If Jesus died to forgive us, then why is there a Hell?

I didn't use the word know in an absolute way. I merely said I think we pretty well know how intricately it is linked to the physical brain. That is why I asked what the term human soul meant to you. For me it is the essence of self. It is what makes me, me.

I think that definition can be easily linked to the body organ known as the brain.

Some questions to ponder for those with a concept of soul that is separate from the body:

At what age does this soul begin, newborn, 3 years, puberty?

What happens in the case of senility/dementia when what was recognized as the essence of a person vanishes before death.?

What about mental illness?

What about brain damage due to accident?

What about the effect of drugs/alcohol?

The best argument for the existence of a soul may be a corpse. Whether the dead body is that of a human or an animal, death changes a being drastically.

One of the definitions used by the Catholic church of the soul is that the soul is the "actuating principle."

Now, we might say that we are the sum of our parts and when one of our major parts fail, we no longer function as an organism and we die.

There is an interesting story -- perhaps by Andre Malraux? -- called The Weigher of Souls about a scientist (?) who spent his life weighing people who were about to die and then reweighing them immediately after death to determine the weight of the soul.

In 6th grade, the nun who taught us answered the question, "Is it alright to believe in evolution," with as long as you believe that at some point, God selected two apes, breathed souls into them and created them as Adam and Eve. Interesting.

That story illustrates the soul as actuating principle as does Malraux's (?) fiction.

I believe that animals have souls as well as humans.

I will certainly agree that many species of the animal world have personalities.

Mesquit -- Catholic doctrine is confused about the soul and the question of the soul is linked to abortion. Thomas Aquinas felt life began when the infant "quickened," i.e., when the mother could feel it move and that that was when the soul was infused and when life began.

Much has been said about how many fertilized eggs never implant -- the figure given most often is one in three -- and today, I read in Mapping Human History, that " a fifth of conception . . . end in miscarriages." Given statistics like that, it is hardly remarkable that Church fathers did not claim a soul was infused/life began at conception.

Within the framework of Catholicism, the soul is still present despite Alzheimer's, substance abuse, etc.

Now, that brings up the interesting thought that the Church, then, should object to human life being artificially maintained via ventilators.

I take it by that explanation then that such a soul would be one that is constantly changing through the growth, learning, and aging process?

mesquite -- Although I am not that well trained in Catholic doctrine, I would seriously doubt that the soul would grow. In fact, such an idea contradicts what the soul is: a piece of the divine. As the divine is perfection, it can not be improved.

However, under the doctrine of re-incarnation, the soul -- that part of the human existant that moves through many bodies -- does grow. Supposedly, the soul grows toward perfection. One of the mistakes people in the West make when they discuss and/or joke about re-incarnation is that people come back as animals. They do not. Animals can, over many life times, evolve into humans and humans, over many life times, evolve into better humans.

All that makes me think all too many people are young souls.

IM GOING TO HELL!

in a hand cart?

The question is: which is more interesting, heaven or hell?

Actually, would god who allegedly made the world because of his great love, send people's souls to eternal damnation? That sounds like the silly question, "Can god make a rock so large that he could not lift it?"

No

Jesus didnt die to forgive all of us. Only those who give time money and work for the right brand of Christianity. The rest are destined for hell, hence there still a need for such a place. Its the old carrot and stick routine.

I agree, neo.

Now, heard John Kerry speak on energy today and I have a question: Would a loving god allow man to make the mess of this planet we have made?

God is paying attention and has promised to "bring to ruin those ruining the earth." (Revelation 11:18)

Did anyone see Bill Moyers' new program this past week? Salmon Rushdie was his guest. The brouhaha over The Satanic Verses hurt Rushdie's image as a public intellectual and there was a great deal of ink spilled over the merit of the book. My book group may have read it; I did not participate in that session if it did.

However, Rushdie had something interesting to say to Moyers and it was that man's need for an ethical system led him to create religion. What a refreshing point of view, and, I think, wholly correct.

I hope so! The lack of interest in the welfare of the planet by so many is distressing!

How can you be as dumb as to post this kind of crap nobody is going to read?

I think he agrees with me on some level
The Hebrew word sheol, simply means 'the grave'
but
I wish his posts were both shorter and in English

English would be a good start, but I agree with Francis; why post crap nobody is going to read.

"Sheol", "Hades" - The common grave of mankind Heb. שאול (she'òhl) gr. ᾅδης (hàides), lat. infernus, sir. The places where shiul sixty-six Sheol appears in the New World Translation of the Hebrew Scriptures, "Sheol" occurs 66 times, that is, Ge 37:35, 42:38, 44:29, 31; Nu 16:30, 33, De 32 : 22; 1SA 2:6; 2SA 22:6, 1 Kings 2:6, 9; Job 7:9, 11:8, 14:13; 17:13, 16; 21:13, 24:19, 26:6 ; Sl 6:5, 9:17, 16:10, 18:5, 30:3, 31:17, 49:14, 14, 15, 55:15, 86:13, 88:3, 89:48; 116:3, 139:8, 141:7, Prov 1:12, 5:5, 7:27, 9:18, 15:11, 24; 23:14, 27:20, 30:16, and c 9: 10; Ca 8:6, Isa 5:14, [7:11]; 14:9, 11, 15; 28:15, 18; 38:10, 18; 57:9, Ezekiel 31:15, 16, 17 ; 32:21, 27; Hos 13:14, 14; Am 9:2; Gna 2:2; Aba 2:5. In the Hebrew Scriptures "Sheol" compare the 65 times that used in M, as well as in Isa 7 : 11 (see on NT.). In all cases, the New World Translation use "Sheol" to make the Hebrew word she'òhl. The Greek Septuagint generally renders she'òhl with hàides. Although several hypotheses have been advanced on the derivation of the Hebrew word she'òhl, it seems to derive from the Hebrew verb ׁשאל (sha'àl), which means "ask" or "request . This indicates that Sheol is the place (not a condition) which requests or demands all without distinction, since it receives in himself the dead of mankind. (See NTT. Ge at 37:35 and Isa 7:11). Sheol is in the earth, is always seen in relation to the dead and clearly means the common grave of mankind, or the region inland (non-marine) of the dead. In contrast to this, the Hebrew word means qèver a single grave or burial place. - Ge 23:4, 6, 9, 20. The ten places in which it appears Hades "Hades," which perhaps means "a place not seen," recurs ten times in the New World Translation of the Christian Greek Scriptures, namely in Matthew 11: 23; 16:18; Lu 10:15, 16:23, Acts 2:27, 31; Ri 1:18, 6:8, 20:13, 14. In Acts 2:27, the quote that Peter makes Sl 16:10 shows that Hades is the equivalent of Sheol, and refers to the common grave of mankind (unlike the Greek word tàfos, a single grave). The Latin word infernus is corresponding to Hades (sometimes inferus). Means "what lies beneath, the lower region, and well apply to the grave. It is therefore an appropriate approximation of the greek and Hebrew terms. In the inspired Scriptures, the words "Sheol" and "Hades" are placed in connection with the death and the dead, not with life and living. (Re 20:13) In themselves, these words do not contain the concept of pleasure or pain, nor allude.
Sorry,next time in english ,i promise.