Made in the image of man

[MarysGirls]

So, I was recently watching “The Measure of a Man” from Star Trek, the Next Generation, in which the crew of the Enterprise were debating whether or not Data, as an android, was property of Starfleet or a crewmember with rights, and this question came to mind.

Does man as a spiritual being have the ability, or even the right, to create another spiritual being, and if not, why?

It sounds kind of silly at first (of course man can’t create a soul!), but once I got to thinking about it, I couldn’t for the life of me figure out why. What are the Church’s teachings on this?

 

[Little_One0307]

Hi,

Yeah I remember that episode too. As to man having the ability to create anything it depends on what you mean by it. Sure we can create art work and such as that. But as to creating something out of nothing, only God can do that. When man “thinks” he creates life in test tubes and such, he is not really creating in the sense God does.

So no we do not have the ability to create a spiritual being. And that right belongs to God so no we do not have that right.

Fundamentals of Catholic Dogma - Ludwig Ott

All that exists outside God was, in its whole substance, produced out of nothing by God. [De Fide].

Every individual soul was immediately created out of nothing by God [Sent. certa.]

Little One0307

 

[JonathonofOhio]

My understanding is that we take part in the creation process when we have children. We can not do this without God. When a child is conceived, this new person is created both in the flesh and the spirit from the man and the woman within the womb.

 

[JimG]

A (human) soul is spirit, not matter. Spirit has no parts. How would we go about constructing an immaterial entity with no parts?

 

[MarysGirls]

Hi,

Yeah I remember that episode too. As to man having the ability to create anything it depends on what you mean by it. Sure we can create art work and such as that. But as to creating something out of nothing, only God can do that. When man “thinks” he creates life in test tubes and such, he is not really creating in the sense God does.

So no we do not have the ability to create a spiritual being. And that right belongs to God so no we do not have that right.

Fundamentals of Catholic Dogma - Ludwig Ott

All that exists outside God was, in its whole substance, produced out of nothing by God. [De Fide].

Every individual soul was immediately created out of nothing by God [Sent. certa.]

Little One0307

Well, not really create then. Make, copy off of God’s work so to speak.

My understanding is that we take part in the creation process when we have children. We can not do this without God. When a child is conceived, this new person is created both in the flesh and the spirit from the man and the woman within the womb.

True. But what about trying to construct a living body?

A (human) soul is spirit, not matter. Spirit has no parts. How would we go about constructing an immaterial entity with no parts?

Good point. But what about (and this is going to sound silly) making a human, and that human receiving a soul or maybe even learning morality in such a way that he/she seems to have a soul?

You see, I’m actually in the middle of writing a fanfic about Data, and I want it to be realistic.

 

[JimG]

Well, not really create then. Make, copy off of God’s work so to speak.

True. But what about trying to construct a living body?

Good point. But what about (and this is going to sound silly) making a human, and that human receiving a soul or maybe even learning morality in such a way that he/she seems to have a soul?

You see, I’m actually in the middle of writing a fanfic about Data, and I want it to be realistic.

Ah, well, we make humans all the time, through the cooperation of man and woman, but only God can infuse the immortal soul. One could, I suppose devise a sufficiently complex android as to give the appearance, sometimes, of being fully human, but lacking a truly immortal soul, it could not even enjoy the full faculties of intellect and will, which are faculties of the soul (using (name removed by moderator)ut from the body.)

I vaguely recall an episode in which Data was sad, in an adroid sort of way, that he could not feel the human emotion of love. But in reality, it is not so much the emotion of love that could not be programmed into him, but the ability to emulate human will and intellect.

 

[razredge]

True. But what about trying to construct a living body?

Have you seen Blade Runner?

The replicants are constructed from bioengineered organs and body parts - I think they would have souls too.

I think the Imago Dei is related to consciousness and not to our DNA or anything.

 

[JonathonofOhio]

True. But what about trying to construct a living body?

Has this been done yet? Even if it were, isn’t the process pretty much the same in a ‘test tube’ as it is in the womb when making a so-called test tube baby? You still need sperm and an egg don’t you?

 

[paduard]

“You see, I’m actually in the middle of writing a fanfic about Data, and I want it to be realistic.”

I suggest you follow roughly the script employed in Dr.Who Season 27 series [commonly called series 1 - 2005] - episode ref 161 entitled ‘Dalek’; wherein Rose Tyler imprints her hand on the last Dalek which thereby contaminates it with human emotion. Eventually the Dalek destroys itself because it is the last and feels alone (or lonely). No use to you as regards the soul; but well worth watching as you might possibly get an impulse from it for ideas of your own.

 

[MarysGirls]

“You see, I’m actually in the middle of writing a fanfic about Data, and I want it to be realistic.”

I suggest you follow roughly the script employed in Dr.Who Season 27 series [commonly called series 1 - 2005] - episode ref 161 entitled ‘Dalek’; wherein Rose Tyler imprints her hand on the last Dalek which thereby contaminates it with human emotion. Eventually the Dalek destroys itself because it is the last and feels alone (or lonely). No use to you as regards the soul; but well worth watching as you might possibly get an impulse from it for ideas of your own.

I don’t usually watch Dr. Who, but I’ll look into it. Thanks!

Of course, I could just give him some sort of supernatural experience and solve the whole thing!