Just thought I'd provoke some thought!\n\nI believe in reincarnation, and have heard of people of one sex claiming to have been the other in a past life.  Does our soul have a gender?\n\nJust something to think about!
208699
I believe in reincarnation for several reasons. One of those reasons is the evidence in the history of Hinduism where people often remember past lives. Since I base part of my belief on that, I believe the soul has no gender, since men have returned as women and vice versa.
621369
You know...when I saw the DaVinci Code and it reveals the girl is Jesus' descendant...I knew there was something special about ME!\n\nI think I am Jesus reincarnated...and I'm a woman.  So my response to your theory is I agree it's entirely feasible.
130094
Interesting idea, but NO! Not at all.\n\n'Christian' is NOT one of the realms of reincarnation. (samsara) the realms are: The realm of Devas(gods); the realm of Asuras (Demigods); the realm of Humans; the realm of Animals; the realm of Hungry Ghosts and the realm of Hell.\n\nI was born into a Christian family and I am a Buddhist. I do not see being born into a Christian home misfortunate or bad in any way. I learned a great deal. \n\nI look at it this way. According to Buddhism, enlightenment is not given or bestowed, it is self realized. If a person is ready to realize the truth, what faith (s)he comes from is irrelevant. (S)He will find enlightenment when (s)he is ready.  \n\nI hope this helps.
589074
First how do you prove any person has a soul? Second, how do you prove Heaven and Hell exist in a tangible manner? Third, how do you know a god even exists, or for that matter that god has any ability to interfere with human evolution?\n\nLastly, since humans are organic material beings, did you ever consider that insanity may be caused by a persons internal environment (biology) and his/her external environement (society)?
633349
Reincarnation is true and you can remember your last life if you want to - but very few people really want to, at the subconscious level. Memories of who you were could complicate your present life and cause feelings of displacement and confusion. \n\nIf you want to try remembering your life, read a book on the subject, such as "The Complete Idiot's Guide to Past-Life Regression" by Michael Hathaway. Silly title, but sage advice inside.\n\nWhoever thinks the inability to remember a past life is evidence that reincarnation is untrue should consider the fact that, since none of us can remember being born, or being an infant - or the vast majority of days between birth and now - it follows that everything we've forgotten (which is 99.999% of our lives) never happened either.
355743
Black & white, male & female are all aspects of the human physical body.  They will pass and be replaced by our eternal spiritual body.  No sterotypical soul exists because the soul is not dependent on the body.  It exists as an entity in itself.  Otherwise, when the body dies, you would have to believe that the soul goes with it.\n\nBaptist & Jewish, etc. are views or doctrines.  They are not the soul.  They make up part of the mind.  However, those views and doctrines do affect the mind and thus have an impact on the soul.\n\nBottom line, no...souls are not stereotypical.  And I can't wait to get to heaven and see the looks on the faces of those who thought there was really something called a "black church" or a "white church" or only a Catholic Church or Baptist Church (I'm referring to those who believe that only certain denominations of Christians will inherit Heaven).  I think that we all are going to be shocked at what exists and how it all exists in eternity.  And I can't wait to be a part of it all.  When we get there, I believe that we WILL be stereotypical.  We will all be the Saints of God!
194943
Wow!!  Either you're really brave, or a pot stirrer!!!  I like that! ;) I think you really opened a can of worms, though.  \nI believe in the right to choose, and also that the soul enters whenever it is ready... I lost a baby between my two kids, and it broke my heart. And, no, I didn't abort it, it miscarried.  I guess that the soul who would have used that vehicle chose not to come into this world at that time.  The whole idea that the body is the whole of a person, that the death of a body equals death of a soul, is absurd.  We come here to learn whatever lessons our soul has charted out, and sometimes we aren't quite ready when the body, or embryo, that we thought would provide us with the best opportunity for learning those lessons is ready for us.  At that point there is either a spontaneous death, or, sometimes, the mother's soul and the incoming soul have agreed that an abortion is part of the experience for each. If a soul is meant to be incarnated at a given point in time, there will be a vehicle ready to facilitate that incarnation.  No soul has to go without just because someone decided that she wasn't, for whatever reason, able to play the role of mother at that time.  \nThose who judge others should be very careful that they don't set themselves up to prove that they would truly do a "more virtuous" job with the same set of circumstances.  I get so sick of people who say, "well, if I were you, I'd do it differently."  Wow, don't quite realize the absurdity of that, do you?  If you were me, you'd have all my past experiences, and all my reasons, and you'd make  precisely the same choice I did, because you would then cease to be you.   \n  And just a word  or two to the man who feels that "such a woman" shouldn't be allowed to ever be a mother.....you aren't ever going to be allowed to be a mother, either...maybe that's because you're no more qualified than those you are judging.  And maybe next time you come back here to learn lessons, you'll decide to experience for yourself what it feels like to be faced with such a hideous decision.  Have you ever held the hand of a heartbroken woman who feels that she has no other choice, and felt your own heart break because you couldn't help her come to some sort of peace with the gut-wrenching guilt, and self-loathing that followed?  Have you ever thought about how horribly difficult such a decision must be, and what awful straits a person would have to be in, to even consider that as an option?  \nThe Cherokee say that a man should not judge until he has walked a thousand miles in another's mocassins.  Do you qualify?  I think not, or you would have learned compassion.  And if you are a Christian, do you really think Jesus would be as beligerant and vicious as you are showing yourself to be?  I thought the goal of christianity was for people to emulate Jesus, and that includes having the same loving, compassionate, non-judging attitudes he has.  All of you who judge should re-think the place where you are standing.  If you were utterly without sin, then you would be utterly compassionate.  If He isn't judging, how can you justify doing it in His place?
