Can we discuss "Soul"? (souls, beliefs, verse, devil)

[Padgett2]

I was in a discussion recently when the thought was put forward that: 1. A person's soul was a gift and that developed as he/she grew, 2. A soul could be lost.

It got right interesting and I thought the posters here might want to think about it and add their own thoughts.

It starts with the baby or young child. Totally self centered and selfish. At some point, the thoughts begin to turn outward and the soul begins to grow and develop. But sometimes, it doesn't. Then we have that person that always puts themselves first even as an adult. We speak of people having no soul, meaning that they lack even basic concern for others. Have they no soul, or did it just not develop?

Then, there is the scripture in Mark....I think, I forget the verse and I don't want to look it up......about what does it profit a man if he gains the whole world and loses his soul?......

Maybe we can "sell our souls to the devil."

Any thoughts?

[Tricky D]

Originally Posted by Padgett2

What is the point of conquering the world if you lose your soul in the process?

Now what is meant with the soul? To me the soul is the psyche which is half of the word psychiatrist. So I came to the conclusion that losing your soul simply means going insane. This fits perfectly with my opinion that modern man is insane because he keeps trying to rule the world even if it means killing ALL life in the process.

Insanity: doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.
Albert Einstein, (attributed) US (German-born) physicist (1879 - 1955)

Insanity in individuals is something rare - but in groups, parties, nations and epochs, it is the rule.
Friedrich Nietzsche German philosopher (1844 - 1900)

[nicolepsy]

first off, i dont think babies are necessarily totally self centered. sure they rely upon others for their physical needs but i dont think we can prove they are selfish because we dont really dont what is going on in their little heads or souls. when i read the op i decided that one's soul is the same as one's conscience. you guys are all so intelligent and great great thinkers! alot of your discussion is way over my head but i still enjoy it and hope you wont mind my piddly comments.

[nicolepsy]

maybe a soul doesnt develop as we get older but actually deteriorates instead (if you dont pay enough attention to fixing it). maybe we are all born with really pure and good souls that dont need any fixing.

[Tricky D]

Originally Posted by nicolepsy

first off, i dont think babies are necessarily totally self centered.

I think it would only be logical for babies to be egocentric first. You must have a sense of self before you can recognize the other.
To know that someone is hungry, you first have to have experienced hunger yourself so you can recognise it in others.

Babies and toddlers explore the world through their senses first, long before they form an identity.
So when I call babies or small children egocentric I do not meant it as a negative comment or anything. All I'm saying is that we experience reality through our senses and babies first have to learn how to use their senses so they can understand the physical world, before they can venture forth in the abstract world of ideas to form their own identity.

[Oakback]

Originally Posted by Padgett2

I was in a discussion recently when the thought was put forward that: 1. A person's soul was a gift and that developed as he/she grew, 2. A soul could be lost.

It got right interesting and I thought the posters here might want to think about it and add their own thoughts.

It starts with the baby or young child. Totally self centered and selfish. At some point, the thoughts begin to turn outward and the soul begins to grow and develop. But sometimes, it doesn't. Then we have that person that always puts themselves first even as an adult. We speak of people having no soul, meaning that they lack even basic concern for others. Have they no soul, or did it just not develop?

Then, there is the scripture in Mark....I think, I forget the verse and I don't want to look it up......about what does it profit a man if he gains the whole world and loses his soul?......

Maybe we can "sell our souls to the devil."

Any thoughts?

Interesting questions.
I start by believing the soul is eternal.
Then, if it was lost where would it go?
If it was sold, who or what would own it, and where would it be?
Does only a "good" soul have a resurrected body? If not, how could a body of a damned soul be burned?
Looking forward to the discussion.
Frankly, my beliefs are not too dependant upon the answers.

[Padgett2]

Originally Posted by Oakback

Interesting questions.
I start by believing the soul is eternal.
Then, if it was lost where would it go?
If it was sold, who or what would own it, and where would it be?
Does only a "good" soul have a resurrected body? If not, how could a body of a damned soul be burned?
Looking forward to the discussion.
Frankly, my beliefs are not too dependant upon the answers.

It was a way of looking at it that I had never considered. I thought it was a good subject for speculation. It would explain what happens to the "souls" of those impregnated eggs that are frozen in tubes.....that is, if you believe that life begins at conception and those are "lives." They just might not have souls at this point.......they would receive a soul when they began to be aware of surroundings.

Somethings done in this world are so vile, that it's hard to think of the perpetrator having anything that could even be close to what we think of as a soul.

Anyway, I thought this might be a little different way of looking at something.

[nicolepsy]

Originally Posted by Tricky D

Originally Posted by nicolepsyI think it would only be logical for babies to be egocentric first. You must have a sense of self before you can recognize the other.
To know that someone is hungry, you first have to have experienced hunger yourself so you can recognise it in others.

Babies and toddlers explore the world through their senses first, long before they form an identity.
So when I call babies or small children egocentric I do not meant it as a negative comment or anything. All I'm saying is that we experience reality through our senses and babies first have to learn how to use their senses so they can understand the physical world, before they can venture forth in the abstract world of ideas to form their own identity.

thanks tricky, see? i told you that you guys are way over my head some times (but i still like to try to learn!)

[nicolepsy]

Originally Posted by Tricky D

Originally Posted by nicolepsyI think it would only be logical for babies to be egocentric first. You must have a sense of self before you can recognize the other.
To know that someone is hungry, you first have to have experienced hunger yourself so you can recognise it in others.

Babies and toddlers explore the world through their senses first, long before they form an identity.
So when I call babies or small children egocentric I do not meant it as a negative comment or anything. All I'm saying is that we experience reality through our senses and babies first have to learn how to use their senses so they can understand the physical world, before they can venture forth in the abstract world of ideas to form their own identity.

im sorry if im "slow" or totally not getting the real point but i dont think babies have to "learn how to use their senses". i think they already know this from conception. babies use their senses in the womb i am sure. we are born with this talent already. it is as natural as poooping. explain more if you please (cant guarantee that i'll get it but maybe if you water it down real good........) when i think of "senses" i think of the physical ones. maybe you are speaking of something else like a sixth sense?

[Tricky D]

we are born with this talent already. it is as natural as poooping. explain more if you please (cant guarantee that i'll get it but maybe if you water it down real good........)

Pooping is natural, being toilet trained is not. Having eyes is only natural, but how you use them is another story.
Some animals can already run the moment they hit the ground at birth. Because it is paramount to their survival, while human babies are completely helpless. We can’t even walk, so forget about running.
Human babies can't do anything by themselves, besides breathing, sleeping, pooping, crying and eating.

when i think of "senses" i think of the physical ones. maybe you are speaking of something else like a sixth sense?

No, I personally do not believe in a 6th sense.
Anywayz, there was a man who became blind as a kid, but through experimental surgery regained his vision when he was an adult. Being blind for most of his life resulted in his brain adapting to his blindness. He gained knowledge of his surroundings through his other senses. So when he regained his vision he could not account for depth and other visual information. He kept bumping into things and although he could see an apple, he did not recognise it until he has touched it. In the end he was actually glad of becoming blind again, because he was used to the world of the blind.
I guess we take our senses for granted and we only miss them when we don't have them anymore.