Human ensoulment

[John Bauer]

This question is for Christians who accept evolution.

I am curious as to how Christians arrive at the conclusion that humans, at some point in their evolution, were given souls (ensoulment). I am especially curious about those Christians who accept that Adam and Eve actually existed and believe that's when it happened. Either way, I would really like to know how one is supposed to arrive at that conclusion.

Since I will likely engage your responses, I placed this in the debate forum.

Side note: I have never believed that humans have souls, so this is foreign territory for me.

[William]

This question is for Christians who accept evolution.

I am curious as to how Christians arrive at the conclusion that humans, at some point in their evolution, were given souls (ensoulment). I am especially curious about those Christians who accept that Adam and Eve actually existed and believe that's when it happened. Either way, I would really like to know how one is supposed to arrive at that conclusion.

Since I will likely engage your responses, I placed this in the debate forum.

Side note: I have never believed that humans have souls, so this is foreign territory for me.

As far as I can tell the idea is not that we have a soul but that we are a soul. Christian religion branched away from this idea as it potentially has the power to free the individual from thoughts which lead to beliefs which lead to suppression...we are not the flesh we currently occupy - We are that which temporarily occupies the flesh...

[myth-one.com]

This question is for Christians who accept evolution.

I am curious as to how Christians arrive at the conclusion that humans, at some point in their evolution, were given souls (ensoulment). I am especially curious about those Christians who accept that Adam and Eve actually existed and believe that's when it happened. Either way, I would really like to know how one is supposed to arrive at that conclusion.

Since I will likely engage your responses, I placed this in the debate forum.

Side note: I have never believed that humans have souls, so this is foreign territory for me.

I think we need a definition of "soul" as referring to mankind.

Soul: the spiritual part of mankind regarded in its moral aspect, or as believed to survive death and be subject to eternal happiness or misery in a life to come.

Under that definition, the "soul" is a myth and non-existent.

A better definition is:

Soul: a human being; a person.

[nobspeople]

This question is for Christians who accept evolution.

I am curious as to how Christians arrive at the conclusion that humans, at some point in their evolution, were given souls (ensoulment). I am especially curious about those Christians who accept that Adam and Eve actually existed and believe that's when it happened. Either way, I would really like to know how one is supposed to arrive at that conclusion.

Since I will likely engage your responses, I placed this in the debate forum.

Side note: I have never believed that humans have souls, so this is foreign territory for me.

I'd like to know if people that believe in souls differentiate them from energy - is having a soul the same as having 'energy' within humanity?
Beyond that, I think that, if we have souls, it's likely all living animals have souls. The only reason I could see as to why humans are the only ones that have them is for people to make that up in order to feel superior to other living things.

[myth-one.com]

This question is for Christians who accept evolution.

I am curious as to how Christians arrive at the conclusion that humans, at some point in their evolution, were given souls (ensoulment). I am especially curious about those Christians who accept that Adam and Eve actually existed and believe that's when it happened. Either way, I would really like to know how one is supposed to arrive at that conclusion.

Since I will likely engage your responses, I placed this in the debate forum.

Side note: I have never believed that humans have souls, so this is foreign territory for me.

I'd like to know if people that believe in souls differentiate them from energy - is having a soul the same as having 'energy' within humanity?
Beyond that, I think that, if we have souls, it's likely all living animals have souls. The only reason I could see as to why humans are the only ones that have them is for people to make that up in order to feel superior to other living things.

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. (Genesis 2:7)

The Hebrew word translated here in the King James Bible as "soul" is indeed the same word used to describe the other animals which were created. That Hebrew word is "nephesh."

Nephesh is correctly translated as "a breathing creature or being." In the majority of the other versions of the Bible it is translated correctly. For example, in the New International Version of The Holy Bible:

And the Lord God formed man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and man became a living being. (Genesis 2:7)

Here is how the Bible compares us with the other beasts:

For that which befalleth the sons of men befalleth beasts; even one thing befalleth them: as the one dieth, so dieth the other; yea, they have all one breath; so that a man hath no preeminence above a beast: for all is vanity. All go unto one place; all are of the dust, and all turn to dust again. (Ecclesiastes 3:19-20)

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Lord, make me the man my dog thinks I am!

[nobspeople]

This question is for Christians who accept evolution.