144151
That's a darn good question. I'll need to remember this next time some mental burnout starts going on about ghosts. Maybe the clothes have souls?
629772
uh oh, after reading these answers I am concerend becuase I am Christian, I am saved, I accept the Lord as my Savior....and I beleive in reincarnation. I know my soul is old becuase I have memories of past lives WAY too accurate on details and I have NEVER had history on them.  I beleive we are sent back to settle things, finish things and to learn.
103513
I am a believer in reincarnation.  I do not believe that religion is as cut and dry as many people like to think.  I believe that we have had past lives and that for some there will be another life that will follow this one.  We are put here to learn lessons and to become enlightened souls, when we reach enlightenment is when we attain heaven.  There is no such things as hell, hell is being on earth and you can choose to continue to live here by not enlightening yourself or you can choose to learn and eventually reach heaven.
112352
I saw my first spirit when I was 14. It was the summer of 1987.(showing my age)My cousin's best friend was killed in a bicycle accident. About 2 months after his death, he made his appearance at my cousin's house outside his bedroom. Since then I seen the spirit of my grandfather (who died a year before my birth) on the 25th anniversary of his death. I believe in psychic abilities...somehow I can receive people's thoughts, but, unable to do it at my own whim. I am able to "know" information about someone that just pops into my head. Again it is random. Try this short activity, when the phone rings *minus caller id* predict who will be on the receiving end. Think of someone that you haven't been in contact in a long time, see if you bump into them or hear from them.
479411
Buddhist talk about rebirth and not reincarnation.There are many realms of existence...human,animal,deva,peta,etc...Beings from one realm can be reborn into another realm!So,you see,there are trillions of possibilities!Buddha says:to be born a human the chances is very minute!So human we must count our blessing!
516465
I am by no means an expert on this matter, but please suffer my attempt to argue both for and against the soul.\n\nI think that if a soul does exist it will be what ultimately causes all of our biological processes to start, a first spark, if you will. Since no one knows where that first spark comes from, perhaps the soul exists as a separate entity. If that is true, then the brain has no bearing on the soul. So if Einstein and I switched brains, I would just be Ursula with Einstein's body and Einstein would be Einstein with Ursula's body. Our souls would never get mixed up.\n\nIf the soul is just something we've made up because we lack the ability to understand the cycle of life. Then I would still be Ursula with Einstein's body after the transplant. No danger of confusing souls because they don't exist.\n\nWe cannot prove that the soul does not exist, because most people who believe they exist, don't think they have an actual physical attachment to the human body. The body is viewed as a shell.
339986
Funny I remember reading that and I was going to E-Mail you too. I was going to say how much we had in common though. A lot of what you said does fit with Buddhist belief. I dont agree with their views on reincarnation but you would need to study that for yourself!  I think of them as Atheists because they dont worship a God or Goddess. They may pray in front of an image of The Buddha but they are not worshipping it as a God!\nIt doesn't make you a Buddhist but you might like it if you are seeking a religion! It is only my opinion on Atheism someone will say I'm wrong because Atheism is a personal belief.We dont all agree what makes someone an Atheist!
198610
Concerning the portion of your question dealing with population, it is a New Age thought that most (if not all) of the souls now active are all returning at once due to the transition from the Piscian Age to the Agrarian Age. So we're all back at about the same time as opposed to being scattered over longer periods. Another, complimentary, thought is that other souls are advancing to this world at this time, again due to the transition but this coupled with their need to develop further and this being their chance. In so far as the birth of a child into good circumstances is concerned, consider this ... In dealing with past lives we aren't necessarily dealing with just the last one. Some times issues may date back MANY lives and still not have been dealt with. To continue your example of the three year old child who's past life had been very good, and this deals more with karma than reincarnation ... What about the one before THAT, or the one before THAT, or ... You get the idea. Hope this helps. :-)
316040
Reincarnation, literally "to be made flesh again", as a doctrine or mystical belief, holds the notion that some essential part of a human being (or in some interpretations, any living being) can survive death in some form, with its integrity partly or wholly retained, to be reborn in a new body. This part is often referred to as the Spirit or Soul, the 'Higher or True Self', 'Divine Spark', 'I' or the 'Ego' (not to be confused with the ego as defined by psychology).\n\nIn such beliefs, a new personality is developed during each life in the physical world, based upon past integrated experience and new acquired experiences, but some part of the being remains constantly present throughout these successive lives as well. It is usually believed that there is interaction between predeterminism of certain experiences, or lessons intended to happen during the physical life, and the free-will action of the individual as they live that life.
468788
Who knows. My intention is to shop around...check out various afterlives, see if there are any good reincarnations available, that sort of thing.