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+--- Thread: What's a soul? (/showthread.php?tid=38938)
What's a soul? - Erebus - 2011-03-08
This is more pointed towards the "religious" members but feel free to post your response if you don't fall into that kind of group.
Background of Question: My class was in a discussion about "Nature" and to make a long story short someone basically tried to win a debate by saying that because we have souls we are more worthy of existence where as animals are expendable due to a lack of a soul.
I responded to her: "What's a soul?" and after an exchange of "pretty philosophical words" she eventually concluded that she couldn't answer it. She then tried to use some failed logistics to try and deface my claim of the possibility that souls don't exist and made a fool of herself, but that's neither here nor there.
However I considered the win to be "cheap" when you consider the average person is not well prepared or knowledgeable on their religious beliefs beyond the basics. So for the sake of curiosity I'm asking:
What's is a soul and what is its value?
Note: I'm not asking you to do the impossible and prove the existence of a soul. I'm just asking what you believe an accurate description of a soul is and what do you think it's non-monetary value is (E.G. does having a soul make something better then something else).
EDIT: Also when does the soul enter the body and how does it get there
What's a soul? - Shidoshi - 2011-03-08
Why don't animals have a soul?
What's a soul? - Erebus - 2011-03-08
Shidoshi Wrote:Why don't animals have a soul?
That's just what she believed to be true.
There was also a thought about "clones" not having souls because they're made by science and not god.
What's a soul? - Panacea - 2011-03-08
I'll start with the easier part of the question. Regardless of whether or not animals have souls, just because we do does not make us more worthy of existence. That's what natural selection is for.
As for "What is a soul"...
You could consider a soul like an aura, I guess. Or that would be my interpretation. Probably more along the lines of a spirit? It's what's left of us when our physical body has expired. I'm not extremely religious so I'm just putting out there what my take is. I'm sure someone else could do a much better job.
What's a soul? - Shidoshi - 2011-03-08
What does a soul do anyway?
PS: Anyway I'll stop posting, posting more won't lead to a productive discussion as per what the TS defined.
What's a soul? - Panacea - 2011-03-08
Shidoshi Wrote:What does a soul do anyway?
Who really knows?
If it's an embodiment of us when our physical bodies expire, then I'm sure our first inclination would be to look over our friends and family. Along the lines of a muse, perhaps.
What's a soul? - -Ghost- - 2011-03-08
I think a soul would really only connect to religion or spirituality being that a soul is basically what's supposed to be what's inside the body, it then releases when the person dies and it's sent to a holy plain, an evil plain, or remains on earth for whatever reason, either for punishment, or some believe the soul (Or spirit, whichever you want to call it) remains so that it can give life to the land and help it grow.
I think in most cases a soul is really seen as the person's life in general, and without a soul the person or thing is basically a lifeless puppet, cannot think for itself, cannot move by itself, etc. The body is sort of like a shell I guess.
For what the value of a soul might be: Well, personally since I assume a soul is just another way of saying a person's life, I'd have to say it's not worth anything at all. I find that lives hold no -true- value except to the person it belongs to, and how they want to value it is up to them.
For how it might get into the body: Maybe at some point the ''shell'' is empty, the soul enters it at some point and controls it, with the help of the soul the shell can grow and develop.
Who knows?
What's a soul? - Erich - 2011-03-08
There is no "real" answer. Science cannot prove what a soul is or if it truly exists, so there is no definite answer. Because of that, it's just an idea. Because it's an idea, it's open to interpretation.
Wikipedia says: the incorporeal essence of a person or living thing or object.
My personal definition: the word which we use to describe our mental being+emotions+beliefs in a physical form