Immortal soul -absurdities of christian dogma

[rcscwc]

Immortal soul -absurdities of christian dogma

Christians believe that the soul is immortal. But this doctrine does not find mention in OT at all. OT has no mention of eternal torture in hell of the non believers of Yehwah. [Though extermination of such non believers is provided for.]. Would not something so important and vital to the well-being of all mankind [as claimed] be revealed right from the beginning? If eternal torture is a real fear, should not it have been right in the beginning? Conclusion is inescapable that the biblegod kept it secret solely for the purpose of populating of the hell as a show case for the believers.

If all men do have immortal souls, then a few questions surface:

1. When exactly did or do these immortal souls come into existence?
2. Can soul be created at all?
3. Do the unborn babies too have an immortal soul? Does a foetus have an immortal soul? Does a fertilized egg too at conception have an immortal soul? If yes then more questions crop up.

i. How do these immortal souls look like if the unborn baby dies in the womb? Or immediately after birth?
ii. Do the souls of such babies instantly gain full adulthood in appearance with fully developed reasoning when they reach heaven (or hell or limbo or whatever)? If they don’t then they would simply not know and discern where they are. If yes, then if they land up anywhere except heaven, will they not ask: Why? What is my fault if I died early? Can biblegod give a cogent answer? If they end up in heaven then what about the core doctrine of christianity like “Without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who seek Him.” (Hebrews 11:6) , “If you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you shall be saved; for with the heart man believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation.” (Romans 10:10)?

If an immortal soul comes into existence at the moment an egg is fertilized in the mother’s womb, then that would mean that our immortal soul at one point did not exist. If this be true, then why is it inconceivable that this immortal soul could not once more cease from existing? In other words, if our soul at one time did not exist, why cannot that state of non-existence repeat itself?

One more question comes up: If the soul is created as the result of fertilisation, then it made up of two parts. Is the soul divisible or atomic in nature? Augustine to Aquinas are mum on this aspect.

If immortal souls have bodies – fingers, toes, eyes, etc… - based upon Luke 16 and the parable of Lazarus and the rich man… then what use is there for a resurrected body on the day of judgement? Reuniting the immortal soul with its resurrected body at a future date would be a futile exercise. What would be the need for Jesus to resurrect at all?

I await the answers.

 

[Charlie_Zeaiter]

… In other words, if our soul at one time did not exist, why cannot that state of non-existence repeat itself? …

Our souls only exist because of His will. God can obliterate your soul from existance. But He said He wouldn’t (“I will never forget you”).

 

[Centos]

Immortal soul -absurdities of christian dogma

Christians believe that the soul is immortal. But this doctrine does not find mention in OT at all.

Just a quick note. Christ revealed a lot of things that weren’t in the Old Testament. This is certainly no argument against his teachings.

May God be with you

 

[East_Anglican]

The Hebrew word Sheol

Sheol, in Hebrew שאול (Sh’ol), is the “abode of the dead”, the “underworld”, or “pit”. Sheol is the common destination of both the righteous and the unrighteous dead.

So within Hebrew Theology the soul was eternal

 

[ralphinal]

Immortal soul -absurdities of christian dogma

Christians believe that the soul is immortal. But this doctrine does not find mention in OT at all. OT has no mention of eternal torture in hell of the non believers of Yehwah. [Though extermination of such non believers is provided for.]. Would not something so important and vital to the well-being of all mankind [as claimed] be revealed right from the beginning? If eternal torture is a real fear, should not it have been right in the beginning? Conclusion is inescapable that the biblegod kept it secret solely for the purpose of populating of the hell as a show case for the believers.

If all men do have immortal souls, then a few questions surface:

1. When exactly did or do these immortal souls come into existence?

At conception, when life begins

1. Can soul be created at all?

They are created at conception when life beings

1. Do the unborn babies too have an immortal soul? Does a foetus have an immortal soul? Does a fertilized egg too at conception have an immortal soul? If yes then more questions crop up.

Yes, yes, yes

i. How do these immortal souls look like if the unborn baby dies in the womb? Or immediately after birth?

A soul does not have a “look”. It is a spiritual thing and as such, appears the way God made it to appear.

ii. Do the souls of such babies instantly gain full adulthood in appearance with fully developed reasoning when they reach heaven (or hell or limbo or whatever)? If they don’t then they would simply not know and discern where they are. If yes, then if they land up anywhere except heaven, will they not ask: Why? What is my fault if I died early? Can biblegod give a cogent answer? If they end up in heaven then what about the core doctrine of christianity like “Without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who seek Him.” (Hebrews 11:6) , “If you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you shall be saved; for with the heart man believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation.” (Romans 10:10)?

