Religion Defined

[Eugene Shubert]

The common element in every religion is the promise of an afterlife of some form. There is an assumption that humans have duality - a physical component and a spiritual/soul component.

We can define religion then as - A set of beliefs that some form of potential continued existence will occur after physical death.

There are many Christian communities of faith (Seventh-day Adventist, Seventh-day Millerite) that reject the belief that a human being embodies two parts, body and soul, and that the soul is conscious after the body dies.

According to the Bible, a soul is just dust + a life force.

One illustration of that is Genesis 2:7.
"And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul."

 

[Jan Ardena]

There are many Christian communities of faith (Seventh-day Adventist, Seventh-day Millerite) that reject the belief that a human being embodies two parts, body and soul, and that the soul is conscious after the body dies.

According to the Bible, a soul is just dust + a life force.

One illustration of that is Genesis 2:7.
"And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul."

It is saying that the form was constructed out of dust (a specific type of clay according to Islam), and breath of life was from God (spirit). After that the man (body) became a living soul.

In vedic literature the body is also known as a soul, but becomes animated by the spirit soul.

Jan.

 

[Cris]

And yet -

According to the Bible, a soul is just dust + a life force.

One illustration of that is Genesis 2:7.
"And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul."

That still appears to be duality - (1) dust, (2) life force.

When the body dies does the "life force" also cease to exist? Are they inextricably linked as to make them a single entity, and hence mortal?

There remains the implication is that there is some form of mystical element separate from a material state.

At the root, any religion is simply an immortality fantasy.

 

[Eugene Shubert]

In vedic literature the body is also known as a soul, but becomes animated

I must confess being extraordinarily ignorant about the religious sects of Islam and the religions of India. However, I'd be very interested in reading the recorded visions and inspired dreams of the leading founders of those sects and religions. What could you recommend for me?

 

[Eugene Shubert]

When the body dies does the "life force" also cease to exist?

I don't think so. As a Christian of the Seventh-day Millerite faith, I strongly believe that the "life force" that can animate dust is simply withdrawn and returns back to God, if you will.

Ecclesiastes 12
7 The dust returns to the earth as it was, and the spirit returns to God who gave it

Are they inextricably linked as to make them a single entity, and hence mortal?

That's precisely what I think Genesis 2:7 teaches.

The implication is that there is some form of mystical element separate from a material state.

I agree. And I believe that consciousness is the most incomprehensible mystery in science. http://everythingimportant.org/consciousness

 

[Cris]

I agree. And I believe that consciousness is the most incomprehensible mystery in science. http://everythingimportant.org/consciousness

Haha - quaint computer analogy

The brain has some 200 billion neurons with several trillion connections between them. It is still orders of magnitude more powerful than the best computers on the planet. A neuron takes in many electrical pulses from other neurons and puts out a single pulse. A neuron is just a simple and very slow microprocessor operating at only 300 Htz. But with so many operating in such a massively parallel network......It really isn't much of a stretch to see where we should look for consciousness. The job of reverse engineering such complexity will simply take some more time.

From simplicity comes complexity. Take a box of stick matches. You can lay them out so they form letters, and sentences, and stories, and complex concepts. But still they are only a bunch of simple sticks.

I don't think so. As a Christian of the Seventh-day Millerite faith, I strongly believe that the "life force" that can animate dust is simply withdrawn and returns back to God, if you will.

So essentially what was a "person" would cease to exist. I am curious - What would be the point of such a faith if there is no promise of survival after death? The fact that you are alive could be explained by many imaginative concepts - this one doesn't appear to offer/promise anything of value.

 

[Eugene Shubert]

The brain has some 200 billion neurons with several trillion connections between them. … The job of reverse engineering such complexity will simply take some more time.

I don’t believe that consciousness -- which to me means free will -- can be explained in terms of determinism or by the mathematically perfect randomness of quantum indeterminacy.

So essentially what was a "person" would cease to exist. I am curious - What would be the point of such a faith if there is no promise of survival after death? The fact that you are alive could be explained by many imaginative concepts - this one doesn't appear to offer/promise anything of value.

I believe that the Bible teaches that death is a sleep until the resurrection. For instance:

John 5
28 Do not marvel at this, for an hour is coming when all who are in the tombs will hear his voice 29 and come out, those who have done good to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil to the resurrection of judgment.

Daniel 12
2 And many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt.

 

[Cris]

I don’t believe that consciousness -- which to me means free will -- can be explained in terms of determinism or by the mathematically perfect randomness of quantum indeterminacy.

Neural networks offer an evidence based first start. A disbelief is fine yet you offer no credible alternative.
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I believe that the Bible teaches that death is a sleep until the resurrection. For instance:

John 5
28 Do not marvel at this, for an hour is coming when all who are in the tombs will hear his voice 29 and come out, those who have done good to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil to the resurrection of judgment.

Daniel 12
2 And many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt.

This is simply a variation on duality - a religious immortality fantasy.