Four Civilizations - 2

In the days of those kings, the God of heaven will set up a kingdom that will never be destroyed, nor will it be left to another people. It will shatter all these kingdoms and bring them to an end, but will itself stand forever. (Daniel 2:44 BSB)

According to Arnold Toynbee in "A Study of History", there are 21 civilizations. They are: Egyptian, Andean, Sumerian, Babylonic, Hittite, Minoan, Indic, Hindu, Syriac, Hellenic, Western, Orthodox Christian (having two branches: the main or Byzantine body and the Russian branch), Far Eastern (having two branches: the main or Chinese-Korean body and the Japanese branch), Islamic (having two branches which later merged: Arabic and Iranic), Mayan, Mexican and Yucatec, which can be tabulated as follow:

1st Generation	2nd Generation	Universal Church	3rd Generation
Minoan	Hellenic (Greek and Roman)	Christian	Western; Orthodox-Russian; Orthodox-Byzantine
	Syriac Society (Ancient Israel, Phoenicia etc.)	Islam	Islamic (at early stages divided into Iranian and Arabic, civilizations, which later were unified)
Shang	Sinic (see also Han Dynasty)	Mahayana (Buddhism)	Chinese; Japanese-Korean ("Far Eastern")
Indus	Indic	Hinduism	Hindu
Egyptiac		-	-
Sumeric	Hittite; Babylonian	-	-
Andean; Mayan; Yucatec; Mexican		-	-

While I may not totally agree with Arnold Toynbee's classification, I do agree with him that in the end, four civilizations survived, the humanist Chinese, the polytheistic Indians, the two monotheistic civilizations based on Bible and Koran. The three civilizations which are not Bible-based remain at more or less the same level, making not much progress between the second and third generation. Only the Bible-based European civilisation grew to dominate the world with science and technology. The Bible has always insisted on objective verification in key doctrines and objective verification is what science is all about.

There is some parallel between China in the east and Europe in the west. The second generation Han China and Roman empire fell to barbarians and foreign religions (Buddhism and Christianity respectively) roughly at the same time. The Chinese synthesized Confucianism and Buddhism and revived. The Romans died and the European barbarians took over and built a Bible-based civilization on top of the Greek and Roman foundations.

Arnold Toynbee saw the parallel but could not understand why the Chinese civilisation revived but the Roman civilization died and was replaced by the Europeans. He did not know that God wanted to use the foolish European barbarians to conquer the wise of the world. Furthermore, God has to punish the Romans for their crucifixion of Christ, destruction of Israel and persecution of Christians.

Instead, God has chosen what is foolish in the world to shame the wise, and God has chosen what is weak in the world to shame the strong. God has chosen what is insignificant and despised in the world - what is viewed as nothing - to bring to nothing what is viewed as something, so that no one may boast in his presence. (1 Corinthians 1:27-29 CSB)

Cinderella's Pumpkin Carriage And Samsara

Cinderella is a fairy tale. In that story, a fairy godmother turned a pumpkin into a carriage by magic. Let us think about this for a moment. Can the fairy godmother use a water melon instead of a pumpkin? What if the fairy godmother used a water melon? Will the carriage be green in colour? Can the fairy godmother use a small fruit, like grape? Must she use fruits? Can she use a big stone instead? If we established a course to study how fairy godmothers make carriages out of stuff, will there be any definite conclusion?

Samsara or reincarnation is an unprovable process. Like the carriage making process in fairy tale Cinderella, we cannot come to any definite conclusion with reincarnation. For example, can we reincarnate as plants? We can come up with all kinds of reasons to argue about it but we can never come to a definite conclusion. It is like asking if the fairy godmother can make carriages out of something else besides pumpkin. Can anyone prove that she can or cannot?

The Dalai Lama reincarnated fourteen times as Dalai Lama. Is that possible? What kind of karmic law allow this kind of reincarnation? Can the 14th Dalai Lama provide a definite proof that he is the 14th reincarnation? Can he provide a definite and objective proof for his 15th reincarnation so that China cannot install their own Dalai Lama? Can he reincarnate as a woman so that the 15th Dalai Lama will be the first female Dalai Lama? Can one choose where, how and when one can be reincarnated? How come the Dalai Lama can? Does the Dalai Lama know that he can and know that he has the power to do so? Can he prove it? Or is this another Cinderella's Pumpkin Carriage proof?

The Bible said that all humans are descended from Adam and Eve. Evolution has a last universal common ancestor (LUCA) from which all living things today evolved from. So how does reincarnation account for the increasing human population? Also from one soul? Can one soul be reincarnated as two or more souls? Or is there a constant number of souls going through the reincarnation process? So how did the initial number of souls get started? Buddhists do not believe in souls. So are they right?

Major Indian religions like Hinduism, Buddhism and Sikhism took reincarnation for granted. They do not attempt to prove it. They just give solutions on how to escape reincarnation. But when a religion based their solution on an unprovable process, I think the foundation is shaky and anything built on top of it can collapse any time.

What is unprovable is not necessarily untrue. Every religion require some amount of faith. But I prefer a religion that based their faith on something provable instead of something unprovable.

... speaking the truth in love ... (Ephesians 4:15 NIV)

Karma Samsara Moksha Nirvana

The Lord is merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love. He will not always chide, nor will he keep his anger forever. He does not deal with us according to our sins, nor repay us according to our iniquities. (Psalm 103:8-10 ESV)

The Bible says we do not always get what we deserve. If the Bible is true, then karma is false.

And just as it is appointed for man to die once, and after that comes judgment, so Christ, having been offered once to bear the sins of many, will appear a second time, not to deal with sin but to save those who are eagerly waiting for him. (Hebrews 9:27-28 ESV)

The Bible says we live and die once. If the Bible is true, then samsara is false. If there is no samsara, there is no moksha or nirvana.

孔子 Self-Perception

子曰：「吾十有五而志于學，三十而立，四十而不惑，五十而知天命，六十而耳順，七十而從心所欲，不踰矩。」(論語2為政4)

The Master said, "At fifteen, I had my mind bent on learning. At thirty, I stood firm. At forty, I had no doubts. At fifty, I knew the decrees of Heaven. At sixty, my ear was an obedient organ for the reception of truth. At seventy, I could follow what my heart desired, without transgressing what was right." (Lunyu 2:4, translation by James Legge)

Buddha's first noble truth is right perception (正見). But if you do not have the Word of God, you cannot have right perception.

Sowing And Reaping - Bible vs Karma

Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap. (Galatians 6:7 KJV)

Karma states that everything that happens to a person is caused by something the person has done in the past and everything a person does will come back to the person in future.

But reality tell us a different story. We know that karma is not true. A simple proof is the birth of a baby. Every baby born is the effect caused by a man and woman having sex and not the baby's own action. Yet babies are born differently into different circumstances. We also see the wicked flourishing and not reaping what they sow.

I have seen a wicked, violent person well-rooted, like a flourishing native tree. (Psalm 37:35 CSB)
Look at them - the wicked! They are always at ease, and they increase their wealth. (Psalm 73:12 CSB)

How does karma and the Bible resolve this inconsistency with reality?

