What Do All Religions Have In Common?

[Blackheart]

Interesting question ^above^.

At what point did Adam 'become' a living soul at Gen 2v7?

Not until God breathed the breath of life into Adam, then Adam became a living soul. So at death Adam became a dead soul, or lifeless soul because Adam no longer had the breath of life [breathing].

Please note Adam 'became' a living soul. All of Adam became alive.
No where does it say Adam 'came to have' a soul
No where does it say Adam 'came to possess' a soul.
Rather, Adam was a soul.
Because Adam sinned he died.
As Ezekiel 18vs4,20 says: the soul that sins dies.

Job [33v4] said the spirit of God made him, and Almighty God's breath brought Job to life. So, as with Adam, both needed breath combined with a body to become a living soul or living person.

Noah and his family, being people, are mentioned as being souls.
- 1st Peter 3v20.

The soul then being the whole person.
Mentioned as a person, at Deut 12v20, the soul longs or craves to eat......

There are many teachings and scriptures that refer to the unimportance of flesh. Chirstians are instructed that the flesh is a worldy thing that will one day be left behind. The expression 'gave up the ghost' highlights this. I believe that the flesh is necessary only because we live in a physical world and that our soul is contained in this whilst we are limited to the physical world. Otherwise you would be suggesting that when anyone dies a physical death and rots in the ground then he would be lost forever. Maybe this is what you think but I believe that only the shell rots.

 

[ninerbuff]

As the title of the thread states, what do all religions have in common? What aspects of a religion make it a religion?

That's easy. Almost all religions organizations make money off the followers. Kinda like a MLM or pyramid scheme.

 

[URAVIP2ME]

That's easy. Almost all religions organizations make money off the followers. Kinda like a MLM or pyramid scheme.

And because almost all religions make money off the followers contrary to Jesus teaching: 'freely you have received [Jesus taught for free] then freely give'.
-Matt 10v8 B, then God will have Jesus take the action against them as described at Isaiah 11v4; Rev 19vs11,14,15.

The only time Jesus 'passed the plate' so to speak, was when Jesus fed the people with bread and fishes.

 

[Ben Dhyan]

Not until God breathed the breath of life into Adam, then Adam became a living soul. So at death Adam became a dead soul, or lifeless soul because Adam no longer had the breath of life [breathing].

While it may be possible to express it the way you have, I would tend to make a distinction between a person and the soul. One meaning of 'soul' (Hebrew nephesh) is: that which breathes, the breathing substance or being, soul, the inner being of man. Therefore I would consider it more correct to consider that death of the clay body occurs when the soul departs it, not that soul itself dies!

 

[URAVIP2ME]

There are many teachings and scriptures that refer to the unimportance of flesh. Chirstians are instructed that the flesh is a worldy thing that will one day be left behind. The expression 'gave up the ghost' highlights this. I believe that the flesh is necessary only because we live in a physical world and that our soul is contained in this whilst we are limited to the physical world. Otherwise you would be suggesting that when anyone dies a physical death and rots in the ground then he would be lost forever. Maybe this is what you think but I believe that only the shell rots.

Where does Scripture say the soul is death proof?________
Ezekiel [18vs4,20] says the soul that sins: dies.
Acts [3v23] the soul can be destroyed.
-Psalm 78v50

'give up the ghost'? are you referring to Ecc 12v7, or _____?
'and the spirit will return to God who gave it'?

Where is King David?
According to Acts [2v34] David did Not ascend to heaven.
Acts [13v36] says David fell on sleep.
David fell on the sleep of death as described by Jesus at John 11vs11-14

Where is the prophet Daniel? [ 12vs2,13] Doesn't Daniel believe many that sleep in the dust of the ground will awaken? And as for Daniel himself 'stand' at the end of the days? Stand up or be resurrected on earth after these last days of badness on earth end. Last days as described at 2nd Tim 3vs1-5,13.

As Acts [24v15] says there will be a resurrection. A resurrection on resurrection morning, so to speak, during Jesus millennial-long day of reigning over earth, when those that are part of the earthly resurrection such as David and Daniel will awaken from death's sleep with the prospect of gaining everlasting life on a paradisaic earth as originally offered to Adam.
So having an earthly resurrection is not meaning lost forever.
Rather, it is part of the promise to Abraham that all families or the earth will be blessed, and all nations of the earth will be blessed. Blessed with healing or curing of the nations. -Rev 22v2; 12v3; 22vs17,18.
Doesn't Hebrews [11 vs13,39] say those dead faithful ones did not yet receive the promise, but just saw it as far off?

 

[URAVIP2ME]

While it may be possible to express it the way you have, I would tend to make a distinction between a person and the soul. One meaning of 'soul' (Hebrew nephesh) is: that which breathes, the breathing substance or being, soul, the inner being of man. Therefore I would consider it more correct to consider that death of the clay body occurs when the soul departs it, not that soul itself dies!

