CULTS From a Christian perspective, a cult is a teaching group or movement which has emerged from Christendom who claim to be the true faith, but they deviate from orthodoxy. They normally demand a high level of commitment to a leader or controlling group and require members to be active in proselytising. All cults claim to have a divinely inspired leader (past or present) and to have discovered exclusive extra-Biblical truth. Indoctrination results from manipulative or inappropriate control of their followers, and can border on brainwashing. This results in members being absorbed into a tightly- knit group who cling to one another and the leader in fear and insecurity. Most cults camouflage their real beliefs until people are “hooked”. They nearly always display hostility towards the church, often capitalising on popular prejudices against conventional churches. Departure from the faith is prophesied in the Bible to occur in the last days (1 Tim 4:1,2 ; 2 Tim 3:5). There are over 60 major cults with various beliefs and many hundreds of small groups. Satan, who inspires these systems, has developed something appealing to all types of people. The way to tell a counterfeit – it’s the difference that makes the difference! There are three areas to consider with each cult – their history, their beliefs, and some ways we can approach them with the gospel. “Cultus”: any religious ritual or observance. Secondary meaning, “A teaching group or movement which has emerged from Christendom. Claiming to be the true faith they deviate from orthodoxy. They normally demand a high level of commitment to a leader or controlling group and require members to be active in proselytising. Most cults camouflage their real beliefs until people are “hooked”. They nearly always develop a hostility towards the church with an abundance of evidence. They work on popular prejudices against conventional churches. Departure from the faith is prophesied in the Bible to occur in the last days (1 Tim 4:1,2 ; 2 Tim 3:5). There are over 60 major cults with various beliefs and hundreds of small groups. Aggressive in proselytising, well drilled enthusiasts have been responsible for drawing millions away from the truth into their systems. The printed page, radio, and T.V. are used extensively to advance their views or acceptance. The total missionary force of the whole church (R.C. and Protestant) is about 90,000. The J.W.’s boast about 360,000 trained workers who systematically and continually go out to seek converts. The Mormons have in excess of 20,000 full time missionaries. It is interesting to note that major deviations from orthodox belief occurred just after a spiritual awakening in U.S.A. 1830 - Mormons 1840 - S.D.A.’s 1827 - Walter Scott: Church of Christ 1878 - J.W.’s 1830 - Mary “exalted.” All cults claim to have a divinely inspired leader (past or present) and to have discovered exclusive extra-Biblical truth. Indoctrination often borders on brainwashing and results in members being absorbed into a tightly-knit group who cling to one another and the leader in fear and insecurity. Satan, who inspires these systems, has developed something appealing to all types of people. Everything from T.M. for the atheist to the local church for evangelicals. Some apologetics before looking at some of the specific cults: Has the Bible been changed? It is true that the Bible has been translated into English dozens of times. It has also been translated into over 1500 languages. But all of these translations use the same Hebrew and Greek text. That hasn’t changed! The renowned Hebrew scholar, Henry Green said of the Bible: “It may be safely said that no other work of antiquity has been so accurately transmitted.” The dead sea scrolls prove this. They are nearly 1000 years older than other Hebrew manuscripts yet are virtually identical. The Hebrew scribes were fanatics about accuracy. They employed men to count every letter to make sure there were no mistakes. Is The New Testament Reliable? Sir Frederick Kenyon, former Director of the British Museum and an expert on ancient manuscripts wrote, “Both the authenticity and the general integrity of the books of the New Testament may be regarded as finally established”. Four historical records of the life and teaching of Jesus with no evidence of the author’s collaboration in order to fabricate a story. Each gospel stands alone as an independent witness to the events, while at the same time verifying the others. The events which are recorded in the gospels were not done in secret. Many of those who opposed Jesus Christ and later became enemies of the church could not deny the historical facts of His life and miracles, even though they desperately wanted to! This is especially true of the account of the resurrection. The time between the events and the written records Even though the gospels were written many years after the events, the apostles would have no problem writing an account of them. They were recording amazing happenings which could not easily be forgotten. Actually, the time-lag lends weight to the validity of the gospels, as lies become distorted and change in the face of unforeseen questioning, but the truth of an eye- witness report never changes. Other recognized history books from the same period have far