Souls

[CLC2008]

Do human beings have souls? If we have souls and are connected in some spiritual way, why would genocide and attempted genocide exist? Why would racism, pedophilia, misogyny and misandry exist? Why would people lie, steal and cheat? Why would people get involved with previously committed others? Why would we begrudge others medical care? Why are there no altruistic human beings?

 

I'm starting to disbelieve in souls. We're no better or worse than evolved animals. Beyond religious text and dogma, prove to me that we have souls. I see no evidence of souls, whatsoever.

 

Yes, I believe in souls. I believe in God and I am not highly religious either.

 

Truth is, no one knows for sure. No one can prove nor disprove it.

 

And then, there is faith.

[Trimmer]

In conclusion, I believe we have souls, but they can be manipulated either to evil or good with things that happen to our souls...more advanced souls like humans are more opt to suffer because our perception of what we are told and concept of emotion are FAR more advanced than lesser souls and that leaves us vulnerable to being hurt and more opt to turn evil or whatever..

I would say that the extreme flexibility we have to learn and develop in so many different ways -from a blank slate at birth into adults of all kinds - leaves us open to a vast envelope of possible outcomes, among which are "bad" and "evil".

[Trimmer]

While the above rebutts the rationale that the difference between humans and animals, is the ability to be rational, it does reinforce your devil`s advocate position that souls are necessary to perform evil.

Yes, and my devil's advocate position is actually farther from my own beliefs than the more nuanced "sizes of souls" approach that I actually subscribe to. Please, if you have any spare energy in your life (and I fully accept if my wishes are not your top priority ) I would love to know your reaction to the first chapter of the book I mentioned, "I Am a Strange Loop", which deals precisely with this question of sizes of souls, and whether there is a bright dividing line between beings with souls and those completely without, or whether it's a continuum, on which we all have different "sized" souls, which is the term Hofstadter used. If you are inclined to read it, I'd love to hear your thoughts.

[threebyfate]

Yes, and my devil's advocate position is actually farther from my own beliefs than the more nuanced "sizes of souls" approach that I actually subscribe to. Please, if you have any spare energy in your life (and I fully accept if my wishes are not your top priority ) I would love to know your reaction to the first chapter of the book I mentioned, "I Am a Strange Loop", which deals precisely with this question of sizes of souls, and whether there is a bright dividing line between beings with souls and those completely without, or whether it's a continuum, on which we all have different "sized" souls, which is the term Hofstadter used. If you are inclined to read it, I'd love to hear your thoughts.

Oops sorry, forgot to thank you for the recommendation and do plan to get the book. I`ll have to get H. to pick it up for me, when he has some time to do so.

[Lovelybird]

I believe some people's souls are dead and buried under, some people's are alive, and this make them different

[shadowofman]

I am also very curious about "I am a Strange Loop."

 

I find it very interesting that people talk about souls like they are physical energies that exist in reality, and then when the actual physical energies are described, they are dismissed as "too mundane". They rationalize the idea of "energy" and "eternity" so that it fits with a preconceived notion of an afterlife. It's delightful.