The inventors of karma came up with a unprovable process, called samsara, or reincarnation. With samsara, whatever cause not seen is the present life is actually in a past life and whatever effect will be in a future life.

The Bible also has an unproveable process call last judgement. All the wicked will be judge at the last judgement and no sin shall go unpunished.

But I say unto you, That every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment. (Matthew 12:36 KJV)

What is unprovable is not necessarily untrue. As in all religions, faith is required. But the Bible has a process to prove that the Bible is the Word of God and that the Word of God is true. In doing so, the Bible can be trusted in all that is affirmed, whether provable or not. For example, prophecies are not provable until it is fulfilled. Likewise when the last judgement come, we will all know it is true.

Buddhists Are Brave People

Buddhism is the solution Buddha taught to liberate humans from samsara (reincarnation), the endless cycle of rebirth and dukkha (suffering). If samsara is not true, then the endless cycle of rebirth and suffering does not exist and Buddhism become a solution for a non-existence problem.

Samsara is not provable. The problem with samsara is twofold:

1. Presently there is no way to verify it in an objective manner;
2. There is no mechanism to explain how reincarnation might occur.

Just because samsara is not provable does not mean it is not true. But it is unwise to make it the problem to be solved. In fact, samsara is actually a process to make karma true.

Karma is the Indian cause and effect. Karma states that everything that happens to a person is caused by something the person has done in the past.

Cause and effect is true. A simple example of cause and effect is birth. Every human born is the effect caused by a man and woman having sex. However, since birth is caused by the parents' action and not the baby's own action, karma is false.

To make karma true, samsara, an unprovable process, was added. Now the baby's birth is caused not only by the parent's action, but also the baby's action in the past life. Now why a baby is born rich or poor can be explained. And now when we see good people not getting their good rewards or bad people not getting their just desserts even by the time they die, we know that they will get it in their future reincarnation! So karma and samsara together provides a complete system to explain our imperfect and suffering world. We are trapped in this endless cycle of rebirth because of our karmic debt. And Buddha came up with the solution to escape from the cycle.

The goal of Buddhism is nirvana. When one escapes from samsara, one will enter into the state of nirvana. The commonly agreed definition of nirvana is cessation of dukkha (suffering) and liberation from samsara (reincarnation). But what will happen if suffering cease? There are two possibilities, eternal life with pure happiness or cessation from existence. But Buddha did not give an answer to that question. Since the word nirvana literally means "quenching" or "blowing out" in the way that the flame of a candle is blown out, is nirvana the cessation of existence? We really do not know. And if it is eternal life with pure happiness, where would you be since there is no more samsara (rebirth)?

We have to remember that Buddha is from below, unlike Jesus, who is from above (John 8:23, John 3:13). Buddha did not attain nirvana and come back after death to tell what nirvana really is. Jesus died and was resurrected. He himself is the proof that we will be resurrected like Him (Romans 6:5, 1 Corinthians 15:14-20).

All I can say is Buddhists are brave people. They have faith to practice the solution of a problem caused by an unproven process, to attain a final state which is not clearly defined. I am not brave like them. I prefer to have my faith based on provable events.

For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures, and that he appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve. Then he appeared to more than five hundred brothers at one time, most of whom are still alive, though some have fallen asleep. Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles. Last of all, as to one untimely born, he appeared also to me. (1 Corinthians 15:3-8 ESV)

Karma Is False

And his disciples asked him, "Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?" Jesus answered, "It was not that this man sinned, or his parents, but that the works of God might be displayed in him. (John 9:2-3 ESV)

Karma is the Indian cause and effect. Karma states that everything that happened to oneself is caused by one's earlier action, or one's action now decides one's fate in the future.

We know that karma is not true. A simple proof is the birth of a baby. Every baby born is the effect caused by a man and woman having sex and not the baby's own action. So to make karma true, an unprovable process call samsara (reincarnation) was added. So karma and samsara now make a complete system. This system is a fundamental concept in all Indian religions, like Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism and Sikhism.

The Bible agree with the observable fact that karma is false. The Bible also use the birth of twins as a proof.

And not only so, but also when Rebekah had conceived children by one man, our forefather Isaac, though they were not yet born and had done nothing either good or bad - in order that God's purpose of election might continue, not because of works but because of him who calls - she was told, "The older will serve the younger." (Romans 9:10-12 ESV)

The Bible Gives Objective Verification

Quoted from this article, "The Christian Difference Is the Foundation of Our Christian Duty" in Cold Case Christianity:

QUOTE
Christianity is distinct in the nature of its claims and the value it places on reason, intelligence, and evidence. Some religious systems are based purely on the doctrinal, proverbial statements of their founders. The wisdom statements of Buddha, for example, lay the foundation for Buddhism. Hinduism is based on the revelations of the ancient sages as revealed in the Vedas and the Upanishads. Confucianism is established from the wisdom statements of Confucius. In all these examples, the statements of these religious leaders exist independently of any event in history. In other words, these systems rise or fall on the basis of ideas and concepts rather than on claims about a particular historical event.

Although Christianity makes its own ideological and philosophical claims, these proposals are intrinsically connected to a singular validating event: the Resurrection of Jesus Christ. Why should anyone believe what Jesus said rather than what Buddha, the Hindu sages, or Confucius said? The authority of Jesus is grounded in more than the strength of an idea; it's established by the verifiability of an event. When Jesus rose from the dead, He established His authority as God, and His Resurrection provides us with an important Christian distinctive. The Resurrection can be examined for its reliability, and the evidential verifiability of Christianity separates it from every other religious system.
UNQUOTE

It is therefore not surprising that modern science came from the Europeans and not from the Muslims, the Indians or the Chinese. Objective verification is what science is all about and the Bible always insist on objective verification in key doctrines.

It is not enough to preach that Jesus died for our sins. Jesus bodily resurrected to prove to us that His death is special (1 Corinthians 15:3-8).

It is not enough to tell people not to worship idols. But God Himself descended on Mount Sinai to speak to the Israelite, so that when Moses asked the Israelite not to worship idols, he appealed to their objective observation, "You saw no form of any kind the day the Lord spoke to you at Horeb out of the fire. (Deuteronomy 4:15)"

Muslims like to boast of the Koran as a miracle because their prophet is illiterate. But I see this as a double audit issue. The prophet cannot verify what his followers wrote and his followers cannot see angel Gabriel.

Buddha preached about 8-fold path to attain nirvana but did not provide objective proof of reincarnation.

"Therefore watch yourselves very carefully. Since you saw no form on the day that the LORD spoke to you at Horeb out of the midst of the fire, beware lest you act corruptly by making a carved image for yourselves, in the form of any figure, the likeness of male or female, the likeness of any animal that is on the earth, the likeness of any winged bird that flies in the air, the likeness of anything that creeps on the ground, the likeness of any fish that is in the water under the earth. (Deuteronomy 4:15-18 ESV)

Reincarnation Not Provable

The problem with reincarnation is twofold:

1. we have, as of yet, no way to verify it prospectively in an objective manner
2. we have no mechanism to explain how reincarnation might occur.

