Sorry if there's already a topic like this, but I'm way too lazy to look for one, and if there is... well... x_x

D'you believe that everyone has a soul? There was a recent article in Reader's Digest about how some people, when they are temporarily dead so that doctors can perform surgery or whatnot and they drain ALL the blood out and there's no sign of life at all, the soul leaves the body and can watch the doctors performing the operation... o_0... I dunno.

i think we all have souls......but that doctor stuff.....well, that's just wierd.

Well.. in a sense, it just helps us prove that there are souls... Evidence, you may say. One woman correctly described all the tools the doctor used to drill into her brain *shudder*

There is a scientific theory that perhaps other parts of the body are able to store memory other than the brain... therefore someone who is brain-dead could still be somewhat aware of their surroundings.

Also, the "out-of-body" experiences that many claim to have - the whole "looking down from above, going toward a light, meeting loved ones and Jesus" kind of thing - have also been known to be experienced by people on hallucinogenic drugs. It might just be a crazy mental trip.

Having said all this, I believe in a soul seperate from the body for purely religious reasons.

I'm an atheist, and "soul" has a very religious connotation. Until a soul can be proven, I'm going to have to say no, I don't believe in souls.

Really? I'm an athiest too... Yet I believe in souls... *shrug*

i dunno....i dont et the doctor thing..they kill ppl then operate on them?

I'm an athiest, so I don't believe in God. But I do believe in souls, because that means I believe in humanity (somewhat). If I can't have faith in people...what do I have?

*nods* Yeah, I 'gree, Sarah XD

I'm Catholic, so the believing in souls thing is sorta mandatory, but even if it weren't, I'd still believe in souls. Without a doubt.

Soul, hmm, I know its an energy that we have and even acoording to science energy can not be destroyed, it simply changes...so about the "out of body" experiences, I think it's liek a dream a person has when the brain is being stressed out because of the drugs and the surgery, sorta liek when u have overeaten or you had bad food, you dream weird stuff but it relates to the last thing you saw before you went to sleep...kinda like that ...

I believe that we have spiritual identities that I guess could be construed as souls. My biggest belief is the Ressurection where we will be given a kind of spiritual body in which we will face the Judgement and live in for eternity.

The soul does not exist. I personally see no way it could. I honestly believe it's just another one of those things that, like religion, humanity created to help ease the fear of infinity and existing within a finite portion of that.

i own a few souls myself, getting another this weekend... i think they are a joke... meh... i dont believe in god or spirits.. ghosts yes... meh... whatever... <shrugs>

I think souls are what make humans human. *nods* Mull that one around for a while

If I read that right, that means you are saying that, by definition, a soul is basically the characteristics of what makes us all human, am I correct in that assumption?
If that's the case, then that's actually a very interesting idea. So by this theory, it's not some spiritual thing from storybooks, but rather a general idea of what makes up the human psyche and behavior?

If I say yes will you stop confusing me?

In my mind, I'm relating the human soul to human consciousness. We have souls and are conscious beings. We don't know that the other animals have the same level as we do, or if they do at all, and I believe that's what makes us human.

Don't get me wrong, I'm a religious person, but there are somethings I can't argue about so well without having thought on it alot.

That's what I was saying. Relating it to human consciousness. Sorry for confusing you. Didn't mean it. I'll stop now.

Nothing personal, Aries, but I've noticed that you seem like a pretty close minded individual. You say that nothing spiritual exists and that we are all wrong for believing any of it. Stuff like that can really offend people. I implore you to open your mind to things. Not only will you offend less people, but, more importantly, it will be a very rewarding experience for you. Trust me on this one. Once I opened my mind, my horizons were broadened and my life was enriched.