less evidence to support their historicity than the New Testament. For example, there are only 7 copies of “History” by Pliny the Younger, written at the same time as the N.T. The earliest copy available today only dates back to 850 A.D. which is 750 years after the original was written. The N.T. manuscripts in existence today (some date back as far as 125 A.D.) number in excess of 5,300 copies (in part or in whole). There are some who find it hard to believe that the apostles could remember the exact words of Jesus over the period of 30 to 60 years before writing them down. However: a) There is no reason why these sayings could not have first been written down in a temporary form. b) The writers did not have to rely on their own memories alone. c) The apostles were constantly preaching, teaching and conversing about the things Jesus said and did, reinforcing their memories. d) The common way for rabbis (teachers) to instruct their disciples at that time was by means of memory. Even today Eastern people show a great aptitude for verbatim memorisation. e) The Holy Spirit of God brought to their remembrance the things they heard and saw (John 14:26). Who is Jesus Christ? Jesus existed in history F. F. Bruce, former Rylands professor of Biblical criticism at the University of Manchester says: “Some writers may toy with the fancy of a ‘Christ-myth,’ but they do not do so on the ground of historical evidence. The historicity of Christ is as axiomatic for an unbiased historian as the historicity of Julius Caesar. It is not historians who propagate the ‘Christ-myth’ theories.” The resurrection of Jesus Christ Choose one of the alternatives:- 1. Jesus didn’t die while on the cross. After 3 cold nights in the tomb, He revived, pushed over a two ton stone, overpowered the 12 or more trained Roman soldiers, and escaped! 2. The disciples overpowered the battle toughened Roman soldiers, stole the body of Jesus and hid it. They were then willing to suffer severe persecution and death for what they knew was a lie, without one of them renouncing his belief. 3. The Jewish or Roman authorities moved Christ’s body to another burial site. They kept this secret even when they desperately tried to disprove the resurrection in order to stamp out Christianity. (Why didn’t they produce the body to settle the argument?) 4. The disciples went to the wrong tomb by mistake. (Again, why didn’t the authorities produce the body to prove the disciples wrong?) 5. The disciples, fearful and dejected, suddenly and for no other reason, boldly faced persecution and death to preach that Jesus was risen from the dead, all the time knowing that the tomb with the body of Jesus in it was only a few hundred yards from where they were standing! 6. Jesus did rise from the dead as He predicted He would. * Many were eye witnesses (on one occasion over 500 people). * The empty tomb with the grave clothes left folded. * N.T. documents are reliable (no evidence of fabrication). * Impact on the fearful disciples. * His body was never produced. * Millions of Christians have experienced Jesus Christ in their lives. 1. New Age Movement The New Age Movement, though not a formal religion headed up by a leader or governing body, is nevertheless a distinct religious movement, based on a similar world-view, and holding similar beliefs. 1. Pantheism - The new-ager believes that God is not separate from creation as creator, but IS creation. They believe that all humanity is one with creation, and God is the unifying force in all things. 2. Humanism - According to new age thinking, the answer to mankind’s problems is to discover the “divine” within. They believe there are many possible paths to find “god” inside you. When all humanity tunes into the “god” inside them, a new age of peace and prosperity will result. 3. Occult-Mysticism - Many new age people believe in channelling (becoming a spirit-medium) and allowing spirit-guides (entities) to assist in finding the “god” within. These spirit-guide are demonic spirits. 4. Reincarnation - Most new-agers believe in reincarnation. (See next page) 5. Cosmic Christ - New age teaching presents Jesus Christ as a good man who had the “Christ- principle” for His time. He was a “world teacher” and an “ascended master” just like other famous religious leaders. They believe the same Christ-principle has now passed on to others who will usher in the new world order, the “Age of Aquarius.” The Christian’s response to the New Age beliefs: 1. God is creator and therefore He is separate from His creation. If God is “in creation” (part of it), who created everything? Humans are not gods, but were made in God’s image, sharing some of God’s attributes. 2. Humanity’s union with God is not one of a shared being (that we are one by nature) but of relationship. The problem with humanity is not ignorance of the “god” within us, but of a broken relationship. Tuning into “god” by methods such as meditation, chanting and channelling does not change the sinful (selfish) nature of a person. Finding God is not through knowledge (using techniques) but by being reconciled with a Holy God through the cross of Jesus Christ. 