    Quote Originally Posted by Dreadful Scathe View Post
    How do you know this ? Who knows what happens after death and how it can be affected by the living ? You're taking a lot on faith there
    Well ... the fact that the living having control over what happens in the afterlife is fairly fundamental to most religions ... like mine. What I was trying to say is that no matter what the Forum may believe it won't actually change which of MH's three scenarios is true. Fair comment?

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    Re: Reincarnation

    Quote Originally Posted by Gus View Post
    Hmmmmm ....."DJ" ... "Good" ... in the same sentence. Sorry, not quite getting what you mean. Besides which it will take many years for him to atone for the sins to dance that he committed when he was still a muggle dancer all those many years ago.
    It's amazing to think that both you and Steve Harris teach dance, isn't it?

  18. #18
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    Re: Reincarnation

    Quote Originally Posted by DavidJames View Post
    It's amazing to think that both you and Steve Harris teach dance, isn't it?
    I see you use the word 'teach' in its broadest possible sense.

    Anyway, back on thread .....

    I'm with Lory on the numbers thing ... what is the 'official' explanation of increasing population v original number of souls?

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    Re: Reincarnation

    Quote Originally Posted by Lory View Post
    Now, the worlds population has grown and grown, so if that were true, where do all the extra souls come from
    Motown. They got plenty.

    Actually, as with all such religious matters, I turn to the Holy Texts of Adams for comfort and guidance. And there I read the parable of Agrajag and the Statue, which successfully explains one fundamental silliness of reincarnation, namely:

    If any living thing can be reincarnated as any other living thing, then the chances of a human being being reincarnated as another human being are vanishingly small. Even if we restrict the process to multi-cellular life to ignore bacteria (how?), your chances of being human again are infinitesimal (your chances of being a mayfly or midge or such like are pretty good though). And if we restrict it to human life (are we counting Neanderthals? Do we start at Homo erectus, or a later hominid?), where are all the extra souls coming from?

    There's also issues of framing. I'd give credence to reincarnation if any recalled information shed a new light on human behaviour of the time (e.g., someone recalling their life as a Viking, explaining now-unknown details about their navigation techniques). However the "memories" are typically framed by the recaller's knowledge of the period. For instance, I'm sure I've read of people recalling a past life as a slave labourer on the Pyramids, even though the consensus academic view nowadays is that the Pyramids weren't built using slave labour (it's still probably the "popular" view, though).

  20. #20
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    Re: Reincarnation

    Quote Originally Posted by Gus View Post
    Well ... the fact that the living having control over what happens in the afterlife is fairly fundamental to most religions ... like mine. What I was trying to say is that no matter what the Forum may believe it won't actually change which of MH's three scenarios is true. Fair comment?
    No. That was my point. We have no way of knowing if anyone on the Forums thoughts on the matter will have an affect on the afterlife or not. Its just guessing on our part.

    For all we know it all hinges on MH and he may change his opinion and damn us all to nothing

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