If the soul is immortal, then how does one explain that the soul dies?
Doesn't Ezekiel 18vs4,20 say: the soul that sins dies?_____

Where does it say Adam's soul departed or was released from his clay body?

Acts [3v23] even talks of the soul can be destroyed.
Satan is a sinner and sinners die.
Jesus destroys Satan. -
Hebrews 2v14 B

 

[Ben Dhyan]

If the soul is immortal, then how does one explain that the soul dies?
Doesn't Ezekiel 18vs4,20 say: the soul that sins dies?_____

Where does it say Adam's soul departed or was released from his clay body?

Acts [3v23] even talks of the soul can be destroyed.
Satan is a sinner and sinners die.
Jesus destroys Satan. -
Hebrews 2v14 B

Yes, as I noted, 'soul' is often used to denote a person and in this context it is possible to say that Adam at death was a dead person/soul. However in the context of nephesh/soul being used to denote the divine essence of God, i.e. breath of God, then it is can't die for it is absolute life itself.

 

[URAVIP2ME]

Yes, as I noted, 'soul' is often used to denote a person and in this context it is possible to say that Adam at death was a dead person/soul. However in the context of nephesh/soul being used to denote the divine essence of God, i.e. breath of God, then it is can't die for it is absolute life itself.

Not quite sure why you seem to be connecting nephesh to: breath of God.
Is it neshamah' that you mean instead of nephesh?
Neshamah' is the word for breath at Gen 2v7.

Breath in Greek is: pneu'ma
Breath in Hebrew is also: ru'ach

 

[atanu]

IMO is the common denominator

On the contrary, freedom from self-bondage (as shown below), I believe, is the essential teaching in all religions.



...

 

[Ben Dhyan]

Not quite sure why you seem to be connecting nephesh to: breath of God.
Is it neshamah' that you mean instead of nephesh?
Neshamah' is the word for breath at Gen 2v7.

Breath in Greek is: pneu'ma
Breath in Hebrew is also: ru'ach

Neshamah indeed is the 'breath', but that breath produces the soul which is nephish

nephish 1a) that which breathes, the breathing substance or being, soul, the
inner being of man

Here is a link to Strong's concordance for Genesis 2:7...
And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul.

 

[URAVIP2ME]

Adam breathed. Breath produced or made Adam a living soul.
At death Adam became a dead soul or breathless soul.

No where does it say Adam came to possess a soul,
or that Adam came to have a soul.
Rather, Adam 'became' a living soul. Gen 2v7.

The Hebrew word nephesh occurs over 700 times in the Hebrew Scriptures.
The Greek work psykhe occurs over 100 time in the Christian Greek Scriptures.
In context with Scripture soul is the person or animal, or the life they enjoy.

 

[Ben Dhyan]

Ok then, in your opinion what happened to the dead soul (inner being of man) after Adam (outer being of man) died?

 

[URAVIP2ME]

Ok then, in your opinion what happened to the dead soul (inner being of man) after Adam (outer being of man) died?

According to Genesis Adam was created with human perfection.
[basically meaning could only sin on purpose]

Angelic creation was also created with perfection.
[meaning angels, Satan could only sin on purpose]

'Death' for Adam would mean the opposite of Gen 2v7.
Adam would return to dust [dust of the body] and become a lifeless soul.

[I also on 1/11/11 made a post under: after-death life...are we all equal?]

When 'perfection' sins it is only done on purpose willfully.
That would include those with both angelic and human perfection.
So, unlike us [imperfect] we can sin by mistake, unintentionally.
For Adam and Eve their death would be permanent.
No resurrection ever for them either to heaven or on earth.
[Acts 3v23 soul can be destroyed]

Since we are not responsible for what A&E did, we [because of Christ] can have a resurrection back to life, or have life again as a living soul.

So, we need to be resurrected from the state of the dead.
Jesus believed that state of the dead meant being in a deep sleep like state.
A state of No awareness as Ecc 9v5 says: the dead know nothing.

So Jesus connection at John [11vs11-14] to the dead being in a deep-sleep state would also come from the Psalms such as: Ps 6v5;13v3;115v17;146v4

Unlike Adam [and those of Matt 12v32] we can be awakened from death's sleep as Daniel [12vs2,13] made reference. Some to heavenly life and some to earthly life in human perfection of sound mind and body as Adam originally had at creation.
-Acts 24v15

 

[doppelganger]

As the title of the thread states, what do all religions have in common? What aspects of a religion make it a religion?

