Thoughts Upon The Sole's Foot Of Our Sole Life That Shall Never Possess A Soul
A Poem by Marvin Thomas Cox-Flynn de Graham
 A Prose Poetical Article expounding upon matters of the soul ... 
Thoughts
Upon The Sole's Foot Of Our Sole Life
That
Shall Never Possess A Soul (Nephesh)
To
Be Kept Or Lost Upon Death's Door Knocking
Written
By Marvin Thomas Cox-Flynn de Graham
Copyright
© 2024 Marvin Thomas Cox
DBA:
Marvin Thomas Cox-Flynn de Graham
All
Rights Reserved
Within
this research article of speculative conjecture -- supported by
evidential proofs whenever and wherever possible -- we shall discuss
thoughts upon the sole's foot of our sole life that shall never
posses a soul (Hebrew: Nephesh) to be kept or lost upon death's door
knocking.
To
cut to the proverbial chase, as well as for the sake of brevity, here
is the proof of the factual pudding: Biblically, as well as
Scientifically, there is no such
“thing” as
a Human Soul, no such “thing,” Biblically, due to
men-as-Man's manipulated, intentional misapplication, twisting of
word defining word meanings, and blatant misconstruing of the
Tanakh's (Old Testament's) initial passage of Scripture within the
book of Genesis translated into today's standardized King James
English Version's translation.
Gen
2:7 KJV -- 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.
The
above passage has errantly served as that very nonexistent foundation
upon which the very word “soul” was to be based upon thousands of
years into the future. Ironically, the future was to be shaped,
patterned, and painted by inspiration of the alleged execution of a
Jewish carpenter, his purported resurrection from the dead, and the
writing of four anonymously penned Gospel accounts curiously
written in Greek, rather than Hebrew, well over a hundred years later
according to the estimation of a notable number of respected Bible
Scholars.
Yet,
the cold hard fact is: The word Soul is derived and translated from
the Hebrew word Nephesh, which, literally, means to exist as a
living, breathing, metabolizing, existing-being (i.e.: To
exist): Alive and not dead. Thus, there is nothing to
be found, no connotation of any kind whatsoever, within the word Soul
(Nephesh) which would/does serve to indicate any existence of any
essence of you or I, remaining and continuing on after our deaths,
though I do wish as such were true, for who the hell would not --
and as such is the true crux of the problem: Wishful thinking, and
nothing more. Allow me to paraphrase Genesis 2:7 in further
explanation's clarification:
Gen
2:7 KJV -- 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 being -- to exist.
Next,
let us arrive at an understanding of what the Gospel's word hell is
derived from and accurately means. The word hell is derived and
translated from the Hebrew word Sheol, which literally translates as
that destruction of the Human body that begins to take place
immediately after death and consumes the Human Body to a point of
leaving only bones in a tomb or grave. The word hell accurately means
death and decomposition of the Human Body, both of which are
synonymous with the grave. Therefore, when Jesus allegedly said:
Mat
16:26 KJV -- For
what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose
his own soul? or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?
Mat
10:28 -- And
fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul:
but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in
hell.
The
above passage should be accurately paraphrased something as this:
Mat
16:26 KJV -- For
what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose
his own life's
being,
of -- to exist?
or what shall a man give in exchange for his life's
being, of -- to exist?
Mat
10:28 -- And
fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the
life's
being, of -- to exist:
but rather fear him which is able to destroy both life's
being, of -- to exist
and functionally-living
body in
that resultant process of decomposition which begins immediately upon
death and culminates in finality of the grave.
As
for Scientifically? Regardless of wishful thinking's, Blind Faith,
conspiracy theory-like claims to the contrary, there does not
exist a single shred of established and substantiated evidence
that is to be relied upon as verifiable proof of the existence of a
Human Soul to be found within any credible field of Scientific Study
and Research -- to date.
Right
about now of at this point, someone will proclaim, “What about that
famous test conducted in 1907 which is said to have concluded the
Human Soul does exists and weighs 21 grams?”
Let's
get real people: Do you have any idea what 21 grams is in weight?
21 grams is just short of an ounce -- much more than any imagined
misty mythical essence. But, please be patient and we shall have a
good ole look see at attempting to answer such a question.
Thus,
the foremost question at this moment is, can I back up and support
all which I have shared above? Yes, I can. Shall we begin with
examining the Biblical evidence from a couple of reliable source
article excerpts, and work our way towards debunking the 21 grams of
alleged Scientific evidence?
The
origins of the doctrine of the “immortality of the soul”
Immortality
of the soul: the common belief vs. the Bible
“...
