Following Plato, and the Story of Er, it is clear that the afterlife, purgatory, heaven, hell, and the reincarnation of each person's soul is a valid Episcopalian Catholic teaching. However, reincarnation is to be discussed and taught with caution. You see, some persons, out of ignornance or even malice, attempt to claim authority on earth by reason of some claimed past life reincarnationally. It is unclear whether such claims are valid, and moreover, it is often the case that nothing at all can be said to substantiate such claims. Thus, it is better to teach reincarnation with caution. In fact, the experienced Spiritual Director should treat any discussion by a directee of reincarnational experience as psychological fact, rather than asserting the the experience by the directee was either real or unreal. Another way of putting this, is to say that reincarnation accounts by a directee in Spiritual Direction should be treated as relative real. What can always be taught, however, is the Doctrine of the Preexistent Immortal Indestructible Soul. Each person has an preexistent, immortal, indestructible soul. This can be taught to everyone, regardless of a particular religious orientation on the basis of Plato and the Story of Er and other Near Death Experience Accounts.
(C)Copyright 2011 by Anthony J. Fejfar
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