My Beliefs -- Are They Really "Against God?"

Theology
1

So, to put it lightly: I believe in sacred animals and reincarnation from animal –> human. I believe that deer are almost holy, and that they represent innocence, healing, and – in Christian terms, repentance. I used to have a small deer-themed shrine in my room because of it, and the idea of poaching and sport hunting (not regular, in-season food hunting) made me furious.

i also believe some people who are reincarnated from animals can have connections with their past lives. there are people who remember who they were in their past lives, so why not remember you were an animal in your past life? This is recognized as Therianthropy. and there’s a good chunk of ways people generally like to connect with their past lives. for example, i build almost a fox nest before bed using blankets.

2

If you are truly asking, then please take this as a loving answer. Yes. From what you mention, yes. Anything you wish to know about God is right here. (Holding up the Bible.) If it is not in here, then it is against God.

The Bible presents a linear view of life: birth, death, and eventually, a resurrection. There is no reincarnation. This is a popular belief in some areas because it gives unlimited chances to “get it right.” There is only one.

“As a cloud vanishes and is gone, so one who goes down to the grave does not return. He will never come to his house again; his place will know him no more.” Job 7:9–10

"Job describes man dying and lying low; he suggests that until the heavens are no more, “men will not awake or be roused from their sleep.” Job 14:10–12

"When King David loses his son, he acknowledges the permanence of the loss: ‘I will go to him, but he will not return to me.’ 2 Samuel 12:23

The Bible often portrays the soul as belonging to a specific body that will eventually be restored, rather than a spirit that “swaps” containers.

“And the dust returns to the ground it came from, and the spirit returns to God who gave it.” The destination is back to the Creator, not back into a new womb." Ecclesiastes 12:7

You have the rich man and Lazarus (Luke 16:19–31). In this parable, Jesus describes the aftermath of death for two individuals. The passage presents a few “roadblocks” to reincarnation. There is immediate consciousness: Both men are conscious in the afterlife immediately after death. Abraham mentions a “great chasm” that has been set in place, preventing anyone from crossing from one state of being to another.

The rich man begs to return to earth to warn his brothers, but he is denied, implying that the dead do not re-enter the world of the living to interact or live again. If reincarnation is factual, it makes the Resurrection unnecessary.

In 1 Corinthians 15, Paul argues that if the dead are not raised, then faith is futile. The Christian hope is the redemption of the existing body (made “immortal” or “incorruptible”), not the shedding of it for a new one.

As for animals? Continued.

2 Likes
3

And God said, “Let the earth bring forth living creatures according to their kinds–livestock and creeping things and beasts of the earth according to their kinds.” And it was so. And God made the beasts of the earth according to their kinds and the livestock according to their kinds, and everything that creeps on the ground according to its kind. And God saw that it was good.

Then God said, “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness. And let them have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over the livestock and over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.”

So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them. 28 And God blessed them. And God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it, and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over every living thing that moves on the earth.” Gensis 1:24-28

Animals are a gift from God.

“But ask the beasts, and they will teach you; the birds of the heavens, and they will tell you; or the bushes of the earth, and they will teach you; and the fish of the sea will declare to you. Who among all these does not know that the hand of the Lord has done this? In his hand is the life of every living thing and the breath of all mankind." Job 12:7-10

“You have given him dominion over the works of your hands; you have put all things under his feet, all sheep and oxen, and also the beasts of the field, the birds of the heavens, and the fish of the sea, whatever passes along the paths of the seas.” Psalm 8:6-8

“The fear of you and the dread of you shall be upon every beast of the earth and upon every bird of the heavens, upon everything that creeps on the ground and all the fish of the sea. Into your hand they are delivered. Every moving thing that lives shall be food for you. And as I gave you the green plants, I give you everything.” Genesis 9:2-3

Animals were given to us to meet needs. work, food, companionship. They are to be loved and cared for; however, one must be cautious not to violate the first two commandments. Have no other God before God, and do not commit idolatry.
Peter

3 Likes
4

Unfortunately yes. Your beliefs are against God and of another religion which, as a Christian, I say is not true.

1 Like
5

How about finding a truth which is in favor of God?

6

have already, thanks! thinking of animals as holy isn’t a sin because they’re “less than humans” – because they’re really not. people like you don’t bother me anymore.

unfortunately? you can still believe In god and Jesus an have spiritual beliefs.

well, you said animals are less than human, correct? if they can’t ask to be alive again, what’s stopping god from just putting their soul in a humans body?

