souls...

[dannyday5821]

so...are you born with a soul? are you given a soul? do you find a soul? can you "really" sell your soul? where did the concept of a soul first emerge? is there such thing as a good or bad soul?

[JockSporran]

You do not 'have' a soul, you ARE a soul. You have a body, temporarily.

[dannyday5821]

i am a soul...hmm...could you elaborate...? how am i soul?

[eyeshade]

Is it "soul" or is it "spirit"?

briefly, I think..
that when we die, we leave out eathly body behind, gone, kapput, but our spirit continues on another plain, similar to an out of body experience, and it is this "spirit" form that stays with us all the time until we have fulfilled out destiny. Depending on what you have done in this earthly life, will depend on what you go on to do in the next lifetime, or you may have something else to do in the next realm. Our spirits are with us all the time, something a bit like our "inner child". Some people say "I heard a voice within me say..." a bit like this. But when we die, our spirit exists on another plain. Many people who have had obe's say that they were connected to their body by a see-through type of line or cord and when we die this is our spirit or soul.

[Theland]

Where do you get your info?

[4GS]

Everyone is born with a soul, it's where you poo from, it's your anus, or, to give it it's common name, arsoul ;-)

[eyeshade]

Years of reading books and talking to people etc. Many studies and literature on this subject. If you think about it, Buddhists, Hindus, Spiritualists and Islams, all talk about the same sort of thing but put different names to it. An afterlife and being re-born. The conecpt is the same it just depends on how you think you get there in the end that is different.

[Theland]

There is a major difference between them all though isn't there?

[Panic Button]

Soul is an invention of the religious nuts.

There is just your body and nothing else.

[eyeshade]

Lots of differences but when you look into what they are actually saying, they believe in a life after death or reincarnation depending on your kama or how you have lived in this life. They may all have different rituals so that their "spirit" or "soul" can enter its realm clean etc. or words or chants said so that the spirit can enter the place it should. Therefore the soul or spirit must continue.

[Theland]

With or without a God?

[eyeshade]

Panic Button, on what do you base this reasoning?

[cazzz1975]

I think there isnt a god, I think there is an evolution of the soul after death, I think god is an invention of the catholic faith which in history was brought about to give people rules to live by (the ten commandments)

[eyeshade]

Whether there is a God wasn't the question.

[cazzz1975]

it was a reference to theland..

[eyeshade]

Mm sometimes it goes off on a tangent doesn't it because of something someone says! But I believe what you say Cazz, I think the soul or spirit does evolve and if it doesn't, you have to learn lessons as to why and may have to come back to learn more.

[China Doll]

I don't believe in the concept of a soul. I believe that we live on in the memories of others and that's the only kind of life after death there is.

A personality develops. A soul is just another word for personality to my way of thinking.

[eyeshade]

4GS, gosh where did you find your information from? Must know sounds exciting.

[Panic Button]

I don't believe in God or a soul.

If there is a soul, does my cat have one, or is it just humans?

Does it exist before a baby is conceived?

If not, at what stage of development of a baby is it created?

If at the moment of conception, what happens to embryos that do not successfully implant?

If later on, what happens to souls of babies that miscarry or are aborted?

If at the moment of birth what happens to the soul if the baby dies soon after?

Is there a waiting area of souls, like parachutists waiting to jump, ready to go into babies that are conceived?

If so do failed ones go back in and join the queue again?

Then there is other religious bunk.

The soul will go to eternal damnation if the person does not turn to God, confess sins and ask for forgiveness. But what if the child dies after it has covetted and stolen something but before it has ben told that it is wrong and is a 'sin'.

[eyeshade]

PB - I'm not sure I believe in a God either but I do believe animals have spirits. Your question on when a spirit or soul enters a baby, is as ever, a tricky one. However I think it is done before it is conceived, i.e.it will chose its parents (lots of literature to say that people who die, come back into the same family becuase they can't let go). Embryos, the same. I also think that we, at whatever stage of conception chose to die either at an early stage or a later stage, depending on how as a spirit, we are evloving.

Lots of people believe that the sins you do in this life, you pay for in the next so it could well be that a spirits should learn what it is like to be born as a baby and die or it may be here for something its parents are to learn as part of their evolement.

Waiting room - again lost of literature on this. People who have died and been bought back to life again often say they have been in a sort of waiting area with people they know and people they don't know but then you are taken to another area to ponder on the life you have lived and the lessons you have learnt. Not remembering this myself can't say exactly but buddhist monks who have died, have picked out from hundreds of items, the ones they used all the time in previous life times and they could have been only a matter of a few years.

I do not believe in eternal damnation, this is put into the minds of children and people by idiots who like to scare them from going elsewhere and having thoughts of their own.

With regard to doing something wrong before it knows its wrong, then there is innocence and this would be dealt with after death and before being reborn.

Sounds weird doesn't it!!

[Octavius]

Oh I do like the concept that God was invented by Catholics!!

Anyway, the essence of soul need not be anything to do with religion nor afterlife. It can be philosophical. It is about individuality and I believe that every living thing has a 'soul' of some sort which is unique to their existence.

It is the soul which defines those individuals - you could call it personality as CD has suggested - but would you consider all living things to have a personality? A tree might well have a soul, but does it have personality? Some people also say that the soul gives us sapience, but again, does an animal possess the capacity for judgement and discernment?

An interesting question. But I doubt there is ever a difinitive answer, although to link soul with religion and afterlife is somewhat iintrinsic to human nature.