What is the soul?

[Vajradhara]

Re: 21 gr?

Namaste Personanongrata,

thank you for the post.

The soul is a staple of virtually every known religion, and religion itself would actually be pretty pointless without it.

whilst this seems to be correct, it's actually not. there are a host of religious traditions around the world that don't have a concept of a soul, especially a permenent, unchanging soul. as i'm sure you are aware, the Buddhist tradition has no conception of a soul and yet, it's doing pretty well as far as religions go

to be frank with you, it sounds like this is your opinion conditioned by your religious belief. why would religion "re-linking" be pointless without a soul?

In early religions

which early religions are these?

, the soul was a basic and largely unstated assumption, since your body would obviously just sit around on its ass unless a soul was giving it directions.

this would appear to be consciousness, not a soul.

In fact, that was pretty much the definition of the soul -- that thing which told your body how to act. It was simple.

i would beg to differ. this does not imply a soul in the least. this does, however, imply consciousness though we can discuss that as well.

Life was good...

black plague = not good

 

[pswfps]

Re: 21 gr?

Interestingly, Genesis 6:1 suggests that man is just flesh and not of The Spirit?

 

[pswfps]

Re: 21 gr?

Just to expound a little, I undertstand that the name "Adam" literally means dirt/earth/mud/ashes combined with the breath of God. It seems logical then that Adam minus the breath of God is just dirt/earth/mud/ashes.

Referring back to Genesis 6:3, God seems to be saying that He shall withdraw His Spirit from man. If we equate His Spirit with the breath of God, then it seems that after the 120 years man will become devoid of the Spirit of God, ie exist purely as dirt/earth/mud/ashes, or if you prefer "flesh".

Now fast forward n thousand years to the New Testament. Somewhere in the Gospel of John, Jesus says that one must first be born of the flesh and then of The Spirit in order to enter the Kingdom of God and eternal life. I take it that "The Spirit" is that of God which was lost all them years beforehand?

Fascinating stuff!

Thanks
Paul.

 

[juantoo3]

Re: 21 gr?

Kindest Regards, pswfps!

I don't know that we've met, welcome to CR!

Just to expound a little, I undertstand that the name "Adam" literally means dirt/earth/mud/ashes combined with the breath of God. It seems logical then that Adam minus the breath of God is just dirt/earth/mud/ashes.

Referring back to Genesis 6:3, God seems to be saying that He shall withdraw His Spirit from man. If we equate His Spirit with the breath of God, then it seems that after the 120 years man will become devoid of the Spirit of God, ie exist purely as dirt/earth/mud/ashes, or if you prefer "flesh".

Would that be "breath of God," or "breath of life?" Breath of life I believe is the hebrew word "nephesh", often used of live animals, but also often used to denote human spirit. In the context of spirit, it corresponds to the greek "pneuma" in the New Testament. It's been a while since I looked into this, there is room for my correction.

 

[Blue]

What is the soul?

A strange question, for it can be whatever an individual conceives it to be.

It can be something or nothing!

Each individual has an affective nature and experiences an affective nurture of some kind.
Each individual, spiritually and subjectively, comes to personal understandings.
Therein lies the soul, if one is felt worthy of being conceived as such by the individual at all.

There is, of course, no objective proof of such a conception beyond self in the material world. If there were, there would be no necessity for the concept of a spiritual Faith at all... it would be considered a fact of human existence.

 

[thorn]

I believe the soul...the mind...the body....the SPIRiT....is one.


One thing. Reality.


One flesh.



Physical...atomic structure.










I know a girl...whom the mist follows...everywhere she goes.

 

[pswfps]

Re: 21 gr?

Hi Juantoo

Thanks for the welcome.

I meant the breath of God. Interestingly though, if God is life then the breath of God and the breath of Life might be considered synonymous? I which case , if what you say is correct, there is nothing to distinguish man from animal in this respect.

Thanks
Paul.