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SacredHeartBassist
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I have no idea. Aren’t they the same thing
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fhansen
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I don’t know either, except to say that a soul would necessarily possess a mind while a mind not necessarily require a soul?
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SacredHeartBassist
Guest
How can I prove the existence of a soul to an atheist who only believes in the mind
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fhansen
Guest
You might not be able to, although I’ve dialogued with atheists who believe in the probability of life after death based on various observations. A spirit or soul separate from the body would be required in such a case.
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RandomAlias
Guest
Welcome to Catholic Answers Forums!
How do we prove to ourselves that the soul exists? The answer may depend on whom you ask. If you ask me, I would say it is proven by God’s love. This is where the atheist will not be convinced. If you prove first of all that God exists, and created us, and loves us, I think it logically follows that God provides a means for us to live eternally with him. When our body dies and decays, there must be something left, some essence that remains, if we are to live on with God. That is the soul.
Other discussions here at Catholic Answers Forums have speculated about the properties of the soul and how it exists after the death of the body. I could go on, but I will pause here to see if your question is answered or if you have another question.
May God bless and guide you on your faith journey and in your search for truth.
I don’t think you can. Most properties of the mind seem to be associated with brain function. We see that physical things like drugs and brain injury affect the mind. Social animals (dog, cat, whale, horse, …) behave like they have a mind, so it seems that mind is an animal thing.How can I prove the existence of a soul to an atheist who only believes in the mind
How do we prove to ourselves that the soul exists? The answer may depend on whom you ask. If you ask me, I would say it is proven by God’s love. This is where the atheist will not be convinced. If you prove first of all that God exists, and created us, and loves us, I think it logically follows that God provides a means for us to live eternally with him. When our body dies and decays, there must be something left, some essence that remains, if we are to live on with God. That is the soul.
Other discussions here at Catholic Answers Forums have speculated about the properties of the soul and how it exists after the death of the body. I could go on, but I will pause here to see if your question is answered or if you have another question.
May God bless and guide you on your faith journey and in your search for truth.
K
Kei
Guest
There are vegetative souls, animal souls, and human souls.
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PaladinSword
Guest
Going out on a limb here… but science cant totally explain what the mind is or where it is… how it works…
Sure we have a brain that has synapses and neuroconnections… But that is still just meat.
A lot of modern psychiatry and etc is still just trial and error.
How do we even prove we exist?
Descartes has an idea…
But even logical positivism is still a philosophy.
I don’t know much…
I support a lot of the ideas of religion and I believe but ultimately we only know what we experience… And even that can be affirmed or doubted.
I need to study more philosophy.
Sure we have a brain that has synapses and neuroconnections… But that is still just meat.
A lot of modern psychiatry and etc is still just trial and error.
How do we even prove we exist?
Descartes has an idea…
But even logical positivism is still a philosophy.
I don’t know much…
I support a lot of the ideas of religion and I believe but ultimately we only know what we experience… And even that can be affirmed or doubted.
I need to study more philosophy.
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PaladinSword
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" Those who say ‘I know’ don’t know. those who say ‘I don’t know’ know" - Joseph Campell.
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PaladinSword
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It’s almost like in Catholicism the soul manifests the body. Or in Buddhism the self of which there is none creates the world.
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PJM
Guest
What’s the difference between the mind and the soul
I’ m KIDDING right? NO, not really.
Gen. 1:26-27 teaches us that in all of Creation; only one “thing” is created in the image of our GOD; that one thing be humanity.
John 4: 23-24 then teaches us that GOD "is a Spirit"
So the question then seems to be just HOW humanity ; physical and mortal can emulate God who is a “SPIRIT?”
Here’s the short answer:
At the very instant of conception God infuses a HUMAN-Soul into that person. A HUMAN-SOUL with for this discussion can be described as “that” which animates life [gives life]
The difference in the HUMAN-Soul compared to any and all other souls is that the HUMAN-Soul is Rational; meaning the HUMAN-Soul has a mind, a intellect and a freewill permanently attached to it; so that even when our bodies die; OUR SOULS live on. The Human Soul; SIMILAR to God is also immortal and a spirit.