For Buddhism to be true, Buddhist karma needs to be true.
For Buddhist karma to be true, reincarnation must be true.
Since reincarnation is not provable, Buddhist karma cannot be proven, therefore, Buddhism is a big scam waiting to be exposed.

China is already exposing Buddhism as a scam. China requires all high-ranking Lamas to have a permit to reincarnate under 國家宗教事務局令第5號 - 藏傳佛教活佛轉世管理辦法. What kind of rubbish is this? Can China legislate karma?

Because of China, Dalai Lama said he may not reincarnate and declared reincarnation as "not important". What kind of rubbish is this? Can Dalai Lama control karma? Is this Dalai Lama really the 14th reincarnation in the first place? Can he prove it?

Mind And Information

Which come first, mind or information? Based on our observation, mind produce information. But evolution and Buddhism insist that information come first. For evolution, it is the scientific rules. For Buddhism, it is dharma. The Bible agrees with our general observation. The mind comes first. This mind is God.

The Problem With Secular Humanism

Problem 1 - God
Secular Humanism assumes that God does not exist. The Bible assumes that God exists. This is a problem for both. The existence or non-existence of God cannot be proven. We are too small and too brief for that.

Bible's solution
The Bible never attempt to prove the existence of God. But the Bible make strenuous effort to prove the authenticity and veracity of the Word of God. In fact, this is the area where Christianity really shines. Christianity is an auditable religion! Other religions were started by one founder who had an idea or a vision (unprovable) or visited by an unseen angel (unseen, therefore nobody know). Buddha, like the secular humanist, offer a solution that does not need God and we have no proof if nirvana is really a solution because nobody ever come back after death to say that nirvana is real. Islam claim that the Koran is the word of God but offer meaningless proofs.

Secular Humanism non-solution
Secular humanism assumes that God does not exist and then proceed to use that as a basis for all their beliefs.

Problem 2 - Reason for Being
Why are we here? If there is no life after death, why should I do good? Why can't I be a Hedonist? Let us face this - if God does not exist and our existence is only temporal, then we all can do evil. This is reasonable and logical. In the first place, why is there good and evil? Evolution is about survival of the fittest, not the noblest. Why should I accept the humanist definition of "goodness"? Why can't I create my own standard and call evil good and good evil? Why must I accept some moral authority which have no basis other than being from another human or from some Western European culture?

Three Marks Of Existence - A Biblical Perspective

Today is Vesak day. I wish all my Buddhist friends a happy Vesak day and also look at one basic doctrine of Buddhism from a Biblical perspective.

Tilakkhaṇa (Pali) or trilakṣmaṇa (Sanskrit), translated as the three marks/signs/characteristics, of all existence and beings is a basic doctrine of Buddhism. The three marks of existence are impermanence (anicca), dissatisfaction or suffering (dukkha), and non-self, no-self or no "I AM" (anattā). According to Buddha, a full understanding of these three can bring an end to suffering.

What Buddha said is true. The Bible actually explained the three marks of existence more fully and therefore complete salvation is found in the Bible.

How did all existence acquired the three marks? The answer is actually found in the big overview of the Bible - creation, fall, redemption, restoration.

Creation
God is the ultimate "I AM" (Exodus 3:14). He created all things and owns of all things. His creation was good. There is neither anicca nor dukkha. Creation is good and permanent.

Fall
Then Adam wanted to be like God. He wanted to be like "I AM", the one who owns the universe. He ate the fruit of knowledge of good and evil to achieve this aim. In doing so, he sinned. With sin came death (Romans 5:12) and all creation has acquired the characteristics of anicca and dukkha. Now sinful men are cut off from the true "I AM" and behave as little "I AM" and became full of self and are no longer anattā. They seek for the things of the world, which are both anicca and dukkha, to satisfy themselves because they are cut off from things eternal.

Redemption
The ultimate "I AM" now make provision for salvation by sending His Son to die for the sin of the world. For those who believe, he achieved anattā, for it is no longer he who lives, but he lives by faith in the Son of God (Galatians 2:20). And he does all things for the glory of the true "I AM" (1 Corinthians 10:31). While anicca and dukkha continues while we are in the flesh (1 Peter 5:10, 2 Corinthians 4:17, John 16:33), but this suffering/dukkha (which is temporary/anicca) is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison.

Restoration
In due time, "I AM" will destroy the present creation and replace it with one without anicca and dukkha (Revelation 21:1).

Three Marks Of Existence - Questions Unanswered

Tilakkhaṇa (Pali) or trilakṣmaṇa (Sanskrit) or 三相 (Chinese), translated as the three marks of all existence, is a basic doctrine of Buddhism. The three marks of existence are impermanence (anicca), dissatisfaction or suffering (dukkha), and no-self (anattā). According to Buddha, a full understanding of these three can bring an end to suffering.

What caused the universe to have this three marks of existence? Buddha did not answer this question. Instead, he gave the parable of the poisonous arrow to explain that it is not necessary to know the answer because the answer is irrelevant to the solution.

Because Buddha refuse to answer the question on what cause the universe to have this three mark of existence, we have to make the following assumption for Buddha's solution to work is:

1. The current universe which we live in where all things are impermanent (anicca) and all beings are suffering (dukkha) has always been like that, unchanging, and permanent;
2. The current universe has no beginning, or even if it has a beginning, this first cause does not interfere with the current universe, allowing it to remain unchanging and permanent.

The Bible tells us that the universe has a beginning and an end. The Bible also tells us that the universe has a creator God who has already laid out His plans for His creation. Finally, the Bible answered the question that Buddha refused to answer. How does the universe acquire this three marks of existence? Dukkha and anicca came about when Adam sinned. The universe has always been anattā, but men can no longer recognize it.

Thus if the Bible is true, Buddhism is false. If Buddhism is true, the Bible is false. The Bible and Buddhism cannot be both true.

Salvation Possible Only When Look Away From Self (Anattā अनत्ता)

Look unto me, and be ye saved, all the ends of the earth: for I am God, and there is none else. (Isaiah 45:22 KJV)

Quoted below is Charles Spurgeon's personal testimony of his conversion. Notice how Spurgeon was instructed to look away from SELF to LOOK unto the SAVIOUR, the one who is ETERNAL and UNCHANGING. There is nothing Charles Spurgeon could do to save himself. He had to look away from self (अनत्ता anattā). Only God can save. Look and be saved. It is that simple.

QUOTE

I sometimes think I might have been in darkness and despair until now, had it not been for the goodness of God in sending a snowstorm one Sunday morning, while I was going to a certain place of worship. I turned down a side street, and came to a little Primitive Methodist Church. In that chapel there may have been a dozen or fifteen people. I had heard of the Primitive Methodists, how they sang so loudly that they made people’s heads ache; but that did not matter to me. I wanted to know how I might be saved....

The minister did not come that morning; he was snowed up, I suppose. At last a very thin-looking man, a shoemaker, or tailor, or something of that sort, went up into the pulpit to preach. Now it is well that preachers be instructed, but this man was really stupid. He was obliged to stick to his text, for the simple reason that he had little else to say. The text was—"LOOK UNTO ME, AND BE YE SAVED, ALL THE ENDS OF THE EARTH" (Isa. 45:22)

He did not even pronounce the words rightly, but that did not matter. There was, I thought, a glimmer of hope for me in that text.