Useless question. A soul is a soul. It is not about “look” or “reasoning.” A soul is exactly what God made it to be. Catholic Tradition tells us that once we die, human limitations are taken off of our souls, so that we can better comprehend. By that thought, once a baby (or anyone else) dies, his soul is able to understand all of it.

The other part of that is a completely different question. Those in heaven will be in heaven because they acted upon the grace given to them by God. Those in hell are in hell because they did not act upon that grace. Either way, once there, they understand why.

If an immortal soul comes into existence at the moment an egg is fertilized in the mother’s womb, then that would mean that our immortal soul at one point did not exist. If this be true, then why is it inconceivable that this immortal soul could not once more cease from existing? In other words, if our soul at one time did not exist, why cannot that state of non-existence repeat itself?

Because once in existance, it follows the rules of its existance. That means it is immortal

One more question comes up: If the soul is created as the result of fertilisation, then it made up of two parts. Is the soul divisible or atomic in nature? Augustine to Aquinas are mum on this aspect.

Neither. Once again, you are using physical terms to describe the spiritual. It cannot be divided, yet it is not atomic as most people would use the term

If immortal souls have bodies – fingers, toes, eyes, etc… - based upon Luke 16 and the parable of Lazarus and the rich man… then what use is there for a resurrected body on the day of judgement? Reuniting the immortal soul with its resurrected body at a future date would be a futile exercise. What would be the need for Jesus to resurrect at all?

I await the answers.

They do not have bodies. They would be like angels: only intellect and will. The description of them having bodies is for our understanding.

 

[dixibehr]

So within Hebrew Theology the soul was eternal<<

Immortal is not the same thing as eternal.

Eternal life–the kind of life God Himself has–is the gift of God through faith in Jesus Christ (John 3:16).

 

[Sabbath_Keeper]

So within Hebrew Theology the soul was eternal<<

I just couldn’t let this go. From an online dictionary

Synonyms for Eternal: 1. Permanent, unending, Eternal, Endless, Everlasting, Perpetual imply lasting or going on without ceasing. That which is Eternal by its nature, without beginning or end: God, the eternal Father. that which is Endless never stops but goes on continuously as if in a circle: and endless succession of years. That which is Everlasting will endure through all future time: a promise of everlasitng life. Perpetual implies continuous renewal as far into the future as one can foresee: perpetual strife between nations. 3. timeless, immortal, deathless, undying, (name removed by moderator)erishable, indestructible.

Sorry, but to be eternal is to be immortal and only God is immortal, for the “Soul” can be destroyed by God which makes it not an Immortal Soul. We do not have Immortality until such time as God transforms us at the coming of Jesus when next we see him.

In Christ

 

[Thing]

…
Sorry, but to be eternal is to be immortal and only God is immortal,…
In Christ

Only God is eternal.
God *can *be both eternal *and *immortal but God does not have to be ‘immortal’ to be eternal !
Being immortal is being immune from death; a condition which is already attached to being eternal, immortality is a new quality God has given our souls at their creation at conception. We are immortal but we are not eternal, we did not exist always, as God does.

 

[jlhargus]

Immortal soul -absurdities of christian dogma

Christians believe that the soul is immortal. But this doctrine does not find mention in OT at all. OT has no mention of eternal torture in hell of the non believers of Yehwah. [Though extermination of such non believers is provided for.]. Would not something so important and vital to the well-being of all mankind [as claimed] be revealed right from the beginning? If eternal torture is a real fear, should not it have been right in the beginning? Conclusion is inescapable that the biblegod kept it secret solely for the purpose of populating of the hell as a show case for the believers.

If all men do have immortal souls, then a few questions surface:

1. When exactly did or do these immortal souls come into existence?
2. Can soul be created at all?
3. Do the unborn babies too have an immortal soul? Does a foetus have an immortal soul? Does a fertilized egg too at conception have an immortal soul? If yes then more questions crop up.

i. How do these immortal souls look like if the unborn baby dies in the womb? Or immediately after birth?
ii. Do the souls of such babies instantly gain full adulthood in appearance with fully developed reasoning when they reach heaven (or hell or limbo or whatever)? If they don’t then they would simply not know and discern where they are. If yes, then if they land up anywhere except heaven, will they not ask: Why? What is my fault if I died early? Can biblegod give a cogent answer? If they end up in heaven then what about the core doctrine of christianity like “Without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who seek Him.” (Hebrews 11:6) , “If you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you shall be saved; for with the heart man believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation.” (Romans 10:10)?