7

You asked if your beliefs are really against God, @Mr.max1192025, and I gave you my opinion. If you don’t really want someone else’s opinion on something, then it’s probably better not to ask for it.
I have no desire to belittle what you believe. God is Spirit and our belief in Him falls into the spiritual realm. Other spiritual beliefs outside of the Bible are not of God. Anything not of God is against God because it is a lie.
We all have one life. Animals don’t come back as humans and vice versa. That hinges on Hinduism and Christianity and Hinduism don’t mix. God is holy. Animals are not holy. Christianity is so unique from other religions that you can’t marry the two of them.

1 Like
8

i don’t even know what I’m saying anymore tbh. i don’t remember why i made this post, and i don’t recall believing in theriantropy.

pardon my french, but i genuienly think i’m losing my shit

i could have been disassociating while making this and looking for an argument because i didn’t feel real, but i dont knoe at this point,.

1 Like
9

Hang in @Mr.max1192025. We’re on your side. You’ve got friends here and we all know the problems you face each day. God loves you, as you are. He will bring you through, and we will be alongside Him.

1 Like
10

Reincarnation is fundamentally incompatible with Christian eschatology.

The central essence of Christian eschatology is God’s covenant faithfulness toward His creation, clearly and visibly seen in the Person and Work of Jesus Christ, whom God raised from the dead. The foundational Christian hope is that these very bodies of ours will, on the Last Day, be raised up, and we will enjoy God and His renewed creation in the Age to Come forever and ever.

Reincarnation diminishes the value and importance of the body, and reduces human beings to little more than a kind of “ghost in the shell” in a Platonic sense. That is why early Christian theologians and apologists emphatically rejected reincarnation in any form.

There is an intrinsic and good value to being human; just as dogs are good because they are dogs, trees are good because they are trees, etc. This is an ontological goodness imbedded in creation that comes from God–the human soul is always with a human body, because the human person is always a union of body and soul; not a person (soul) inside of a body; but the body is itself also the person. So the problem of death, among other reasons, is that it unnaturally tears apart the union of body and soul, so that the body dies and decays. That is why resurrection matters, the body matters, because the material and physical world matters–God made it and declared it good.

What makes deer good is that they are deer.

What makes humans good is that they are human.

Sin and death are a curse, a plague, that does not just affect the spiritual but also the material life of God’s good creation. And God, from the beginning, intends His creation for good. And that is why, despite the introduction of sin and death, God is faithful–covenantly faithful–to His creation. So that He, from the beginning, intended to send His Son in human flesh, to unite Himself to human nature, become one of us, and bring us out from death to life, from sin to glory, and to present all creation unto Himself as His great treasure. For God intends to dwell within His creation.

Reincarnation undermines that; and presents an idea about creation that is fundamentally alien to God’s good purpose and will for His creation.

God created you, in your mother’s womb, to know and love Him, to reflect His image, and to be His good creation and to enjoy Him and all creatures forever. That’s His desire and will for you. Reincarnation destroys the very concept of you, and tramples down the hope and beauty of the Gospel.

1 Like
11

what? thats interesting. well, i think its great to have been real about what you felt in the moment. i agree with the others theology-wise etc btw. it is one of the few controversial topics that i feel sure on, after studying the bible enough. there are some im not so sure about one way or another, yet at least. but i genuinely believe the interpretations that say reincarnation isnt true, because what ive read about it in the bible rings true to my heart and has left me with no questions.

as for things that i disagree with general consensus, one example is the idea of childbirth “pains.” the original text didnt convey pain, but translators didnt have a suitable word to substitute, and their own bias about what they personally knew of birth experiences, caused them to poorly use the word “pains” when it shouldnt have been. i believe this due to evidence i read in Grantly Dick-Read’s book, “Childbirth Without Fear,” if youre interested. really interesting, empowering stuff.

all in all, its good to say what we think and its also great to come back and say when we realize we werent speaking in full truth some how or another; admitting we even forget saying this or that; i admire that in your post.

1 Like
12

Uh, yes. What I said was this.

I had a rescue dog named Gracie for over 11 years. Best dog I ever had. Would I love it if I saw her again? I have no idea. But I know she is not coming back as Gracie the human. The Bible is clear. Just because we do not like something or disagree with something in the Bible, it doesn’t mean the Bible is wrong, and we are right. It is ALWAYS the other way around.