The preacher began thus: "This is a very simple text indeed. It says ‘Look.’ Now lookin’ don’t take a deal of pain. It aint liftin’ your foot or your finger; it is just ‘Look.’ Well, a man needn’t go to College to learn to look. You may be the biggest fool, and yet you can look. A man needn’t be worth a thousand a year to look. Anyone can look; even a child can look.

"But then the text says, ‘Look unto Me.’ Ay!" he said in broad Essex, "many on ye are lookin’ to yourselves, but it’s no use lookin’ there. You’ll never find any comfort in yourselves. Some say look to God the Father. No, look to Him by-and-by. Jesus Christ says, ‘Look unto Me.’ Some on ye say ‘We must wait for the Spirit’s workin.’ You have no business with that just now. Look to Christ. The text says, ‘Look unto Me.’ "

Then the good man followed up his text in this way: "Look unto Me; I am sweatin’ great drops of blood. Look unto Me; I am hangin’ on the cross. Look unto Me, I am dead and buried. Look unto Me; I rise again. Look unto Me; I ascend to Heaven. Look unto Me; I am sitting at the Father’s right hand. O poor sinner, look unto Me! look unto Me!"

When he had . . . . managed to spin out about ten minutes or so, he was at the end of his tether. Then he looked at me under the gallery, and I daresay with so few present, he knew me to be a stranger.

Just fixing his eyes on me, as if he knew all my heart, he said, "Young man, you look very miserable." Well, I did, but I had not been accustomed to have remarks made from the pulpit on my personal appearance before. However, it was a good blow, struck right home. He continued, "And you will always be miserable—miserable in life and miserable in death—if you don’t obey my text; but if you obey now, this moment, you will be saved." Then lifting up his hands, he shouted, as only a Primitive Methodist could do, "Young man, look to Jesus Christ. Look! Look! Look! You have nothing to do but look and live!"

I saw at once the way of salvation. I know not what else he said—I did not take much notice of it—I was so possessed with that one thought . . . . I had been waiting to do fifty things, but when I heard that word, "Look!" what a charming word it seemed to me. Oh! I looked until I could almost have looked my eyes away.

There and then the cloud was gone, the darkness had rolled away, and that moment I saw the sun; and I could have risen that instant, and sung with the most enthusiastic of them, of the precious blood of Christ, and the simple faith which looks alone to Him. Oh, that somebody had told me this before, "Trust Christ, and you shall be saved." Yet it was, no doubt, all wisely ordered, and now I can say—

"E’er since by faith I saw the stream
Thy flowing wounds supply,
Redeeming love has been my theme,
And shall be till I die. . ."

That happy day when I found the Saviour, and learned to cling to His dear feet, was a day never to be forgotten by me . . . . I listened to the Word of God and that precious text led me to the cross of Christ. I can testify that the joy of that day was utterly indescribable. I could have leaped, I could have danced; there was no expression, however fanatical, which would have been out of keeping with the joy of that hour. Many days of Christian experience have passed since then, but there has never been one which has had the full exhilaration, the sparkling delight which that first day had.

I thought I could have sprung from the seat in which I sat, and have called out with the wildest of those Methodist brethren . . . "I am forgiven! I am forgiven! A monument of grace! A sinner saved by blood!"

My spirit saw its chains broken to pieces, I felt that I was an emancipated soul, an heir of heaven, a forgiven one, accepted in Jesus Christ, plucked out of the miry clay and out of the horrible pit, with my feet set upon a rock and my goings established . . . .

Between half-past ten o’clock, when I entered that chapel, and half-past twelve o’clock, when I was back again at home, what a change had taken place in me! Simply by looking to Jesus I had been delivered from despair, and I was brought into such a joyous state of mind that, when they saw me at home, they said to me, "Something wonderful has happened to you," and I was eager to tell them all about it. Oh! there was joy in the household that day, when all heard that the eldest son had found the Saviour and knew himself to be forgiven.

(Taken from Iain Murray, ed., The Early Years (London: Banner of Truth, 1962), p. 87-90).

UNQUOTE

Anatta - No-self or Not-self

What is anatta? Below is a quotation from "No-self or Not-self?"

QUOTE
So, instead of answering "no" to the question of whether or not there is a self - interconnected or separate, eternal or not - the Buddha felt that the question was misguided to begin with. Why? No matter how you define the line between "self" and "other," the notion of self involves an element of self-identification and clinging, and thus suffering and stress. This holds as much for an interconnected self, which recognizes no "other," as it does for a separate self. If one identifies with all of nature, one is pained by every felled tree. It also holds for an entirely "other" universe, in which the sense of alienation and futility would become so debilitating as to make the quest for happiness - one's own or that of others - impossible. For these reasons, the Buddha advised paying no attention to such questions as "Do I exist?" or "Don't I exist?" for however you answer them, they lead to suffering and stress.
To avoid the suffering implicit in questions of "self" and "other," he offered an alternative way of dividing up experience: the four Noble Truths of stress, its cause, its cessation, and the path to its cessation. Rather than viewing these truths as pertaining to self or other, he said, one should recognize them simply for what they are, in and of themselves, as they are directly experienced, and then perform the duty appropriate to each. Stress should be comprehended, its cause abandoned, its cessation realized, and the path to its cessation developed. These duties form the context in which the anatta doctrine is best understood. If you develop the path of virtue, concentration, and discernment to a state of calm well-being and use that calm state to look at experience in terms of the Noble Truths, the questions that occur to the mind are not "Is there a self? What is my self?" but rather "Am I suffering stress because I'm holding onto this particular phenomenon? Is it really me, myself, or mine? If it's stressful but not really me or mine, why hold on?" These last questions merit straightforward answers, as they then help you to comprehend stress and to chip away at the attachment and clinging - the residual sense of self-identification - that cause it, until ultimately all traces of self-identification are gone and all that's left is limitless freedom.
In this sense, the anatta teaching is not a doctrine of no-self, but a not-self strategy for shedding suffering by letting go of its cause, leading to the highest, undying happiness. At that point, questions of self, no-self, and not-self fall aside. Once there's the experience of such total freedom, where would there be any concern about what's experiencing it, or whether or not it's a self?
UNQUOTE

I have thought of this problem and came to the same conclusion of not holding to self because self is pride. But if not self, then what? The Bible gives the true answer.

I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. (Galatians 2:20 ESV)
So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God. (1 Corinthians 10:31 ESV)
"You are worthy, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things, and by your will they were created and have their being." (Revelation 4:11 NIV)

No Soul

Here is an explanation of non-self अनत्ता (anattā), अनात्मन् (anātman), 無我 (wúwǒ) from "Fundamentals of Buddhism: 3 Universal Characteristics":

QUOTE
Sometimes, this teaching of not-self is an occasion for confusion because often we wonder how one can deny the self. After all, we do say "I am speaking" or "I am walking," or "I am called so and so", or "I am the father or the son of such and such a person." So how can we deny the reality of that "I"? In order to clarify this, I think it is important to remember that the Buddhist rejection of the "I" is not a rejection of this convenient designation, the name "I". Rather, it is a rejection of the idea that this name "I" stands for a substantial, permanent and changeless reality. When the Buddha said that the five factors of personal experience were not the self, and that the self was not to be found within them He meant that on analysis, this name "I" did not correspond to any essence or entity.

