The God Fuse

[jack_ryder]

10 Things that both Christians and Atheists agree on

(for nyssa_p  and robinpen  )

(I think, while it's a pretty good list, he badly mischaracterises atheism - which he's taken to task for in the comments.)

Comments

[nyssa-p.livejournal.com]

I liked the pretty pictures!
XD You're a champ!

[nyssa-p.livejournal.com]

""The soul is the vehicle for which humans travel into the afterlife"

Every religon I know of has an explanation for what happens after we die. So for religous adherents, to continue our personality after death, the soul is a necessity. Atheists obviously don't believe in a soul, but would agree, that the existence of them would imply life after death."

I would disagree with this.

[gillpolack.livejournal.com]

Judaism doesn't actually have a single, simple explanation - it says "we can't know for certain" and so different cultural groups within Judaism have different firm beliefs (because they need them) and others don't (because they don't). We believe that humans have souls (and some Jews beleive that humans have 3 souls each - this is my personal favourite cos it makes much sense to me) but every single rabbi I've asked said "We can't know absolutely, and sorting it out for yourself is an important aspect of how you learn to deal with death."

[capnoblivious.livejournal.com]

How does the three souls thing work? I've not come across that idea in a Jewish context before.

[gillpolack.livejournal.com]

The quick explanation is that one soul goes immediately to wehrerever, one hangs around old haunts for a week (or a month, depends on which period of mourning you are following) and one stays with the body after death. I first heard it as an explanation of reincarnation, but it's wider than that. It is, however, by no means universal, even if one of my favourite Medieval sages described it (I can't remember if it was Rashi or Maimonides, sorry, and I can't remember which soul was named what). It's why I took longer to understand the Pullman novels than most people because I thought "Exterior part-soul - what a cool derivation from the Jewish diea."

[murasaki-1966.livejournal.com]

The Ancient Egyptains believed the soul had five parts:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Egyptian_soul

[capnoblivious.livejournal.com]

Yeah, Taoism has two - the good bit that goes all trancendental and the bad bit that sticks with the body.

Unless, you know, White Wolf has lied to me.

[capnoblivious.livejournal.com]

But ... all three souls are essentially the same person?

[gillpolack.livejournal.com]

Yes. Or of the same person. This si where LJ is not a good place to explain - and I am no theologian so my explanations are not going to be useful.

[capnoblivious.livejournal.com]

Yeah, sorry, didn't mean to put you in the position of religious authority.

[nyssa-p.livejournal.com]

Oh Gillian! Can you answer my question on one of my posts from the Jewish perspective?
It's at http://nyssa-p.livejournal.com/115497.html
Really want to hear from a wide selection of people about this particular issue.

:D

[gillpolack.livejournal.com]

I can't because the question was too big. I can't give a Jewish perspective - I can only give you my persepctive as a Jew, and even then it's too much for a simple answer.

Mind you, if you would test me 30 recipes, that would free up time for me to give you a more complex answer.

[nyssa-p.livejournal.com]

LoL don't look at me, I'm a terrible cook unless it comes in boxes or packets!

[capnoblivious.livejournal.com]

Interesting article. I know that I argue religion less than I used because (a) it doesn't do a lot of good; and (b) I realised it was usually more important to the other guy. I mean, to me, it's an interesting set of philosophical points; to a true believer, it's the foundation of their universe. I don't want to mess with that.

[murasaki-1966.livejournal.com]

I have one basic rule: do as you would be done by, but remember other people's tastes may differ.