A thread about souls

What is a soul? Does all persons posess a soul? Or does the soul posess you? Does animals have souls? Any other organisms? Does a featus have a soul? Exactly when does a person get his sould, when does he lose it? Are the souls sometimes outside their body? Do souls have souls? Is there a pool of souls not having a body? Are souls scientific in any means, or are they only religious in its nature? Does other religions have souls too? Can moslem souls and christian souls coexist without fighting?

Discuss...

Originally posted by FabianFnas
What is a soul? Does all persons posess a soul? Or does the soul posess you? Does animals have souls? Any other organisms? Does a featus have a soul? Exactly when does a person get his sould, when does he lose it? Are the souls sometimes outside their body? Do souls have souls? Is there a pool of souls not having a body? Are souls scientific in any means, ...[text shortened]... ons have souls too? Can moslem souls and christian souls coexist without fighting?

Discuss...

Not everyone has soul. For example, James Brown had soul but people such as Michael Bolton, not so much. 😛

1. If a human being is divided into two separate conscious entities is the humans soul split into two? If yes then can the two resulting souls have different destinations after death?
2. If two human beings are combined into one (an organ transplant for example), then are their souls combined? If only one soul was previously 'saved' then will the other one now get a 'free ride'?

It has always been my opinion that the term "soul" refers to the medium between the physical and spiritual world. For example, love is a spiritual phenomenon that is mediated by the brain that links the material world and the spiritual world together. Therefore, if something goes awry with ones brain, this medium between the material/spiritual world becomes disconnected. With such a view, you might say that ones soul has gone on hiatus even though ones physical/spiritual being may remain intact.

Originally posted by whodey
It has always been my opinion that the term "soul" refers to the medium between the physical and spiritual world. For example, love is a spiritual phenomenon that is mediated by the brain that links the material world and the spiritual world together. Therefore, if something goes awry with ones brain, this medium between the material/spiritual world becomes ...[text shortened]... that ones soul has gone on hiatus even though ones physical/spiritual being may remain intact.

Do you see consciousness as being physical or spiritual or both?
What do you believe remains after physical death?

in original language terms, ' Hebrew nephesh and Greek psykhe. as used in the Scriptures these show 'soul to be a person, an animal, or the life that a person or an animal enjoys.

The connotations that the English “soul” commonly carries in the minds of most persons are not in agreement with the meaning of the Hebrew and Greek words as used by the inspired Bible writers. This fact has steadily gained wider acknowledgment, for example back in 1897, in the Journal of Biblical Literature, Professor C. A. Briggs, as a result of detailed analysis of the use of the original Hebrew nephesh, observed: soul in English usage at the present time conveys usually a very different meaning from the original Hebrew, and it is easy for the incautious reader to misinterpret'.

More recently, when The Jewish Publication Society of America issued a new translation of the Torah, (first five books of the Bible), the editor in chief, H. M. Orlinsky of Hebrew Union College, stated that the word 'soul' had been virtually eliminated from this translation because, “the Hebrew word in question here is 'nefesh', he added: 'Other translators have interpreted it to mean ‘soul,’ which is completely inaccurate. The Bible does not say we have a soul. 'nefesh', is the person himself, his need for food, the very blood in his veins, his being. - source the New York Times.

The difficulty lies in the fact that the meanings popularly attached to the English word “soul” stem primarily, not from the Hebrew or Christian Greek Scriptures, but from ancient Greek philosophy, actually pagan religious thought! greek philosopher Plato, for example, quotes Socrates as saying, (just ask that other ancient Greek philosopher black beetle, peace be upon him) 'the soul....if it departs pure, dragging with it nothing of the body.....goes away into that which is like itself, into the invisible, divine, immortal, and wise, and when it arrives there it is happy, freed from error and folly and fear.....and all the other human ills, and.....lives in truth through all after time with the gods.”, Phaedo,

In direct contrast with the Greek teaching of the psykhe (soul) as being immaterial, intangible, invisible, and immortal, the scriptures show that both psykhe and nephesh, as used with reference to earthly creatures, refer to that which is material, tangible, visible, and yes mortal!

the Hebrew nephesh evidently comes from a root meaning 'breathe', and in a literal sense nephesh could be rendered as 'a breather',

Koehler and Baumgartner’s Lexicon in Veteris Testamenti Libros defines it as: ' the breathing substance, making man and animal living beings, so the soul as strictly distinct from the greek notion of soul literaly means a living being, individual, person'.

