Can a soul be "worthless?"

Originally posted by sonhouse
Not meaning any disrespect but how do you personally know you
have a soul?

No disrespect taken, sonhouse.

I certainly do not know that I have a soul, nor do I know that I don't have one either.

Originally posted by eagles54
Prompted by a poster by that described another's soul as "worthless," I ask you, the impartial and wise assembled here, can a soul in fact be worthless?

Or, is it possible that a soul may have immutable attributes that make it divine, unalterable by corruption of any sort?

'Worthiness' is a characteristic of something that shows how valuable it is. Value is relative to the person valuing; so if someone does not value a soul, then it is worthless to them. Now clearly souls are not worthless to everyone, if they exist, so from that perspective souls are never worthless (again, if they exist). However, as with the other person who posted earlier, I do not believe souls exist, so I do not value them. They are effectively worthless to me.

Originally posted by AThousandYoung
However, as with the other person who posted earlier, I do not believe souls exist, so I do not value them. They are effectively worthless to me.

Is there something about you that has worth?

What is that something?

Originally posted by eagles54
Is there something about you that has worth?

What is that something?

Worth to who?

A souls worth really depends upon what you believe.

Christians believe all souls belong, in the end, to God, therefore ALL have value, be the embodied in good people or bad.

Eastern religions believe that all sould hold value, at least in some regard, and that can vary from religion to religion.

Altheists...well... do they believe in having a soul? The attachment to something intangible, such as a soul, is not generally within their thought matrix. If a soul exists, then why not God? it is one of those things that cannot be seen and is based entirely in faith that it exists.

So, for those who believe in souls - they all have value. For those who dont...it really doesnt matter.

Originally posted by twhitehead
You still have not explained how uniqueness of character implies the existance of a soul. I am sure that every tree is unique, but does it have a soul ?

As I understand it science considers it highly remarkable that life as we know it was able to get started on earth. There were many long shots that had to come through.
Science does not con nything. Some scientists think life is highly remarkable, some do not. I personally think it is not.

You still have not explained how uniqueness of character implies the existance of a soul. I am sure that every tree is unique, but does it have a soul ?

There are plenty of religions that believe trees do have souls. The souls of lower life forms are just not as evolved as ours. This belief is often times connected to reincarnation and past lives. The idea is that a soul starts off in a very primitive state, and then through a succession of lives becomes a human and then goes back to God.

As for uniqueness, that’s all tied in with consciousness. Science hasn’t been able to produce consciousness in the lab, and nothing even resembling a personality. So the idea of a soul is just as likely.

“Gravity cannot be held responsible for two people falling in love.”
-- Albert Einstein

Science does not consider anything. Some scientists think life is highly remarkable, some do not. I personally think it is not.

I’m not sure how anyone can say a thing like “science considers nothing.” If this were true science would be nonexistent.

Edit: It seems that a soul can now be weighed and measured. 😏

http://www.ghostweb.com/soul.html

Originally posted by The Chess Express
[b]You still have not explained how uniqueness of character implies the existance of a soul. I am sure that every tree is unique, but does it have a soul ?

There are plenty of religions that believe trees do have souls. The souls of lower life forms are just not as evolved as ours. This belief is often times connected to reincarnation and pa ...[text shortened]... ]: It seems that a soul can now be weighed and measured. 😏

http://www.ghostweb.com/soul.html[/b]

Science is a process, not an entity capable of considering anything.

Originally posted by AThousandYoung
Science is a process, not an entity capable of considering anything.

When I said "science" I was referring to the scientists, not gravity for example.

Originally posted by AThousandYoung
Worth to who?

Of worth to you.

What positive/beneficial qualities are fundamental to who "you" are?

Some"thing" that you identify with, that you deem as an essential element of your being.

Originally posted by eagles54
Of worth to you.

What positive/beneficial qualities are fundamental to who "you" are?

Some"thing" that you identify with, that you deem as an essential element of your being.

My happiness and the lack of pain are all that I value about myself.

Originally posted by eagles54
That is simply your conjecture and nothing else.

Therefore, your response is meaningless.

It is fact.

To understand that it is true, you need to understand what the concept of a soul is.

What do you understand the term 'soul' to refer to?

Originally posted by AThousandYoung
My happiness and the lack of pain are all that I value about myself.

I respect honesty.

Originally posted by howardgee
It is fact.

To understand that it is true, you need to understand what the concept of a soul is.

What do you understand the term 'soul' to refer to?

cummon then Mr Eagles - you raise the question about "souls";
now define for us what you mean by a "soul", so that we may discuss it further.

Originally posted by howardgee
cummon then Mr Eagles - you raise the question about "souls";
now define for us what you mean by a "soul", so that we may discuss it further.

I do not know what a soul is, therefore I cannot define it for you, Mr. Gee.

I asked the question because a self-professed Christian proclaimed a certain poster's soul "worthless." I was hoping to get a reasoned response from persons that do indeed hold that souls are existent, primarily because I thought it an interesting debate.

There is nothing in my experience that I can point to within or without myself that I can claim to be a soul. As all phenomena arise from causes and conditions and are impermanent, that which some define as a soul is nothing more than an appearance, and as such, it is not an enduring, unchanging entity.

If you wish to take to task anything I have stated here, please be my guest.

The soul is the purest expression of a person, it isnt a physical form or fleeting emotion, it is a persons inner beauty. It is possible for someone who appears cold, and yet have a warm, giving soul or an average appearance to have a beautiful soul. A Soul is a way of looking past attitudes and behavior to see the real individual that is beneath the surface. It is the true essence of another person.

There is little shown by our appearance or personality. The thoughts, the fears and desires, the longings that are part of what makes us whole are not always written on our faces, it's part of what helps you experience the people in your life as they truly are, beyond any mental or physical limitations.

That is the spirit within you....within all of us....whether you are religious atheist or agnostic
it is the truth within us all.

a soul is not worthless....

gil