Do We Have a Soul?

[RebelSnake]

The way I see it, the human soul is a religious invention. People naturally fear death and the thought of non-existance. And the notion of a nonphysical portion of "us" surviving death gives comfort to many people. Most people beLIEve only humans have a soul. Stop to think for a minute. How many people have existed since the start of humanity? No matter how you look at it, that's a hell of a lot of people. You wouldn't be able to turn around without bumping into somebody. If, as most people seem to take for granted, we retain our human form after death, the question occurs to me: Are we naked in the spirit realm and if not, why not? The idea of human consciousness surviving death is illogical, unrealistic and flies in the face of everything we know about ourselves and the world. The human brain is basically a chemical generator and the human body is the life-support mechanism that keeps it working and in good shape. Just as mechanical generators produce electricity, our brain the chemical generator produces the bio-electricity we know as consciousness. When we die and our "chemical generator" stops generating, there's nothing left to survive. Stop and think for a minute. Do you really want to exist forever? I mean after a while you would start to really get bored. After a couple of billion years you would start running out of things to do, ya know what I mean?

[A Person]

Where do programs go when the computer is turned off?

It's difficult NOT to think that the 'real you' inside the body does not have a separate existance. Life is truly amazing and I can see why people have a problem imagining abiogenesis - but then it's difficult playing a computer game to think that this is the result of invisible electrons flying around wires controlled by logic gates. When you think how far this has come in the last 20 years it's easy to think that within another 20 we'll have self-aware, intelligent software that doesn't want to be switched off.

I recall a very short, (very good) SF story* about the ulitimate galactic computing device that was given the question "Is there a God?" - the computer thought, a bolt of lightening fused the power switch on and the reply came back "THERE IS NOW"

* "Answer", Frederick Brown, 1954

[Sanjuro]

I think the first step is to look at what consciousness is. I know medically speaking what it is, but philosophically it still impresses me I must admit. There is something wonderous and great about it.

Now, that said I'm not attributing "wonderous" to anything beyond the secular, I'm only pointing out that regardless of how it developed, that it doesnt stop it from being extrordinary and an amazing tool.

Deep meditations reveal a lot about it I think on that philosophical level. Eh, thats enough rambling for one day

[End Times Prophet]

The way I see it, the human soul is a religious invention. People naturally fear death and the thought of non-existance. And the notion of a nonphysical portion of "us" surviving death gives comfort to many people. Most people beLIEve only humans have a soul. Stop to think for a minute. How many people have existed since the start of humanity? No matter how you look at it, that's a hell of a lot of people. You wouldn't be able to turn around without bumping into somebody. If, as most people seem to take for granted, we retain our human form after death, the question occurs to me: Are we naked in the spirit realm and if not, why not? The idea of human consciousness surviving death is illogical, unrealistic and flies in the face of everything we know about ourselves and the world. The human brain is basically a chemical generator and the human body is the life-support mechanism that keeps it working and in good shape. Just as mechanical generators produce electricity, our brain the chemical generator produces the bio-electricity we know as consciousness. When we die and our "chemical generator" stops generating, there's nothing left to survive. Stop and think for a minute. Do you really want to exist forever? I mean after a while you would start to really get bored. After a couple of billion years you would start running out of things to do, ya know what I mean?

I believe that everyone has a soul , spirit and Body. I believe that when one dies his spirit and soul leaves his body and returns to his or her Father. If one is a true christian ones soul and spirit will go to be with its Father God and live in eternal Life.If one has not received God as their saviour and Father then that persons Father would be the one whom they have obeyed until eternal Death which would be Satan and they will live with Satan.

[RebelSnake]

Eternal life is an illogical human concept based in fear of death. Religious beLIEfs that prey on humanity's fear of death in this way should be eradicated from the human experience.

[SouthernFriedInfidel]

Eternal life is an illogical human concept based in fear of death. Religious beLIEfs that prey on humanity's fear of death in this way should be eradicated from the human experience.

I'll say again... I often wonder what these folks who think they'll exist forever what they expect to do with eternity? Heck, most folks have real trouble figuring out what to do with a Sunday afternoon.

[RebelSnake]

I wonder, how do they define eternity? If time has ended, what is there to take time's place? I can't start thinking too deeply about stuff like that right at the moment. I've got a sinus headache and I wouldn't be able to think like I should. The point is, as I'm sure you're already aware of, christians don't bother to examine these things too closely.

[RebelSnake]

- but then it's difficult playing a computer game to think that this is the result of invisible electrons flying around wires controlled by logic gates.

There have been times when I'm playing a video game( Okay yeah, I'm almost 50 years old and I still play video games.) and the thought occurs to me that the characters in the game would see me as a god controlling their very existance. Yeah I know, I need help. The point is, I can understand some of their arguements.

[A Person]

Are we as gods to a self-aware computer program?

* We created their universe,
* we are outside that universe,
* the laws of their universe do not apply to us,
* we can change their laws at whim
* we can be arbitrarily cruel (kill everything in the universe)
* We play games with them
* We get angry when our creations disobey us
* There are evil beings that challenge our ultimate power (viruses) or try to subvert our creations for their own nefarious purposes (spyware)
* Occasionally our creations make burnt offerings (about the same time as they cease to exist)

Rather telling don't'cha think?

Maybe we're just Sonic Hedgehogs for a teenage god. ("Hey dude, look at this - I just got them all to cut the tips off their pricks!", "Awesome man - let's have another flood")

[BecauseHeLives]

I did a google search on the internet and I came across this very good analogy/explanation of your question. Its certainly not the first time somebody has asked about the existance of the spirit and soul but its a valid question nonetheless.

The article is a bit too big to paste here so here is the link: http://www.iamnext.com/spirituality/soul01.html