The Buddha has used the example of the chariot and the forest to explain the relation between the term "I" and the components of personal experience. The Buddha has explained that the term "chariot" is simply a convenient name for a collection of parts that is assembled in a particular way. The wheels are not the chariot. Neither is the axle, and neither is the carriage, and so forth. Similarly, an individual tree is not a forest. Neither is a number of individual trees a forest. There is no forest apart from the individual trees. The term forest is just a convenient name for an assembly of individual trees. This is the thrust of the Buddha’s rejection of the self. The Buddha’s rejection is a rejection of the belief in a real, independent, permanent entity that is represented by the term "I". Such a permanent entity would have to be independent, would have to be sovereign in the way that a king is master of those around him. It would have to be permanent, immutable and impervious to change, and such a permanent entity, such a self is nowhere to be found.
UNQUOTE

But unfortunately for Buddha, there is a real, independent, permanent entity who is self-existent. He is God. And His name is exactly what Buddha expect of such an entity. His name is "I AM".

God replied to Moses, "I AM WHO I AM. This is what you are to say to the Israelites: I AM has sent me to you." (Exodus 3:14 CSB)

Three Marks Of Existence

Impermanence
अनिच्चा (anicca), अनित्य (anitya), 無常 (wúcháng)
Nothing is permanent, everything change and vanish.
In the Bible, God is permanent and never change.
But you remain the same, and your years will never end. (Psalm 102:27 NIV)

Dissatisfaction
दुक्ख; (dukkha), दुःख; (duḥkha), 苦 (kǔ)
Dissatisfaction, or suffering, or sin arises because of impermanence.
In the Bible, sin came into this world by the disobedience of one man and with sin come suffering and death. But the Bible does not end with this bad news. There is the good news (Gospel) that in Christ, all shall be made alive.
For since by man came death, by man came also the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive. (1 Corinthians 15:21-22 KJV)

Not-self
अनत्ता (anattā), अनात्मन् (anātman), 無我 (wúwǒ)
The doctrine of "non-self", no "I AM" concept. "I am" is a mark of conceit which must be destroyed to end all dukkha.
In the Bible, God is the ultimate I AM, the self-existence one.
God said to Moses, "I AM WHO I AM. This is what you are to say to the Israelites: 'I AM has sent me to you.'" (Exodus 3:14 NIV)

Buddha left us a teaching but we must find our own path.
Jesus said He is the way and there is no other.
Jesus answered, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. (John 14:6 NIV)

Impermanence And Two Solutions

Impermanence is an observable fact. It is obvious that things change and are impermanent. They do not last.

Observations from the Bible:
Behold, you have made my days a few handbreadths, and my lifetime is as nothing before you. Surely all mankind stands as a mere breath! Surely a man goes about as a shadow! Surely for nothing they are in turmoil; man heaps up wealth and does not know who will gather! (Psalm 39:5-6 ESV)
As for man, his days are like grass; he flourishes like a flower of the field; for the wind passes over it, and it is gone, and its place knows it no more. (Psalm 103:15-16 ESV)

But the Bible often contrast the impermanence of creation with the permanence of God.
The grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of our God will stand forever. (Isaiah 40:8 ESV)
Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away. (Matthew 24:35 ESV)

Observations from Buddhist scripture:
生者皆歸死，容顏盡變衰，強力病所侵，無能免斯者；
假使妙高山，劫盡皆散壞。大海深無底，亦復有枯竭；
大地及日月，時至皆歸盡。未曾有一事，不被無常吞。
《佛說無常經》

Impermanence - अनिच्चा (anicca), अनित्य (anitya), 無常 (wúcháng) - a very important Buddhist concept.

Solution to impermanence
The Buddhist solution
Buddha said that attachment to impermanent things caused suffering. The solution is to detach from impermanent things.
The Buddha's last words (Mahāparinibbāna Sutta 大般涅槃經):
Handa dani bhikkhave amantayami vo: Vayadhamma sankhara appamadena sampadetha.
"Behold, O monks, this is my last advice to you. All component things in the world are changeable. They are not lasting. Work hard to gain your own salvation."
"Behold now, bhikkhus, I exhort you: All compounded things are subject to vanish. Strive with earnestness!"
「諸比丘，現在我勸告汝等：諸因緣法含固有毀壞。大家應自精勤，證取道果！」

The Christian solution
Attachment to impermanent things cause suffering. The solution is to detach from impermanent things and attach to the eternal God.
So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal. (2 Corinthians 4:18 NIV)
The world and its desires pass away, but whoever does the will of God lives forever. (1 John 2:17 NIV)
And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent. (John 17:3 KJV)
Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever. (Hebrews 13:8 KJV)

Remember, you are saved by who you believe, not what you do.

Karma - Buddhism Versus Reality

The follow quote taken from "Basic Buddhism: The Theory of Karma" explains the Buddhist Karma:

QUOTE
Karma is the law of moral causation. The theory of Karma is a fundamental doctrine in Buddhism. This belief was prevalent in India before the advent of the Buddha. Nevertheless, it was the Buddha who explained and formulated this doctrine in the complete form in which we have it today.

1. What is the cause of the inequality that exists among mankind?
2. Why should one person be brought up in the lap of luxury, endowed with fine mental, moral and physical qualities, and another in absolute poverty, steeped in misery?
3. Why should one person be a mental prodigy, and another an idiot?
4. Why should one person be born with saintly characteristics and another with criminal tendencies?
5. Why should some be linguistic, artistic, mathematically inclined, or musical from the very cradle?
6. Why should others be congenitally blind, deaf, or deformed?
7. Why should some be blessed, and others cursed from their births?

Either this inequality of mankind has a cause, or it is purely accidental. No sensible person would think of attributing this unevenness, this inequality, and this diversity to blind chance or pure accident.

In this world nothing happens to a person that he does not for some reason or other deserve. Usually, men of ordinary intellect cannot comprehend the actual reason or reasons. The definite invisible cause or causes of the visible effect is not necessarily confined to the present life, they may be traced to a proximate or remote past birth.

According to Buddhism, this inequality is due not only to heredity, environment, "nature and nurture", but also to Karma. In other words, it is the result of our own past actions and our own present doings. We ourselves are responsible for our own happiness and misery. We create our own Heaven. We create our own Hell. We are the architects of our own fate.
UNQUOTE

To summarise, Buddhism believed that every action you do will generate a reaction back to yourself. It is a one-to-one karma.

But in reality, karma is not necessarily one-to-one. In fact, most of the time, it is not. It has a multiplier effect. An ancestor's migration has an impact on his descendants. A ruler has an impact on a country. A religion's founder has an impact over millions or billions of people over a long period of time. The reaction to an action spreads by the natural laws of propagation. It can be for good or for bad. There is even a mathematical theory call Chaos Theory to explain how a very small change can have big consequences. All these are observable and true in the real world.