Nephesh: “the essence of life, the act of breathing, taking breath
... The problem with the English term 'soul' is that no actual
equivalent of the term or the idea behind it is represented in the
Hebrew language. The Hebrew system of thought does not include the
combination or opposition of the 'body'and 'soul' which are really
Greek and Latin in origin" (Vine’s Complete Expository
Dictionary of Old and New Testament Words, 1985, p. 237-238, emphasis
added).
“Nephesh”
(or “Psuchi” in the Greek New Testament), soul, is, according to
the Word of God simply the
breath, the life. Genesis 2:7 demonstrates this truth very clearly:
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 [“nephesh” in Hebrew]. ”
See
that the Word does not speak about soul as something separate from
the body. “Man became a living
soul”. Everyone of us that breaths today is a living soul. When we
will have breathed our last, we will
no longer be living souls. We would be sleeping, having no
consciousness, exactly as during deep sleep
people have no consciousness.
If
we adopt the definition the Word of God gives to soul and not the one
of the “Greek and Latin in origin”,
as Vine calls it, we will not then have a problem when we realize
that the animals also have soul:
Genesis
1:20-21
"And
God said, Let the waters bring forth abundantly the moving creature
[nephesh, soul] that has life [nephesh,
soul] and fowl that may fly above the earth in the open firmament of
heaven. And God created
great whales, and every living creature [“nephesh”, soul, so also
in the MKJV and others] that moves,
which the waters brought forth abundantly, after their kind, and
every winged fowl after hiskind:
and God saw that it was good"
and
Genesis 1:29-30
"And
God said "Behold I have given you every herb bearing seed, which
is upon the face of all the earth,
and every tree whose fruit yield seed; to you it shall be for food.
And to every beast of the earth, and
to every bird of the air, and to everything that creeps upon the
earth , wherein there is a living soul [nephesh
in Hebrew] I have given every green herb for meat:" and it was
so."
There
is obviously nothing metaphysic in soul. Whatever breathes, man or
animal, is a living soul ...”
Allow
me to cite yet another excerpt source of evidence as proof of that
which I have shared above?
The
Bible Meaning of Soul
@
Learn About The Bible.net
AN
ANIMAL LIFE OR BODY SUBJECT TO DEATH - NOT IMMORTAL
Num
19:13a KJV--Whosoever toucheth the dead bodyH5315 of any man
that is dead, and purifieth not himself,
defileth the tabernacle of the LORD and that soulH5315 shall
be cut off from Israel.
To
the average person, the word "soul" carries the meaning of
an undying, immaterial essence that continues
in conscious existence after death. This conception is accepted
without thought or examination.
As
soon as we start to look into the question, however, we begin to make
very interesting discoveries.
We
find, first of all, that the BIBLE meaning of soul is ALTOGETHER
DIFFERENT from this, andimmediately
the question arises:
How
can the commonly accepted religious conception of soul be entirely
different from the soul of the Bible,seeing
that the beliefs of Christendom are supposed to be based upon the
Bible?
CHRISTENDOM
ADMITS "IMMORTAL SOUL" UNBIBLICAL, AND BASED ON GREEK
PHILOSOPHY
When
we turn to works of reference by the learned expositors of the
immortal soul theory, we see how this
"believing a lie" works out quite naturally. Most of them
make no attempt to conceal the fact that scriptural
teaching and popular theology are very different regarding the
meaning of "soul." They are in fact,
proud that they have developed many "improvements" upon
what they consider the partial and hazy
conceptions voiced by the "Holy men of God who spake as they
were moved by the Holy Spirit"
(2
Peter 1:21). Webster's Dictionary says:
"The
Christian conception of the soul derives from the Greek, especially
as modified by the mystery cults,
as well as from the Bible..."
"The
more exact determination of the Christian conception was reserved for
the Church Fathers,especially
Saint Augustine, who taught that it is simple, immaterial and
spiritual, devoid of quality and spatial
extension. He argued its immortality from the fact that it is the
repository of Imperishable truth."
Funk
& Wagnall Dictionary is even more to the point:
"Among
the ancient Hebrews 'soul' was the equivalent of the principle of
life as embodied in living creatures,
and this meaning is continued throughout the Bible …
"It
was Augustine especially who, in part on religious grounds and in
part as the disciple of the later Greek
Philosophy, taught the simple, immaterial and spiritual nature of the
human soul view which has remained
that of the scholastic philosophy and of Christian theologians down
to the present time."
