Bill Nye debates Ken Ham

[Megalodon]

Soul,

Immaterial aspect or essence of a person, conjoined with the body during life and separable at death.

The concept of a soul is found in nearly all cultures and religions, though the interpretations of its nature vary considerably.

The ancient Egyptians conceived of a dual soul, one surviving death but remaining near the body, while the other proceeded to the realm of the dead. The early Hebrews did not consider the soul as distinct from the body, but later Jewish writers perceived the two as separate. Christian theology adopted the Greek concept of an immortal soul, adding the notion that God created the soul and infused it into the body at conception. In Islam the soul is believed to come into existence at the same time as the body but is everlasting and subject to eternal bliss or torment after the death of the body. In Hinduism each soul, or atman, was created at the beginning of time and imprisoned in an earthly body; at death the soul is said to pass to a new body according to the laws of karma. Buddhism negates the idea of a soul, asserting that any sense of an individual self is illusory.


Roman Greeks are the real Palestinians,  
 

[gyrene81]

Then the answer to your question is: No.

that would be a partially wrong answer and there is scientific evidence that shows there is some sort of energy force that exists within the body as we live and exits at the time of death. as to what it's called...some are willing to step on the bomb and call it the soul.

[FLOOB]

Slate

Myth:
a traditional story, esp. one concerning the early history of a people or explaining some natural or social phenomenon, and typically involving supernatural beings or events.

As the episode Cooperative Caligraphy reinforces, mythology is a universal anthropological phenomena.

To their credit most christian sects recognize the biblical biological and cosmological explanations as myths. The significant exception being the puritan branches in the US.

The bible says the supernatural did it. Supernatural is another word for magic. That's not dismissing, that's a fact. Nobody knows how magic works, if they did it wouldn't be supernatural. So answering the question, "how did this happen" with "the supernatural did it" is another way of saying that nobody knows. In my opinion, "nobody knows" isn't a scientific explanation.

[bozon]

    Science: Matter and energy can not be created or destroyed just transformed. Where does your energy go when you die? Atheist's say it just goes Poof! Like Magic. 

My energy will go the same way my laptop energy goes when I shut it down.

Too bad I will not be as easy to reboot.

so I take it you don't believe humans have a soul/spirit?

I will not bother to ask for a definition of soul/spirit, because I know it will be too vague for me to understand it. However, going with the concept of some sort of individually unique eternal entity, how does it work in religion exactly? There is a pool of new souls that wait to take their short turn on this world and then get sorted out to eternity in heaven/hell?

This brings up so many questions!
How long will this continue? until the massiah comes? and what then, will there be souls in the pool that didn't get to try their mortal life before the massiah came? or are souls created as needed?
If whether or not the massiah comes depends on the behavior of current mortal souls, does that mean that being bad causes more souls to be created because the end-of-times was delayed?
What about souls that were put in a body of a deformed fetus and died hours after birth? do they get a new ride?
Did Neanderthals have souls? did they get to the same heaven/hell as us? because I'd really like to meet one.
and so much more

[ink]

Then the answer to your question is: No.

that is sad.


you have never felt the pain of someone else?

has your life been so screwed up that you absolutely disbelieve any aspect of Love or God?

God is Love...if you could "see" Love you would see God.



I honestly pity you.

[NatCigg]

Religion Vs. Science

Test one : Reality

Religion = Faith = Fail
Science = Observed = more questions = Fail

Test two : Whats for dinner

Religion = Kill = Yum
Science = Kill = Yum

Test Three : Its Raining

Religion = Faith = Build a house
Science = Particle interaction = Build a house

Test Results = Its a Push!
 

[bozon]

Soul,

Immaterial aspect or essence of a person, conjoined with the body during life and separable at death.

The concept of a soul is found in nearly all cultures and religions, though the interpretations of its nature vary considerably.

The ancient Egyptians conceived of a dual soul, one surviving death but remaining near the body, while the other proceeded to the realm of the dead. The early Hebrews did not consider the soul as distinct from the body, but later Jewish writers perceived the two as separate. Christian theology adopted the Greek concept of an immortal soul, adding the notion that God created the soul and infused it into the body at conception. In Islam the soul is believed to come into existence at the same time as the body but is everlasting and subject to eternal bliss or torment after the death of the body. In Hinduism each soul, or atman, was created at the beginning of time and imprisoned in an earthly body; at death the soul is said to pass to a new body according to the laws of karma. Buddhism negates the idea of a soul, asserting that any sense of an individual self is illusory.

