Divine Left

And while we're on the topic of outrageous power grabs: Here's an interesting political maneuver from the People's Republic of Cheap Christmas Ornaments; a law requiring a government permission for reincarnation.

Is this a new Chinese attempt at population control? I guess that if people are required to wait in a Government office before they can be reborn, it will discourage the practice of being reborn. It could even backfire, and cause mass conversions to Christianity. One might imagine that Hell and Purgatory are preferable alternatives, to waiting in line at the Reincarnation License Bureau.

Here in the US, the State avoids regulating supernatural phenomenon. Despite King County Washington adding Bigfoot to the endangered species list; and Florida requiring Telephone Psychics to sign a Vow of Clairvoyance; governments rarely regulate something so ridiculous. But in a Nation where Atheism and State Worship have been the common practice for the better part of the past century, who knows? This goes far beyond a merging of church and state; the state is actually superceding a chuch. Back when the Western world was ruled by the Vatican, the worst that could happen to a person is an excommunication, which would only affect a person in between lives.

Here in the US, we're just trying to make certain that everyone who comes here from another country has the right paperwork. At least it is possible to build a fence to keep illegals from entering this country; I don't know how you could guard against an infiltration of Illegal Reincarnates, though I imagine it would include garlic.

The truth behind their new law, is an attempt to stave a revolution in Tibet. By requiring a license be issued before reincarnation can be completed, the next incarnation of the Dali Lama will be cleared by the government. Therefore, he would be less able to organize a Tibetan Revolution. In other words, they know there's a new Ghandi on the horizon, they want to make certain it's going to be THEIR Ghandi.

I'm reminded of the ad campaigns of my youth where government sponsored ads would show government sancitoned Hippies warning about the dangers of drug use. The idea was that if some really cool hippies "laid down" the truth about drugs, kids would "dig the rap." But it never worked. Kids are fairly perceptive, and it was obvious these weren't REAL hippies. For one thing, they were over 35, and wearing bad wigs. I can't help but think the New People's Dali Lama of China will be met with the same cynicism.