If an immortal soul comes into existence at the moment an egg is fertilized in the mother’s womb, then that would mean that our immortal soul at one point did not exist. If this be true, then why is it inconceivable that this immortal soul could not once more cease from existing? In other words, if our soul at one time did not exist, why cannot that state of non-existence repeat itself?

One more question comes up: If the soul is created as the result of fertilisation, then it made up of two parts. Is the soul divisible or atomic in nature? Augustine to Aquinas are mum on this aspect.

If immortal souls have bodies – fingers, toes, eyes, etc… - based upon Luke 16 and the parable of Lazarus and the rich man… then what use is there for a resurrected body on the day of judgement? Reuniting the immortal soul with its resurrected body at a future date would be a futile exercise. What would be the need for Jesus to resurrect at all?
I await the answers.

JL: I thought Hindus believed in REincarnation, guess I’m wrong.

In Mt10:28 & Lk16:19-31, Christ reveals to us the soul lives after bodily death, the body is DEAD, NO LIFE and knows nothing. Yes the HUMAN BEING, is dead=no life, his corps, body, goes back to dust and his living immortal spirit=soul goes back to God who gave it, Eccl12:7. At the resurrection when BOTH body=dust and soul=breath of life are reunited we will HAVE LIFE once again, as a HUMAN BEING. God is the only one who can resurrect us back to HUMAN LIFE, by bringing the soul and body back together. To be a complete human being requires BOTH body and soul. The body without the soul is a corps and the soul is a disembodied spirit, Jms2:26 As the BODY WITHOUT THE SPIRIT IS DEAD, so faith without deeds is dead. It takes BOTH body and soul, to make us a complete human being. As our Lord reveals in [Mt 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.] [bold print & font size added].

The OT can only be interpreted and understood in the LIGHT of the NT, as revealed by the LIGHT of the world, our Lord Jesus Christ. Lk24:44 He said to them, “This is what I told you while I was still with you: Everything must be fulfilled that is written about me in the Law of Moses, the Prophets and the Psalms.” 45 Then HE OPENED THEIR MINDS SO THEY COULD UNDERSTAND THE SCRIPTURES. That would be OT as there was no NT yet.

Paul was a Jewish scholar and student of Gamiel one of the greatest OT scholars. Yet Paul did not understand the OT correctly, until Christ’s revelations to him, on the way to Damascus, where he was going to imprison Christ’s followers. Paul then went into the desert of Arabia for three years, why? was it to rethink his OT theology in the LIGHT OF CHRIST’S REVELATIONS? Remember the Jewish BERANS, the only scriptures around in their time was the Old Testament. The Bereans already knew the OT very well, but they only understood the OT, after Paul preached, in the LIGHT of what Christ revealed. Then they searched the scriptures (OT) in the LIGHT of the Gospel, to see if those things, not seen or understood before, were so. God did not reveal everything at once, but over centuries, gradually unveiling a deeper understanding of those trues, giving a more clear picture, with the final revelations thru Christ. The interpretative remarks of the Amplified Bible buts is very well, [Hb1:1 IN MANY separate revelations [each of which set forth a portion of the Truth] and in different ways God spoke of old to [our] forefathers in and by the prophets, 2 [But] in the last of these days He has spoken to us in [the person of a] Son,…] The early fathers of the Church say, the NT is hidden in the OT and the OT IS REVEALED IN THE NT.

The NT tells us, the rich man, Lk16:19-31, and Christ, 1Pt3:18-19, both bodily dead, yet both fully conscious and aware, in their spirit=soul went to Hell=English, Hates=Greek Sheol=Hebrew --[Acts 2:31 he, foreseeing this, spoke concerning the resurrection of the Christ, that HIS SOUL was NOT LEFT IN HADES, …]-- Christ, along with the thief, who Christ promised would be with him that day in paradise, descended into Abraham’s Bosom, the paradise chamber of Hell, where Lazarus was comforted, Lk16:25. The rich man descended into the torment chamber of Hell, and conversed with bodily dead Abraham. Christ preached to the spirits 1Pt3:19&1Pt4:6, in Hell=English, Hades=Greek, Sheol=Hebrew, the world of the dead. Both bodies were placed in a tomb=sepulchre=grave=English, mnemeion=Greek or qeber=Hebrew. [mnemeion, qeber from Strongs Exhaustive Condcordance of the Bible]

