Spiritual questions answered here

[Katazia]

Zanket,

Which part of you is the soul?

The part that is the soul. There’s no simpler answer to this question.

Yes there is. The soul does not exist. If you cannot locate or detect the soul then how can you distinguish between your claim for the existence of a soul and its non-existence? All you seem to have is a useless assertion.

We can identify the body easily enough, and the mind is clearly generated by the brain, what is left?

The soul.

So where is it?

Location is not a property of the soul.

Explain how something can be said to ’EXIST’ if it has no location.

If not then what have you been studying?

Spirituality.

Then we come full circle. The question was what does it mean to be spiritual? And you answered It means believing that part of you is a spirit, an eternal being with great power to create as you choose. Which led us into trying to define a soul/spirit, which apparently you cannot.

It would seem then that the study of spirituality is the study of something that apparently has the same properties of anything that does not exist. This feels like a very vacuous and pointless activity.

Kat

 

[zanket]

Originally posted by Katazia
If you cannot locate or detect the soul then how can you distinguish between your claim for the existence of a soul and its non-existence?

With my belief.

So where is it?

“Where” doesn’t apply to the soul.

Explain how something can be said to ’EXIST’ if it has no location.

Existence requires no location.

It would seem then that the study of spirituality is the study of something that apparently has the same properties of anything that does not exist.

No. The soul exists.

This feels like a very vacuous and pointless activity.

I would have felt the same years ago. Now I realize that belief alone--no concrete proof to show to another--can and does have a huge positive effect on my life. I realize that the lack of proof is part of the amazing elegance of the universe, for it allows people to strongly believe as they choose.

As you believe, so you create. I have seen and conversed with spirits.

 

[Raithere]

Originally posted by zanket
It’s a convenient way to refer to “all that is and all that is not.” It has meaning, so it's not meaningless.

Let me put it another way. Why not just say 'everything'? And why bother with that which is universally and/or unconditionally non-existent?

Further, from what argument or evidence do you derive the conclusion that "part of you is ... an eternal being with great power to create as you choose"?

~Raithere

 

[zanket]

Originally posted by Raithere
Why not just say 'everything'?

Because 'everything' is an incomplete description. Everything is relative to nothing. God has no relation; it’s an absolute entity. God is both everything and nothing.

And why bother with that which is universally and/or unconditionally non-existent?

Because it’s useful. God being both everything and nothing allows anything to be both true and false. This allows everyone to choose what is true or false.

Further, from what argument or evidence do you derive the conclusion that "part of you is ... an eternal being with great power to create as you choose"?

My belief, with which I choose this to be true, and so it is, for me. And thereby I expand my creative power.

 

[(Q)]

My belief, with which I choose this to be true, and so it is, for me.

You must realize though, that you are deluding yourself with false beliefs.

 

[zanket]

No. Truth boils down to belief. What I choose to be true is true for me. There is no delusion.

 

[(Q)]

No, truth is something that has been verified to conform with reality. A belief is some vague idea in which some confidence has been placed.

Big difference.

You may believe in anything you want but unless it has been verfied to conform with reality, the belief is false and therefore becomes a delusion.

 

[Katazia]

Zanket,

If you cannot locate or detect the soul then how can you distinguish between your claim for the existence of a soul and its non-existence?

With my belief.

Simply choosing to believe that something exists does not mean that it does exist.

So where is it?

“Where” doesn’t apply to the soul.

Everything we know that can be said to exist has associated locations. There is no precedent for anything that exists that doesn’t have a location.

What you are describing is the primary property of things that do not exist.

Explain how something can be said to ’EXIST’ if it has no location.

Existence requires no location.

Describe anything that we know that exists that has no location.

Your statement has no value without meaningful support.

It would seem then that the study of spirituality is the study of something that apparently has the same properties of anything that does not exist.

No. The soul exists.

What is your evidence? An assertion alone has no value.

I realize that belief alone--no concrete proof to show to another--can and does have a huge positive effect on my life.

The practice of optimism and positive thinking are now well known therapeutic approaches to good mental and physiological health. The use of placebo pills have very similar effects. But delusions and your form of escapism might make you feel comfortable but they have no basis in reality.

You seem to be confusing a ‘feel nice’ factor with truth. There is no rule that says that truth has to be a good thing.

I realize that the lack of proof is part of the amazing elegance of the universe, for it allows people to strongly believe as they choose.

