Basic questions still not answered !!!

[Telstra]

In your own words please (from books doesn't count), if you believe ...

What is:
1/ god
2/ spirit
3/ soul

 

[castoono]

1/ human explaining death

2 & 3/ human trying to transcend,

giving their ancestors
and themselves

a better explanation that: we are nothing
actually

 

[desmond]

1/ Reflection

2/ Breath and awareness

3/ Heartbeat and groundedness

 

[ronboy]

In your own words please (from books doesn't count), if you believe ...

What is:
1/ god
2/ spirit
3/ soul

Keep in mind that this is only my own understranding, and therefore is probably flawed in logic due to my human condition...

1. God is the Almighty Being who created all creation! He is our spiritual Father and He who determines all destiny.

2. Spirit is several things. In the human world, it its a feeling of togetherness in fellowship. For example, a high school bonding over their sports team, or people getting together to celebrate the talents of an entertainer. In the spiritual world, spirit is the feeling that believers have for God. God manifests Himself in the Trinity-Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

3. Soul is the inner being of humans. Believers feel that, at death, the soul is lifted from the mortal body to Heaven, Purgatory, or Hell, depending on the deeds of that person's life.

I'm sure people will now come and tear these thoughts apart, and that's okay. But this is what I believe.

 

[Telstra]

Do you believe in god Ronboy ?

 

[FirmaFan]

I most certainly believe in God. Ronboy's definition of those three things are about as close as a Human being can get to getting the correct answer outside of either a text book or dictionary definition. Nuff said.

Most of what was said had supernatural implications or definitions. We humans exist in reality, and, as such, are not privy to the supernatural. The supernatural is, by definition, unmeasurable and undetectable. With that being said, a concept that is unmeasurable is indistinguishable from one that does not exist at all. That then begs the question of how anyone can make any comment about the properties of that supernatural concept, when that concept, by definition, is unavailable to observation and analysis. Now, within the human knowledge, there exists an idea of things like god, or the soul, but they are simply memes, they are ideas based upon an agreed definition of a specific word. One can talk about these concepts within those parameters, such as defining what the word "soul" means, but one can not speak of them as if they actually exist when the very definition prevents anyone from ever actually knowing such information.

 

[dark9986]

1) This is a hard one for me to describe. Of course that isn't surprising as it is similar to trying to describe seeing things in 3 dimensions to someone who only sees in two but meh. To me God is a .. i hesitate to use the words supreme being but will through it out there anyway. From whom all life as we know it originated and who I would like to thing is the source of all good in the world. I do not believe that God (i avoid saying he cause i doubt anything that high above us can be placed into a gender category) controls all things, such as whether i want to get a sandwich or not, the belief is reinforced by us having free will. Some points in time very well may be fixed and have to happen x way but i highly doubt everything is.

Wow reading that it seems like a horrible definition and defiantly lacking in places. I could fill it out a bit more but in the end how one sees God is a personal matter and fully conveying it to another human being is probably impossible.

2) Spirit - to me this is the all encompassing element. The thing that connects all living things to a degree. It is the thing that makes all humans the same as well as the thing that connects us to the earth animals plants and so on. It is the energy of the universe. If one truly has a deep connection to spirit then one truly has a connection to all things good or bad and at times can see how gray the world can truly be and how little these days at least can be categorized into black or white.

and finally 3) Soul- This is the thing that dwells within again to me most living things though a majority of people tend to thing it dwells exclusively in people. This is what makes you you. If you were a computer your body would be the hardware spirit would be the operating system and soul would be the software that makes that computer yours and yours alone. Sure other people may have the same programs or put them on there in a similar order but it would never be the same as your computer. Not the best analogy but i think you get it.

certainly not the best answers but there they are none the less

 

[Kulindahr]

Most of what was said had supernatural implications or definitions. We humans exist in reality, and, as such, are not privy to the supernatural. The supernatural is, by definition, unmeasurable and undetectable. With that being said, a concept that is unmeasurable is indistinguishable from one that does not exist at all. That then begs the question of how anyone can make any comment about the properties of that supernatural concept, when that concept, by definition, is unavailable to observation and analysis. Now, within the human knowledge, there exists an idea of things like god, or the soul, but they are simply memes, they are ideas based upon an agreed definition of a specific word. One can talk about these concepts within those parameters, such as defining what the word "soul" means, but one can not speak of them as if they actually exist when the very definition prevents anyone from ever actually knowing such information.

You missed a bet: the supernatural may reveal itself, so your conclusion is false.


From before I was a Christian:

God is the Creator, unitary source of all, after Whose pattern everything was fashioned

Spirit is the energy pattern which is our non-mortal self; whether within human means to detect or not, I won't even guess

Soul is the self-aware self.

