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Reincarnation Banned

By j7uy5 on August 4, 2007.

Separation
of Church and State often is controversial.  Sometimes I worry
about this in the USA, but I have never seen anything as bad as what
they are doing in China:



href="http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/article2194682.ece">China
tells living Buddhas to obtain permission before they reincarnate

From The Times

August 4, 2007

Jane Macartney in Beijing



Tibet's living Buddhas have been banned from reincarnation without
permission from China's atheist leaders. The ban is included in new
rules intended to assert Beijing's authority over Tibet's restive and
deeply Buddhist people.



"The so-called reincarnated living Buddha without government approval
is illegal and invalid," according to the order, which comes into
effect on September 1...



In addition to being offensive, it seems rather pointless.
 It's like banning the transformation of water into wine, or
the parting of the seas.


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Or about as pointless as banning past lives.

(Shirley MacLaine was a great dancer, but a real dingbat.)

Its actually a very forward-thinking law. It may seem pointless now, but anyone who claims to be the reincarnation of a present-day authority figure will now require governmental approval. In effect, the law is giving the future government almost complete control over the tibetan religious tradition.

By Brian Thompson (not verified) on 04 Aug 2007 #permalink