Perhaps, but it is evidence that allows us to tell the difference between reality and delusion. There is nothing you have said so far that shows that you are not simply living a delusion.

Kat

 

[zanket]

Originally posted by (Q)
A belief is some vague idea in which some confidence has been placed.

Yes. All truth is sourced in belief. An example of truth boiling down to belief is a mathematical proof that reduces to postulates such as “a = a.” A postulate is an assumption of truth; a belief.

You may believe in anything you want but unless it has been verfied to conform with reality, the belief is false and therefore becomes a delusion.

My beliefs conform to my reality (by definition, because I define my reality by my beliefs); they need not conform to others’ reality. If I choose that “a does not equal a,” the mathematical proof is false for me.

 

[(Q)]

A postulate is an assumption of truth; a belief.

A postulate provides a proposition that is accepted as true in order to provide a basis for logical reasoning. There is nothing logical in believing that which does not exist.

My beliefs conform to my reality (by definition, because I define my reality by my beliefs); they need not conform to others’ reality.

Most would agree there exists one reality. How many realities do you think exist?

 

[Laser Eyes]

Originally posted by zanket
Everything I say may be wrong.

I believe that this may be true.

 

[Laser Eyes]

Originally posted by zanket
I’ve studied spirituality for a long time now. I’ll briefly answer any questions you have as I see fit. Everything I say may be wrong.

So you'll answer my questions will you? Start with these.

1. Is there a God?
2. If yes to one, describe the nature of God.
3. How was the earth created?
4. How was man created?
5. Why is civilisation so screwed up? In other words explain why we have war, famine, sickness, death, crime, etc...
6. What is the purpose of life?
7. Do we have an immortal soul?
8. What happens to us when we die?
9. If there is a God why does he allow suffering?
10. Is the Bible, or some other book, specifying which, God's word?
11. What will happen in the future to mankind?
12. If yes to one, where did God come from?

 

[zanket]

Originally posted by Katazia
Simply choosing to believe that something exists does not mean that it does exist.

That in itself is a belief. A belief is true for the beholder of it.

Everything we know that can be said to exist has associated locations. There is no precedent for anything that exists that doesn’t have a location.

Intangibles exist without a location, such as reasons, or goodwill.

Describe anything that we know that exists that has no location.

A tangible one: an infinite universe.

What is your evidence?

My experiences.

The practice of optimism and positive thinking are now well known therapeutic approaches to good mental and physiological health. The use of placebo pills have very similar effects. But delusions and your form of escapism might make you feel comfortable but they have no basis in reality.

Delusion is a deception. You cannot deceive yourself. Delusion is a property assignable only by others. Beliefs that make me feel comfortable, or otherwise help me to achieve that which I choose, affect my reality and thus have a basis in it. I seek the beliefs that work the best for me.

You seem to be confusing a ‘feel nice’ factor with truth.

All truth is sourced in belief. When you believe that you feel nice, you experience a nice feeling. Belief creates reality. Reality is a reaction to belief.

Perhaps, but it is evidence that allows us to tell the difference between reality and delusion. There is nothing you have said so far that shows that you are not simply living a delusion.

Some things can be only personally evidenced. An orgasm, for instance. You can obtain personal evidence of souls, but that is difficult without prior belief.

 

[zanket]

Originally posted by (Q)
A postulate provides a proposition that is accepted as true in order to provide a basis for logical reasoning.

My beliefs are true for me, providing a basis for logical reasoning.

There is nothing logical in believing that which does not exist.

Tell that to the Wright brothers. The airplane did not exist before it was a belief. My beliefs create my reality. Existence is a consequence of belief. You can accept what others have created for you. You can also create as you choose.

Most would agree there exists one reality. How many realities do you think exist?

When I say “my reality” I mean my experience of the common reality. Everyone has a unique experience of reality based on their beliefs. The experience can be optimized by adopting the beliefs that work best.

 

[(Q)]

My beliefs are true for me, providing a basis for logical reasoning.

I repeat, if the beliefs are false the reasoning is not logical – it is a delusion regardless of whether they are true for you or anyone else.

Tell that to the Wright brothers. The airplane did not exist before it was a belief.

Fallacy. Are you stating that spirits will exist as long as we believe?

My beliefs create my reality.

If the beliefs are false, so then is the reality.

Existence is a consequence of belief.

That is ridiculous – something can’t exist simply because you believe it to exist.