Hasting's
well-known Bible Dictionary freely admits:
"Soul
is throughout a great part of the Bible simply the equivalent of
'life' embodied in living creature.
In
the earlier usage of the Old Testament it has no reference to the
later philosophical meaning the animating
principle still less to the idea of an 'immaterial nature' which will
survive the body."
The
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia says:
"Soul
has various shades of meaning in the Old Testament, which may be
summarized as follows: Soul, living
being, life, self, person, desire, appetite, emotion and passion.
"Nephesh
or soul, can only denote the individual life with a material
organization or body.
"In
the New Testament 'psuche' appears under more or less similar
conditions as in the Old Testament."
Having
presented the above Biblical evidential excerpt proofs, shall we
examine the famous matter of 21 grams?
How
much does the soul weigh?
By
Stephanie Pappas @ LiveScience.com
“...
at the turn of the last century in Dorchester, a neighborhood in
Boston. A reputable physician named Duncan MacDougall had a bee in
his bonnet: If humans had souls, he thought, those souls must take up
space. And if souls take up space, well, they must weigh something --
right?
Weighing
the soul
There
was just one way to find out, MacDougall reasoned. "Since …
the substance considered in our hypothesis is linked organically with
the body until death takes place, it appears to me more reasonable to
think that it must be some form of gravitative matter, and therefore
capable of being detected at death by weighing a human being in the
act of death," he wrote in the scientific paper he would
eventually publish in 1907 about this effort.
MacDougall
teamed up with Dorchester's Consumptives' Home, a charitable hospital
for late-stage tuberculosis, which at that time was incurable.
MacDougall built a large scale, capable of holding a cot and a dying
tuberculosis patient. Tuberculosis was a convenient disease for this
experiment, MacDougall explained in his paper, because patients died
in "great exhaustion" and without any movement that would
jiggle his scale.
MacDougall's
first patient, a man, died on April 10, 1901, with a sudden drop in
the scale of 0.75 ounce (21.2 grams). And in that moment, the legend
was born. It didn't matter much that MacDougall's next patient lost
0.5 ounce (14 grams) 15
minutes after
he stopped breathing, or that his third case showed an inexplicable
two-step loss of 0.5 ounce and then 1 ounce (28.3 g) a minute later.
MacDougall
threw out Case 4, a woman dying of diabetes, because the scale wasn't
well calibrated, in part due to a "good deal of interference by
people opposed to our work," which raises a few questions that
MacDougall did not seem eager to answer in his write-up. Case 5 lost
0.375 ounce (10.6 grams), but the scale malfunctioned afterward,
raising questions about those numbers, too. Case 6 got thrown out
because the patient died while MacDougall was still adjusting his
scale.
MacDougall
then repeated the experiments on 15 dogs and found no loss of weight -- indicating, to his mind, that all dogs definitely do not go to
heaven.
MacDougall
reported his results in 1907 in the journal American Medicine and the
Journal of the American Society for Psychical Research. He also
snagged a write-up in The New York Times.
Unanswerable
questions
MacDougall's
study had a minuscule sample size, and his results were all over the
place, so even at the time, it cast the notion that he measured the
soul into serious doubt. To MacDougall's credit, he admitted that
more measurements were needed to confirm that the soul had weight.
That hasn't happened ...”
A
most pertinent point regarding the inconclusive evidence of Duncan
MacDougall's 1907 experiments above, one which requires the
assessment of serious doubt as to the experiments accuracy, as well
as reliability? The above experiments were not conducted by a team
of qualified Scientists, nor in a Laboratory under controlled
conditions, which is specifically the manner in which Scientific
Facts are established, proven, or proven to not be fact at all, but
nothing more than an adventurous theory.
As
an Ex-Christian Preacher, please allow me to ask a sincere question:
Why does your church Pastor allow you to believe teachings that are
Biblically untrue, teachings which he knows are untrue, had
to have learned in seminary? Because, should your Pastor begin
teaching the nonexistence of the Human Soul, then very soon it shall
dawn upon you that there is also no such thing as any Afterlife,
Eternal Life, nor Heaven and Hell.
Point
of fact in closing: Prior to the Babylonian Captivity, the Jewish
people held to no concept of an Afterlife or Eternal Life for the
individual. It was only after living among the Babylonian
Polytheistic peoples that such concepts began to take hold, and
assimilated into the Jewish culture and mindset, as per this final
bit of evidence in excerpt, which I shall share in kindly bidding my
readers adieu:
The
ancient Hebrews had no idea of an immortal soul living
a full and vital life beyond death, nor of any resurrection or return
from death. Human beings, like the beasts of the field, are made of
“dust of the earth,” and at death they return to that dust (Gen.