3. Jesus Christ is not one of many “Christs,” He is unique. He is the Creator-God who became one of us so that through His death we might “become children of God.” Though some may claim Jesus was one of many “Christs” who have shared their enlightenment with those of their day, Jesus did not see Himself that way. He claimed to be a unique person who had come from heaven. He did not merely show the way or teach the truth. He said “I am the way and the truth” (John 14:6). 4. The new age will only come through the personal return of Jesus Christ. Jesus prophesied that many would come claiming to be “The Christ” but He warned everyone not to follow them. He promised to personally return to the earth, and set up a kingdom of peace and righteousness. 5. Many new-agers are disillusioned, as their beliefs are not working in the world or in their own lives. Only Jesus Christ has the power to set mankind free! 2. The Eastern Cults Why the trend towards eastern thought? 1. New attitude to intolerance - Religious intolerance in the mind of the 20th century Westerners, is almost an unforgivable sin. It is married to of a loss of any sense of absolute authority in the areas of truth and morality. Hinduism and other eastern beliefs are able to absorb most other religions, making them an attractive basis for a philosophy to unite a divided world 2. Rationalism doesn’t satisfy - rationalism only dehumanises people to being biochemical machines. The West’s existential response to the scientific and analytical world view has revived interest in mysticism. Experience is central to Eastern religions making them attractive. 3. Disillusionment with materialism - Eastern religions emphasise the need to find inner contentment and have past and present examples of people who have renounced worldly possessions and lived an ascetic life-style. THE EASTERN MIND The western ‘scientific’ mind works on the principle of analysis and classification by means of reason. Eastern thinking however, does not separate the one who knows, from what is known. Scientific knowledge of this type is rejected. To the eastern mind, there is a realm beyond reason. 1. PANTHEISTIC VIEW OF GOD God is not apart from the material world, rather, God and the material world are one and the same. God is the sum total of all there is. You do not discover or know or relate to a “God out there” but, by a process of ‘self-realisation’ or ‘God-realisation’ or ‘development of God- consciousness’ one discovers his/her own inner divinity. Various techniques are used to achieve the self-deifying goal from simple meditation to chanting or other eastern disciplines. 2. SUBJECTIVE VIEW OF GOD For many today, a thing is true only if it feels right. “What is true for you may not be true for me.” This attitude has been the subtle preparation of mind which Satan has employed to open the doors for the flood of eastern beliefs to enter and find acceptance. The mind is not the ultimate guide to reality, but intuition and feeling must be the judge. The mind is therefore not only ignored by actively dethroned by an earnest follower of an eastern cult seeking enlightenment. S E L F The mind - barrier to ‘God consciousness’ Ego - True Self Divine conscious Identity ness “The mind keeps the secret that you are something Divine away from you. That is why you have to tame the mind first. The mind is a snake and get the treasure is behind it .... you will have to kill the snake.” MAHARAJ JI. The mind is not a friend, but a foe in the search for truth. Ignorance becomes a virtue (“sacred ignorance” - Zen) which is achieved by attuning to the “psychic self” and thus bypassing the mind. Experience is also “We can of course never decide definitely whether a person is really “enlightened”....or whether he merely imagines it. We have no criteria for this.” CARL JUNG (Zen Buddhism.) SATAN’S SUBTLE WORK. “For we are not unaware of his schemes” (2 Cor. 2:11). Satan’s strategy is obvious. In the “age of Aquarius” people are made to believe that objective truth can be eliminated as unworthy of consideration. Because God is considered the sum total of all there is, distinctions between right and wrong become meaningless. Those who free themselves from the yoke of a personal, moral “God out there”, become the victims of the merciless master “Karma”. This treadmill, cause and effect unbreakable system involving reincarnation creates such monstrosities as the cast system in India and the prohibition on killing or even offending animals in a country so poverty stricken. Satan’s age old trap is just as effective today. “You will be like God, knowing good and evil.” Mystical eastern cults reduce God to an impersonal, controllable and safe level. God is stripped of His authority and man is relieved of his accountability. With the mind neutralised, the next step is to silence the guilty conscience by explaining sin as simply a matter of innocent ignorance as opposed to self-will. BELIEFS CONTRASTED a. CREATION In Genesis 1, God gives names to that which He makes (earth, seas) and pronounces an objective evaluation of the finished work - “It is good”. This shows that God is not identified with creation, but is distinct from it. He is the I AM of Exodus 3 : 14, indicating independent self-existence and self consciousness. Eastern thought however, is quite opposite. There is no concept of the self-consciousness of a separate “God out there” whatever. Brahman makes no