Buddha attributed the obviously observable lack of one-to-one karma in the real world to an unproven process call reincarnation. If you cannot trace the reaction to an action in your present life, then it must be caused by an action in your past life. If your action has not generated an appropriate reaction in your present life, you will get the reaction in your next life.

The Bible tells us that unfairness and inequality were caused by Adam when he disobeyed God in the garden of Eden. He ate the fruit from the tree of knowledge of good and evil, thinking that it would make him like God. Through his disobedience, sin entered the world and spread via the natural laws of propagation. Being the first ancestor, his action caused a reaction that impact all his descendants. This reaction is still multiplying.

Buddhism Is False By Raymond

Found this article, "Why I Believe Buddhism and their Beliefs are False", which I quote below:

QUOTE
This is an interesting article on Buddhism written from a specific perspective. I do not know who wrote it. However I thought it would make people think about concepts that they have heard of but not what they really mean. Most people really do not know what Buddhism really believes.
1.What is Buddhism?
2.Who is Buddha?
3.What is karma and reincarnation?
4.Theory explains phenomena.
5.Reincarnation is a theory
6.Reincarnation contradicts the phenomenon of mediums invoking the spirit of the dead.
7.Spirit possession theory explains all these phenomena.
8.Demon possession.
9.Deception.
10.Works versus Grace
11. Conclusion.
1. What is Buddhism.
Buddhism is a widespread Asian religion or philosophy founded by Siddartha Gautama (Buddha;c.563-c.460 BC) in north east India in the 5^th century BC, which teaches that elimination of the self and earthly desires is the route to enlightenment.
There are two main schools of thought in Buddhism, the Theravada and the Mahayana, Theravada Buddhists believe they must personally eradicate their mental defilements and develop all the great virtues in order to gain their final salvation by following the method and example prescribed by the Buddha. They respect Bodhisattvas but do not regard them as saviours.
In the Mahayana school of thought, the Bodhisattvas play an important role by showing others the path to attain Nibbana. A Bodhisattva is a  person who is able to be released from Samsara and reaching Nibbana but delays doing so through compassion for suffering beings.
The practice of Buddhism has been modified by local customs, producing distinct varieties of worship. They include the Indian, Tibetan, Ceylonese (Sri Lankan), Burmese, Thai, Cambodian, Chinese and  Japanese varieties. It is claimed that the Siddhartha Gautama’s way of life and doctrine were substantially different from the Hindu (Vedic and Brahmanism) believing people in India. Yet he embraced the Hindu beliefs of Karma and rebirth explaining it as a natural law of cause and effect. Hence Buddhism is often considered as an off-shoot of Hinduism because it shares with Hinduism its core beliefs of Karma and reincarnation. It also shares many common terms, some of which are:  Dharma, Samsara, Mantra, Samadhi and Aum.
What distinguishes it from Hinduism is that it does not invoke the existence of gods.
Although claiming to be non-theistic, yet the practice of Buddhism involves worship of the statue or image of Siddhartha Gautama. Buddhists claim is that these images are not idols but are symbolic representations of his great qualities
One of his original concepts is that of dependent origination. It claims that that life or the world is built on a set of relations, in which the arising and cessation of factors depend on some other factors which condition them so that all phenomena in this universe are relative, conditioned states and do not arise independently of supportive conditions. Hence Buddhism does not support the concept of a creator or first cause. Since everything is conditioned, relative, and interdependent, there is nothing in this world which could be regarded as a permanent entity, variously regarded as an ego or an eternal soul.
This provided the basis for another original concept called the Anatta doctrine, interpreted as the absence of a distinct soul, self and ego for each person. Yet he believed the sum total of the Karma in the form of a consciousness for each person is distinct and continues after bodily death by reincarnating in another body. He introduced the idea of the Four Noble Truths, Suffering, the Arising of Suffering, the ceasing of Suffering, and the approach to the ceasing of Suffering.
Another original concept introduced  is The Eightfold path of a righteous life consisting of  Right Speech, Sila Right Action Morality, Right Livelihood, Right Effort, Samadhi Right Mindfulness Mental culture, Right Concentration, Right Understanding, Panna Right Thoughts Wisdom. The adherence to this path would bring a Buddhist devotee closer to the salvation called Nibbana.
In Buddhism, there is no such thing as sin as explained by other religions. Sin is merely unskilful or unwholesome action resulting in further suffering in the present life or future lives. His rejection of the caste system appealed especially to the untouchables.
2. Who is Buddha.
A Buddhist apologist, K.Sri Dhammananda describes Buddha as follows:
Gautama Buddha, the founder of what came to be known as Buddhism, lived in Northern India in the 6^th century B.C. His personal name was Siddhartha, and family name Gotama. The name ‘Buddha’ was given to Him after He attained Enlightenment and realized the Truth. It means the ‘Awakened’ or the ‘Enlightened One’. He generally called Himself the Tathagata, while His followers called Him Bhagava, the Blessed One. Others spoke of Him as Gotama or Sakyamuni.
He was born a prince who seemed to have everything. He had a luxurious upbringing and His family was of pure descent on both sides. He was the heir to the throne, extremely handsome, inspiring trust, stately and gifted with great beauty of complexion and fine presence. At sixteen He married His cousin named Yasodhara who bore Him a son whom they called Rahula. His wife was majestic, cheerful day and night, and full of dignity and grace.
Despite all this, He felt trapped amidst the luxury like a bird in a golden cage. During a visit to the city one day, He saw what is known as the ‘Four Sights’, that is, an old man, a sick man, a dead man, and a holy recluse. When He saw the sights, one after another, the realization came to Him that, ‘it is subject to age and death’. He asked, ‘Where is the realm of life in which there is neither age nor death?’ The sight of the recluse, who was calm for having given up the craving for material life, gave him the clue that the first step in His search for Truth was Renunciation.
Determined to find the way out of these universal sufferings, He decided to leave home to find the cure not for Himself only, but for all mankind. One night in His twenty-ninth year, He bade His sleeping wife and son a silent farewell, saddled His great white horse, and rode off toward the forest.
His renunciation is unprecedented in history. He left at the height of youth, from pleasures to difficulties, from certainty of material security to uncertainty, from a position of wealth and power to that of a wandering ascetic who took shelter in the cave and forest, with His ragged robe as the only protection against the blazing sun, rain and winter winds. He renounced His position, wealth, promise of prestige and power, and a life filled with love and hope in exchange for the search for Truth which no one had found.
For six long years, He laboured to find the Truth. He studied under the foremost masters of the day and learned all these religious teachers could teach Him. When He could not find what He was looking for, He joined a band of ascetics and tortured His body to break its power and crush its interference, since it was believed that Truth could be found this way. A man of enormous energy and will power, He outdid other ascetics in every austerity they proposed. While fasting, He ate so little that when He took hold of the skin of His stomach, He touched His spine. He pushed Himself to the extent that no man had done and yet lived. He, too, would have certainly died had He not realized the futility of self-mortification, and decided to practise moderation instead.
