- 01 Jan 2017 02:11
#14757218
I used to be an atheist. Then an agnostic. Now I am a deist, but not a "watchmaker" deist. I believe that we have souls and an afterlife, and I also am inclined to believe in the process of karmic rebirth. I'm not sure whether I believe these things primarily because it comforts me or because of personal spiritual experience that is irrelevant to this discussion.
Nevertheless, I do find myself going back and forth on the soul concept, as it's one of the more difficult ideas to grasp. We have no evidence that any soul exists. People report out of body experiences, but the nature of these experiences (unable to be replicated or observed) make them pretty dubious. The best evidence I have encountered for souls have been the cathartic spiritual experiences that I have had. Those can be explained/hand-waved away by atheists as chemical reactions, of course, but anyone who has had these experiences know how powerful and possibly life-changing they can be.
Many people report that they have memories of a past life, or at least feelings as such. I don't really believe that myself, but I understand its importance to many people. I sometimes see in animals the "soulful" look that many explain away as being evolutionarily beneficial in order to get the animals to be more accepted by humans. However, animal intelligence is undeniable, and I often wonder how complex their emotional lives are. I believe that universal emotions like love, happiness, and satisfaction are the best proof of a soul and a way that God "rewards" us for good behavior, but there are people born in situations such that they can never experience that.
I'm rambling a bit, but I would appreciate any input on this subject from fellow religious/spiritual people.
Nevertheless, I do find myself going back and forth on the soul concept, as it's one of the more difficult ideas to grasp. We have no evidence that any soul exists. People report out of body experiences, but the nature of these experiences (unable to be replicated or observed) make them pretty dubious. The best evidence I have encountered for souls have been the cathartic spiritual experiences that I have had. Those can be explained/hand-waved away by atheists as chemical reactions, of course, but anyone who has had these experiences know how powerful and possibly life-changing they can be.
Many people report that they have memories of a past life, or at least feelings as such. I don't really believe that myself, but I understand its importance to many people. I sometimes see in animals the "soulful" look that many explain away as being evolutionarily beneficial in order to get the animals to be more accepted by humans. However, animal intelligence is undeniable, and I often wonder how complex their emotional lives are. I believe that universal emotions like love, happiness, and satisfaction are the best proof of a soul and a way that God "rewards" us for good behavior, but there are people born in situations such that they can never experience that.
I'm rambling a bit, but I would appreciate any input on this subject from fellow religious/spiritual people.