decisions and has no purpose - indeed he cannot, for he is not a personal god. b. SIN In Genesis man was made in God’s image as a self-conscious personal and responsible being, set out the rest of creation with a limited sovereignty, vice regent to God. Man’s abuse of moral freedom brought a loss of personal fellowship with God. Sin brings death. In the eastern mind, however, man is just a part of the oneness of the universal soul. No moral failure can separate man from what is in their view, a oneness of essence. Sin is essentially ignorance which is overcome by attaining enlightenment. c. SALVATION Salvation for an eastern thinker, is the experience of realising in a mystical way, the oneness of himself with all things. This is enlightenment. This experience cannot be verbalised but is close to all who seek it. Man finds his own salvation through personal discipline and effort. d. JESUS CHRIST Eastern religions give considerable attention to the appearance of incarnations of ‘god’ in history. These ‘avatars’ do not accomplish anything to secure salvation, but act as transmitters of enlightenment. This concept of ‘avatars’ or ‘divine saviours’ was developed fairly late in the history of eastern religion (after St. Thomas brought the gospel to India around 52AD). Some of the stories of the god Krishna are exact parallels of the gospel accounts of Jesus. There is even some thought that the name Krishna has derived from, or adapted to, the story of Christ! In the eastern view, a new ‘avatar’ is needed in every age. Satan’s attack here is not on the truthfulness of the incarnation of Christ, but the uniqueness of His person. e. THE SCRIPTURES Eastern religion excludes the very idea of a verbal revelation of God. God can only be experienced, and so Scriptures can only describe the ways in which this experience can be sought. Suzuki:- “External authority is rejected...absolute faith is placed in a man’s own inner being.” Where there is a conflict between Scripture and intuitional impulse, the impulse is the final authority. f. PRAYER AND MEDITATION The Christian is to address God as “Our Father, who art in heaven” (distinct and separate from the one praying.) The aim of Eastern meditation is not on God’s person, but to meditate into his essence. g. LIFE AFTER DEATH At the heart of Eastern religion is belief in Karma and reincarnation. Compare Hebrews 9:27, John 9:1-3. They often justify it by Gal. 6:7. Hinduism Hinduism is the second oldest current religion behind Judaism (unless you include spiritism as a religion). It has been the source of all other major Asian religions. Modern scholarship has established that the earliest forms of the Hindu religion, which are found in their ‘Rig Vidas’ Scriptures, date back to about 1500 BC. The early form of Hinduism however, was basically a ‘garden variety’ polytheism similar to many other religions of the time, and has little resemblance to it’s modern counterpart. Two Major tenants of Hinduism: 1. The world is really “Brahman in disguise” - all matter, especially biological life, is merely a temporal and illusory manifestation of an impersonal, absolute, universal spirit ‘Brahman’. Shiva (‘the destroyer’) and Vishnu (‘the preserver’) are two of the most powerful gods among a multitude of lesser deities than (and lower manifestations of) the absolute Brahman. 2. Hinduism holds to the assumption of reincarnation, the transmigration of souls, reborn into another bodily existence. Prior to about 1000 BC Hinduism held to a belief in a form of resurrection. One of the most important features of Hindu belief and practice which has influenced the Western world is the veneration of the Guru. The ‘Swami’ is an enlightened master who is always a male who has progressed through many reincarnations and on the last part of his spiritual path. Gurus are esteemed by their devotees to the same degree that Christians honour Christ. Transcendental Meditation - Maharishi Mahesh Yogi attained instant fame through being the Guru of the Beatles and was instrumental in leading over a million unsuspecting people into Hinduism through the prayers and offerings during the initiation ceremony into the popular T.M. cult. He was commissioned by his dying Swami Brahmananda Saraswati to evolve a simple form of meditation that could be taught to anyone. After a 2 year retreat in the Himalayas he emerged with a Yoga technique called T.M. His new technique was not readily accepted in India so he decided to take it to USA, which he did in 1959. He found that Westerners were not interested in the way he presented it. Having obtained a degree in Physics in his earlier years he was able to reconstruct the image of T.M. in scientific terms, and this was met with an overwhelming response. By 1976 there were 700,000 people who had initiated into T.M., generating an amazing $36 million, and it was growing at a rate of 30,000 new adherents per month. Now, in the Maharishi International University, Fairfield, Iowa, there are over 600 missionaries graduating per year . The goal of T.M.’s mission organisation “World Plan Executive Council” is to make T.M. available to every person in the world by establishing 3,600 “Science and Creative Intelligence training centres around the world. The aim is to have one teacher per every 1,000 