Can An Atheist Have A Soul?

Even after death?

yes

Well put Fil.

By expression of the early scriptures, it speaks of humans and animals as being souls.

going back to the question, If said atheist has a wife or child, I'd say to a degree he has a soul.

so if an atheist doesn't have a wife or childern then he/she doesn't have soul ?

nonsense

North, I apologise that you misread, I may have lost my meaning in an attempt at a poor attempt at wit. Allow me to paraphrase.

No man HAS a soul as every man IS a soul

The soul as an immortal being seperated from our bodies was nothing more than a platonic afterthought and has no real scriptural base.

...well said....although I might ad that your info is immortal, it cannot be lost...

Not unless you believe in a teleological doctrine. But that would mean you have to believe in it first.

If they want one.

In order to answer the question, it is essential to define what is a soul.

Yesterday, I was talking with a person who told me that Yom Kippur starts at sunset, and between the explanations given, it was required to "afflict their souls" and for this reason fasting was mandatory.

"What fasting has to do with "afflicting your soul?" I asked, "and when fasting, which one are you afflicting, your stomach or your desire to eat?"

So, as no credible respond was given, I decided to look by myself the definition of soul, and between the many web pages describing what a soul is, I think that this web page in one of the more accurate to define it.

http://www.concordant.org/expohtml/DeathAndJudgment/WhatIsTheSoul.html

I'm providing this link, because reading this topic it appears that many of the participants might have a misunderstanding of what soul means in religious terms.

I think, that after defining properly what a soul is, from a religious point of view an atheist definitively has a soul. So, regardless of the personal opinion or belief of the person, it has a soul according to religion.

From the atheist point of view, where religion is not a valid subject, an atheist can declare that he doesn't have one.

"soul" is the superstitious term for "electromagnetic energy".

When your body dies, the energy inhabiting your body returns back to the Universe.

Don't speak on behalf of atheists.

As an atheist, I claim to have a soul.

Obviously, not the way religionists see the soul.

But in the etymological sense of the word Anima

Anima isn't a soul.

It's a female spirit of the Universe.

Animus is the male spirit of the Universe.

They balance each other out.

I smile sadly at your theories.

You seem to know as much about the universe as about life created by Arcturus..

Anima and Animus are adages, do you not comprehend? They aren't my lingering thoughts - they are ancient parables throughout the early time of humanity.

Is there more than one definition for Anima, because if there is, then perhaps we're both right - if there isn't, then I am right and you are wrong.

Did Arcturus create this solar system? No? Our planets are in a ripple formation starting from the sun, just for their health, right?

Adages, you say?

You can interpret them that way, if so makes you happy.

I don't intend to use Anima in any other sense than that I linked you to.

I'm an atheist and I have a soul according to the definition I gave you.

Your lucubrations are just that..

Anima has an ancient meaning that you are treating unfairly. Pay more attention to these ancient ideas - they were made in a world before nature was destroyed for ideas on paper.

Ancient ideas you obviously learned first hand..

Would you be as kind as sharing your sources?

Just google the terms, bloody hell.

I wanted original sources, before they were on paper.

I thought you knew about them, as you so vehemently stated..

Leave aside your expletives, they add nothing to debate..