From: tilman@xenu.com (Tilman Hausherr) Newsgroups: alt.religion.scientology,talk.religion.christian Subject: "Christian" reincarnation & scientology Date: Sat, 04 Jan 1997 14:25:52 GMT Organization: Xenu's Ranch Message-ID: <32d067ab.11309546@news.snafu.de> NNTP-Posting-Host: pppr-32.berlin.snafu.de Last year a scientologist, I think Jonathan Barbera, alleged that reincarnation had been removed from the Bible, but was originally a part of christianity. The actual source for these are Advance #93, and the book "Have you lived before this life?" 1977 edition, both written by anonymous authors. On page 2 the anonymous author claims that "reincarnation was a fundamental belief in the RCC until 533AD when a company of 4 monks held the synod of Constantinople (without the Pope present), and _decided_ the belief could not exist. They condemned the teachings of reincarnation as heresy and it was at this time that references to it were expunged from the bible". In an appendix on page 284 there is a timeline. It say that the council "condemned the teaching of reincarnation. 'If anyone assert the pre-existance of souls,' they decreed, 'and shall submit to the monstrous doctrine that follows from it, let him be anethema.' And, thus there was a formal curse upon believers and all references to the subject were expunged from the Bible. Origenism and the belief in the pre-existence of souls was declared heresy" I have in front of me the german book "Scientology, Magie des 20ten Jahrhunderts" (= scientology, magick of the 20th century), a book by the late FW Haack, once the main german critic of scientology. Kurt Weiland was convicted several times for smearing him. FW Haack analysed scientology's allegations: - Reincarnation was never a fundamental belief of christinity, but rather a result of Hubbard's poor knowledge in history. - Not four monks but about 50 bishops were at the "synod" which is actually the 5th Oecumenic council of Constantinople. Even from "Italy, Africa and Illyria" half and a dozens bishops came. - The topic was the "knowledge of the two natures", i.e. the divine and the human nature of JC that had already been discussed on the council of Chalkedon, and the rejection of some false doctrines (from the writings of Theodore of Mopsuestia, Ibas and Theodoret). - Reincarnation was not a topic. - Nothing has been "expunged" from the Bible. - The "pre-existance of souls" has 1. never been a church belief, but a doctrine from a theologist, 2. a thought analogic to the belief of the pre-existance of JC, and not a reincarnation. - Later, the book mixes reincarnation with resuscitation. This is silly, as resuscitation is something unique. --- Tilman Hausherr [KoX, SP4] tilman@berlin.snafu.de http://www.snafu.de/~tilman/#cos Resistance is futile. You will be enturbulated. Xenu always prevails.