people on the earth. T.M. is presented as a scientifically proven and harmless technique to remove stress and anxiety, and empower people with new positive and creative energy. They present a significant amount of scientific data to show the positive physiological and psychological effects on a person who is meditating. Social benefits are also put forward. There is a veiling of any religious connotations. Once the person accepts and pays for the initiation, they must kneel before a picture of Maharishi’s dead master, Swami Saraswati, make offerings to him as to God, and cannot receive a mantra to repeat until a hymn of praise and worship (a ‘puja’) is sung to Hindu deities. Hare Krishna (ISKCON) is a world-wide group who worship Krishna, a manifestation of the Hindu god Vishnu by chanting his name over 1,000 times a day. Krishna is regarded by them as a personal saviour which is inconsistent with their continued pantheistic beliefs. There is evidence to suggest that the personal saviour aspect of the Krishna belief originated in South India around the time of the early church and St. Thomas’ effective missionary endeavours there. Devotees of Krishna differ from other forms of Hinduism in that they believe that Krishna is a higher form of the Hindu ‘trinity’ of gods (Brahman, Shiva and Vishnu), and is the Supreme Personality, the Lord, the Absolute truth. Rather than merging with Brahman, whom they say has only 78% of Krishna’s attributes, the devotees of Hare Krishna look forward to a transcendental love and fellowship with a very personal god who includes the Brahman and who dwells in the heart of every person. Salvation for them is having a personal relationship with Krishna and this is attained through purification by means of a complete surrender in devotion to Krishna. As Krishna consciousness increases, so will the ‘transcenental spiritual pleasure which surpasses any pleasure the material world can offer. As Christ is to Christians, so Krishna is to these devotees. To them he is their personal saviour. Devotees must be reminded that their leaders esteem the Bible as Holy Scripture, and revere Jesus and His teachings. This may lead them to be open to your sharing of what the Bible says concerning the gospel. Krishna devotees normally have no problem agreeing with the concept of sin. Then Christ and Krishna can be compared as savious from sin. Buddhism grew out of Hinduism when Siddhartha Gautama (Buddha) rejected the polytheistic beliefs of his faith. He was born in 563 BC as a prince to the king of ancient Bharata at the foot of the Himilayas. Seeing suffering around him he went on an ascetic pilgrimage in search of truth. He did not attain his goal and saw that his life of asceticism and self-torture was of no greater value than his previous life of pleasure as a prince. He then understood the importance of a ‘middle way’. This doctrine of a middle way has appealed to Westerners, and can be seen played out in Miyagi of “The Karati Kid” and Splinter of “The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles”. At Gaya near the village of Uruvella, while sitting under a fig tree. He claimed a revelation of ‘four noble truths’ that sets one free from the cruel bondage of reincarnation. The four truths are: Life is full of sorrows - suffering marks all lives so incarnation is a curse The origin of suffering is ignorance. From ignorance proceeds a desire for material things A person can break the cycle of rebirths (reincarnation) by realising that the essence of all things (including the soul) is emptiness. To extinguish the consciousness of reality and accept reality as it is, without qualifications. The path that leads to the ceasing of suffering has eight steps - right views, aspirations, speech, conduct, mode of living (free from luxury), effort, awareness and concentration. Though nihilistic, the Buddhist sees the goal of a final pure life to end the cycles of reincarnations as idealistic. Zen Buddhism (from the writings of D. T. Suzuki) seeks truth through meditation (Zazen - Za means sitting, Zen means meditation). Westerners who have rejected the Christian doctrines and culture have found this belief appealing. This form of meditation is performed through self-effort with the premise that he/she is a Buddha, and seeks to achieve ‘satori’ - the experiential realisation that all is one and that duality is an illusion of the mind. He affirms: ‘Simple people conceive that we are to see God as if He stood on that side and we on this. It is not so; God and I are one in the act of my perceiving Him. In this absolute oneness of things, Zen establishes the foundation of its philosophy. RESPONDING TO EASTERN CULTS/RELIGIONS Every religious belief has in-built presuppositions. Houses built on poor foundations are insecure, and beliefs built on faulty presuppositions are equally invalid. The basic presuppositions behind all Eastern religious thinking are: 1. Reality is one According to Hinduism, Brahman is the highest being, the one single reality from which the universe of multiplicity springs. The Hindu scripture Upanishad says, ‘That from which these beings are born, that in which born they live, and that into which they enter at their death is Brahman.’ Brahman is God, being, awareness, and bliss. Response: If reality is ultimately one, then there are no finite individuals. But to assert, ‘reality is one’ in a strictly monistic context would be senseless. If only God exists, who is God talking to? Pantheism is impossible. To affirm: ‘God exists but I am not,’ is self-contradictory since one must exist in order to make the statement. Pantheists teach that man is deceived in thinking of his individual existence, if this be the case how could the Pantheist know that he is not mistaken when he thinks reality is one? If reality is one, relationship and religious experience would be impossible and meaningless. No relationship would exist in a single entity. If God alone exists, God and not the pantheist is having the experience. 2. Reality is illogical. Basic to all Eastern thinking is that reality is illogical and reason cannot lead to God. It is often asserted that ‘God is greater than logic’. Budda’s advice to his disciples was, “Do not go by reasoning, nor by inferring, nor by argument.’ Writing on Zen Buddhism, Suzuki points out, ‘Zen is one thing and logic another. When we fail to make this distinction and expect Zen to give us something logically consistent and intellectually illuminating, we altogether misinterpret the signification of Zen.’ Response: Pantheism cannot assert the infallibility of the divine mind and at the same time the fallibility of the human mind, if, as they claim, mankind is divine. If you ask a pantheist why he has rejected reason he will give you reasons for it! 3. The god in everyone is all-loving Response: Only a distinct being with a will and with personality can love. An impersonal force cannot feel love, nor express love in a practical way as did Jehovah in John 3:16. 4. Mankind’s basic problem is not sin (as defined by the Bible) but is ignorance of his true identity as being one with the cosmic Divinity inside himself. Response: Believing there is no personal God means there is no accountability to Him, and therefore no sin. Why then is it wrong to slowly, painfully murder a child? What do you call Hitler’s atrocities - ignorance? 5. The only way to know whether or not a certain path is the “truth” is to experience it, and even then there is no criteria to objectively decide whether a person is really enlightened or whether he imagines it. Response: Does this mean one must give himself over mindlessly to each “master” to find which one has the “royal route to enlightenment”? Have you ever given your mind and yourself over totally to Jesus Christ to determine whether He has the genuine enlightenment? Do you think it is possible to be deceived by deceitful masters and/or Satan who masquerades as an angel of light? 6. Either by meditation, discipline or self denial, one can eliminate ego and the “sin problem” Response: “The heart is deceitful..” (Jer 17:9). Outward or mental discipline cannot change our nature. We are egoistic and selfish in heart. We need a new heart. (Ezk 11:19). Eastern discipline recognises the need for changed behaviour but does nothing to change the source of that behaviour. “Out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, theft, lies etc...” Mark 7:21-23. See also John 3:7. 7. The result of sin is bad ‘karma’ (sickness, deformities, tragedies, reincarnation to a lower state). Response: How can there be no ‘sin’ (accountability to a higher of absolute authority) and yet there still be retribution for ‘sin’? Who decides what we should come back as, or what should befall us in this life due to the way we live? How can we be saved from the ‘BAD KARMA’ of our wrongs? Reincarnation Reincarnation is the belief that the spirit of every person comes back after death to be reborn into a new body. Buddhists and Hindus believe that a series of up to eight million births and rebirths may be necessary before a person can progress to an ultimate state of perfection. The “Law of Karma” holds that a person reaps in a following lifetime what they have sown previously. If you are a wife-beater in this life, you will return in the next life as the wife of a violent man. 1. Justice is not satisfied by reincarnation. What justice is there in a person suffering for wrongs he has no recollection of? 2. There is no standard of morality. Who decides what is bad? Who actually makes the judgement about what a person will suffer in a future life? 3. According to the belief in reincarnation the world should be getting a better place, as people evolve morally and spiritually. The opposite is true. 4. The “Law of Karma” creates an eternal problem of evil which can never be solved. There must always be evil, pain and suffering in a following life to pay for the evil in a previous life. 5. People who claim to recall their past lives are small in number and usually have only brief glimpses of recollection. There is no scientific means to verify their claims. Our memory can play tricks on us because it is triggered by association. Music, smells, the type of country-side, and other factors can make us think we remember being there. 6. There is no forgiveness or mercy with the law of Karma. It is an iron-clad system which provides no hope. 7. The Bible says “Man is destined to die once, and after that to face judgement” (Heb.9:27). SHARE THE GOSPEL FROM COLOSSIANS 1:13-23, 27, and I John 1:5-10 Next >