Reincarnation V. Resurrection

[1catholic]

I know we as Catholics believe in the Resurrection not eastern reincarnation. However, I was wondering if it is theologically inaccurate to use the term reincarnation when talking about the resurrection.

Thanks

[cappie]

No the terms are mutually exclusive:

[font="Arial"][b]We hear a lot of reincarnation these days. Basically this is the idea that a limited number of souls were created "sometime" (or always existed) and that these souls travel from body to body. That is, according to this belief, after we die, we will fly around the ether for a while and then find or choose another body to be born in. The expression "well, in my next life, I will …" is also very common.[/b][/font]

[b]We are told in the Bible that God knew us before He created us, He knew us before we were knit together in the womb. That doesn’t sound like we go from life to life. It sounds more like He planned for us from the beginning and we didn’t exist UNTIL we were knit together in our mother’s womb, soul and body.[/b]

[b]Jesus says to the "good thief", "Today you will be with ME in paradise!" He DID NOT say "well, in the next life you will know better" or the like. In fact, if reincarnation was so important and being that it attempts to explain the very nature of our creation, I would think it IS rather important, why did Jesus NOT teach extensively about it? On the contrary, He talked as if when we die we will go on "the path God has prepared for us" and never even mentioned reincarnation but always talked as if we all just live ONE life.[/b]

[b]Finally how did the incarnation of Jesus happen? The soul of Jesus came into existence (the Union of God and man in the Hypostatic Union) the moment the Blessed Mother said "YES" to the angel… AT CONCEPTION. Since Jesus was "a man like us in all things except sin" it is much more logical to look AT the incarnation of Jesus as how WE happen as well, the soul created at conception.[/b]

The Catechism:

[b]1013[/b] Death is the end of man's earthly pilgrimage, of the time of grace and mercy which God offers him so as to work out his earthly life in keeping with the divine plan, and to decide his ultimate destiny. When "the single course of our earthly life" is completed, we shall not return to other earthly lives: "It is appointed for men to die once." There is no "reincarnation" after death.