As we have discussed privately, yes, many of the things you would like to continue are not compatible with a healthy relationship with God. Whenever we come into a conflict with the Word, we are the ones who need to change.
Peter

1 Like
13

A few months ago I lost my dog of 12 years, it happened just before Christmas. I adopted her from a rescue shelter when she was still a puppy, the rescue had rescued the mom and the whole litter from a bad situation. She wasn’t just my dog, she was family to me. Losing her hurt almost as much as when I lost my parents.

I have no idea what designs God has in store for His good creatures who have died. God has not revealed all things to us. But we know from what He has told us and promised us that He is faithful to His creation, and that He intends to bring all things toward the good in Christ. That is why we read of the Day when God will make all things new. And animals are emphatically and explicitly included in the renewal of all things. The Prophet Isaiah speaks of future new heavens and new earth, where the lion eats straw like an ox, where leopards and lambs recline together, and tiny children play without fear at the viper den.

Will God, in His mercy, restore His creatures? Our hope in the Lord is that we, ourselves, shall be raised up even as the Lord was raised up, so that even these mortal bodies shall be raised immortal and incorruptible. Will God, in some way, do this for animals? We do not know and cannot know.

But I am inclined to hope. Hope that all that is truly good and beautiful should never be lost. That the ultimate redemption of all creation means nothing in this life and in this world which is truly good and from God will vanish, disappear, or be gone–but God will take all things and bring them to a beautiful conclusion.

My dog will never be a human–she was a dog. As a dog she was God’s good creation. Her dog-ness is itself good because God vests His own goodness in what He creates. So reincarnation can never be true, it robs creation of its fundamental goodness.

But will my dog have a place in the Age to Come? I certainly hope and pray that this is the case. I can never know. But as I said, I am inclined toward hope. Because the God who meets us in Jesus Christ, the God who speaks to us through Scripture, the God who made all things, He is good. He is better than even our most noble concepts of goodness–and He is faithful, true, and His faithfulness is everlasting. So I hope in God, because my hope is built on Jesus Christ, risen from the dead and coming again.

3 Likes
14

Are you a Hindu, @Mr.max1192025? I’m curious. What do you base your faith on?

1 Like
15

hindu/buddhism, but also with the belief that jesus is gods son and died for our sins.

16

When you say “Jesus is God’s Son” and “died for our sins”, what do you mean?

I fail to understand how these statements can be meaningful outside of an historic Christian context, and placed within a Dharmic context.

17

Hindu/Buddhism can not, and will not, save you. First, let’s talk basics. Religion is not going to save you. Being a good little “Insert religion here” is not going to save you. Sorry. It is just the simple truth. Religion is a man-made concept and most of the time has nothing to do with the true God and or His plan of salvation.

Simply put, Jesus is “the way, the truth, and the life.” John 14:6 Jesus is the key to Salvation. Accepted by you or not, the fact is that without Him, you can not enter into Heaven. It is simply a fact, again, accepted by you, or anyone, or not, that “neither is there salvation in any other: for there is no other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.” Acts 4:12

God made His plan of salvation simple and easy for all to obtain.

" For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but so that the world might be saved through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God." John 3:16-18

First, notice this. Jesus does not say “If you eat meat on Friday, or don’t eat meat at all, or walk a half a mile on the Sabbath day, or if you say ten “Hail Marry’s”” No He says, “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.” Whoever. This means? Whoever. Anyone. Everyone. All you have to do is accept Jesus and believe He rose from the dead, and you shall be saved. Romans 10:9.

It also says this. “Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God.” Does it say, “If you murder someone, or if you do not follow this or that tenets of said religion, or if you do all sorts of evil?” No. It says, “but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God.” Whoever? Whoever. Anyone. Everyone. That simply? “has not believed” is? “Condemned already.” There is nothing you need to do except not believe in Jesus, and you are condemned already because He is the only true way to Heaven. He is the Door, the Gate, the Shepard. He and the Father are one. John 10, Romans 10:13 says, “everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”

So any religion that does not have this simple truth, Jesus IS Lord, and He is God, is a false religion. Paul said this in 1 Corinthians 12:3

“Therefore, I want you to understand that no one speaking in the Spirit of God ever says “Jesus is accursed!” and no one can say “Jesus is Lord” except in the Holy Spirit.”

Jesus puts it plainly as recorded in Mark 9:40: “Whoever is not against us, is for us.” Which also works the other way.

You see, it really is that simple. You accept the gift. You receive the key. You are adopted into the family of God, and He becomes your Father. He tells us that His people are a family. That being a child of God, you are now heirs.

