Rebirth Attempt 1 (Agnosticism)

by David Turell , Wednesday, December 21, 2022, 00:22 (702 days ago) @ xeno6696

David: My wife is a born-again Christian. But I don't think that is what you refer to, based on its definition.

Matt: No not at all ROFL.

During the 2nd council of Nicaea, any and all mention of the concept of "rebirth" or "reincarnation" were ordered out of all texts--keep in mind it was the first council that codified the Bible in the form we (mostly) have it today.

It was around this time that the early church expunged the Gnostics as well, who ran a version of the religion that directly countered Papal authority. (It was more akin to Lutheranism in that regard.)

There are texts in the dead sea scrolls that suggest that reincarnation was a more prevalent view in the early church. Supposedly. (I haven't read dead sea scrolls though I own a translation.)

DAVID: Thanks for the interesting Catholic history. Your scholarship constantly amazes me.

Matt: Well, you'll need to amend your thinking. It was the Second council of Constantinople and not the second council of Nicaea! This also has the complication in that this was the Ecumenical council where Emperor Justinian played a heavy hand in shaping. I was correct however in that it was the same council that denounced the teachings of the Valentinians who were a gnostic sect that believed in rebirth, as well as a couple of other names I don't recall who were neoplatonists. (Plato believing that we sinned in some heavenly realm and then are forced to live many lives here on earth to gain the knowledge to return.)

Still brilliant