On the full moon night of the month of Vesakha, He sat under the Bodhi tree at Gaya, wrapped in deep meditation. It was then that His mind burst the bubble of the universe and realized the true nature of all life and all things. At the age of 35 years, He was transformed from an earnest truth seeker into the Buddha, the Enlightened One.
For nearly half a century, the Buddha walked on the dusty paths of India Teaching the Dhamma so that those who heard and practised could be ennobled and free. He founded an order of monks and nuns, challenged the caste system, raised the status of women, taught religious freedom and free inquiry, opened the gates of deliverance to all, in every condition of life, high or low, saint or sinner, and ennobled the lives of criminals like Angulimala and courtesans like Ambapali.
He was towering in wisdom and intellect. Every problem was analyzed in component parts and then reassembled in logical order with the meaning made clear. None could defeat Him in dialogue. An unequalled teacher, He still is the foremost analyst of the mind and phenomena even up to the present day. For the first time in history, He gave men the power to think for themselves, raised the worth of mankind, and showed that man can reach to the highest knowledge and supreme Enlightenment by his own efforts.
Despite His peerless wisdom and royal lineage, He was never removed from the simple villager. Surface distinctions of class and caste meant little to Him. No one was too little or low for Him to help. Often when an outcast, or poor and dejected came to Him, his self-respect was restored and he turned from the ignoble life to that of a noble being.
The Buddha was full of compassion(karuna)and wisdom(panna), knowing how and what to teach everyone for his own benefit according to his level and capabilities. He was known to have walked long distances to help one single person.
He was affectionate and devoted to His disciples, always inquiring after their well-being and progress. When staying at the monastery, He paid daily visits to the sick wards. His compassion for the sick can be seen from His advice, ‘He who attends the sick, attends on me.’ The Buddha kept order and discipline based on mutual respect. King Pasenadi could not understand how the Buddha maintained such order and discipline in the community of monks, when he as a king with the power to punish, could not maintain it as well in his court.
The Buddha did not claim to have ‘created’ worldly conditions, universal phenomena, or the Universal Law which we call the ‘Dhamma’. Although described as lokavidu or ‘knower of the worlds’, He was not regarded as the sole custodian of the Universal Laws. He freely acknowledge that the Dhamma, together with the working of the cosmos, is timeless, it has no creator and is independent in the absolute sense. Every conditioned thing that exists in the cosmos is subject to the operation of Dhamma. What the Buddha did (like all the other Buddhas before Him) was to rediscover this infallible Truth and make it known to mankind. In discovering the Truth, He also found the means whereby one could ultimately free oneself from being subjected to the endless cycle of conditioning, with its attendant evils of unsatisfactoriness.
After forty-five years of ministry, the Buddha passed away at the age of eighty at kusinara, leaving behind thousands of followers, monks and nuns, and a vast treasure store of Dhamma Teaching. The impact of His great love and dedication is still felt today.
3. What is Karma and Reincarnation.
Karma is the sum of a person’s actions in this and previous states of existence, viewed as affecting their future fates. (i.e. the effects of a person’s actions that determine his destiny in his next incarnation)
The origin of this word is from the Sanskritkarman which means ‘action, effect, fate’.
Reincarnation is the rebirth of a soul in a new body.
Incarnation is a spirit embodied in a living human from. To incarnate is to be invested in a bodily form. The origin of this word is from the Latin in- carn- which means ‘into’ ‘flesh’.
Reincarnation is a necessary adjunct to Karma. This is because incomplete punishment for a person’s evil deeds in this life will be completed in future lives.
How else would punishment for the evil deeds of Pol Pot and Idi Amin be justly meted out as these two persons died peacefully in ripe old age. It is believed that reincarnation takes place at conception or when the baby is in the womb or at birth.
4. Theory explains phenomena.
A phenomenon is a fact that is observed to exist or happen. A theory is a system of ideas intended to explain phenomena. Consistency is a harmonious agreement amongst things or parts without contradictions.
If a phenomenon contradicts a theory, then the theory is inconsistent and is probably false. If this phenomenon is consistent with another theory, then the second theory should replace the first theory.
5. Reincarnation is a theory to explain the phenomena of persons being able to recall events experienced by individuals who have died.
The strongest evidence supporting the theory of reincarnation is from the work of Ian Stevenson who documented numerous cases of children ‘recalling’ historical events and relatives of deceased individuals. Some of these amazing claims have been corroborated.
(Ref: Old Souls, the scientific evidence for past lives by Tom Shroder, published by Simon & Schuster, Rockefeller Center, 1230, Ave of the Americas, New York, NY 10020. ISBN 0-684-85192-X ©1999.)
6. Reincarnation contradicts the phenomenon of mediums invoking the spirit of the dead.
Reincarnation cannot explain how temple mediums are able to invoke the spirits of the departed.
If the spirit of the departed has already reincarnated into another body, how can it also appear in the temple medium?
7. Spirit possession theory explains all these phenomena.
To possess is to have complete power over.
The origin of this word is from the Latin possidere which means ‘occupy, hold’.
Spirit possession is the state of being under complete control of a spirit. Spirit possession is real ( Mark 1:23-25, 5:1-20, 7:24-30, 9:17-27).
Spirit possession can explain how temple mediums are able to invoke the spirits of the departed. It can also explain how some persons are able to accurately recall events experienced by individuals who have long since died.
A definite case of spirit possession is described by Roy Stemman about a Thai Buddhist monk who was born one day before his previous body died.
This case cannot be explained by reincarnation because it would mean that the baby was born without a spirit and remained without a spirit for one day.
The logical explanation is that the baby was already born with an original spirit. One day after birth, his body became inhabited or possessed by another spirit.
(Reincarnation, Amazing True Cases From Around The World by Roy Stemman (Editor of Reincarnation International), published by Judy Piatkus Ltd. Windmill Street, London W1P 1HF. ISBN 0-7499-1708-3 hbk, ISBN 0-7499-1787-3 pbk ©1997 (Ref: in page 38))
I believe the spirit that possesses the body of a person suppresses the expression of the original spirit of that person. I believe all possessing spirits are evil, otherwise they would not possess. I believe the Holy Spirit does not possess. On the contrary, the Holy Spirit renders a person free to choose.
8. Demon possession.
A demon is an evil spirit or devil. A person is demon possessed if he is completely controlled by an evil spirit. I believe demons are fallen angels, Satan being chief among them. A medium is a person who claims to be able to communicate between the dead and the living.
Temple mediums appear to be able to summon the spirit of the departed. They go into a trance, as if possessed, before they appear to talk like the deceased person. I believe that the demonic spirit which has possessed the departed individual was invited by the medium to speak through the medium.
I believe yoga meditation, which involves a process of emptying oneself of logic and reason, is a ploy by Satan to deceive the devotee into preparing himself as fertile ground for demon possession.
Demon possession is evil because it enslaves and suppresses the free will of the individual.
When the Hindu or Buddhist parents bring their children to their temples, they are actually offering their children as human sacrifice to demons for  possession.
