Reincarnation is not "lame" from my point of view; it is an integral part of my spiritual beliefs. I'm Pagan, and I think you'll find that most Pagans believe in reincarnation to some extent. I don't believe in heaven or hell or the devil or evil or your Christian God or your bible. Reincarnation is not about being afraid of death, or an attempt to avoid changing your life. It is quite the opposite. If one doesn't get it right in this life, they have to keep coming back until they do; that is what reincarnation is about. It's not a never ending process with no point or purpose. The soul is here to learn from each incarnation and perfects itself until it is ready to rejoin with the higher power. The goal is to move on, not to keep coming back. Personally, I want to get it right this time around, rather than come back to this earth plane again. I've found that most people with a strong belief in reincarnation, like myself, are not afraid of death. We know that everything happens in it's own time and for it's own reason, including death, and it is part of the journey and the learning.
And almost all of us who believe in reincarnation DO NOT believe we come back as apples or coffee cups. Please try not to insult other's beliefs with your absurd examples.
The woman who wrote the inscription was, I believe, referring to her own ability to change and grow into a more spiritual being. She was not literally talking about changing into a butterfly, but it was a metaphor.
quote:Originally posted by TheWatchman:
jbt,
Sometimes people are afraid of death and especially when they don't believe in God and everlasting life. If you don't believe in Salvation then death is veeery scary. I'm not straying from the topic here, read on.
I believe, in Christine's own attempt to not accept the fact that Bill would be dead, accepted the lame theory of reincarnation. Hence, turning into butterflies. You see, your never dead if you keep on coming back. But, if this theory were true, you know how many freaking people there would be on earth! 
Besides, if you believe in reincarnation, there is no hell. People that I have spoke with that believe this, are firm about it. This way, they don't have to change their lives, they just keep coming back as apples, mosquitoes, coffee cups or congressmen until they get it right. Some people want to take the easy route because it "feels good" rather than take responsibility. Okay, now I'm getting off the subject so I'll stop. 
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What lies behind us and what lies before us are small matters compared to what lies within us.
--R.W. Emerson