Ahhh, thanks for the explanation. You posted this while I was typing my other reply.
And now after reviewing the list above comes the inevitable question:
"How the F did any of them know that?"
I mean, what, people 2000 years ago were smarter? god used to walk around and explain these things? BS! they did what every child does when you ask him about something that interests him, but he does not understand - he makes up! and when different people in different places in the world make things up, they make up slightly different things and we end up with the mess described above.

Now what am I supposed to do with my soul? or perhaps my two souls? stay with the body? go towards the light? consult my karma and crawl into a new body?

[GScholz]

Ink, There is no need to pity me, but thank you for your consideration. I feel the pain of others. I have feelings... I just don't see them as a soul or spirit or anything beyond the natural world. My country is about 70% atheist, and we love our children very much.

[GScholz]

that would be a partially wrong answer and there is scientific evidence that shows there is some sort of energy force that exists within the body as we live and exits at the time of death. as to what it's called...some are willing to step on the bomb and call it the soul.

My answer is still: No. I don't believe in a "soul" or "spirit" that cannot be defined by the parameters of the natural world. When scientists speak of the soul (if at all), it's usually in a materialistic context, or treated as a poetic synonym for the mind. Everything knowable about the "soul" can be learned by studying the functioning of the brain. In their view, neuroscience is the only branch of scientific study relevant to understanding the soul. Of course, most spiritual people view the soul as emphatically more definitive than the scientific concept. It's considered the incorporeal essence of a person, and is said to be immortal and transcendent of material existence. I don't believe in that.

[GScholz]

Double post...

[ink]

Ink, There is no need to pity me, but thank you for your consideration. I feel the pain of others. I have feelings... I just don't see them as a soul or spirit or anything beyond the natural world. My country is about 70% atheist, and we love our children very much.

and this is exactly why this world is still going...

Yahaveh is long suffering....he does not want to lose any of his children...so he will let us continue destroying ourselves letting us think we can rule our selves until we go so far as to destroy everything....

then he will put a stop to it....


personally I think it is over due....but I am not the creator nor do I think as him....I am just the clay....I have no business to tell the molder what to do with his creations.....

[Wiley]

Never understood peoples' need to discuss stuff like this.  Has there ever been a case, particularly on the internet, where one of the people on either side of one of these discussions went, "Y'know what?  You're absolutely right!"  I bet if there ever has, the number of cases could be counted on one hand.

We're playing with ourselves, nothing more.  With that said, before the lock, who doesn't enjoy a bit of that now and then?

that is sad.


you have never felt the pain of someone else?

has your life been so screwed up that you absolutely disbelieve any aspect of Love or God?

This right here is the attitude that irks me to the deepest level.  Not necessarily directed toward the individuals that hold this belief, but more toward the hubris of the idea that if you aren't part of belief system X, this fundamental part of humanity is not possible for you.  That's the kind of thinking that can and often does plant the seed for coming to the conclusion that people who do not believe as you do are subhuman.

I assure you, Ink.  The full range of human emotion is available to people regardless of whether they believe in God or not.

Wiley.

[palef]

Not familiar with it. But if it was based on any amount of data what so ever, even if its just visual observations of mars though a telescope and saying "looks sorta like its inhabited", its better than the bible.

The brilliant thing about science is that it openly admits it knows squat, and it will change it's mind if the evidence suggests it needs to.

I was very unsure about this debate, but Ken Ham dropped the ball horribly. Normally he performs a fantastic Gish Gallop that makes any scientist talking to him look indecisive and makes science look wishy-washy and ill-defined and incapable of providing the "facts" necessary to convince people to "believe" in science. Bill Nye was really well prepared and stuck mostly to his guns and used his years of experience as a performer and educator to make Ken Ham fall back on the old, "I read a book" excuse.

[Megalodon]

but he does not understand - he makes up! and when different people in different places in the world make things up, they make up slightly different things and we end up with the mess described above.

Now what am I supposed to do with my soul? or perhaps my two souls? stay with the body? go towards the light? consult my karma and crawl into a new body?

Essentially the point of my post.... However I did like the christian part where they just copy the Greeks and add some stuff ..So and So Said....


It's your soul you do what you want with it...

[GScholz]

and this is exactly why this world is still going...

Yahaveh is long suffering....he does not want to lose any of his children...so he will let us continue destroying ourselves letting us think we can rule our selves until we go so far as to destroy everything....

then he will put a stop to it....


personally I think it is over due....but I am not the creator nor do I think as him....I am just the clay....I have no business to tell the molder what to do with his creations.....

None of that makes any sense to me.