I believe when an unsaved person’s body dies, his original spirit is released into the spirit realm to dwell there until the final judgment  because it is unable to enter the Kingdom of Heaven.
Through Hinduism and Buddhism, Satan and his fellow demonic spirits have deceived many generations of people in large parts of the world into unwittingly allowing their bodies and souls to be possessed.  This permits the demonic spirits to ‘reincarnate’ in them serially.
I believe the spirit realm is the ‘valley of the shadow of death’ (Psalm 23:4).
I believe the original spirit of an individual is from God and is eternal. When an individual’s body dies, his original spirit leaves the body and enters the spirit realm.
When a person accepts Jesus as Savior, his or her spirit becomes a sibling of Jesus who is the first born of God (Abba). As this spirit is a relative of Abba, it is permitted to enter and ‘dwell in the house of the Lord forever’ (Psalm 23:6).
If a person, during his lifetime, has not accepted Jesus as his Savior, his spirit is not sanctified (separated as holy). Even if he has performed many miracles in the name of God, his spirit would not be permitted to enter the kingdom of heaven (Matthew 7: 21-23).
When his body dies, his spirit would remain in the spirit realm until the day of final judgment, when he will be cast into the lake of fire to be tormented forever (Revelation 20:11-15).
9. Deception.
Deception means to deliberately mislead or misrepresent the truth; to swindle, hoax, cheat, dupe, fool, or entrap.
I believe the theory of spirit possession can explain all the phenomena attributed to the theory of reincarnation as well as explain the phenomenon of invoking the spirits of the departed.
Because of this, I consider the theory of reincarnation as redundant, unnecessary and even false.
As the theory of reincarnation is open to question, it then follows that the theory of karma is also open to question.
As the theories of reincarnation and karma form the foundations of Hinduism, Buddhism and New Age, then these systems of belief are also open to question.
Then what is the purpose of the theory of reincarnation?
I believe the purpose is deception.
I believe this concept of Nirvana is a deception hatched by Satan and his fellow demonic spirits.
I believe the demonic spirit seeks to escape from the valley of the shadow of death and the eventual great white throne judgment and inevitable punishment in the lake of fire.
I believe the demonic spirit believes that by doing good works it can seek favour with God in order to enter the kingdom of heaven.
I believe on entry into the kingdom of heaven, these demons, under the leadership of Satan, will, once again, attempt to overthrow God (God).
Since the demonic spirit is unable to do good deeds in the spirit form, it needs to incarnate (to become invested in a bodily form) by possessing the body of some unsuspecting person in order to do good deeds.
Hence it needs to ‘re-incarnate’. ‘Reincarnation’ does not occur with the original spirit of an individual. ‘Reincarnation’ occurs with demonic spirits. They hop from body to body, possessing and suppressing the original spirit within each new body.
Through Hinduism and Buddhism, and their core belief of karma and reincarnation, Satan has deceived many people into accepting and believing that by doing good works, a person would qualify to have his spirit  elevated from one lifetime to the next in order to eventually reach a state of spiritual ‘enlightenment’.
I believe even rational and logical thinking persons can choose to believe in ‘reincarnation’. This is because they have been deceived by demonic spirits. They are rendered blind to reason and logic regarding spiritual matters.
 Deception is the signature of Satan.
I believe God created man to fellowship with. God gave man dominion over the earth.  The first action of Satan to Adam and Eve was deception. Satan possessed the serpent and duped Eve and Adam into eating the fruit of the tree of knowledge of good and evil, the one which God specifically forbade them to eat. (Genesis 3:1-7)
By this hoax, Satan cheated  mankind  of his right standing with God and dominion over the earth. Instead, mankind, including myself came under dominion of Satan and was headed for certain death.
In the ‘fallen’ state, I am unable to fellowship with God. However, God still wanted to fellowship with me.
The triune Godhead sent a part of Himself, Jesus to earth as a man to die and bear the total punishment for the disobedience (sin) of all of mankind so that in believing in this sacrifice, my  fallen spiritual self will die and become reborn as a  sibling of Christ Jesus.
As a new creation (2 Corinthians 5:17), I can directly fellowship with God by casting all my cares to Him, secure in the belief that I have absolute right-standing with Him ( Psalm 55:22, 1 Peter 5:7)
When I believe in Jesus as my savior, I am freed from bondage to Satan. Satan is powerless to prevent me from believing the good news of the divine exchange. What he can do is to attempt  to deceive me with alternative routes to God like Hinduism, Buddhism, New Age and Islam. Satan inspired Hinduism and Buddhism with the core beliefs of Karma and reincarnation. The concept of reincarnation has been debunked by the concept of demonic spirit possession explaining all the ‘evidence’ proffered for reincarnation.
Hence reincarnation is a lie and Hinduism, Buddhism, and New Age beliefs are deceptions. They bear the signature of Satan. With the death burial and resurrection of Jesus, Satan has had been stripped of his power over me and over anyone else who believe in the risen Jesus Christ.
The demonic possessing spirit prevents the person from hearing and understanding the good news of Grace.
In order to set free any person under bondage of demonic spirits, one can drive out demons by calling on the name of Jesus because ‘at the name of Jesus, every knee will bow’ (Philippians 2:10).
Once liberated, that person, if chosen by God,  would be able to see and believe the Gospel (good news) which is ‘God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son so that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life (John 3:16).
10. Works versus grace.
Most religions include in their system of beliefs the belief that doing good deeds and avoiding bad deeds make a person more spiritually ‘pure’ and therefore more acceptable by the creator.
I believe one of the main deceptions of Satan is the belief that ‘do good gets good and do bad gets bad and that if a person’s good deeds outnumber the bad, he gets to enter heaven. This is contrary to my belief that a person can never by his good deeds qualify for entry into heaven. It is only by the grace of Abba that those who have been chosen will be invited into heaven.
Grace Christianity is the only belief system which holds that nothing  man does  will qualify him to be acceptable by God, and that it is only by the grace of God is man accepted by God.  The grace of God is His son, Jesus. Only by accepting Jesus as my personal saviour can I be accepted by God. All other ways, including doing good deeds count for nothing. Jesus’s voluntary death at the cross permitted an exchange to take place, his life for mankind’s death, his perfection for man’s imperfection, his goodness for man’s evil etc.  Also, Jesus came to life again and returned to his father the creator.
Because I choose to accept Jesus as my personal saviour, I become a sibling of Jesus. Now of my bodily death, as a relative of God, my spirit can then enter and ‘dwell in the house of the Lord forever’ (Psalm 23:6). Because I believe in Jesus, my spirit welcomes the Holy Spirit. With the Holy Spirit dwelling within me, all possessing spirits would be driven out. The Holy Spirit will never leave me nor forsake me forever (Deuteronomy 31:8).
When an individual does not have the Holy Spirit dwelling within, he is open to demonic spirit possession and is especially vulnerable when depressed or despondent.
11. Conclusion.
I believe Grace Christianity is the only way of reaching my creator, God. All other ways, though appealing, are not genuine and may lead to possession by demons.
Because I believe in free choice after making my choice, I choose freedom from demon possession by calling upon the name of Jesus.
UNQUOTE