So the mind, intellect and freewill are attributes of our immortal souls.
Thanks for asking
Patrick
NO!; Almost and maybe:thinking:I have no idea. Aren’t they the same thing
I’ m KIDDING right? NO, not really.
Gen. 1:26-27 teaches us that in all of Creation; only one “thing” is created in the image of our GOD; that one thing be humanity.
John 4: 23-24 then teaches us that GOD "is a Spirit"
So the question then seems to be just HOW humanity ; physical and mortal can emulate God who is a “SPIRIT?”
Here’s the short answer:
At the very instant of conception God infuses a HUMAN-Soul into that person. A HUMAN-SOUL with for this discussion can be described as “that” which animates life [gives life]
The difference in the HUMAN-Soul compared to any and all other souls is that the HUMAN-Soul is Rational; meaning the HUMAN-Soul has a mind, a intellect and a freewill permanently attached to it; so that even when our bodies die; OUR SOULS live on. The Human Soul; SIMILAR to God is also immortal and a spirit.
So the mind, intellect and freewill are attributes of our immortal souls.
Thanks for asking
Patrick
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PaladinSword
Guest
Sure but quoting scripture or theology isn’t going to win you many atheists.
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PaladinSword
Guest
No mind(Please Note: This uploaded content is no longer available.)
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PaladinSword
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“Like tears in rain” -blade runner.
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SacredHeartBassist
Guest
Right but how can I prove to someone who doesn’t believe in God that we have a soul?
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BlackFriar
Guest
No.
Its basic Aristotle/Aquinas.
Mind and will are the highest faculties of the soul.
And because their operations are purely spiritual, though they need material organs to manifest, the soul is immortal.
Animal souls are not immortal because their lesser mental powers are not considered to require a spiritual faculty of their souls.
Its basic Aristotle/Aquinas.
Mind and will are the highest faculties of the soul.
And because their operations are purely spiritual, though they need material organs to manifest, the soul is immortal.
Animal souls are not immortal because their lesser mental powers are not considered to require a spiritual faculty of their souls.
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BlackFriar
Guest
Forgot to add that the soul also has vegetative (growth) and animal sensation operations as well.
All the different operations of matter that cannot be explained by matter alone logically demand the existence of a spiritual substance that provides those “acts” to the matter.
So the soul is the catchall unity behind all those different spiritual powers/faculties that supply the characteristic operations/acts just mentioned. So the soul is much more than mind.
Even these powers can be analysed down. There is a passive and active intellect for example.
All the different operations of matter that cannot be explained by matter alone logically demand the existence of a spiritual substance that provides those “acts” to the matter.
So the soul is the catchall unity behind all those different spiritual powers/faculties that supply the characteristic operations/acts just mentioned. So the soul is much more than mind.
Even these powers can be analysed down. There is a passive and active intellect for example.
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PJM
Guest
IF THEIR ALIVE THEY HAVE A SOULRight but how can I prove to someone who doesn’t believe in God that we have a soul?
From Father Hardon’s Dictionary
SOUL. The spiritual immortal part in human beings that animates their body. Though a substance in itself, the soul is naturally ordained toward a body; separated, it is an “incomplete” substance. The soul has no parts, it is therefore simple, but it is not without accidents. The faculties are its proper accidents. Every experience adds to its accidental form. It is individually created for each person by God and infused into the body at the time of human insemination. It is moreover created in respect to the body it will inform, so that the substance of bodily features and of mental characteristics insofar as they depend on organic functions is safeguarded. As a simple and spiritual substance, the soul cannot die. Yet it is not the total human nature, since a human person is composed of body animated by the soul. In philosophy, animals and plants are also said to have souls, which operate as sensitive and vegetative principles of life. Unlike the human spirit, these souls are perishable. The rational soul contains all the powers of the two other souls and is the origin of the sensitive and vegetative functions in the human being.
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