" and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, provided we suffer with him so that we may also be glorified with him." Romans 8:17

Christianity was never about being a religion. It was, is, and will forever be your relationship with God through Jesus, 24/7. A lifestyle. A relationship. Not a religion.
Peter

1 Like
18

Buddhism is not a biblical religion. It was founded by Siddhartha Guatama, a.k.a. Buddha. He was born into royalty. As the story goes, Suddhodana, his father, had ordered that Siddhartha live a life of seclusion to protect him from the pain and suffering of the world. However, one day Siddhartha wondered out into the world and was confronted with the suffering of life. The next day he left his kingdom and new born son to lead an ascetic life-style. After six years of the ascetic life, one day he was offered a bowl of rice from a young girl. The moment he accepted it, “he realised that physical austerities were not the means to achieve liberation.” [1] Thereafter, he taught a path of moderation, between the extremes of sensual indulgence and self-mortification. He called this “The Middle Way.” That night Siddhartha sat under the Bodhi tree. He meditated until dawn. He allegedly purified his mind of all defilements and attained “enlightenment,” therefore earning the title Buddha (“Enlightened One”). [2]

For the most part Buddhism is an Eastern religion, but is also rather popular in the West as well. It is somewhat associated with Hinduism in that both teach: (1) Karma (the actions of an individual [cause] influence a person’s future [effect]), (2) Samsara (karmic cycle or reincarnation, essentially a cycle of aimless drifting; also popular in Jainism), and (3) Maya (the illusory nature of the world; the basis of the emphasis of yoga and meditation in Indian thought). Buddhists believe that the ultimate goal in life is to achieve enlightenment or Nirvana. See “What is Hinduism?”

In his journey to “enlightenment,” Buddha spoke of the “Four Noble Truths:” (1) the truth of suffering, (2) the truth of the cause of suffering, (3) the truth of the end of suffering, and (4) the truth of the path leading to the end of suffering. The eight divisions of the path to achieve spiritual enlightenment and cease suffering can be summarized as: (1) right understanding, (2) right though, (3) right speech, (4) right conduct, (5) right means of making a living, (6) right mental attitude, (7) right mindfulness, and (8) right concentration. [3]

Buddhism has evolved over time. Today it is rather diverse. There are three schools of Buddhism: (1) Theravada, (2) Mahayana, and (3) Vajrayana. Theravada is the monastic form of Buddhism, while Mahayana Buddhism is for the laity. Vajrayana Buddhism, often referred to as Tibetan Buddhism, sees itself as a quicker, more effective path to enlightenment. Within these three main branches of Buddhism are numerous branches: Zen, Tendai, Nichiren, Shingon, and Ryobu, etc.

The teachings within Buddhism are rather vast and varied in scope depending which version of Buddhism one follows. The table below compares and contrasts a few of the teachings of Buddhism with Christianity.

Christianity Scripture Buddhism
God created the universe. Gen. 1:1; Col 1:16-17; Heb 1:3 Reject idea of an omniscient, omnipotent, omnipresent creator. Refutes that the universe was created by a self-conscious, personal God.
God-centered: Goal to worship God and enjoy him forever. 1 Cor 10:31; Rom 11:36; Psa 73:24-26 Self-centered: Goal to eliminate self-suffering.
Rebirth is through Christ alone, not works. In this world Christians have tribulation, but in the next, no more tears or sorrow. John 3:1-8; 16:33; Eph 2:8-10; Rev 21:4 Rebirth (reincarnation) is a central belief. The endless cycle of reincarnation can only be broken by attaining Nirvana.

The Bible is the inspired Word of God. 2 Tim 3:16; 2 Pet 1:20-21 The Tripitaka is Buddhism’s book; (1) Sutta Pitaka, the discourses of the Buddha, (2) Vinaya Pitaka, rules for bikkhus (men) and bhikkunis (women), and (3) Abhidhamma Pitaka, theoretical explanations of the nature of reality and the workings of the human mind in general.
Everyone, except Jesus, has a sin nature. Psa 51:5; Rom 3:23; Eph 2:1-3 Sin is not a Buddhist concept. People are merely unskillful or unwholesome and need no Savior.

Salvation is thru Christ by grace alone. John 3:16; Eph 2:8-10; Rom 5:8 Means of salvation are reaching Enlightenment / Nirvana, following the Noble Eightfold Path.

Those in Buddhism need Christ.

J.

19

Decisional regeneration, sometimes referred to as decision theology, is the belief that a person must make a decision for Christ, consciously accepting Him as Savior, in order to be saved.

