Interesting Bible Quotes

Lately I keep reading things in ultra-conservative Christian sites and pamphlets saying things like we are all unconscious until Judgment Day, that there is no reincarnation, and so on. OK, well, since ultra-conservative Christians base everything on the Bible, I also looked to the Bible for what it said.

"Dead people are unconscious until Judgment Day."

The idea is that supposedly when we die, we are mentally "dead" and unconscious until Judgment Day. There are a lot of passages that speak against this idea....

"We are resurrected in the flesh."

The image conveyed is that our bodies will be ours again, physical, male and female, husbands and wives... but the New Testament contradicts this idea.

By the way, apparently four different Greek words are translated to the English "resurrection" in the Bible. One means to resuscitate the dead, one means to stand up (implied leave the body), one means to wake up, and one means to ascend.

"There is no such thing as reincarnation."

The idea is that a spirit who has once lived in a body cannot return to live in a body again. There is not a lot of material to directly contradict this. However, I have heard several times from different people that, hundreds of years ago, there was a massive purge of anything relating to reincarnation from Judeo-Christian religious texts. This could well result in the lack of material available now. (And of course this has been disputed, but who knows?)

"Talking with ghosts is evil."

The idea is that talking to spirits of the dead is always evil. I have to agree that talking with ghosts is dangerous and to be avoided if at all possible. Certainly, one shouldn't consult with ghosts with the intent of personal gain ("sorcery")! However, I suspect that it is sometimes the right thing to counsel ghosts to essentially "save their souls." The below passage implies that even the spirits of the dead can repent and be saved.

Also, it seems to me that many people who think they are getting messages from God are actually getting messages from ghosts. Thus, people who are trying to be Christian prophets may well be accidentally doing "sorcery." Testing every message for the fruits of the Holy Spirit (love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control (Galatians 5:22, 23)) is vital.

And for those who argue that channeling for spirits is evil, consider that the Holy Spirit is, well, a spirit.

"Do not despise prophecies, but test everything..." (1 Thessalonians 5:20,21)

Finally, I just want to reiterate what I think is the core of the Bible:

"Love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your strength; and your neighbor as yourself." (Luke 10:27, (27 Deut. 6:4,5 and 27 Lev. 19:18), Mark 12:30,31, Matthew 22:37,39)