When I say “my reality” I mean my experience of the common reality. Everyone has a unique experience of reality based on their beliefs.

That does not preclude the fact that only one reality exists. Your perception of reality will only be different from mine due to mental incapacities. Reality will not impart a different version of itself for you than me or anyone else. Any beliefs that do not conform to reality are merely delusions.

The experience can be optimized by adopting the beliefs that work best.

It has been mentioned already however I’ll mention it again; THAT is escapism.

 

[zanket]

Originally posted by Laser Eyes
So you'll answer my questions will you?

Yes, as I see fit. My answers are true or false as you choose.

1. Is there a God?

Yes.

2. If yes to one, describe the nature of God.

Pure love.

3. How was the earth created?

By the mutual belief of the collective consciousness that is God; that is, by us. The creation continues momentarily.

4. How was man created?

In the same way as Earth is being created.

5. Why is civilisation so screwed up? In other words explain why we have war, famine, sickness, death, crime, etc...

“Screwed up” is a belief. Others disagree with your assessment; some like war for instance. War and famine etc. are created by us so that we can experience them and relate them to other experiences like peace and plenty. When all of us have put war and famine etc. out of our minds they will cease to exist and not just in our imagination.

6. What is the purpose of life?

To experience fullest glory.

7. Do we have an immortal soul?

Yes.

8. What happens to us when we die?

When you shed your physical body, you still exist. You are still a three-part being: body, mind, and soul. You remember your overall existence that you purposefully forgot when you were born. You continue to create what you choose and co-create with others. You can choose to have another earthly experience. Neither life nor free will ever ends.

9. If there is a God why does he allow suffering?

So that you have a full range of choice, to allow you to experience fullest glory. If suffering could not be experienced, neither could its opposite. God allows suffering but we create it. We need not continuously create it to experience its opposite; we can remember suffering instead.

10. Is the Bible, or some other book, specifying which, God's word?

God writes books through us. Many books have been written by great spiritual teachers; there is no one book. I can recommend some if you ask. Ideally Godly information is gathered through direct communication, which is available to all.

11. What will happen in the future to mankind?

In the short term I can only guess. Likely more war and famine etc. In the long term we will all experience fullest glory; our evolutionary path leads inexorably to it.

12. If yes to one, where did God come from?

Origin is not a property of God.

 

[James R]

zanket:

You seem to be making some very contradictory statements about God. For example, you say: "God is both everything and nothing."

It's easy to make these kinds of statements in an effort to sound profound, but the obvious question is: do they actually mean anything? How can anything be both everything and nothing at the same time? That would seem to me to be ruled out by simple logic.

Hence, we seem to be left with two options. Either (1) you statement is illogical and therefore practically meaningless, or (2) you conceive of a God who is not subject to the normal rules of logic. If you prefer the second option, then it would seem that further discussion of your God would be a complete waste of time, since I don't see how we could ever learn or deduce anything useful about such a being - even whether it exists.

 

[sargentlard]

Yes there is. The soul does not exist. If you cannot locate or detect the soul then how can you distinguish between your claim for the existence of a soul and its non-existence? All you seem to have is a useless assertion.

So anything that can not be observed right away does not exist entirely?

(Q)

You may believe in anything you want but unless it has been verfied to conform with reality,

Who verifies this with reality? Scientific community? Or society?

 

[Katazia]

Sargentlard,

If you cannot locate or detect the soul then how can you distinguish between your claim for the existence of a soul and its non-existence? All you seem to have is a useless assertion.

So anything that can not be observed right away does not exist entirely?

Very funny.

I’ll simplify it – you cannot know that something exists if you can’t locate or detect it.

Kat

 

[Raithere]

Originally posted by zanket
Because 'everything' is an incomplete description. Everything is relative to nothing. God has no relation; it’s an absolute entity. God is both everything and nothing.

You'll note that I did not limit 'everything' to only that which is existential. Still, I can find no particular value in the mystical duality you present, it seems extraneous.

Because it’s useful. God being both everything and nothing allows anything to be both true and false. This allows everyone to choose what is true or false.

Perhaps you can explain its usefulness because this seems to me the equivalent of nihilistic reductionism; it provides no foundation upon which to assert anything at all.

My belief, with which I choose this to be true, and so it is, for me. And thereby I expand my creative power.

Just because one believes something to be true does not make it so but given that you believe this how would it expand your creative power?

~Raithere