They all share four essential purposes:

(1) Psychological: Easing existential anxiety, i.e. soothing the human ego's feelings of isolation and helplessness, helping to cope with coming of age, the social pressures of conformity and responsibility (see #2 below) and ultimately aging, sickness and death.

(2) Moral/Social: Giving a framework for moral thinking and placing individuals' apparent being into a social context for orderly relationships and organized societies.

(3) Cosmological: Providing a baseline from which the nature and purpose of the universe as it is experienced may be understood.

(4) Mystical: Functioning on a higher level completely independent of the first three mentioned above to artistically express the divine nature of being. This is sensed vaguely when one or more of the other three are the focus of the individual's relationship to and use of religion. It is experienced more directly as the needs dictated in the first three subside.

 

[Ben Dhyan]

'Death' for Adam would mean the opposite of Gen 2v7.
Adam would return to dust [dust of the body] and become a lifeless soul.

Hi URAVIP2ME, thank you for your response but I've obviously not conveyed the question I had intended very well. I'm not talking about the theological, but the metaphysical implications. I'll try again...

So yes, logically it would be the reverse of the creation process of Gen2v7, the body of the dead Adam (outer being of man) would return to the dust (elements) of the Earth of which it was constituted.

But it seems you don't believe a similar reversal process applies to the living soul (inner being of man) which came into being from the breath of God, what happens to it when it dies as you believe it did when Adam died? IOW, where does the 'breathing substance' that constituted the inner being of Adam go, since you believe it doesn't return to it's source (God's breath), then it must be accounted for by some other means, please explain what happens to its essential substance when it is dead?

 

[St Giordano Bruno]

Dogma to a greater or lesser degree.

 

[kowalskil]

The common denominator is belief in God, gods, or similar spiritual entities.

Ludwik

 

[URAVIP2ME]

Hi URAVIP2ME, thank you for your response but I've obviously not conveyed the question I had intended very well. I'm not talking about the theological, but the metaphysical implications. I'll try again...
So yes, logically it would be the reverse of the creation process of Gen2v7, the body of the dead Adam (outer being of man) would return to the dust (elements) of the Earth of which it was constituted.
But it seems you don't believe a similar reversal process applies to the living soul (inner being of man) which came into being from the breath of God, what happens to it when it dies as you believe it did when Adam died? IOW, where does the 'breathing substance' that constituted the inner being of Adam go, since you believe it doesn't return to it's source (God's breath), then it must be accounted for by some other means, please explain what happens to its essential substance when it is dead?

According to Ezekiel [18vs4,20]: the soul that sins dies.
Or as Acts [3v23] mentions: the soul can be destroyed.

According to Gen 2v7 'all' of Adam was a soul.
Adam was just not a living soul until he started to breathe.
Breath merely was activating Adam or helped animate Adam.

Was the 'breathing substance' constituting an inner being,
or rather was it just breath that was needed to continue living?

Doesn't breath stop at death? It does not go any where, it just stops.
If something is disconnected from its source what happens?
When Adam sinned he disconnected himself from the source of life meaning God. God said you sin you die. Adam sinned Adam died.
If was as if Adam unplugged himself from his power source.
Like a fan that becomes unplugged slowly winds down and stops.
Adam slowly wound down until his breath stopped or ceased to exist in death.

What did Jesus believe the condition of the dead is at John 11v11-14?
Didn't Jesus liken death to being in a deep sleep-like state.
In such a dreamless state one is not conscious of surroundings.
That is why Ecc 9v5 says the dead are not conscious.
The dead sleep: Psalm 6v5; 13v3; 115v17; 146v4.

I guess one could say one's breath goes back to God in the sense that when there is a foreclosure on a house. The house [in this case breath] does not move anywhere, or go away anywhere, but is returned or goes back to the owner. The repossession of house/breath returns to the hands of the owner but not in the literal or actual hands of the owner.

So [except for those of Matt 12v32] all the rest of mankind will start to breath again when they are resurrected back to life as Jesus friend did when Jesus resurrected him at John chapter eleven.
-Acts 24v15

 

[Ben Dhyan]

Was the 'breathing substance' constituting an inner being,
or rather was it just breath that was needed to continue living?
-snip-
I guess one could say one's breath goes back to God.....

You've answered your own question,...

1 Cor.3:16 "Don't you know that you yourselves are God's temple and that God's Spirit lives in you?"

 

[URAVIP2ME]

You've answered your own question,...
1 Cor.3:16 "Don't you know that you yourselves are God's temple and that God's Spirit lives in you?"

Of course God's spirit lives in us. See also: Romans 8v9; 1st Cor 6v19

God's spirit has to added, so to speak, to man's spirit in order to receive or maintain the spark life, or as David said [Psalm 143v7] his spirit fails.
So, David's spirit [unlike God's spirit] could fail and not be functional or eternal.