 

[jlhargus]

CONTINUED:

[Acts 2:31 he, foreseeing this, spoke CONCERNING THE RESURRECTION of the Christ, that HIS SOUL was NOT LEFT IN HADES, NOR did HIS FLESH SEE CORRUPTION. 32 This Jesus God has raised up, of which we are all witnesses.] If the soul is the body=flesh and Hades the grave, there would be no need to distinguish between either, but the scripture does distinguish saying his soul NOR his flesh, it could have easily said, “his soul was not left in Hades nor saw corruption, that would clearly show they are one and the same. Instead the scriptures show two components, soul and flesh. We also see, only flesh decays not the soul. Acts 2:31-32 reminds me of Mt10:28, BOTH soul and body, Acts 2:31 says, his soul NOR his flesh, BOTH components forming one nature of a living HUMAN BEING=man. Christ’s soul was not left in Hades, where he preached to the spirits of the bodily dead, Pt3:19 & 1Pt4:6, and took them to heaven when he ascended, Eph4:8. NOR did his flesh=body see corruption in the tomb=grave=mnemeion=qeber. If Sheol=Hades=Hell are only a grave, where a dead body is placed, was Christ buried in a grave so deep as to be in the lower part of the earth? [Eph 4:9 In saying, “He ascended,” what does it mean but that HE had also DESCENDED into the LOWER PART of the earth?] Could a dead body=corps descend to the lower part of the earth? A dead body=corps could not descend, but could only be lowered into a grave, especially a grave so deep as the lower part of the earth. It was the soul that descended, to the lower part of the earth. I know no one, who has buried a body in a grave, to the lower part of the earth, do you? We know Christ’s body was placed in a tomb, above ground, his body did not descend into that tomb, it was placed there. If a body is removed from a grave or tomb, and abandoned on the ground, is it then removed from Sheol=Hades=Hell? If I remove a body from a grave or tomb, and abandon that body on the ground, then the body is no longer in the grave or tomb, is it? [Acts2:25 For David speaketh concerning him, I foresaw the Lord always before my face, for he is on my right hand, that I should not be moved: 26 Therefore did my heart rejoice, and my tongue was glad; MOREOVER also MY FLESH SHALL REST IN HOPE: 27 BECAUSE thou wilt NOT LEAVE MY SOUL in hell, neither wilt thou suffer thine Holy One to see corruption. 28 Thou hast made known to me the ways of life; thou shalt make me full of joy with thy countenance.]

2Sam 3:32 And they BURIED (QABAR=bury, 6912) Abner in Hebron: and the king lifted up his voice, and wept at the GRAVE (QEBER=burying place, grave, sepulchre, 6913), of Abner; and all the people wept. [Sheol can be translated GRAVE, but it is in reference to the spiritual world of the dead, while qeber=grave, tomb, sepulchre is in reference to the body, the earthly grave. I can visit an earthly grave, I cannot visit Sheol. I can bury anyone in an earthly grave, I cannot bury anyone in Sheol=Hades=Hell. I can remove anyone from an earthly grave, I cannot remove anyone from Sheol=Hades=Hell.] Dt 32:22 For a fire is kindled in mine anger, and shall burn unto the lowest HELL, and shall consume the earth with her increase, and set on fire the foundations of the mountains. Strong #7585 HELL=SHEOL; from 7592: hades or the world of the dead (as if a subterranean retreat), incl. Its accessories and inmates:–grave, hell, pit.] [bold print added]

 

[jlhargus]

CONTINUED;

