Is resurrection a more plausible view of the afterlife than reincarnation Why or why not - Essay Example

Is Resurrection a More Plausible Way of Afterlife than Reincarnation? Why or Why Not? The issue of afterlife is one of the most debatable both in scientific and religious circles. Some new teachings such as New Age spirituality support the idea of reincarnation. They understand body both in physical and spiritual sense. It may be reached through moral efforts and permanent spiritual development. Moreover, the future existence is typically associated with animals or plants. The traditional Christian worldview advocates the idea of resurrection.

It applies only to one’s physical body. It is based on the faith in Jesus Christ, and the future existence is necessarily human (Schick, Jr. and Vaughn, p. 305). In my opinion, resurrection is a more plausible way of afterlife because it does not contain internal contradictions in its system. Although the advocates of reincarnation promote moral behavior, they primarily rely on different practices such as meditation rather than making morality the integral part of one’s behavior. Moreover, it seems that people are encouraged on behaving morally in order to be able to enjoy reincarnation in the future.

Thus, their motivation is primarily utilitarian that contradicts the fundamental religion principles. The traditional Christian worldview and the idea of resurrection do not contain such contradictions. This position also stresses that resurrection may occur only in relation to human body. It seems correct and logical as all human beings have reason and can act rationally selecting the most appropriate means for attaining their ends. In contrast, animals and plants do not have reason and cannot objectively analyze the external environment.

Therefore, the system of reincarnation presupposes the movement to lower stages of development (from humans to animals, plants, etc.), and it cannot be considered being natural or logical. Thus, the idea of resurrection is a plausible religious option while reincarnation is an element of mysticism that neglects the main aspects of reality. Works Cited Schick, Jr., Theodore and Vaughn, Lewis. Doing Philosophy: An Introduction Through Thought Experiments. 2012. McGraw Hill Humanities, 5th edition.