Freethought & Rationalism Archive

Dan_Leach · 11-07-2002, 05:24 AM

Hi im new to this interesting forum so srry if im posting to wrong place or covering something that has been gone over before.
This one is for the believers out there. What actually constitutes a soul? How much of your present personality, outlook, behaviour towards and others and memory resides in the soul and how much in the physical make-up of the brain?

Jobar · 11-07-2002, 05:55 PM

Hello Dan; welcome to Internet Infidels.

You know, every once in a while I see a topic started which *I* am not sure where it should go! I think that the concept of a soul is so closely linked to the idea of god(s) that I am leaving yours here. I hope that some of our theistic members take a stab at it; as an unbeliever, I am of the opinion that the soul is one with phlogiston- an outmoded idea, a word without a referent. J.

B. H. Manners · 11-07-2002, 07:28 PM

Dan,

Welcome to the Evidences of God Forum! I too think that the questions you ask belongs here and look forward to seeing the theists answer them.

[ November 07, 2002: Message edited by: BH ]

11-07-2002, 07:54 PM

Dan, if you ask a Buddhist (or Hindu) this question, he could say that the Soul is a Sentient Being, carries its own Seed of Awakening (which it gets from the source which created the Universe via Big Bang) and goes through process of maturing.

Defiant Heretic · 11-07-2002, 08:10 PM

Welcome to Infidels, Dan.

I look forward to seeing the responses to your question.

Dan_Leach · 11-08-2002, 01:28 AM

What i really wanted to know was...could someone have an incomplete soul? Maybe a partial soul with only some of the prerequisits in place. Can someone have half a soul?

11-08-2002, 04:16 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by Dan_Leach:
What i really wanted to know was...could someone have an incomplete soul? Maybe a partial soul with only some of the prerequisits in place. Can someone have half a soul?

No but we can be oblivious to our soul because it is to the same extent that we know our soul that we know who we are.

In Buddhism there is a "no soul" concept which is when we no longer have a soul and this is when we are one with our soul (and know who we are). This is much like when Atlantis got lost in the sea or when Krishna lost his city in the sea.

In our mythology the "sea was no longer" when our former idea of the heavens and earth passed away. Earth here is the "I" and heavens is "the soul" to indicate that when heaven and earth become one and the same (heaven on earth) it can be said that our former idea about them have changed and therefore passed away.

Broken · 11-08-2002, 05:52 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by Dan_Leach:
This one is for the believers out there.

Ok!

Quote:

What actually constitutes a soul? How much of your present personality, outlook, behaviour towards and others and memory resides in the soul and how much in the physical make-up of the brain?

Honestly... I don't know!

abe smith · 11-08-2002, 05:53 AM

You might go to the *Encyclopedia Brittanica* hereafter known as "the EB" or perhaps to the multivolume *Catholic Encyclopedia*; and read the entries at *SOUL* and *SUBSTANCE*. very fascinating, if you can swallow all that unsubstantiated "(im)material" =euphemism for BS. DO NOT expect any teacher accessible to you to be able to explain the term[s].

Hugo Holbling · 11-08-2002, 06:22 AM

Quote:

What constitutes a soul?

Usually leather, but sometimes rubber.

11-07-2002, 05:24 AM	#1
Dan_Leach New Member Join Date: Nov 2002 Location: uk Posts: 3	What constitutes a soul? Hi im new to this interesting forum so srry if im posting to wrong place or covering something that has been gone over before. This one is for the believers out there. What actually constitutes a soul? How much of your present personality, outlook, behaviour towards and others and memory resides in the soul and how much in the physical make-up of the brain?

11-07-2002, 07:28 PM	#3
B. H. Manners Veteran Member Join Date: Jan 2002 Location: Texas Posts: 1,213	Dan, Welcome to the Evidences of God Forum! I too think that the questions you ask belongs here and look forward to seeing the theists answer them. [ November 07, 2002: Message edited by: BH ]</p>

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11-07-2002, 05:55 PM	#2
Jobar Veteran Member Join Date: Jun 2001 Location: secularcafe.org Posts: 9,525	Hello Dan; welcome to Internet Infidels. You know, every once in a while I see a topic started which I am not sure where it should go! I think that the concept of a soul is so closely linked to the idea of god(s) that I am leaving yours here. I hope that some of our theistic members take a stab at it; as an unbeliever, I am of the opinion that the soul is one with phlogiston- an outmoded idea, a word without a referent. J.

11-07-2002, 07:54 PM	#4
Seraphim Guest Posts: n/a	Dan, if you ask a Buddhist (or Hindu) this question, he could say that the Soul is a Sentient Being, carries its own Seed of Awakening (which it gets from the source which created the Universe via Big Bang) and goes through process of maturing.

11-07-2002, 08:10 PM	#5
Defiant Heretic Veteran Member Join Date: Jul 2002 Posts: 1,288	Welcome to Infidels, Dan. I look forward to seeing the responses to your question.

11-08-2002, 01:28 AM	#6
Dan_Leach New Member Join Date: Nov 2002 Location: uk Posts: 3	What i really wanted to know was...could someone have an incomplete soul? Maybe a partial soul with only some of the prerequisits in place. Can someone have half a soul?

11-08-2002, 05:53 AM	#9
abe smith Veteran Member Join Date: Apr 2001 Location: springfield, MA. USA Posts: 2,482	You might go to the Encyclopedia Brittanica hereafter known as "the EB" or perhaps to the multivolume Catholic Encyclopedia; and read the entries at SOUL and SUBSTANCE. very fascinating, if you can swallow all that unsubstantiated "(im)material" =euphemism for BS. DO NOT expect any teacher accessible to you to be able to explain the term[s].

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