If you google the title you get a plethora of sites and ideas. One of the ideas that seems to pop up directly questions what the Bible says: "...A soul is an idea created by man to comfort his fear of his impermanence..."
If you google the words "Bible" and "soul" you'll see this website: http://www.learnbible.net/soul.html. In it you see many Biblical references to these ideas:
- "God hides the truth from all but a few" basically saying that it is hard for the "common scholar" to divine Divine Truth from reading the Bible (so, who is a "common scholar"?)
- "That Greek thought and St. Augustine came up with the doctrinal views of "the soul"- and not anything directly out of the Bible
- "..."Among the ancient Hebrews 'soul' was the equivalent of the principle of life as embodied in living creatures, and this meaning is continued throughout the Bible ..."
- "...In the Old Testament Hebrew, the original word for soul is nephesh. In the New Testament Greek it is psuche. Both mean the same thing and are used Interchangeably. One is used to translate the other..."
- "...It is quite obvious at the outset that a word of such broad application, including all the animal kingdom, all its bodily [and] physical aspects, CANNOT POSSIBLY indicate some immortal essence in man distinguishing him from the lower creation..."
I'd encourage anyone interested to peruse the rest of that website- some interesting thoughts. I personally plan to spend some time today looking up the thoughts on the "soul" in the Bible- but as the above-mentioned website notes- is the Greek and English translations so corrupted as to make finding the meaning of one word problematic? I guess it depends on what our thoughts are on the source of the Bible and subsequent translations.
Bottom line, though- is: is our soul separate from our bodies, or is it a manifestation of our bodies (or is that a false dichotomy- and the "truth" somewhere in between?)?
On the one hand I feel very lucky to have been born into the U.S. and as a product of loving and educated parents. That my soul "landed" in that vessel seems to me to be a jackpot kind of "win". Surely I need to do a lot to justify that gift.
On the other hand, what if my soul could not have existed in any other body? What if it is the end result of every person along my lineage up to this point? What if my soul actually emerges from my body and is not separate? This possibility makes the whole "afterlife" idea a little murky- what happens to my soul if it is a result of my body- and my body is decomposing in the ground? Likewise, if my soul is entirely separate- wouldn't that be akin to the idea of multiple lives?
Welcome to The Red Cell!
If this is your first visit here, please take a moment to peruse the posts and comments. Try to see things from the vantage point of someone who does not know God.
The "Red Cell Thoughts" are not to be taken as a position of this blog- they are meant to stir thought. Please feel free to post other thoughts, questions, and possible answers. All posts are anonymous, but feel free to provide your name if you so desire. The Red Cell facilitators reserve the right to edit comments that are rude or offensive. Having said that, a little bit of offensiveness may be allowed- because if we offend no-one, then we might not be working hard enough! Remember, the Christian religion was founded on questioning the prevailing wisdom of the day and the Protestant Reformation continued that tradition. Don't be afraid to question all your assumptions.
Sunday, June 21, 2009
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