 

[FirmaFan]

You missed a bet: the supernatural may reveal itself, so your conclusion is false.

If the supernatural revealed itself in any way, it would be measurable and verifiable, as it would be acting upon the natural world. Of course, one would then argue that something acting on the natural world would not be supernatural by definition, as supernatural means outside of the natural. That being said, investigation has shown us this: there are either natural explanations for observations or observations that have yet to be explained. There has never been a verified supernatural explanation for anything. Thus far, the supernatural has never revealed itself in any way, and, as such, remains indistinguishable from non-existence.

From before I was a Christian:

God is the Creator, unitary source of all, after Whose pattern everything was fashioned

Spirit is the energy pattern which is our non-mortal self; whether within human means to detect or not, I won't even guess

Soul is the self-aware self.

Now that you have defined these terms, we can go about assessing the potential likelihood for their existence. One note about the soul, however. There is already a well researched area of study that seems to time and time again be the evidence-based explanation for all the supposed characteristics of a person's "soul", and that is the brain. Self-awareness is a function of the brain. There is no need to assign a supernatural cause to it when research of the function of the brain has already provided a well established explanation.

 

[cyravance]

God- the power behind everything. Science will explain the Big Bang, but cannot explain WHY it might have occurred. God is the "Why"...
Spirit- the way God communicates to us directly...
Soul-the part of us that God communicates to.
So, when you are doing, or thinking about doing, something you shouldn't be, that little voice in your head that says, "Maybe you ought to think about this...", that's God, trying to get through to you.

 

[FirmaFan]

The answer to these question would take a lifetimes journey to understand,and perhaps it's not the answers that are important but the journey itself,

Searching for things that in all likelihood do not exist would definitely entail a lifetime of searching. It would also make such a journey ultimately futile and wasteful.

 

[Kulindahr]

Searching for things that in all likelihood do not exist would definitely entail a lifetime of searching. It would also make such a journey ultimately futile and wasteful.

Given that that very journey has given us some of the greatest art, architecture, literature, and thought, your final claim is laughable.

 

[FirmaFan]

Given that that very journey has given us some of the greatest art, architecture, literature, and thought, your final claim is laughable.

Pondering about a non-existent something vs actually attempting to locate that which doesn't exist is not the same. I don't think you and I are talking about the same journey here.

 

[FirmaFan]

God loves everyone,and it is good to doubt,after all our beloved Saint Thomas was a big doubter until our risen lord turned around and exposed his open holes too him,p.s. this is were the phrase Doubting Thomas comes from. Happy Saint Soren's day too you.

First, tell me what god is to you, show me evidence that such a being exists, then show me evidence that leads you to conclude that such a being "loves everyone". It is indeed good to doubt, and making a claim about characteristics of an ill-defined being (god) definitely invokes doubt.

 

[chrisw87]

Keep in mind that this is only my own understranding, and therefore is probably flawed in logic due to my human condition...

1. God is the Almighty Being who created all creation! He is our spiritual Father and He who determines all destiny.

2. Spirit is several things. In the human world, it its a feeling of togetherness in fellowship. For example, a high school bonding over their sports team, or people getting together to celebrate the talents of an entertainer. In the spiritual world, spirit is the feeling that believers have for God. God manifests Himself in the Trinity-Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

3. Soul is the inner being of humans. Believers feel that, at death, the soul is lifted from the mortal body to Heaven, Purgatory, or Hell, depending on the deeds of that person's life.

I'm sure people will now come and tear these thoughts apart, and that's okay. But this is what I believe.

I feel similar, however differing in the following ways;
1. God does not determine destiny, since humans have free will it would contradict itself. I follow darwins theory of evolution, but still can 'make it fit' with the basic Christian ideas of how all of this was made, after all, the bible isn't a textbook

2. I feel the same

3. I feel the same except for after death, obviously I have no idea what happens to ones 'self' but I'd prefer the believe the mind or 'soul' does continue on somewhere somehow.

 

[chrisw87]

First, tell me what god is to you, show me evidence that such a being exists, then show me evidence that leads you to conclude that such a being "loves everyone". It is indeed good to doubt, and making a claim about characteristics of an ill-defined being (god) definitely invokes doubt.

I come from a family of doctors (not practicing, as in graduates, mostly genetics and pharmaceuticals) and have been brought up a science AND faith filled life. There is a reason its called faith, because those that choose to believe in it aren't expected to prove it. Obviously I'm discounting the nutter followers.

 

[FirmaFan]

To me God is love,for evidence that he exist i suggest you look in the mirror,see do you get it now.

When I look in the mirror I see myself. Science, evidence, and reason wonderfully shows how billions of years of evolution allowed for the diversity of life on this planet, humans included.

As far as god being love, well, we already have a word for "love", and it's "love". Why inject god into a concept for which we already have a label?