Gender: Male Location: Welfare Kingdom of California
That kinda of thought goes back to the Greeks. The idea that the soul animates the body has change from culture to culture. We know that the data computer we call "the brain" is what makes us understand. But once the brain is dead does that mean our understanding ends? Maybe not, since our thoughts and ideas are not materialize they can reform in another essence. Thus it can be consider that the soul is not a learning entity (like the brain). But a vessel of that which we originally came from before birth. It comes down to the debate of essence preceeds existence. Just because our bodies have seize to function does that mean the existence is over? No, I don't think so.
That something that animates our bodies (if you want to call it a soul) maybe the key to our existence, or even our purpose in life. Maybe that something that we call "God" is our source from which we came from and then return to when we die. Hmmm......This ponders me.
__________________
Last edited by WanderingDroid on Jun 30th, 2004 at 12:38 AM
I believe in heaven and hell, and yet I believe in re-incarnation.
I think that if you completely completed what you were set on earth to do, and have fulfilled your goals and ambitions then you will either go to heaven and hell, depending on the nature of those goals and such.
But if haven't fulfilled what you were meant to do, then you retrun with another chance.
Confusing, but I don't think there's a clear answer to the question.
I don't think there really is. I believe that, as Fëanor said, we from nature's hand have only one purpose and that's to stay alive and multiply. all other purposes must be made and fullfilled by ourselves.
afraid I'm not that strong in the Greek philosophies.
about the ideas: do you mean that we contínue to understand through our ideas and thoughts' survival?
ponders the hell out of me too. thing is, I've been wondering what might be the animating 'spark' so to say, that kicked us to life and gave us our personality. now it seems more and more like our personality can be pulled apart and analyzed simply through our genes. wether a person will be shy or outgoing, even what kind of job that person may choose, and what kind of partner, seems to be more determined by our genes than previously thought. do we then have a free will? do we then have a personality that'll outlive death?
well, I'm not a religious person, so I don't believe we've been created with a particular plan in mind. we just sort of happened. as such, what would our purpose be except just being? we've got the ability to think up reasons of our own, though, but these won't outlive death (except in the minds of those who're still alive).
Im not a religious person either, but I still cant imagine that we would just exist without a purpose. But I guess we'll find out eventually (when we die)
Gender: Male Location: Welfare Kingdom of California
Similar to what you saying is what I have in mind. I like to separate mind and body when it comes to life and death. The brain is only an organic hardware. Whereas the mind is the software (yeah I know I sound like as if I been watching the Matrix too much ).
I tend to think that reality is more than the objects that we see. Deep inside there has to be an ultimate truth to them. Maybe our minds are too materialistic to see that which lies beyond a thing. I think that once the body dies our mind expands to a larger degree of understanding. So maybe our mind doesn't die. It could be eternal.
Without the thought of some sort of eternal life, life itself is without hope. We will live our lives in desperation knowing we have nothing in the end. With this thought in mind I believe everyone believes in life after death. It is only what happens in the afterlife we argue.
Furthermore if we look back with a rational mind over how we began as a human race, we will realize human destiny. We must have came from some sort of God; Darwin himself says that in his own teaching. If we admit to ourselves the truth that we did come from God then the hereafter is explained. We are made to have eternal life with God, and the purpose for this life is to prepare us for it.
__________________
Made By: Me
Dragging a knee at 140 on a bike, just takes all the rush out of driving a car at 120. - Sammy Sliger, 2001 (paraphrased)
Money is not everything. As if poverty is.
I've also learned that love cannot be on a one way street... if it does not go both ways it can be a lonely road. Personally I like to just watch the cars go by.... - Happy Kine, 2003
so we sort of become our ideas? what if our ideas are not known to anybody else than ourselves? wouldn't they dissapear along with us then? and don't we consist of more than just our ideas? ( well, I haven't watched the Matrix too much myself, so if you do not tell me that's how you sound I won't be able to wag my finger at you )
I guess this is very hard to discuss. I don't think there is such a thing as an ultimate truth, though I do think there are as many personal truths as there are people. these truths won't concern others but ourselves though and won't continue existing after our death (but since death, in my oppinion, ends all, we luckily won't be around to feel bad about that )
bigbadbike: I don't see why life would be without hope? and I don't agree that everybody necessarily believes in a life after death. some people just can't. this may make them regard life differently, even make them scared of death, but I don't think people who do believe in an afterlife are never themselves afraid of dying. dying is scary as hell and we deal with it in different ways.
NyC-gUrL: so do I. but if I'm right, I won't get the chance to do so ... bugger ...
KMC Community Forums
Jun 30th, 2004 12:35 AM
returning to the source and all 
I find that kinda scary...
)
).