Originally posted by robbie carrobie
in original language terms, ' Hebrew nephesh and Greek psykhe. as used [b]in the Scriptures these show 'soul to be a person, an animal, or the life that a person or an animal enjoys.

The connotations that the English “soul” commonly carries in the minds of most persons are not in agreement with the meaning of the Hebrew and Greek words as used ...[text shortened]... om the greek notion of soul literaly means a living being, individual, person'.[/b]

I can buy that. Why then do religious bible thumpers on TV scream about 'losing your soul' or some such? I think they think the soul is the part of the human who goes to heaven or not and carries with it all our thoughts and such. Utter nonsense of course.

Originally posted by sonhouse
I can buy that. Why then do religious bible thumpers on TV scream about 'losing your soul' or some such? I think they think the soul is the part of the human who goes to heaven or not and carries with it all our thoughts and such. Utter nonsense of course.

i agree that the TV thumpers do give a miss idea about your soul, but they are correct in thier assumption about losing your soul, as it returns to its maker for judgement. losing it would mean god lets the deciver have it and then you pay for your sins, the human flesh returns to dust .

Originally posted by FabianFnas
What is a soul? Does all persons posess a soul? Or does the soul posess you? Does animals have souls? Any other organisms? Does a featus have a soul? Exactly when does a person get his sould, when does he lose it? Are the souls sometimes outside their body? Do souls have souls? Is there a pool of souls not having a body? Are souls scientific in any means, ...[text shortened]... ons have souls too? Can moslem souls and christian souls coexist without fighting?

Discuss...

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What is a soul?
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Most basic answer: You Mind, your Emotion, and your Will. These three functions constitute your human soul.

Short answer there.

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Does all persons posess a soul?
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I think so. Everyone with a Mind, Emotion, and Will.

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Or does the soul posess you?
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This I find not easy to address.

The normal human life is that the soul is an organ to be used.

The typical way of man since Adam's fall is that the soul is the self.

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Does animals have souls?
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The Bible said the animals have souls in Genesis, I believe.

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Any other organisms? Does a featus have a soul?
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I don't know about "other organisms".

I think a unborn child has a soul.

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Exactly when does a person get his sould, when does he lose it?
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In the New Testament to lose the soul would be to lose the fallen corrupted self which we inherited from Adam. The soul took on an independent life of its own.

To lose the soul, in the context that you ask, should be a desireable thing.

To lose the soul is not the same as losing the functions of the soul. Biblically, to lose the soul means to lose the independent sinful SELF life.

The functions of the soul are precious to God. The independent SELF of the fallen Adamic nature is in rebellion against God. Jesus spoke paradoxically about whoever loses his soul will find it. And whoever finds his soul will lose it.

To make a deep subject simple this means the REAL YOU is YOU joined with God. The independent YOU living apart from and opposed to God, is something you should want to LOSE in order to GAIN the REAL YOU - Your soul joined to God possessing His nature and life.

The "salvation of the soul" in the New Testament means the transformation of the soul from its independent rebellious SELF centered existence to one of union with Jesus Christ, with God, and with the Holy Spirit.

Nobody said this was a simple subject.

www.tripartiteman.org

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Are the souls sometimes outside their body?
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Not sure at this time. I think some ancient methods of soulical power attempt to perform this.

Forgive me for talking mostly about the things I am really interested in.

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Do souls have souls?
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Only if it likes funky music and is of African descent does a soul have "soul".

Just kidding.