I am curious as to how Christians arrive at the conclusion that humans, at some point in their evolution, were given souls (ensoulment). I am especially curious about those Christians who accept that Adam and Eve actually existed and believe that's when it happened. Either way, I would really like to know how one is supposed to arrive at that conclusion.

Since I will likely engage your responses, I placed this in the debate forum.

Side note: I have never believed that humans have souls, so this is foreign territory for me.

I'd like to know if people that believe in souls differentiate them from energy - is having a soul the same as having 'energy' within humanity?
Beyond that, I think that, if we have souls, it's likely all living animals have souls. The only reason I could see as to why humans are the only ones that have them is for people to make that up in order to feel superior to other living things.

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. (Genesis 2:7)

The Hebrew word translated here in the King James Bible as "soul" is indeed the same word used to describe the other animals which were created. That Hebrew word is "nephesh."

Nephesh is correctly translated as "a breathing creature or being." In the majority of the other versions of the Bible it is translated correctly. For example, in the New International Version of The Holy Bible:

And the Lord God formed man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and man became a living being. (Genesis 2:7)

Here is how the Bible compares us with the other beasts:

For that which befalleth the sons of men befalleth beasts; even one thing befalleth them: as the one dieth, so dieth the other; yea, they have all one breath; so that a man hath no preeminence above a beast: for all is vanity. All go unto one place; all are of the dust, and all turn to dust again. (Ecclesiastes 3:19-20)

======================================

Lord, make me the man my dog thinks I am!

I appreciate your response. Thanks!!
How does that compare to actual energy, specifically, IYO?

[John Bauer]

[... cue the sound-effect of crickets ...]

Hello? Christians? You there?

[PinSeeker]

[Replying to John Bauer in post #7]

Are you implying -- underhandedly, perhaps -- that none of those who have responded to this point are Christians? That might ruffle some feathers...

Anyhoo...

First, let me just say that I fully accept and endorse micro-evolution, but not macro-evolution.

And now:

Jewish-Christian thought sees man as made up of two distinct substances that are not in conflict. For the Christian, redemption is of the body, not from the body. The Christian doctrine of substantial dichotomy is not dualistic. Man is not a dualism but a duality. That is, we have a real body (material substance) and a real soul (immaterial substance). There is an analogy with the person of Christ in that He has two natures or substances, divine and human, united in one person. That He has two substances does not necessitate a dualism in His person. (Of course the human nature of Christ also includes a human body and a human soul.)

That we are made up of body and soul is indicated in the creation account:

• “And the Lord God formed man from the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and man became a living soul” (Genesis 2:7).

In the creation imagery man’s body is formed first. But the body without the soul remains lifeless. When God breathes the breath of life into the body, then man becomes a living soul. In this account there is no hint of an eternal or preexistent human soul. The soul is as much a creation as is the body. That the soul survives the grave is not a testimony to its indestructibility or of its intrinsic immortality. The soul as a created entity is mortal. It survives the grave only because it is sustained and preserved by the power of God. It is preserved for eternal felicity for the redeemed; it is preserved for eternal punishment for the damned.

The soul of man can live without the body; the body cannot live without the soul. Jesus exhorted His hearers: “Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather, be afraid of the one who can destroy both the soul and the body in hell” (Matthew 10:28). It should be noted here that 'destroy' here is synonymous with to 'ruin,' not 'extinction' or any wiping from existence.

From biblical revelation we know we have souls. The Bible does not banish the soul to some “never-never” noumenal world of agnosticism. Not only do we have souls, but the nurture and care of our souls is a top priority for the Christian life.

Grace and peace to all.

[William]

[Replying to PinSeeker in post #8]

That is one version of Jewish-Christian belief and subsequent thinking, presented by someone whom obviously believes that version.

In order to believe that version, the breath of an Eternal being has to be delegated 'mortal' which is the first contradiction.

From that contradiction, more derive, and each step moves one further from all truth.

[PinSeeker]

That is one version of Jewish-Christian belief and subsequent thinking, presented by someone whom obviously believes that version.

Sure it is, the right one.

In order to believe that version, the breath of an Eternal being has to be delegated 'mortal' which is the first contradiction. From that contradiction, more derive, and each step moves one further from all truth.

LOL! No offense, but this is jibberish, really. Conflating two different things is... well, it makes for good jibberish, but jibberish it is. Metaphorically speaking, there's no such thing as a football bat, or a basketball puck, or a golf racket.

Grace and peace to you.