Do You Believe In A "Soul"?

What is a soul? Do you believe in a soul? I personally don't believe in a soul or aura. I think you have a personality but that's about as far as it goes. Not going to heaven or hell or reincarnated. Animals and all living things alike do not have souls and humans are not special. It is a nice fuzzy feeling to believe you have a soul, but I think it's just spiritual mumbo jumbo.

 

You are free to think what you will.

However if you are wrong I wouldn't want to be you.

The good thing about being a Christian is that if we are wrong, well, we end up the same place as you do but if we are right, you will end up somewhere much worse.

Something to think about.

 

Pascal's Wager is a poor apologetic.

 

I don't accept that there is a dualism to our reality so the idea of a 'soul' as anything other than emergent property of a complex human brain is metaphysical speculation as far as I am concerned. We can demonstrate that altering the physical brain alters our 'consciousness' which is what I believe people derive a 'soul' from but, I have yet to see evidence for a separate 'consciousness' or 'soul' substance; indeed speculation of such presents more problems than it solves.

 

If you are wrong you will spend your time in Neifilhiem where the dragon Niddhogg will suck the blood from your body, whilst I will ride beside Odin, drinking beer from a goats udder and battling the giants!

 

No and I don't want to.

 

The "Soul" is a creation by men to explain the individuality and humanity of our species as unique amongst animals in the context of another unique creation of men. Religion/God require something to differentiate who we are on this Earth in order to make us special. As there has not and will not be anything tangible to define this concept, let alone evidence to support it I dismiss it as happy happy feel good silliness.

 

I just hope the afterlife, if there is one, is more complex than that. I prefer neither Heaven nor Hell.

 

I think its far more complicated than we are even capable of imagining.

I think people who don't believe in an afterlife probably won't get one.

You'll just blink out.

The rest of us will experience something amazing for the rest of eternity.

 

That wouldn't be so bad, I suppose. Better to not exist than to suffer. Still, I only can hope that whatever afterlife I might have actually provides me with what I want.

 

Hell is described as the separation from God.

I highly doubt its an actual lake of fire.

However, the pain from not being part of the Kingdom could be quite depressing I'd imagine.

Its like everyone around you winning the lottery and throwing a huge party but you are just sent away, all by yourself.

 

That would be depressing. However if I was separated from God, but had my ideal version of an afterlife, I would likely be fine. Heaven might be "better", but it would lack the satisfaction of having something good that is my own.

 

Yeah, kinda don't think it works like that.

I imagine those not going to Heaven as walking alone for eternity through the desert.

Never getting hungry or thirsty, never dying, just existing by themselves, pure loneliness.

 

A shame. That would be more boredom than anything.

 

But hey, nobody knows for sure, except the dead I suppose.

You sound like a nice person, I wish the best for you in that afterworld thingy.

 

I wouldn't exactly consider myself nice, but thank you all the same Spooky. Hopefully you find what you are looking for as well.

 

It's not coincidence that famous entertainers are commonly referred to as "personalities", and it's worth noting that they're generally shallow and stupid.

You could hardly be more wrong if you tried. I don't have a soul, I am a soul; and I don't have any feeling at all about it.

 

Possibly. But that doesn't explain the differences in what a conscience tells one individual or another.

 

Backing no horse is likely to yield the same result as backing the wrong horse.

Believing something because you might get tossed a banana for it is not generally a good reason.

 

Well if atheists are correct the worst that will happen to Christians is they die just like everyone else. But if the Christians are correct, well, how do you like hot climates?

 

I prefer not to believe things just because they might lead to reward, I don't think any god not worthy of my contempt would want that either.

Pascal's Wager is a despicable argument and theists shouldn't use it in my opinion.

 

LOL! Godless societies get arrogant as well. They usually desend into chaos.

Well, like it or not this is the truth. If you are wrong you will have plenty of time to contemplate your lousy decision.

 

I believe in a spiritual component.. yes

"We are not human beings having a spiritual experience. We are spiritual beings having a human experience." - Pierre Teilhard de Chardin

 

or if Muslims or Jews or any of the other God's that punish the infidels for not believing..... are correct...

 

I think some think their jealous God is more like Trump with a huge ego then a kind loving God