Your soul ?

[michel]

For those of you that believe in some kind of supreme being or beings, and who believe you have a soul. By that, I mean some etherial part of you that is invisible to us here and now, that will live on, past death.


Do you believe that your 'soul' has any impact or effect on your behaviour here in this lifetime ? - or is the physical 'you' the only part that has any place here?

 

[jeffrey]

Yes, I do. I believe it guides you. Sometimes we don't listen, that's when we get in trouble. I believe it's part of our conscience. Letting us know right from wrong. The more we let our soul guide us, the easier path we have towards God.

 

[ladylazarus]

I think that the "soul" is a symbolic representation of the exact same idea presented under the name "karma" in Eastern traditions. Although this individual consciousness will cease to exist with death, every action we carry out through our lifetime is carried out in response to other actions, and produces an infinite ripple effect. In that way, we have and will live eternally. One Buddhist doctine, known as Dependent Origination, explains this through a parable about a vast room. Innumerable strings of different lengths are hung from the cieling, and at the end of each string is a mirror. The tiniest speck of light reflects off of all the mirrors and is sufficient to light the room in a constantly changing pattern of the same base material.

 

[Aqualung]

I don't believe it guides you. I think it's just YOU. It's your essence. It's what you are.

 

[Green Gaia]

I rather like the Buddhist idea of the soul.

 

[muichimotsu]

agreed. It makes us consider more the aspect that human responsibility for other humans has an involvement with our lives.

 

[jeffrey]

Our soul goes to heaven... Our soul is pure, clean. If it was like us, it could not go to heaven.

 

[muichimotsu]

Is not the human soul inherently evil in it's own way when one reads through the bible? Besides that, you're making the soul absolutely true in your personal understanding. That doesn't make it absolute or true to every person. This is also presuming that everyone believes in your version of heaven.

 

[michel]

Is not the human soul inherently evil in it's own way when one reads through the bible? Besides that, you're making the soul absolutely true in your personal understanding. That doesn't make it absolute or true to every person. This is also presuming that everyone believes in your version of heaven.

It's a little difficult to ask you what your 'heaven' is, as you claim no religion on your profile.

 

[muichimotsu]

Perhaps there is a heaven, perhaps there is not, in my eyes. The fact that you seem to be limiting the existence in the afterlife to your version of heaven and your version of the soul makes me a bit disappointed that such intelligent religious people can still not see that other views on the afterlife are there in a way for your God to let you see that he is more universal than you make him out to be

 

[Shadow Wolf]

I believe the soul is put in a body to learn lessons, die, reflect on the lessons on another realm, then go through the process again.

 

[ladylazarus]

I believe the soul is put in a body to learn lessons, die, reflect on the lessons on another realm, then go through the process again.

Why do you believe that?

 

[muichimotsu]

Perhaps it is merely an understanding of the soul that allows for mistakes to be learned about and then applied to the next life in a way.

 

[Sunstone]

You can speculate endlessly about matters like this.

 

[jeffrey]

Is not the human soul inherently evil in it's own way when one reads through the bible? Besides that, you're making the soul absolutely true in your personal understanding. That doesn't make it absolute or true to every person. This is also presuming that everyone believes in your version of heaven.

Your taking YOUR view of the Bible and applying your standards. The OP asked a legit question. Your attempt to discredit others' views is week.

 

[muichimotsu]

You're no better when you apply your standards to the bible. And if you recall I was trying to take an objective stance. There are countless interpretations of the bible and none of them can be absolutely right. The fact that you seem to be saying otherwise makes me think you are taking a personal stance on the bible's meaning without considering what each writer specifically wanted to write about, especially concerning the Gospel writers and their own personal beliefs concerning Jesus.

 

[maggie2]

I agree with Aqualung on this one...your soul is your essence, who you are, and I certainly would never think a soul was 'evil'. I just don't believe that.

 

[Halcyon]

I agree with Aqualung on this one...your soul is your essence, who you are, and I certainly would never think a soul was 'evil'. I just don't believe that.

I agree with Aqualung and Maggie.

However, as with most things, the Gnostic belief is slightly more complex. We believe a human is tripartite, made of body, soul and spirit.
The body is the physical and belongs to this world, the spirit is the divine spark it is literally God and thus incorruptible. The soul is mid way between the two, it is your consciousness while here on Earth, it is the result of the spirit interacting with the body, it is ever changing, from moment to moment your soul is different, you are different - only the spirit is eternal.

 

[jeffrey]

M, the OP asked a legit question, you attacked that question, running other beliefs down, and the people's intelligence down (as if you think you are smarter then everyone else) all while claiming we are running your beliefs down. I find this a childish ploy in a weak attempt to discredit others, that don't conform with your way of thinking. Maybe in the next life you'll figure that out.

 

[nutshell]

The LDS teaching is that the "soul" is the combination of your spirit and physical body so I'm not sure I can answer your question as it is a combination of both and not just the spirit.

On the other hand, if you were to ask about the spirit, I would say that spirits are in nature good, and would attempt to influence you to do good. LDS believe everyone is born with the Light of Christ, which is commonly called a conscience. However, the physical body is powerful and has many natural desires. One purpose of this physical existence is to learn how to allow the spirit to control the physical and not vice versa.