2:7; 3:19). The Hebrew word nephesh, traditionally translated “living
soul” but more properly understood as “living creature,” is the
same word used for all breathing creatures and refers to nothing
immortal. The same holds true for the expression translated as “the
breath of life” (see Gen. 1:24; 7:21-22).It is physical, “animal
life.” For all practical purposes, death was the end. As Psalm
115:17 says, the dead go down into “silence”; they do not
participate, as do the living, in praising God (seen then as the most
vital human activity). Psalm 146:4 is like an exact reverse replay of
Genesis 2:7: “When his breath departs here turns to his earth; on
that very day his thoughts [plans] perish.” Death is a one-way
street; there is no return. As Job laments:
But
man dies, and is laid low;
man
breathes his last, and where is he?
As
waters fail from a lake,
and
a river wastes away and dries up,
so
man lies down and rises not again;
till
the heavens are no more he will not awake,
or
be aroused out of his sleep. (Job 14:10-12) [4]
What
the Bible Says About Death, Afterlife and the Future by James D.
Tabor
(Written
April 17th, 2024)
© 2024 Marvin Thomas Cox-Flynn de Graham
Author's Note
 |
EVIDENTIAL FOOTNOTE PROOFS
1 The Journal of Biblical Accuracy — https://www.jba.gr/
2 The Bible Meaning of Soul — Learn The Bible.net: http://learnbible.net/
3 How Much Does A Soul Weigh by Stephanie Pappas — https://www.livescience.com/32327-how-much-does-the-soul-weigh.html
4 What the Bible Says About Death, Afterlife and the Future by James D. Tabor — https://jamestabor.com/what-the-bible-really-says-about-death-afterlife-and-the-future
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Featured Review
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Marvin,
Well, DANG! Thank you for this excellent treatise on a universal question, is there such a thing as a "soul? My first thought is to ask if it is possible to substitute the word "mind" for "soul?" And that brings me to the things I've been reading about concerning the nature of consciousness as proposed by some quantum physicists. (I'm going to do an aside here and say I'm not responding with MLA or any other formalized, scholarly methodology.)
According to recent studies, many of those nice Quantum guys are suggesting that the entire universe is conscious, something I’ve considered for some time now. A conscious universe would be the only whole and complete definition of “God...” If so, and in light of another quantum possibility which states that time is non-linear, all our previous cosmological concepts go out the window. In such a case, any predication based on semantics, linguistics, experimentation, measurement, or other concept is an automatic non-sequitor. Non-linear time does not have the usual cause and effect chain of action. So, who, where, and what the hell is going on? My personal speculation is that everything corporeal, every bit of the existence of everything... is the definition of a singularity. A solid block of everything all at once; the “BIG NON-BANG!” If the “B-N-B” is conscious, then every part of it is a part of that consciousness, bubbling around in a kind of existence we have no means with which to even imagine… Any aware being must be part of this consciousness and that “awareness” would be what we have come to refer to as a soul… The concept of “life after death” is almost universal to all beings we think of as conscious. In fact, all life, maybe even every sub-atomic- quantum particle is in on the act. The other day, I marveled at a tiny insect so small I could barely discern its legs as it walked across the counter, and when I put my finger beside it, it ran away in what looked like terror to me. Terror of what? Death? Pain? And how much of that was “conscious, how much an “existential crisis?” It seems to me each “particle” of consciousness is a part of the whole consciousness that we, trapped in our current “ugly bags of mostly water” cannot conceive of.
Now, I have to say that I am a believer… a Christian heretic I admit, but the Story of The GOD of the universe as represented in Biblical scripture appeals to my human nature, as does speculating about how that gives a measure of meaning to my own passage through my culture and linear time. The only glass we have to look through is darkened by the dirt we are made of, but it is how I am able to make my own “Leap of faith.” Finally, I would say that defining anything like the Christian concept of a “soul” by using the language of it’s writings is like using a word to define itself. By excluding that thing the Hindus believe is reincarnated or the Egyptians provided for... pick any religion… and not arguing similarly for or against that existence leaves room for much further study.
Vol
Posted 4 Months Ago
1 of 1 people found this review constructive.
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3 Months Ago
Vol,
Thanks for reading, and for the valued sharing of your personal take and thought.. read moreVol,
Thanks for reading, and for the valued sharing of your personal take and thoughts.
I would hope that some essence of us each lingers on after death ...
