With today's science, how does the idea of a soul still hold water?

Question

I want to believe in a God as much as the next person, it is depressing to think we just die and it all ends but I find it so very difficult to believe that your biological body can be disentigrated and some supernatural being inside of us still continues to feel and live on another realm. I'm not asking for the answer to all, just other opinions. And please no..."of course there is a soul, it says so in the bible" What does your deep gut feelings tell you???

Answer 1

This buggs me out all the time when it comes to someone who does not believe in a soul. I am not a christian and I do believe in GOD. It just isn't jesus. I see a soul evertime I look at someone. if you have emotions, you have a soul. To simply put it, a soul is you. All the things you have gone through in life that made you "you". From crying as a child from falling off of a bike and scaping your knees, getting your first crush, to your first kiss, and what I don't want to mention that brings another soul into existance. From giving birth to an offspring to accepting one as yours that is not of kin. For example, I would really like to send you a picture of myself but do not want to put myself on blast. I looked at your profile, and what I saw was a soul. "YOU".

The only real reason I answered this question because it seems that you know how we came from darkness. But that is the true light. If you are surrounded by darkness at all times, would one even recognise it. Like at night. When one looks up to gaze at the stars they too are surounded by a light that people dare not recognise. Darkness to the expansion of eternity. true light with no end. people measure distance in space by light years. but the light travels through another that is the light itself recognised by none but the soul. Your heart.

In the bible it says on the first day, God created light and HE saw it was good. I don't recall what HE/SHE/IT created the other 6 days, but when GOD was done and seen what HE has created, he was mad. But back to the point of what most consider light. So GOD created light meaning before that there was darkness. the universe so to speak. And the light is the sun. Or any other star in fact. But the true light is the darkness and you yourself are the light to guide through what you can not see. Light upon light. Hope I didn't come off as some bugged out dude just talking a whole bunch of nonsense. Because it makes sense to me, but hardly others. PEACE!

Answer 2

Why is it depressing to think we just die? It's just not being there, and if you're not there, then you can't be miserable about not existing! You don't complain about all that time you weren't there before you existed, and this really isn't any different. I think the depressing thing would be if you couldn't ever stop.

There is no evidence of this other realm, so it's hardly sensible to believe it exists. Nor is there evidence of another, supernatural you. And even if there were, how would you know it was really YOU? I mean, who cares if you send some ghostly delegate to the afterlife in place of the whole you, consisting of both mind and body?

Answer 3

Not today's science, but science of a century ago tells us that although matter and energy can change form, they cannot be destroyed. We are animated by some sort of bio-electrical/bio-chemical energy. When we die, that energy is not longer part of the matter that is left behind. The matter changes form through decomposition. Where does the energy go? Does it change form, does it rejoin the ambient energy of the cosmos, does it retain its unique and individual structure thus somehow maintainging our consciousness. Is it a mix of all three, where the energy retains something of its form while still rejoining a more unified energy field? Can it any one of the three depending on other factors and circumstances (including the force we call faith)? I don't know. The only thing I do truly believe is that a) we are animated by energy and b) that energy cannot be destroyed.

Answer 4

Gut feelings also are in the "soul", so there you go. It seems that your question is based on the prevalent religious teachings that have affected or infected us all. Yet and still, a good and liberated question. No bible thumper would dare to dream of asking that because of their fear-based teachings.

Anyway, whatever we are, even if experiments of super-beings, we seem to have some intuitive connection with someone who shares something with us. Enough that even people ignorant of any science at all, or actually full of it, ponder and yearn within themselves to link up with that something deep within. Just a gut feeling that makes sense to me.

Answer 5

My gut feeling says 'worm food'. The thing is "today's science" doesn't factor for those who believe in a soul, never did. 'Souls' are usually tied into religion which is 'faith' / 'belief ' based. I would love to be wrong on this; but i strongly suspect this is the one thing that I've gotten right. I do believe that some people possess a tremendous beauty inside that they can share with people while they have the chance....and it is a shame to think that it dies with them but...............

Answer 6

Okay, forget about the question of soul for now. You say you want to believe in a God. With today's science, how can't you? Think about the complexity of the Earth, human bodies, DNA, ecosystems, & etc. & etc. & etc. Plus holes in theories of counter explanations such as no missing link between man and apes with evolution. All these things point to intelligent design.
After you realize there is a God, He does require you to walk in faith. Accepting the idea of a sould is part of having faith that what He says is true that He did prepare a better place for you after you die. The book of James talks about how Christians need to have faith to serve God.
Hope this helps!

Answer 7

Instead of worrying about what you find "difficult to believe", do a little research on the subject.

A good place to start for a thinking person such as yourself is here:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Unconscious

You'll find that the topic of mind/self awareness/consciousness/unconsciousness is far from settled by a knowledge of biology - or by any other scientific knowledge, for that matter.

For example, there are a number of credible philosophical and psychological theories which posit that the mind is separate from the body.

My point is that the existence and/or nature of the entity you call a "soul" is far from settled, even in the scientific community. There's plenty of room for hope.

The important thing is to study as much as you can on this topic. Think for yourself on this fascinating topic, and your concerns will become trivial.

Answer 8

If you check out the original language that the word -soul derived from Hebrew-ne`phesh and Greek--psy-khe` It means the vessel or body.
So when a person dies his soul or body dies. This is what the bible really teaches.

Answer 9

Try the book "The River Why?" Get past the first 20 pages and the book changes into something wonderful.

Aloha

Answer 10

That there is no soul, but we still use the term to denote a sense of self that is enduring and lasting beyond the present and a way to describe the totality of our experience.