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Permalink Reply by Doug Reardon on July 26, 2012 at 12:12am

Because their experience of sentience is consistent and contiguous over time giving the illusion of a "being" or soul.

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Permalink Reply by Heather Spoonheim on July 26, 2012 at 12:17am

I think the 'soul' concept evolved out of a lot of things.  When we dream we are in another world that is just as real as this one.  Each child seems to have an innate personality regardless of how they are raised - where does that come from?  Life is so magical - there MUST be something more to it than blood and guts.  Blah blah blah.

I like to ask if bees have souls - and if so, will there be bees in heaven?  If there are bees in heaven, are they doomed to an eternity of mindless collection of pollen or will they gain full sentience?  What about bacteria and bears?

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Permalink Reply by Sagacious Hawk on July 27, 2012 at 5:14am

I'm guessing you include Buddhism in your "Big 5" of religions. There is no soul in Buddhism. There is no concept of self either. The idea that there is a perpetual continuation of the person that is "I" was taught by the Buddha to be an illusion. I find Buddhism fascinating in the idea that it is a 2,500 year old teaching on the subjectivity of perceptions.

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