Does the soul survive mortal death?

[Yoder777]

Atheists often claim that since there's no proof that the soul survives mortal death, then there must not be an afterlife. However, if God is all-powerful and has an infinite memory, there's nothing stopping Him from resurrecting our mortal souls after natural death. In fact, that's what the Bible promises.

It's Platonic philosophy which introduced to Christian theology the natural immortality of the soul. When Lazarus was dead for three days, we can presume that he was unconscious, especially since Jesus himself referred to the dead Lazarus as asleep. (John:11:11-14)

Christian mortalism - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Even if all the scientific evidence showed that human consciousness ends with mortal death, there would still be the hope for an afterlife. In Christian belief, the prospect of heaven was always supposed to be a matter of faith and hope, not scientific certainty.

 

[Michael]

Scientist Shows What Happens To 'Soul' After Death (VIDEO)

According to Orch-OR theory, soul isn't lost at physical death.

 

[Yoder777]

I find it somewhat ironic that the same people who claim to read the Bible literally often insist that Jesus' referring to the dead as asleep must have been metaphorical.

 

[Strathos]

I agree. But a lot of people are going to come in and say you're wrong and demand that you prove it, though.

 

[Yoder777]

I agree. But a lot of people are going to come in and say you're wrong and demand that you prove it, though.

From a scientific perspective, the burden of proof is on the person who claims that consciousness naturally survives mortal death. It just happens to helpful to the belief in conditional immortality that the Bible suggests it in both the Old and New Testaments.

Christian mortalism - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

It's important to remember that the individual believer would experience the vast time between death and resurrection as only a brief moment, like it never happened at all.

 

[Strathos]

Well that's one conception - sounds rather JW-like, in fact...

 

[Yoder777]

Well that's one conception - sounds rather JW-like, in fact...

Are John Stott and other theologians and Biblical scholars Jehovah's Witnesses?

 

[cerad]

Atheists often claim that since there's no proof that the soul survives mortal death, then there must not be an afterlife. However, if God is all-powerful and has an infinite memory, there's nothing stopping Him from resurrecting our mortal souls after natural death. In fact, that's what the Bible promises.

Likewise, a future race of humans (or aliens) could use a time viewer to monitor every detail of a person's life and then recreate it. Santa Claus could tap into this feed for his naughty or nice list. Better turn out the lights, you are being watched.

 

[Tinker Grey]

Atheists often claim that since there's no proof that the soul survives mortal death, then there must not be an afterlife.

Not quite. Atheists often claim that there's no evidence that a soul exists at all, let alone survives death.

 

[bhsmte]

Atheists often claim that since there's no proof that the soul survives mortal death, then there must not be an afterlife. However, if God is all-powerful and has an infinite memory, there's nothing stopping Him from resurrecting our mortal souls after natural death. In fact, that's what the Bible promises.

It's Platonic philosophy which introduced to Christian theology the natural immortality of the soul. When Lazarus was dead for three days, we can presume that he was unconscious, especially since Jesus himself referred to the dead Lazarus as asleep. (John:11:11-14)

Christian mortalism - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Even if all the scientific evidence showed that human consciousness ends with mortal death, there would still be the hope for an afterlife. In Christian belief, the prospect of heaven was always supposed to be a matter of faith and hope, not scientific certainty.

What is a soul?

What is your evidence a soul exists?

 

[JustMeSee]

If souls exist, they may or may not survive physical death.

What is the composition of a soul?
How is attached to life forms?

 

[Yoder777]

Not quite. Atheists often claim that there's no evidence that a soul exists at all, let alone survives death.

For the sake of this thread, the soul is what makes human consciousness distinct from our animal ancestors. You don't have to call it a soul. You can also call it the mind, the personality, etc. The point is that even if human consciousness expires at mortal death, there's still the possibility of resurrection.

 

[JustMeSee]

For the sake of this thread, the soul is what makes human consciousness distinct from our animal ancestors. You don't have to call it a soul. You can also call it the mind, the personality, etc. The point is that even if human consciousness expires at mortal death, there's still the possibility of resurrection.

What happens to the soul when people suffer from dementia or Alzheimer's (sp.) Disease?

 

[Yoder777]

What happens to the soul when people suffer from dementia or Alzheimer's (sp.) Disease?

That's a good question. If we will be resurrected on the last day, then people with dementia and Alzheimer's will be restored to their right mind in their new bodies. I don't know what kind of bodies they will be, whether physical, spiritual, or something in between. But what I do know is that if God exists, He has the infinite memory and the power to restore life to all who've deceased.

 

[Yoder777]

I went through a phase relatively recently when I watched videos of psychic mediums giving cold readings and read accounts of near death experiences in order to somehow find assurance of the afterlife. Now I see that psychic mediums have the strong possibility of being deceivers, whether that deception is conscious or unconscious, willful or unwillful. Some people are honestly self-deceived and self-deluded.

When it comes to near death experiences, they are often so different and divergent depending on the individual's religious beliefs that it's often impossible to use them as anything more than personal anecdotes, not proof of the afterlife.

If science and common sense told me that the human mind expires at mortal death, then I will trust in the power of God to resurrect it. If God had the power to restore Jesus back from the dead, He has the power to do the same for us, if we only trust Him.

 

[Nithavela]

For the sake of this thread, the soul is what makes human consciousness distinct from our animal ancestors. You don't have to call it a soul. You can also call it the mind, the personality, etc. The point is that even if human consciousness expires at mortal death, there's still the possibility of resurrection.

And now we do the two step backpaddle:

How is human conciousness distinct from animals? And how would you prove the difference?

Sure, humans can think things that animals can't. Birds can navigate using the magnetic field of the earth. Does that mean they have bird souls that allow them to feel magnetism?

Also, which conciousness is the real conciousness? The one I'm having right now? The one I have when I die? The one I have when I form my first coherent thought? I'm certain that I am a different human than when I was 5 years old, and I hope I will be different from now in a few decades.

Or are these all seperate souls of their own right? Will there be a "me" for every year of my life, in the afterlife? For every month? Day? Minute? Millisecond?

 

[Bungle_Bear]

And now we do the two step backpaddle:

How is human conciousness distinct from animals? And how would you prove the difference?

Sure, humans can think things that animals can't. Birds can navigate using the magnetic field of the earth. Does that mean they have bird souls that allow them to feel magnetism?

Also, which conciousness is the real conciousness? The one I'm having right now? The one I have when I die? The one I have when I form my first coherent thought? I'm certain that I am a different human than when I was 5 years old, and I hope I will be different from now in a few decades.

Or are these all seperate souls of their own right? Will there be a "me" for every year of my life, in the afterlife? For every month? Day? Minute? Millisecond?

Also, will I have multiple souls matching the memories of different people from my life? My (deceased) grand parents will remember me differently to my parents, who will remember me differently to my children, who will remember me differently to my current friends, who will remember me differently to my friends from university etc etc etc

 

[Yoder777]

Also, will I have multiple souls matching the memories of different people from my life?

No, that is an absurd and frivolous question. We will be restored to life by the infinite and perfect memory of God, as has been stated several times in this thread.

 

[Nithavela]

And which one of me? The me right now? The me when I die? The 5 year old me? Some strange amalgation?

 

[durangodawood]

The immortal soul seems like wishful thinking.... as we face the prospect of losing the precious ME we've endeavored to build.

But.... who knows?