Hi Bjoern;
I like to think in terms of information as opposed to all forms of
ghostly otherworldliness when it comes to the "soul". We humans posses
information distinct from other creatures -by definition. Furthermore,
information - being an epiphenomena - is immaterial enough to replace
ghost models yet still requires physical materiel for containment. e.g.
these electronic marks on your screen contain information that can be
lost (or added to) if the sequence of letters is changed but require the
letters to exist. Thus, in this model, God's breath represents an
information feed into the psyche (soul) of man at creation; or perhaps a
birthing model would be helpful too. We pass biological information on
to the next generation do we not? Images, sparks or whatever, we are all
gods and children of God. Perhaps in a very literal sense.
Avoir
George A.
Bjoern Moeller wrote:
> Allen Roy wrote:
>
> It is life that was
> put
> into the body, not a soul into a body.
>
> I say (thinking hard):
>
> This is crucial, and I think Allen is right. If we
> take a non-dualistic view of personhood (which is,
> again, debatable), and if we hold evolution to be near
> to true (which is not very debatable), then every
> animal, every corporate being, must have a soul
> (life). That has to include dogs, caterpillars,
> spiders, amoebes, or at least all animals in the
> evolutionary line of descent to human beings. We are
> holding for true that God did not on any occasion in
> the history of life put or breathe a soul into man,
> but merely that life itself (that somehow is from
> God), inherent in all animals including man, is what
> make out for what we today name 'soul.'
>
> But this does not at all solve my problem. Still we
> have to ask; what makes man unique (compared to all
> other animals from which he has descended, and from
> which he has life/soul)? Even worse to explain; what
> makes it possible for man to communicate with God?
>
> It seems to me that Allen's view (or the view he
> presents) does not answer my question, rather it makes
> it even more hard to answer.
>
> Bjorn Moller.
>
> e-mail: dj_mic20@yahoo.com
>
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-- George A. Andrews Jr. Physics/Applied Science College of William & Mary P.O. Box 8795 Williamsburg, VA 23187-8795
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