After the death of their physical body, are they "fixed," or is the physical mind too flawed to contain a soul?
2006-09-27 05:06:26 · 24 answers · asked by Anonymous in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
I'm really quite shocked at how people think I'm mocking the mentally handicapped.
2006-09-27 05:12:37 · update #1
THANK YOU, Ambassador in Chains.
2006-09-27 05:18:46 · update #2
The other people here were obviously too concerned about being PC to notice that your question was a serious one. I'm amazed at how "sensitive" they are trying to be toward retarded people, while cutting you down and insulting you for asking a serious question. Way to go guys! Get a mirror.
Yes, I see no reason to believe that mentally handicapped people have no souls. We are basically taught that everyone does, even Osam Bin Laden! To answer your question about "fixed" yes I believe their souls are ok, and it is the physical body that suffers the retardation, so when they leave that body, I believe they would be fine again.
2006-09-27 05:16:02 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 7⤊ 1⤋
I think this is more of a check of what people define as a soul. And so far, no one has managed to answer it; they've just stated that everyone has one.
I'll be honest-- I do not know exactly what a soul is. I suppose it is your essence, your personality and your viewpoints and your opinions all wrapped up into one. So yes, I would say that the mentally handicapped have souls. The brain-dead? I believe that their souls have left their bodies. Terri Schaivo was soulless after her brain started rotting and destroyed her personality and mind. She couldn't think, and so her soul had already gone.
Edit: To clarify, I mean that her soul had already "passed on" to wherever it was going.
Edit again: Sorry, no one has given an actual answer except Ambassador In Chains.
2006-09-27 05:18:29 · answer #2 · answered by fiveshiftone 4 · 3⤊ 1⤋
i was brought up to believe that the mentally handicaped have souls just like everyone else , but that they wear theirs on the outside whereas we wear ours on the inside. when i challenged this belief i was told " when was the last time you saw a grown "normal" person laugh out loud while running to try and catch as many raindrops as possible" most mentally handicapped are with out malice, guile, hate, jeously. they are the most soul full people i know. for those who dont belive in souls, then just think of it as eternal innocence.
2006-09-27 05:24:00 · answer #3 · answered by kayann01 4 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Of course they do!
You're going to be surprised by this, but I highly recommend you rent "The Ringer." Yes, the movie where Johnny Knoxville pretends to be retarded to enter the Special Olympics. Look at the actors in there who are really retarded. They're funny, they each have their own personalities, they demonstrate real emotion. Yes, they have souls.
I believe animals have souls and their minds are different from mine--why not retarded people?
Anyway, there are many ways a mind can be broken.
2006-09-27 05:17:55 · answer #4 · answered by GreenEyedLilo 7 · 1⤊ 1⤋
I am actually going to give you a serious answer on this.
They do have souls. Like cars have drivers. Sometimes the body of the car is damaged - only one headlight, not hitting on all cylindars, etc... But the person driving it is fine. He or she is simply limited by the vehicle they in habit. When they leave the car at the junk yard they walk away complete.
2006-09-27 05:10:30 · answer #5 · answered by Bran McMuffin 5 · 3⤊ 0⤋
Abigail: What is the hashkafic [Jewish thought] perspective on special children?
Mrs. Shaffer: what do you mean?
Mrs. Shaffer: I'm not sure what your question is....
Abigail: what is their role in society? why does God create people who have such a low level of understanding that they are unable to perform so many Mitzvot?
Mrs. Shaffer: no single person in the entire world can judge what the reason is for someone's being created
Mrs. Shaffer: many great Jewish rabbis of the past, and present, have said that these children, whose abilities seem so limited, are people whose souls are of the highest level, and therefore do not require the same performance of mitzvot as most other people
Mrs. Shaffer: in fact, one great rabbi (I don't remember exactly who, and don't want to misrepresent him) used to stand up when a person who was mentally or emotionally disabled would walk into the room!
Mrs. Shaffer: he'd stand up out of respect for that soul!
Mrs. Shaffer: so...the worth of a human being, and the purpose for his/her being created, is not something anyone of us can determine....
Mrs. Shaffer: our obligation is to give these children all that they need, including the respect and dignity that is the entitlement of every human being
Abigail: thank you for your response
2006-09-27 14:48:26 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 1⤋
They have souls, but because of the severity of their handicap, I don't see how God could hold them responsible for their sins, for they wouldn't have the capacity to understand their need for God in their lives. I feel as if they go to Heaven anyway, so they're ok.
2006-09-27 05:10:29 · answer #7 · answered by bigvol662004 6 · 4⤊ 0⤋
What a sad thing to say, their souls are probably more pure and unflawed then ours. They live their lives with no prejudice or hate. Their physical mind may not be all that ours is but their hearts can be just as pure if not more so.
2006-09-27 05:11:19 · answer #8 · answered by skipper 4 · 1⤊ 1⤋
They contain souls. I work with children with mental handicaps, and they all have their own personalities.
2006-09-27 05:10:12 · answer #9 · answered by Melissa 7 · 4⤊ 0⤋
The bible tells us life comes from God. That he breathed our very souls/life into us. So yes they have souls.
The bible also tells us that in Heaven we will have a new body/mind. It will be perfect as God planned it to be. So those who had disabilities here will have perfect bodies there.
2006-09-27 05:54:13 · answer #10 · answered by James C 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