My point? There's not a shred evidential proof. Why do I take such a harsh stand in pointing out such a total lack of evidence speaks against reliance and dependence upon Blindest Faith? Simply this one all encompassing reason I do assess as most important: You are a Teacher, teaching and preparing the young for Life and adulthood, and hopefully happiness and success.
Consider this: The road to every War men-as-Man have ever thought to wave has been paved with cobblestone's-LIVES and BLOOD of those very young people, no matter the time, War, or age, that you seek to prepare to live Life, and to to the fullest.
The young are sent to die with hearts braced with Blind Faith beleifs that should they die, they shall continue to exist in heaven, or whatever.
And such a reality os sacrificing young people upon bloody battlefields, when for all we truthfully know, for all we can actually prove and demonstrate, this Life they are sacrificing may well be the only shot at living (at existimg) that they shall ever have as one chance, one opportunity, one and only hurrah of living Life to the fullest as something far too precious to piss off on any battlefield for the sake of any War, because such a waste of young Human lives renders all your years if devoted teaching, nurturing, and preparation utterly meaningless for you and all Teachers.
As for your concept of continued conciosness? 'Tis a grand idea without evidence.
But, I like it.
I tend to consider all things in the Universe as living things, such as the Earh as a planet, and our Sun as a star.
Microbes live in our bodies with us as their Universe.
Could it be that concept of a God or Cretor we seek is that body as the Universe we exist within, and so we are inside seeking to look out at that which is right before our eyes and noses?
Such a concept is called the Pantheon, and is an ancient concept that could well be true. But it will tale our dying to find out ...
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3 Months Ago
Marvin,
There is no empirical proof of continued existence after physical death. On the other.. read moreMarvin,
There is no empirical proof of continued existence after physical death. On the other hand, empirical data only exists in the physical world, and the only connection between the physical and the spiritual is "faith." Hebrews 11:1 says "Now faith is the certainty of things hoped for, a proof of things not seen." My physical self DEMANDS a scientific answer, my spiritual self is comfortable with Kierkegaard's “Leap of faith.” When Shakespeare the “inventor of the human being,” said humans are greater than the sum of our parts, he is simply recognizing our mind/soul/spirit as real. Think of the concept “faith” in the same terms as “love,” neither have physical properties, but both have profound effects on the quality of human life. The concept of a soul having an existence as a separate thing from the material world is the hope of all religions… all people. No one WANTS to disappear as though nothing happened. This way we are not plagued by mass suicides every day all the way to extinction. Life is uncomfortable at its very best, full of pain and suffering most of the time, and with just enough joy to keep us going, so why do we put up with it? Why not just jump off a cliff when there’s not enough money for rent this month? Why do the homeless keep going, the victims of war, disease, famine? Maybe it is the cry from our souls to fulfill a purpose, to ease someone else’s burdens, or experience enough of life that we have something to carry over.
The Christian concept of reward and punishment is one of the reasons there is so much doubt and atheism these days. It is why Western religion is on the decline… as though the GOD OF THE UNIVERSE sits on a big chair with notepad and pencil saying “Gotcha!” The concept is absurd in the extreme and serves religion, but not our spirits, much less, God’s.
So… I’m seventy-five years old, fairly healthy, but at best, I have maybe ten years to go. When I die, what if that’s it, THE END, inert darkness forever, or what if I continue in an afterlife? Sitting in this chair, typing this, it could not be more irrelevant to anything at all... But what if I move into a realm of awareness where all things are revealed… truth, beauty, love, the essence of life, the absence of time, the full realization of ME as an entity… or, as Tolkien put it….
“PIPPIN: I didn't think it would end this way.
GANDALF: End? No, the journey doesn't end here. Death is just another path, one that we all must take. The grey rain-curtain of this world rolls back, and all turns to silver glass, and then you see it.
PIPPIN: What? Gandalf? See what?
GANDALF: White shores, and beyond, a far green country under a swift sunrise.
PIPPIN: Well, that isn't so bad.
GANDALF: No. No, it isn't.”
Well, to recant a little… It makes all the difference because hope makes the rest of it worthy of every breath I take.
Vol
P.S. I have obviously left as much of the story of Christ out of this, I figure anyone who takes the time for self examination will figure all that ot for themselves.
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3 Months Ago
OOPS!
I wanted to say in response to your question about preachers that the church has NEVER.. read moreOOPS!
I wanted to say in response to your question about preachers that the church has NEVER since day one gotten the gospel right... The heresies promulgated by the church as a whole are impossible to overstate... they do it because they are lazy thinkers, because they are mere men, because they lie and the truth is not in them. "Hey, Jesus, why'd you come?" "To give you life, and that more abundantly." Everything else is either guilding the lily or self-serving attempts to bully and dominate... religion, Bah, Humbug!