I would actually like to apologize to everyone at this point. I was just having this thought as Righteous posted it. I am aware I am coming off as close minded and making it sound like my way of thinking is the only way of thinking. That's not true. I personally respect and admire everyone's opinion. I really do. Everyone has their own way of life and there is no way of telling who really is right or wrong. When I post things, I am simply stating fact as I see it in MY life. There is not a single thing wrong with how you think or how anyone else thinks. They may even be right, and I may very well be wrong and WAAAY off. That's fine, I accept that. I by no means meant to come off as "What I say is fact and you're all wrong" And for that I wanted to sincerely apologize to everyone.
I know that online I come off like that and I don't mean to. I will try and remember this in the future and with any post I may make on issues that will be very conflicting. I myself am not a spiritual person and that's where a lot of my thoughts come from, obviously. I am merely stating my viewpoint.
Deeply sorry I did that. I meant to offend no one. My purpose here is to post on these forums and have a good time. I admire and respect everyone here and I am personally angry with myself for having offended anyone of you.

PS- There was NO sarcasm in that. I just read it and it sounded like it could be sarcastic, but it's not.

Have I told you how much I love you lately Prince?

i believe that theres something more to humans than just body and mind. it all seems so simple when you put it into words. i think that every single person surpasses "body and mind", and maybe a soul is one of the ways it does this. so maybe there isnt a god. maybe all life is, is something that just stated. maybe life is just a crazy experiment set by god or whatever. maybe the true god is technology and humans were created to resurect the lost god of another civilization... but who cares?

i beleive in souls. i believe that body gives you existance. i beleieve that mind gives you personality and individualism. i beleive that soul gives you identity. i also believe that del taco is yummy and that the coca cola company is evil. so what do i know? i have no clue. maybe ill just convert to budhism, thatll be easier...

kelly j.

Why's that?

anouther reason why i dont go to the doctor

Im also aethist so i dont believe in souls as they are, say, in the bible. I believe in souls as a name people have given for the things that make them human- hence "soulless" for people who commit acts such s murder, rape etc

And when you think about it tha makes sense, because if the things that arent physical (eg the mental and emotional traits) are the ones that stay with you when you die, that explains the theory most religions have about the soul continuing to the afterlife with you.

I don't believe in an afterlife in the Christian concept. I believe in karma and rebirth as in the Buddhist concept, and I guess then that I don't believe in a soul. Human beings are a collection of parts - bones, skin, muscle, etc. and the title 'human' is a name given to this collection to make it easier to understand. I believe the same to be true of 'souls'. if you think about it, as people we are constantly changing. There are always new things to be learnt, new experiences to be had. The person I am today isn't the same person I was yesterday, or ten years ago. Using that idea then, how can you say a soul exists? Surely whatever makes up the soul is also changing, and so can't be one 'material' idea?

From what I've seen so far humans have consciousness, which separates us from inanimate objects. We also have intelligence which (some would argue) separates us from the animal world - we are sentient beings who can take responsibility for our actions, but how can we know that this consciousness is the same as a soul? We can't. What we percieve to be moral choices, obligations, responsibilities - the basis for our belief in a soul, may be no more than the impositions of society on us from an early age.

As a human construct (like time or love) I think that the soul may exist, but as an actual thing...I don't.

As some previous posts, I believe, have illustrated, the definition of "soul" is so confused that I think almost everyone here has a different idea of what it means. When I say that I do not believe in a soul, I mean in the purely religious sense (obviously atheism does not preclude belief in a soul, but bear with me a moment). In the sense of a soul that is given to us by God, that our body is a vehicle for, and that, when we die, will depart our bodies and go to be judged (or whatever it is any one religion believes happens), then no, I do not believe in a soul. Just thought I'd clarify what I meant.

This has probably already been said, but I don't believe in the soul in a religious sense, I believe that each and every person has something which makes them an individual..this could be perceived as the soul. I think that it is something that makes a person who he/she is, it's seperate from consciousness it's what makes a person feel and react to things the way that they do.

i don't believe we have a soul.
we only have a heart that keeps on pumping blood.

What exaclty is a soul?
Is it an essence within a being? Is it natural energy within the body?
I've never been clear in this...?

Just because...I do

I love everyone else too!