According to decision theology, the new birth occurs when someone

  1. hears the gospel,
  2. is convicted of the truth of the gospel,
  3. understands the need for salvation, and
  4. chooses to accept Christ rather than reject Him. Often, the decision to accept Christ is marked by an action such as walking an aisle, praying a “sinner’s prayer,” signing a decision card, or similar activity.

Detractors of decision theology consider it a misleading and dangerous teaching because it gives man too much control over his salvation.

Some see decisional regeneration (salvation depends on making a decision) akin to baptismal regeneration (salvation depends on being baptized) and other works-based systems.

If salvation is by grace, then it is an internal work of the Holy Spirit, occurring at the time of His choosing.

Decisional regeneration, on the other hand, posits that the moment of salvation occurs when someone makes a choice to “accept Christ.”
This, say opponents, is tantamount to salvation by works, because exercising the will is a human work and therefore cannot be part of salvation.

Some are opposed to decision theology because it risks associating a spiritual event with a physical action.
Telling someone to “make a decision for Christ” and to “express” that decision outwardly fosters the notion that salvation is synonymous with walking an aisle or reciting a prayer instead of being the work of the Holy Spirit (John 3:8).

This false association, in turn, can lead to false conversions, because someone who walks an aisle after a sermon may think he is saved (on the basis of an emotional experience), when there has been no work of God in his heart.
Also, the detractors of decision theology are quick to point out that nowhere in the Bible are “decisions for Christ” mentioned, nor is anyone commanded to “accept Christ” or to “ask Him into your heart.”

Further, Scripture says that man in his natural state is incapable of choosing Christ. He is “dead” in sin (Ephesians 2:1), he cannot please God (Romans 8:8), and he is utterly helpless to come to God on his own (John 6:44-45).

There is “no one who seeks God” (Romans 3:11); an unsaved person is unable to “accept the things that come from the Spirit of God” (1 Corinthians 2:14). This being the case, asking a non-Christian to make a decision for Christ is like asking a corpse to dance. Divine intervention is necessary.

Central to the debate over decision theology is the debate over monergism vs. synergism.

Is salvation God’s work or man’s—or both? Monergism, closely allied with Calvinism and its tenet of irresistible grace, teaches that God is solely responsible for all aspects of our salvation. God sovereignly saves without any cooperation from us whatsoever, even giving us the faith to believe (Ephesians 2:8-9).

Synergism teaches that we cooperate in our salvation to some degree. Decisional regeneration can be seen as synergistic in that we must decide to accept Christ—a very limited cooperation, but cooperation nonetheless.

The Bible is clear that salvation is totally the work of God. We can do nothing to secure salvation for ourselves (Romans 3:20). The Lord chooses us (John 15:16), draws us to Himself (John 6:44), gives us life (John 14:6), and preserves us (John 10:28).

The new birth is not the result “of human decision” (John 1:13). Just as the Lord brought life to the valley of dry bones (Ezekiel 37), Jesus “gives life to whom he is pleased to give it” (John 5:21).

At the same time, the Bible commands everyone to repent (Acts 3:19, 17:30) and to believe in Christ (Acts 16:31). While the words “make a decision for Christ” are not used in Scripture, the fact that we are commanded to repent seems to imply an exercise of the will.

How is one saved? By grace through faith—and even faith is a gift created through the hearing of God’s Word (Romans 10:17).

Salvation does not come by walking an aisle or raising a hand. Saying a prayer does not save anyone. Reading and agreeing with the salvation pages on GotQuestions.org cannot save.

Salvation is making a new spiritual creation, something only the Holy Spirit can accomplish.

Does this mean that it is wrong for an evangelist to hold an ”altar call” after his message? Not at all. However, we must be careful never to attribute our spiritual peace with God to a physical act of our own.

Coming to the front of a church is not the same thing as coming to Christ. Also, we should remember that simply “making a decision” of some kind is not what saves us; it is the all-powerful, sovereign work of God in Christ that saves.

Rather than calling on people to “invite Jesus to come in,” it would perhaps be better to urge them to repent of their sin and cast themselves on the mercy of God in Christ.

I don’t endorse Gotquestions. Though I agree here, in this article.

J.

20

Interesting, @Mr.max1192025. The Christian faith embraces the Creator of the universe, while Hinduism and Buddhism say that the universe is the same as God. Such a belief is called pantheism, meaning that all is God, the idea behind the Force in the Star Wars movie series.

The two belief systems are not, therefore, compatible.

Gen 1:1 In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.

Joh 1:1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
Joh 1:2 He was in the beginning with God.
Joh 1:3 All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made.
Joh 1:4 In him was life, and the life was the light of men…

Joh 1:14 And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.