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3 Months Ago
I guess I would know about that. I've stood in the Pulpit, done just enough Seninary to learn all th.. read moreI guess I would know about that. I've stood in the Pulpit, done just enough Seninary to learn all that is forbidden to speak of to Tithe paying pew warmers. If you actually did read my above article, including my evidential proofs, then I would hope you realize that I am not your average atheist. I do not believe in the agod(s) of Organized Religion. But I do attest a Creator of all that is and will ever be.
Thanks for your comments. I share my opinion, but I am a studied Research writer of in depth researched articles, and when one posts writing to this site there is a designated category for articles, as well as poetry and stories.
You have much to say and share. Ÿou should consider writimg your own articles to reach out amd share your thoughts with readers.
I would read, amd comment, in return.
Take care, and good writing to you ...
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3 Months Ago
Thanks for the encouragement, Marvin!
I think Iam either too lazy, or too spent to embark on.. read moreThanks for the encouragement, Marvin!
I think Iam either too lazy, or too spent to embark on any kind of formal project... especially one of an academic nature... I too have been a licensed minister and stood in a pulpit until I encountered a sermon by a fellow named Paris Reidhead. If you are not familiar with him, just type "Ten Shekels and a Shirt" into Google and I think you would understand. If you can get past the first ten minutes or so (he had lost his notes and had to wing it) it is a pretty astounding indictment of pretty much all of modern dogma and theology.
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3 Months Ago
Once a Preacher, always a Preacher. Sometimes the messag semon simply changes in message and directi.. read moreOnce a Preacher, always a Preacher. Sometimes the messag semon simply changes in message and direction.
My PC is dead and am replying by phone. So better hush for now.
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Reviews
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Marvin,
Well, DANG! Thank you for this excellent treatise on a universal question, is there such a thing as a "soul? My first thought is to ask if it is possible to substitute the word "mind" for "soul?" And that brings me to the things I've been reading about concerning the nature of consciousness as proposed by some quantum physicists. (I'm going to do an aside here and say I'm not responding with MLA or any other formalized, scholarly methodology.)
According to recent studies, many of those nice Quantum guys are suggesting that the entire universe is conscious, something I’ve considered for some time now. A conscious universe would be the only whole and complete definition of “God...” If so, and in light of another quantum possibility which states that time is non-linear, all our previous cosmological concepts go out the window. In such a case, any predication based on semantics, linguistics, experimentation, measurement, or other concept is an automatic non-sequitor. Non-linear time does not have the usual cause and effect chain of action. So, who, where, and what the hell is going on? My personal speculation is that everything corporeal, every bit of the existence of everything... is the definition of a singularity. A solid block of everything all at once; the “BIG NON-BANG!” If the “B-N-B” is conscious, then every part of it is a part of that consciousness, bubbling around in a kind of existence we have no means with which to even imagine… Any aware being must be part of this consciousness and that “awareness” would be what we have come to refer to as a soul… The concept of “life after death” is almost universal to all beings we think of as conscious. In fact, all life, maybe even every sub-atomic- quantum particle is in on the act. The other day, I marveled at a tiny insect so small I could barely discern its legs as it walked across the counter, and when I put my finger beside it, it ran away in what looked like terror to me. Terror of what? Death? Pain? And how much of that was “conscious, how much an “existential crisis?” It seems to me each “particle” of consciousness is a part of the whole consciousness that we, trapped in our current “ugly bags of mostly water” cannot conceive of.
Now, I have to say that I am a believer… a Christian heretic I admit, but the Story of The GOD of the universe as represented in Biblical scripture appeals to my human nature, as does speculating about how that gives a measure of meaning to my own passage through my culture and linear time. The only glass we have to look through is darkened by the dirt we are made of, but it is how I am able to make my own “Leap of faith.” Finally, I would say that defining anything like the Christian concept of a “soul” by using the language of it’s writings is like using a word to define itself. By excluding that thing the Hindus believe is reincarnated or the Egyptians provided for... pick any religion… and not arguing similarly for or against that existence leaves room for much further study.
Vol
Posted 4 Months Ago
1 of 1 people found this review constructive.
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3 Months Ago
Vol,
Thanks for reading, and for the valued sharing of your personal take and thought.. read moreVol,
Thanks for reading, and for the valued sharing of your personal take and thoughts.
I would hope that some essence of us each lingers on after death ...
