Whats with all this soul buisness. The soul is an idea created by christians to make people do what they want, just like hell. Well thats my opinion. Until a docter can point it out on my body then it doesnt exist.

Anyway why do you (Mainly speaking to Athiests) belive you have a soul, if you do?

Athiests? ATHIESTS HMMM?!

The soul, or at least the idea, has been around a lot longer than Christianity...

Basically every single civilization, including the ancient Egyptians and ancient Chinese (3000 years before Christ) believed in the concept of the soul.

I do agree with you, however - the soul is not a concrete object that one can point to. However, our knowledge of how the human brain works is very limited, and nobody has been able to pinpoint where exactly emotions like guilt or love come from.

You spelled "Doctor" incorrectly.

Secondly, the concept of a soul has been around longer than christianity, notwithstanding it's supposedly a mental/spiritual thing, thus not being tangible (like most doctrinal ideas).

quote:Originally posted by Fai1safe:

Whats with all this soul buisness. The soul is an idea created by christians to make people do what they want, just like hell. Well thats my opinion. Until a docter can point it out on my body then it doesnt exist.

Anyway why do you (Mainly speaking to Athiests) belive you have a soul, if you do?

ATHIESTS DO NOT BELIEVE IN A SOUL, you moron. Theists do!

No, I do not. I think "soul" is really just someone personality and mind set.

I also don't believe in heaven or hell, and I don't believe in the soul things either.

The way I see it is:

You are born, you live, you die, and the world goes on. I don't think there is a form of after life, etc.

How can someone say there is, when nobody has proven it? For example, nobody has ever gone to heaven or hell and came back to let the rest of us know that it is there. And having faith in hell doesn't make sense either.

quote:Originally posted by Osiris89:

ATHIESTS DO NOT BELIEVE IN A SOUL, you moron. Theists do!

An atheist can believe in a soul. Will everyone stop using "atheist" as an all-encompassing term against the metaphysical.

quote:Originally posted by Aeon:

The way I see it is:

You are born, you live, you die, and the world goes on. I don't think there is a form of after life, etc.

Hey i agree and i wasnt really talking bout the religious side of the soul but what people thought of the idea in general, like if you belive you have one. Oh and get over the spelling people.

quote:Originally posted by Aeon:

How can someone say there is, when nobody has proven it? For example, nobody has ever gone to heaven or hell and came back to let the rest of us know that it is there. And having faith in hell doesn't make sense either.

well, how can somebody say there isnt? it hasnt been proven that its not there either... and believing that when you die nothing at all is gonna happen to you is just about the same ''illusion'' as beliving there is something. you cant prove either, all you can do is believe.... so why not believe? i think it makes more sense.

quote:Originally posted by the_nut:

well, how can somebody say there isnt? it hasnt been proven that its not there either... and believing that when you die nothing at all is gonna happen to you is just about the same ''illusion'' as beliving there is something. you cant prove either, all you can do is believe.... so why not believe? i think it makes more sense.

There's no evidence that I'm not suddenly going to kill you with my Magic Mind Powers on the next Friday the 13th, but are you going to believe that and live your life as if it were true?

quote:Originally posted by Paradise Lost:

An atheist can believe in a soul. Will everyone stop using "atheist" as an all-encompassing term against the metaphysical.

Usually athiests do not believe because they don't believe in non-empirical stuff. Such as the paranormal, etc. I've never heard of an athiest believing in souls...

quote:Originally posted by Osiris89:

Usually athiests do not believe because they don't believe in non-empirical stuff. Such as the paranormal, etc. I've never heard of an athiest believing in souls...

Usually being the key word. Many atheists are indeed materialists but they aren't one in the same.

I've always believed in a soul, even when I was a strong atheist. It's so obvious, I mean, the soul is YOU. How you're experiencing all of this crap... okay, I'm gonna make up a thought experiment.

Say you and your buddy decide to switch places. You enter your buddy's body, and your buddy enters your body. But the physical brains, with all their memories and neurons and brain cells are not exchanged between bodies. I know it may be impossible, but just imagine it. Now you're experiencing the same thing that your friend once did. You'd never know for sure that you switched bodies, because you now have his memories and thoughts. The only thing that has changed is that your SOULS have gone into each other's bodies.

That's what I think of when I hear the term "soul."

Edit for clarity.

[This message has been edited by Clarphimous (edited 11-27-2005).]

Obvious there is a soul?

How you can claim that a "soul" - something which cannot be measured, seen, heard, tested, replicated, weighed or touched - is somehow "obvious", defies logic. You must have a very strange definition of "obvious".

[This message has been edited by Rust (edited 11-27-2005).]

I'm sorry Rust http://www.totse.com/bbs/frown.gif (http://www.totse.com/bbs/frown.gif)

By "obvious" I meant it's something all of us can try for ourselves. All it takes is some self-awareness.

Maybe I just have a different definition of "soul" than most people. I just think of it as our consciousness, the "me" that actually experiences things. That's all, really.

quote:Originally posted by Osiris89:

Usually athiests do not believe because they don't believe in non-empirical stuff. Such as the paranormal, etc. I've never heard of an athiest believing in souls...

Plenty of athiests believe in souls

quote:Originally posted by Clarphimous:

I've always believed in a soul, even when I was a strong atheist. It's so obvious, I mean, the soul is YOU. How you're experiencing all of this crap... okay, I'm gonna make up a thought experiment.

Say you and your buddy decide to switch places. You enter your buddy's body, and your buddy enters your body. But the physical brains, with all their memories and neurons and brain cells are not exchanged between bodies. I know it may be impossible, but just imagine it. Now you're experiencing the same thing that your friend once did. You'd never know for sure that you switched bodies, because you now have his memories and thoughts. The only thing that has changed is that your SOULS have gone into each other's bodies.

That's what I think of when I hear the term "soul."

Edit for clarity.



If there is a soul, I believe it has an over-memory, of all the incarnations of the life on Earth. Additionally, thoughts could be transferred between Soul/Mind.

So, if you switched bodies with your friend, you will not know you switched because you did not transfer brain cells. But, you, in your friend's brain, will slowly "remember" past memories you had yourself. Slowly you will have enough memories to understand this is not your body and something strange is going on. The brain is, a reciever, if you will.

All hypothetical, though.