[Hb10:1 THE LAW is only A SHADOW of the good things that are coming—NOT THE REALITIES themselves. For this reason it CAN NEVER, by the same sacrifices repeated endlessly year after year, MAKE PERFECT those who draw near to worship. …2…3… 4 because IT IS IMPOSSIBLE for the BLOOD OF BULLS AND GOATS to TAKE AWAY SINS.] No one went to heaven before the resurrection and ascension of our Lord. Because only the atoning blood of Christ can take away sin and make just men perfect. All spirits=disembodied=souls, just or unjust, were captives in Sheol=Hades=Hell, before the ascension. They went to one of the chambers of Sheol=Hades=Hell, before the resurrection and ascension of our Lord, who opened heaven for the just spirits when he descended to Hell, Hades, Sheol and preached to them,1Pt3:18 that he might bring us to God, 1Pt3:18-19 & 1Pt4:6 When he ascended, he led a host of captives, the great cloud of witnesses Hb11:1-12-1, [Acts1:9 After he said this, he was taken up before their very eyes, and a CLOUD hid him from their sight.] Christ took the just spirits, disembodied, souls, in Sheol=Hades=Hell into heaven, now made perfect by the blood of Christ, that cleanses and takes away sin [Eph 4:8…WHEN HE ASCENDED on high HE LED A HOST OF CAPTIVES,… Eccl 12:7 Then shall the dust return to the earth as it was and THE SPIRIT SHALL RETURN UNTO GOD who gave it.] The body=dust returns to the earth and the spirit=soul goes back to God who gave it, for immediate personal judgement. [Hb 9:27 as it is appointed for men to DIE ONCE and AFTER that COMES JUDGMENT. Hb12:22 But you have come to Mount Zion…the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem,…23 … TO A JUDGE who is GOD of all, AND the SPIRITS OF JUST MEN MADE PERFECT… ] We know all spirits return to God who gave it. After the ascention we see in Hb9:23, the spirits of just men MADE perfect, with our Lord in heaven, the evil spirits are still in Sheol, Hades, Hell, the chamber of torment until the resurrection. After the last judgement at the end of the age Sheol, Hades, Hell AND DEATH, along with demons and evil human beings, body and soul, will be cast alive into the lake of fire, where they die no more, because the lake of fire IS the second death. Rv20:14 ThenDEATH and HADES were THROWN INTO the lake of fire. The lake of fire is the SECOND DEATH. 15 If anyone’s name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire. In the lake of fire death will have already been swallowed up, as it is thrown in first, even first or last makes no difference, death will have no more power, just as Satan will be swallowed up and have no more power in the lake of fire. Those in the lake of fire do not have a life, but only exist to experience, especially experience what they have inflicted on others. [Hb 9:27 as it is appointed for men to DIE ONCE.] Not a second time as the lake of fire IS the second death, after resurrection. [Mk 9:48 where THEIR WORM DOES NOT DIE, and the fire is not quenched.] Some may be under the impression, “Mk 9:48 their worm does not die,” should not be in the bible, which is not the case, It was taken out of Mk 9:44 & 46 in most new translations, but not Mk9:48, some translations still have all three verses in Mk, such as the KJV & NKJV. It is also found in [Isa66:24 “And they will go out and look upon the dead bodies of those who rebelled against me; THEIR WORM will not die, nor will THEIR FIRE be quenched, and they will be loathsome to all mankind.”] and [Judith16:17 Woe to the nations that rise up against my people! The Lord Almighty will take vengeance on them in the day of judgment; FIRE AND WORMS he will give to their flesh; they shall weep in pain for ever.]

When we die it doesn’t mean NO LIFE. Death can not only refer to the death of the body when the living soul departs and man is cut off or separated from earthly life, see Lk16:19-31 Lazarus and the rich man. Death also refers to the death of the soul when the soul is cut off or separated from God, [Ezk18:4…the soul that sins will die, Eph2:1 As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins, Col2:13 When you were dead in your transgressions and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He made you alive together with Him, having forgiven us all our transgressions,]. Paul is speaking to former carnal living persons, the flesh ruled, over a dead soul cut off or separated from God. Now Christian, the soul is alive with the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, no longer separated or cut off from God, the soul rules over the flesh, the human being now has eternal life by the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. The death of only the soul can leave the body alive, just as the death of the body can leave the soul alive. [1Tim 5:6 But the widow who lives for pleasure is dead even while she lives. [1Jn3:14 We know that we have passed from death to life, because we love our brothers. Anyone who does not love remains IN DEATH. 15 Anyone who hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has ETERNAL LIFE IN HIM Gn2:17 But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for IN THE DAY that THOU EATEST thereof THOU SHALT surely DIE.] Adam and Eve both died that day, to eternal life, yet lived bodiy many more years, they were cut off and separated from the LIFE of God, dwelling within, the instant they sinned their soul died and the carnal body ruled. [Mt8:22 But Jesus told him, “Follow me, and LET THE DEAD BURY THEIR OWN DEAD.”] So when God says we die…we are DEAD, bodily or spiritually or BOTH, but it does not mean NO LIFE, as we see in many scriptures, especially Mt10:28 and Lk16:19-31.

 

[mlchance]

Sorry, but to be eternal is to be immortal…

Yes, but the converse is not necessarily true. To be eternal is to have no beginning and to have no end. To be immortal is to have no end.

BTW, it strikes me as a strange that a self-described Hindu – Hinduism being a religion that rejects the logical law of noncontradiction – should criticize another religion for perceived absurdities.