My point? There's not a shred evidential proof. Why do I take such a harsh stand in pointing out such a total lack of evidence speaks against reliance and dependence upon Blindest Faith? Simply this one all encompassing reason I do assess as most important: You are a Teacher, teaching and preparing the young for Life and adulthood, and hopefully happiness and success.
Consider this: The road to every War men-as-Man have ever thought to wave has been paved with cobblestone's-LIVES and BLOOD of those very young people, no matter the time, War, or age, that you seek to prepare to live Life, and to to the fullest.
The young are sent to die with hearts braced with Blind Faith beleifs that should they die, they shall continue to exist in heaven, or whatever.
And such a reality os sacrificing young people upon bloody battlefields, when for all we truthfully know, for all we can actually prove and demonstrate, this Life they are sacrificing may well be the only shot at living (at existimg) that they shall ever have as one chance, one opportunity, one and only hurrah of living Life to the fullest as something far too precious to piss off on any battlefield for the sake of any War, because such a waste of young Human lives renders all your years if devoted teaching, nurturing, and preparation utterly meaningless for you and all Teachers.
As for your concept of continued conciosness? 'Tis a grand idea without evidence.
But, I like it.
I tend to consider all things in the Universe as living things, such as the Earh as a planet, and our Sun as a star.
Microbes live in our bodies with us as their Universe.
Could it be that concept of a God or Cretor we seek is that body as the Universe we exist within, and so we are inside seeking to look out at that which is right before our eyes and noses?
Such a concept is called the Pantheon, and is an ancient concept that could well be true. But it will tale our dying to find out ...
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3 Months Ago
Marvin,
There is no empirical proof of continued existence after physical death. On the other.. read moreMarvin,
There is no empirical proof of continued existence after physical death. On the other hand, empirical data only exists in the physical world, and the only connection between the physical and the spiritual is "faith." Hebrews 11:1 says "Now faith is the certainty of things hoped for, a proof of things not seen." My physical self DEMANDS a scientific answer, my spiritual self is comfortable with Kierkegaard's “Leap of faith.” When Shakespeare the “inventor of the human being,” said humans are greater than the sum of our parts, he is simply recognizing our mind/soul/spirit as real. Think of the concept “faith” in the same terms as “love,” neither have physical properties, but both have profound effects on the quality of human life. The concept of a soul having an existence as a separate thing from the material world is the hope of all religions… all people. No one WANTS to disappear as though nothing happened. This way we are not plagued by mass suicides every day all the way to extinction. Life is uncomfortable at its very best, full of pain and suffering most of the time, and with just enough joy to keep us going, so why do we put up with it? Why not just jump off a cliff when there’s not enough money for rent this month? Why do the homeless keep going, the victims of war, disease, famine? Maybe it is the cry from our souls to fulfill a purpose, to ease someone else’s burdens, or experience enough of life that we have something to carry over.
The Christian concept of reward and punishment is one of the reasons there is so much doubt and atheism these days. It is why Western religion is on the decline… as though the GOD OF THE UNIVERSE sits on a big chair with notepad and pencil saying “Gotcha!” The concept is absurd in the extreme and serves religion, but not our spirits, much less, God’s.
So… I’m seventy-five years old, fairly healthy, but at best, I have maybe ten years to go. When I die, what if that’s it, THE END, inert darkness forever, or what if I continue in an afterlife? Sitting in this chair, typing this, it could not be more irrelevant to anything at all... But what if I move into a realm of awareness where all things are revealed… truth, beauty, love, the essence of life, the absence of time, the full realization of ME as an entity… or, as Tolkien put it….
“PIPPIN: I didn't think it would end this way.
GANDALF: End? No, the journey doesn't end here. Death is just another path, one that we all must take. The grey rain-curtain of this world rolls back, and all turns to silver glass, and then you see it.
PIPPIN: What? Gandalf? See what?
GANDALF: White shores, and beyond, a far green country under a swift sunrise.
PIPPIN: Well, that isn't so bad.
GANDALF: No. No, it isn't.”
Well, to recant a little… It makes all the difference because hope makes the rest of it worthy of every breath I take.
Vol
P.S. I have obviously left as much of the story of Christ out of this, I figure anyone who takes the time for self examination will figure all that ot for themselves.
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3 Months Ago
OOPS!
I wanted to say in response to your question about preachers that the church has NEVER.. read moreOOPS!
I wanted to say in response to your question about preachers that the church has NEVER since day one gotten the gospel right... The heresies promulgated by the church as a whole are impossible to overstate... they do it because they are lazy thinkers, because they are mere men, because they lie and the truth is not in them. "Hey, Jesus, why'd you come?" "To give you life, and that more abundantly." Everything else is either guilding the lily or self-serving attempts to bully and dominate... religion, Bah, Humbug!