Souls are souls. I don't think a soul has a soul.

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Is there a pool of souls not having a body?
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Yes. Something like that.

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Are souls scientific in any means, or are they only religious in its nature? Does other religions have souls too?
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I don't know.

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Can moslem souls and christian souls coexist without fighting?
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Yes.

Originally posted by twhitehead
Do you see consciousness as being physical or spiritual or both?
What do you believe remains after physical death?

I believe it is both, however, I can only speak to the only consciousness that I know now which includes both body, soul, spirit.

I believe that after death we enter a holding place of sorts. Christ referred to those who died as those who "sleep" until awakened. Having said that, there is ample evidence that a consciousness remains after death even though those who have died have not been given ressurrected bodies as of yet.

Originally posted by FabianFnas
What is a soul? Does all persons posess a soul? Or does the soul posess you? Does animals have souls? Any other organisms? Does a featus have a soul? Exactly when does a person get his sould, when does he lose it? Are the souls sometimes outside their body? Do souls have souls? Is there a pool of souls not having a body? Are souls scientific in any means, ...[text shortened]... ons have souls too? Can moslem souls and christian souls coexist without fighting?

Discuss...

All of us are living souls.

The soul is the seat of our identity.

The soul is "who" you are.

I doubt you could prove a soul's existence scientifically. Some have told me that a "soul" is different from one's "spirit". I see no difference between the two. The closest approximate I can come up with is our conscience. And while all people may have a conscience, it's obvious that they come in a variety of sizes. And in this case, size matters.

If you go mad or otherwise experience a dramatic change in your character / consciousness etc or suppose you experience memory loss, has your soul changed too? If you later die, does anything significant of your pre-madness self continue after death?

Originally posted by PinkFloyd
I doubt you could prove a soul's existence scientifically. Some have told me that a "soul" is different from one's "spirit". I see no difference between the two. The closest approximate I can come up with is our conscience. And while all people may have a conscience, it's obvious that they come in a variety of sizes. And in this case, size matters.

Hebrews 4:12 (New International Version)

12For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.

I believe the two are different and here is why.
Kelly

with regard to the human soul rather interestingly the scriptures use the same Hebrew phrase used of the animal creation, namely, nephesh chaiyah (living soul), it is applied to Adam, when, after God formed him out of dust from the ground and blew into his nostrils the breath of life, Genesis 2 verse 7 reads 'the man came to be a living soul,'

Man was distinct from the animal creation, but that distinction was not because he was a nephesh (soul) and they were not. Rather, the record shows that it was because man alone was created 'in God’s image.'Genesis chapter 1:26, 27

It is true that the account says that ‘God proceeded to blow into the man’s nostrils the breath (a form of neshamah) of life,’ whereas this is not stated in the account of the animal creation. Clearly, however, the account of the creation of man is much more detailed than that of the creation of animals. Obviously, the breath of life of the animal creatures also originally came from the creator himself.

So, too, the 'spirit' (Hebrew word ruach and Greek pneuma), or the life force, of man is not distinct from the life force in animals, as is shown by Ecclesiastes 3 verses 19 to 21, which states that 'they all have but one spirit (ruach)'

therfore as stated, man 'came to be a living soul', hence man was a soul, he did not have a soul as something immaterial, invisible, and intangible residing inside him. Paul shows that the Christian teaching did not differ from the earlier Hebrew teaching, for he quotes Genesis 2:7 in saying, 'It is even so written the first man Adam became a living soul (psykhen zosan)’ 1 Corinthians 15 verse 45 to 47.

The Genesis account shows that a living soul results from the combination of the earthly body with the breath of life. The expression “breath of the force of life (literally, breath of the spirit, or active force (ruach), of life indicates that it is by breathing air (with its oxygen) that the life-force, or “spirit,” in all creatures, man and animals, is sustained.This life-force is found in every cell of the creatures body and this is what returns to god, not some conscious entity as envisioned by the ancient Greeks and taught in many churches.