– Mark L. Chance.

 

[RobbyS]

Immortal soul -absurdities of christian dogma

Christians believe that the soul is immortal. But this doctrine does not find mention in OT at all. OT has no mention of eternal torture in hell of the non believers of Yehwah. [Though extermination of such non believers is provided for.]. Would not something so important and vital to the well-being of all mankind [as claimed] be revealed right from the beginning? If eternal torture is a real fear, should not it have been right in the beginning? Conclusion is inescapable that the biblegod kept it secret solely for the purpose of populating of the hell as a show case for the believers.

If all men do have immortal souls, then a few questions surface:

1. When exactly did or do these immortal souls come into existence?
2. Can soul be created at all?
3. Do the unborn babies too have an immortal soul? Does a foetus have an immortal soul? Does a fertilized egg too at conception have an immortal soul? If yes then more questions crop up.

i. How do these immortal souls look like if the unborn baby dies in the womb? Or immediately after birth?
ii. Do the souls of such babies instantly gain full adulthood in appearance with fully developed reasoning when they reach heaven (or hell or limbo or whatever)? If they don’t then they would simply not know and discern where they are. If yes, then if they land up anywhere except heaven, will they not ask: Why? What is my fault if I died early? Can biblegod give a cogent answer? If they end up in heaven then what about the core doctrine of christianity like “Without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who seek Him.” (Hebrews 11:6) , “If you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you shall be saved; for with the heart man believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation.” (Romans 10:10)?

If an immortal soul comes into existence at the moment an egg is fertilized in the mother’s womb, then that would mean that our immortal soul at one point did not exist. If this be true, then why is it inconceivable that this immortal soul could not once more cease from existing? In other words, if our soul at one time did not exist, why cannot that state of non-existence repeat itself?

One more question comes up: If the soul is created as the result of fertilisation, then it made up of two parts. Is the soul divisible or atomic in nature? Augustine to Aquinas are mum on this aspect.

If immortal souls have bodies – fingers, toes, eyes, etc… - based upon Luke 16 and the parable of Lazarus and the rich man… then what use is there for a resurrected body on the day of judgement? Reuniting the immortal soul with its resurrected body at a future date would be a futile exercise. What would be the need for Jesus to resurrect at all?

I await the answers.

I suggest you read what Etienne Gilson said about the Scholastic doctrine of the soul in his book “The Spirit of Medieval Philosophy,” specifically the views of Aquinas and Duns Scotus. Niether, of course, could speak to the facts of conceptsas we know them, but Duns Scotus comes closer to anticipate of questions. A hint of this lies in the fact that Duns Scotus strongly supported the Immaculate Conception of Mary and Aquinas did not.

 

[jlhargus]

Sorry, but to be eternal is to be immortal and only God is immortal, for the “Soul” can be destroyed by God which makes it not an Immortal Soul. We do not have Immortality until such time as God transforms us at the coming of Jesus when next we see him.

In Christ

JL: The soul is a spirit and does not die. God created the soul and God can if he wants remove the soul from existance. Mt10:28 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. God alone has disposition of the soul.

Human beings, BOTH soul and body, do not have immortality yet. But many human beings even now have eternal life, they posses the very life of God, which absolutely must begin here on earth, with the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, in fact eternal life is, ONLY, given and received in this life, not after death. Eternal life and immortality are not quite the same. Good angels have both immortality and eternal life as they posses God. Satan and fallen angels have immortality, they do not die, yet they do not posses eternal life. They are separated, cut off, from the life of God and heirs to eternal punishment, immortal existence and all the chaos and mayhem that separation from God entails. Their existence is called the second death, it is not a real death nor a real life, but existence. Their life is destroyed, just as substance abuse can literally destroy man’s body and life, to the point he is only existing, yet not bodily dead.

The body will put on IMMORTALITY at the resurrection, as the flesh is not yet immortal. The resurrected bodies, of the just and unjust, will have immortally, but only the just have eternal life along with a glorified body. [Jn5:29 …, those who have done good, to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil, to the resurrection of judgment. Dan12:2 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.] The unjust’s body will be the same body but changed to reflect the shame and contempt of their particular sins, some saints have said they are hideous animal forms. The God created spirit=soul is IMMORTAL by its very created nature. Just as angles, good or fallen, by their very created nature, are immortal, even though some, the fallen angels, do not have eternal life. Our Lord reveals in Mt10:28, only God can dispose of a soul. Man nor bodily death can kill the soul.