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3 Months Ago
I guess I would know about that. I've stood in the Pulpit, done just enough Seninary to learn all th.. read moreI guess I would know about that. I've stood in the Pulpit, done just enough Seninary to learn all that is forbidden to speak of to Tithe paying pew warmers. If you actually did read my above article, including my evidential proofs, then I would hope you realize that I am not your average atheist. I do not believe in the agod(s) of Organized Religion. But I do attest a Creator of all that is and will ever be.
Thanks for your comments. I share my opinion, but I am a studied Research writer of in depth researched articles, and when one posts writing to this site there is a designated category for articles, as well as poetry and stories.
You have much to say and share. Ÿou should consider writimg your own articles to reach out amd share your thoughts with readers.
I would read, amd comment, in return.
Take care, and good writing to you ...
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3 Months Ago
Thanks for the encouragement, Marvin!
I think Iam either too lazy, or too spent to embark on.. read moreThanks for the encouragement, Marvin!
I think Iam either too lazy, or too spent to embark on any kind of formal project... especially one of an academic nature... I too have been a licensed minister and stood in a pulpit until I encountered a sermon by a fellow named Paris Reidhead. If you are not familiar with him, just type "Ten Shekels and a Shirt" into Google and I think you would understand. If you can get past the first ten minutes or so (he had lost his notes and had to wing it) it is a pretty astounding indictment of pretty much all of modern dogma and theology.
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3 Months Ago
Once a Preacher, always a Preacher. Sometimes the messag semon simply changes in message and directi.. read moreOnce a Preacher, always a Preacher. Sometimes the messag semon simply changes in message and direction.
My PC is dead and am replying by phone. So better hush for now.
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Marvin,
Well, DANG! Thank you for this excellent treatise on a universal question, is there such a thing as a "soul? My first thought is to ask if it is possible to substitute the word "mind" for "soul?" And that brings me to the things I've been reading about concerning the nature of consciousness as proposed by some quantum physicists. (I'm going to do an aside here and say I'm not responding with MLA or any other formalized, scholarly methodology.)
According to recent studies, many of those nice Quantum guys are suggesting that the entire universe is conscious, something I’ve considered for some time now. A conscious universe would be the only whole and complete definition of “God...” If so, and in light of another quantum possibility which states that time is non-linear, all our previous cosmological concepts go out the window. In such a case, any predication based on semantics, linguistics, experimentation, measurement, or other concept is an automatic non-sequitor. Non-linear time does not have the usual cause and effect chain of action. So, who, where, and what the hell is going on? My personal speculation is that everything corporeal, every bit of the existence of everything... is the definition of a singularity. A solid block of everything all at once; the “BIG NON-BANG!” If the “B-N-B” is conscious, then every part of it is a part of that consciousness, bubbling around in a kind of existence we have no means with which to even imagine… Any aware being must be part of this consciousness and that “awareness” would be what we have come to refer to as a soul… The concept of “life after death” is almost universal to all beings we think of as conscious. In fact, all life, maybe even every sub-atomic- quantum particle is in on the act. The other day, I marveled at a tiny insect so small I could barely discern its legs as it walked across the counter, and when I put my finger beside it, it ran away in what looked like terror to me. Terror of what? Death? Pain? And how much of that was “conscious, how much an “existential crisis?” It seems to me each “particle” of consciousness is a part of the whole consciousness that we, trapped in our current “ugly bags of mostly water” cannot conceive of.
Now, I have to say that I am a believer… a Christian heretic I admit, but the Story of The GOD of the universe as represented in Biblical scripture appeals to my human nature, as does speculating about how that gives a measure of meaning to my own passage through my culture and linear time. The only glass we have to look through is darkened by the dirt we are made of, but it is how I am able to make my own “Leap of faith.” Finally, I would say that defining anything like the Christian concept of a “soul” by using the language of it’s writings is like using a word to define itself. By excluding that thing the Hindus believe is reincarnated or the Egyptians provided for... pick any religion… and not arguing similarly for or against that existence leaves room for much further study.
Vol
Posted 4 Months Ago
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Author
Marvin Thomas Cox-Flynn de GrahamSmalltown, TX
About
“Hello! Welcome to my profile page.
As a Creative Writer, I pen a variety of material that ranges from piss poor attempts at Poetry, to morbidly Dark Fiction, to investigative, in depth, re.. more..
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