Why Theists shouldn't believe in Time Travel

[Halcyon]

Or anyone who believes in any form of afterlife, so it includes reincarnation too.

Specifically they shouldn't believe people can go back in time. Why?

Because if you believe that you have a soul, a unique spiritual essence given to you alone and then you went back in time just 1 second - there would be two of you. The only difference would be a 1 second difference in memory. If there is only one soul, which of the you's would possess it?
If both you's were killed moments later, which would go to heaven/be reincarnated?

Either the soul has been replicated, there is no soul - or time travel isn't possible.

 

[SoyLeche]

Or anyone who believes in any form of afterlife, so it includes reincarnation too.

Specifically they shouldn't believe people can go back in time. Why?

Because if you believe that you have a soul, a unique spiritual essence given to you alone and then you went back in time just 1 second - there would be two of you. The only difference would be a 1 second difference in memory. If there is only one soul, which of the you's would possess it?
If both you's were killed moments later, which would go to heaven/be reincarnated?

Either the soul has been replicated, there is no soul - or time travel isn't possible.

Isn't that the type of story line that many a Sci Fi book has been based on? From what we can tell so far, time travel isn't possible anyway.

 

[Atheist_Dave]

I've read in a steven hawking book that it may be possible, something about space being curved or something. Halcyon am I talking rubbish? I just remember something like that from "universe in a nutshell".

Peace x

 

[SoyLeche]

Or anyone who believes in any form of afterlife, so it includes reincarnation too.

Specifically they shouldn't believe people can go back in time. Why?

Because if you believe that you have a soul, a unique spiritual essence given to you alone and then you went back in time just 1 second - there would be two of you. The only difference would be a 1 second difference in memory. If there is only one soul, which of the you's would possess it?
If both you's were killed moments later, which would go to heaven/be reincarnated?

Either the soul has been replicated, there is no soul - or time travel isn't possible.

Sorry, thought of something else. Why would having my soul in 2 different places at the same time any different from having the same atom or molecule at 2 different places at the same time?

 

[Halcyon]

Sorry, thought of something else. Why would having my soul in 2 different places at the same time any different from having the same atom or molecule at 2 different places at the same time?

Its not. But my point was that theoretically God could allow an atom to be duplicated - but would He allow a soul to be dublicated?

 

[SoyLeche]

Its not. But my point was that theoretically God could allow an atom to be duplicated - but would He allow a soul to be dublicated?

Why not?

 

[Halcyon]

I've read in a steven hawking book that it may be possible, something about space being curved or something. Halcyon am I talking rubbish? I just remember something like that from "universe in a nutshell".

Peace x

To be honest, my head hurts when i try to wrap my mind around cosmological concepts. I don't know about going back in time, but if you travel fast enough then time slows down for you, but not for the rest of the universe. This would allow you to travel forward in time, but it would not create the 2 soul paradox i'm proposing.

 

[Halcyon]

Why not?

You're the theist, would God allow allow your unique soul to be duplicated by man-made means?
We're not talking identical twins here, but two of you.

 

[Terrywoodenpic]

Why not?

Why not indeed.

If God exists outside time why not souls, then there would be no problem.

Terry__________________
Blessed are the gentle, they shall inherit the land

 

[SoyLeche]

You're the theist, would God allow allow your unique soul to be duplicated by man-made means?
We're not talking identical twins here, but two of you.

No, there is ONE of me that has traveled back in time. There is the younger version of me and the older version of me, but there is still only one me.

 

[Halcyon]

Why not indeed.

If God exists outside time why not souls, then there would be no problem.

Terry__________________
Blessed are the gentle, they shall inherit the land

I dunno, are you happy with the idea of God sending one soul to Earth and having two copies coming back?
What if one soul went to heaven and the other to hell? Which one would be the real you?

 

[SoyLeche]

I dunno, are you happy with the idea of God sending one soul to Earth and having two copies coming back?
What if one soul went to heaven and the other to hell? Which one would be the real you?

I don't know where you are getting the idea that there would be a copy. My personal timeline would still be linear.

 

[WeAreAllOne]

how about the concept that one soul could take part in many incarnations at once? simmalar idea, besides the part of two of you in the same place. and I guess that makes it not so simmalar.

 

[Halcyon]

No, there is ONE of me that has traveled back in time. There is the younger version of me and the older version of me, but there is still only one me.

Soy, if you went back in time there would be two of you, each would then start to think and act individually - the younger you would be able to talk to the older you. How can one being exist in two bodies?

 

[SoyLeche]

Soy, if you went back in time there would be two of you, each would then start to think and act individually - the younger you would be able to talk to the older you. How can one being exist in two bodies?

Again, you'll have to ask the Sci-fi writers. They all have their own ideas about how it would work. Would I automatically start remembering the conversation? Does the fact that I don't currently remember having that conversation mean that I will never go back in time and talk to myself?

 

[Halcyon]

I don't know where you are getting the idea that there would be a copy. My personal timeline would still be linear.

Soy think about it. If you went back in time 1 second, there would be the soul in you the timetraveller, but also the soul in you the non-timetraveller. Two souls existing at the same time.

 

[Mike182]

Halcyon

if the soul can leave the body, i believe it would be after the body has died

the soul reincarnates, the previous body is dead, the next body could be at any point in time

and i am a theist

note: i don't actually believe the soul can reincarnate backwards through time, im just playing the advocate :jiggy:

 

[Halcyon]

Halcyon

if the soul can leave the body, i believe it would be after the body has died

the soul reincarnates, the previous body is dead, the next body could be at any point in time

and i am a theist

note: i don't actually believe the soul can reincarnate backwards through time, im just playing the advocate :jiggy:

I'm not totally sure what you're talking about Mike. I'm not talking about anyone dying, i'm talking about a living person going back in time with their soul inside them, and having a chat with their past self who also has a soul inside them - the exact same soul.

 

[SoyLeche]

Soy think about it. If you went back in time 1 second, there would be the soul in you the timetraveller, but also the soul in you the non-timetraveller. Two souls existing at the same time.

No, there is one soul at two different times in its own timeline looking at itself.

 

[Halcyon]

No, there is one soul at two different times in its own timeline looking at itself.

That's one way of looking at it. However, once you travel back in time and talk to your younger self, you immediately create a third timeline in which both of you exist together.