If I cut my hand I say, I cut MY hand. If I lost a leg, I'd say I lost MY leg. Who if not our spiritual self are we refering to. I mean I am without my leg or hand. They can keep bodies alive for brain dead persons, but the person is not able to interact with his environment. So if our beings is not in our physical body, where do you say it is.
2006-12-14 10:29:05 · 23 answers · asked by P&B 3 in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
Those who were confused, it's called pondering. It requires one to think about this subject. I'll be more literal next time.
2006-12-15 06:13:47 · update #1
You seem to be confused. Atheists don't believe in gods. That's all.
Therefore, it's possible that some atheists may believe in a "spiritual self" -- whatever that means. (You really should define your terms, otherwise you leave people guessing about what you actually meant.)
Speaking only for myself: I know that it's impossible for any part of me to survive the death of my physical body. What we call the human spirit (or soul, if you prefer) is a product of the mind, which is a product of the brain; and since we know that the brain cannot survive more than a few minutes without a blood supply, I know that my brain will die soon after the heart stops beating. At that point, whatever was me will be gone, except from the memories of those who knew me.
That's how it works for all other living things. There's no reason for me to be exempt from this natural process.
This thought does not trouble me.
2006-12-14 10:38:46 · answer #1 · answered by ? 7 · 2⤊ 0⤋
Say everyone is not really their physical self, but rather some sort of spirit that can not be tasted, touched, seen, or heard. So when you have lunch with someone and see them the next day, how do you really know it is the same person? You are not seeing them (since the spirit can not be seen).
Also, if you are a spirit, how does a non-spatial entity (i.e. the soul) interact with a physical subject (i.e. the body). If you really were some spirit that was trapped in a body, where does it go when you are knocked unconcious for surgery?
The notion of self is the continual stream of conciousness + non-duplication. What is it that makes a river a river? Certianly it's not a soul, and it can't be purely physically defined since the water is constantly changing. It is the linkage through time of the characteristic of that river, which is why we can compare the Colorado river of today with the Colorado river of the past.
2006-12-14 15:33:28 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
With this question you are assuming all non-Christian theists don't believe in a soul, and that's an incorrect assumption.
From an atheist point of view - the sense of self, the consciousness, is created via electrical impulses coursing through the brain. It is lost when the brain ceases to function.
For many non-Christian theists, however, there is a soul and it either goes somewhere after death, merges with all that is, or is reborn.
2006-12-14 10:42:08 · answer #3 · answered by swordarkeereon 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Well, it is called a brain. That is the central nervous system, and the provider of motion and senses of your body..
If you cut off your hand, and your leg, then I would say you would have difficulty typing those stupid questions so quickly...
Now, let us get the point of your question since you did not want to type it out.
Lets talk about GOD;
an invisible man, who lives in the sky. He loves you very much, yet will set you on fire in hell for eternity if you disagree with him.
He knows all, tells nothing, and HE NEEDS MONEY!
I wonder where he spends it?
You are not allowed to think, f*ck, want, kill, lie, cheat, steal, cant say god damn (goddamn it *snaps fingers*) and a few other things.
oh well, I will live my happy life in my happy house, with my happy 3 legged cat. My mom will blab about me not believing, and so will 87% of others, but I do not care. I do not judge, I simply live with a large degree of reality instead of following a book of schizophrenic ideas.
2006-12-14 10:30:21 · answer #4 · answered by ? 6 · 2⤊ 0⤋
"They can keep bodies alive for brain dead persons, but the person is not able to interact with his environment"
Because who ever he/she "is" is dead. You "spiritual self" or consciousness is a product of the brain. When the brain dies you die.
Simple.
2006-12-14 10:40:09 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
I'm sorry but I'm not able to follow your question. Are you asking if I believe that there is some kind of other-worldly 'soul' that is the living part of my body? If that's your question then the answer is no. A hand is a hand and a foot is a foot.
Sorry but that was very vague - could you rephrase?
FP
2006-12-14 10:34:09 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
I'm a little confused by your question, but let me try.
If we don't have a soul, then our essence, our being, would be in our brains and nervous system. Which is why we can't just ignore the pain when we have a severe injury. The thing that hurts is a part of us.
2006-12-14 10:39:34 · answer #7 · answered by Mr. Bad Day 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I'm agnostic and this is the REASON I'm agnostic - I don't know the answer to your question. I don't think that a spirit can totally disappear, because in our world no type of energy disappears, it changes forms. Where is our spirit before we are born? I don't know. Where is it after we are born? I don't know. As much as religious people claim to know, I don't think it is ANYWHERE near as simple as they make it.
I don't understand though, where you think our our being is - why would it not be in our body? All I really know, is that I DON'T know the answer to everything, and that the answer to everything is not in a book (the bible).
2006-12-14 10:34:09 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
If you cut your hand, that's a cut into the flesh, not a spirit. There is no soul or spirit. Our being IS the physical body.
2006-12-14 10:33:17 · answer #9 · answered by ReeRee 6 · 2⤊ 0⤋
The Brain is a really complex thing.
2006-12-14 10:31:44 · answer #10 · answered by slogan909 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