Actually that phrasing is ambiguous when it comes to something that's only speculative. It can mean either that you don't believe it exists, or that if it did exist, you'd be opposed to it. In the case of the death penalty, we know it exists, so "I don't believe in it" can only mean "I'm opposed to it." In the case of Maharishi's remark, "I don't believe in reincarnation" could mean one or the other, but because we know he does believe in reincarnation, it can only mean he's opposed to it.
---In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, <LEnglish5@...> wrote : There's no distinction. "I don't believe in it" in this context is just the same as saying "I don't believe in the death penalty" even as people are sentenced to death. And it's just the same as the Buddhist monks protesting reincarnation in the cartoon. L ---In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, <rick@...> wrote : From: FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com [mailto:FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com] On Behalf Of LEnglish5@... Sent: Thursday, May 8, 2014 1:12 PM To: FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com Subject: [FairfieldLife] Re: Reformed Buddhists "Reincarnation? I don't believe in it" -Maharishi Mahesh Yogi He didn’t say that. He said he was “opposed” to it. Get the distinction? Means he believes in it, but wants people to get liberated so they won’t reincarnate.
