NigelWatts13
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Personality type: Sarcastic to the point that it turns people off when they first meet me.
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Slowly, but surely, you will all die.
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« on: May 10, 2012, 01:05:PM » |
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Hey guys, been awhile since I've been on here. Hope all are well.
I want to ask a question that has most likely been dealt with in some form or another on here. I have a friend who jumps back and forth between atheism, his own despair, and deism... He's an emotional guy is all I will really say. He has referred to God as a tyrant and told me he has loved God... Anyways, one of his questions was an interesting one to me. Simple, but interesting. I am not a theologian in any shape of form so I thought I'd bring it to this board.
His question was, "Why did God waste all this time with all of these different species (you know, the evolution process of humans being formed) before actual humans, if humans are the only ones with souls?" I didn't know what to really tell him besides that doesn't matter, because were here now. It is a good question though that I would like to be able to answer. If none of these other animals have souls, than why did God waste his time spending millions of years working with these other creatures.
I know I'm going to get varied responses from not accepting evolution to accepting it fully with Intelligent Design. So feel free to post what you have either heard or believe.
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"I WANT TO BELIEVE" ~~~ Fox Mulder
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Vetus Ordo
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« Reply #1 on: May 10, 2012, 01:08:PM » |
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All living beings have souls but only man has an immortal soul.
That man is the pinnacle of creation is testified even by evolution.
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"THE LORD is my light and my salvation, whom shall I fear? The Lord is the protector of my life: of whom shall I be afraid?" (Psalm 26:1)
"And we, too, being called by His will in Christ Jesus, are not justified by ourselves, nor by our own wisdom, or understanding, or godliness, or works which we have wrought in holiness of heart; but by that faith through which, from the beginning, Almighty God has justified all men; to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen." — Clement, bishop of Rome
"I love truth," says he, "and not sects. I am sometimes a peripatetic, a stoic, or an academician, and often none of them; but—always a Christian. To philosophise is to love wisdom; and the true wisdom is Jesus Christ. Let us read the historians, the poets, and the philosophers; but let us have in our hearts the gospel of Jesus Christ, in which alone is perfect wisdom and perfect happiness." — Petrarch
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NigelWatts13
Member
Gender:
Location: Wisconsin
Personality type: Sarcastic to the point that it turns people off when they first meet me.
Posts: 475
Slowly, but surely, you will all die.
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« Reply #2 on: May 10, 2012, 01:09:PM » |
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Really? I've never heard that I guess. It makes some sense. I guess I'm curious to know why they have souls.
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"I WANT TO BELIEVE" ~~~ Fox Mulder
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Vetus Ordo
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Personality type: Sinner
Posts: 18,069
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« Reply #3 on: May 10, 2012, 01:17:PM » |
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Really? I've never heard that I guess. It makes some sense. I guess I'm curious to know why they have souls.
Because the soul is the principle which animates the body. It's the principle of life and animation. In fact, the word "animal" comes from anima wich means "soul." |
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"THE LORD is my light and my salvation, whom shall I fear? The Lord is the protector of my life: of whom shall I be afraid?" (Psalm 26:1)
"And we, too, being called by His will in Christ Jesus, are not justified by ourselves, nor by our own wisdom, or understanding, or godliness, or works which we have wrought in holiness of heart; but by that faith through which, from the beginning, Almighty God has justified all men; to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen." — Clement, bishop of Rome
"I love truth," says he, "and not sects. I am sometimes a peripatetic, a stoic, or an academician, and often none of them; but—always a Christian. To philosophise is to love wisdom; and the true wisdom is Jesus Christ. Let us read the historians, the poets, and the philosophers; but let us have in our hearts the gospel of Jesus Christ, in which alone is perfect wisdom and perfect happiness." — Petrarch
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NigelWatts13
Member
Gender:
Location: Wisconsin
Personality type: Sarcastic to the point that it turns people off when they first meet me.
Posts: 475
Slowly, but surely, you will all die.
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« Reply #4 on: May 10, 2012, 01:54:PM » |
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Cool. Thank you.
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"I WANT TO BELIEVE" ~~~ Fox Mulder
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per_passionem_eius
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Posts: 4,258
Fortitudo et laetitia
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« Reply #5 on: May 10, 2012, 02:21:PM » |
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Plants have souls too. Every living thing has a soul. In philosophy there has to be a way of differentiating between rocks, for example, which we know are not alive, and plants, which we know are. The difference is that the plant has a soul, and the rock doesn't.
But we know there are differences between plants and animals and humans. The difference is in the powers of each type of soul. Plant souls have the powers of nutrition, growth, and reproduction, as do animal souls, which also have many more powers i.e. locomotion. The 2 powers in the human soul that are above those of the animal, are intellect and will.
God made plants and animals for us to use, and enjoy, and to teach us about Him.
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Be good.
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The Curt Jester
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Trad before the term "neo-trad" was invented
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« Reply #6 on: May 10, 2012, 02:28:PM » |
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God isn't restricted by time, so nothing can "waste His time", but even if we're to think of that way, being humans and not understanding how something can't take time, we can say he certainly didn't waste any effort creating other creatures because they all serve some purpose, even if only on this world.
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NigelWatts13
Member
Gender:
Location: Wisconsin
Personality type: Sarcastic to the point that it turns people off when they first meet me.
Posts: 475
Slowly, but surely, you will all die.
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« Reply #7 on: May 10, 2012, 02:34:PM » |
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Right, but now I want to know what to say about why we weren't just created right away since we are the only ones with eternal souls.
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"I WANT TO BELIEVE" ~~~ Fox Mulder
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Vetus Ordo
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Personality type: Sinner
Posts: 18,069
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« Reply #8 on: May 10, 2012, 02:35:PM » |
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Right, but now I want to know what to say about why we weren't just created right away since we are the only ones with eternal souls.
Creation was a progressive thing, according to Scripture. Man was the last one to be created. Time is nothing to God. |
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"THE LORD is my light and my salvation, whom shall I fear? The Lord is the protector of my life: of whom shall I be afraid?" (Psalm 26:1)
"And we, too, being called by His will in Christ Jesus, are not justified by ourselves, nor by our own wisdom, or understanding, or godliness, or works which we have wrought in holiness of heart; but by that faith through which, from the beginning, Almighty God has justified all men; to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen." — Clement, bishop of Rome
"I love truth," says he, "and not sects. I am sometimes a peripatetic, a stoic, or an academician, and often none of them; but—always a Christian. To philosophise is to love wisdom; and the true wisdom is Jesus Christ. Let us read the historians, the poets, and the philosophers; but let us have in our hearts the gospel of Jesus Christ, in which alone is perfect wisdom and perfect happiness." — Petrarch
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James02
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Posts: 6,877
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« Reply #9 on: May 10, 2012, 02:46:PM » |
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Right, but now I want to know what to say about why we weren't just created right away since we are the only ones with eternal souls. I doubt that there is an answer, since God has not revealed it. Why were we made material/spiritual and demons spiritual only? Don't know. My guess is the material world acts as a protection for us. Time also. Protections the demons lacked. In way it opens the door for Mercy. If Adam had been allowed to eat from the Tree of Life, he would have sealed all of our doom. |
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"God's Wrath is Glorious, and I have a front row seat"
"We can not guarantee success. We can only deserve it."
"And who do you say that I Am?"
"That one simple question, whether Jesus of Nazareth was God Incarnate, becomes increasingly decisive between people, as history moves forward. .... The answer to this question cuts into human ties and seems to reflect even on the nature of inanimate things. What if: all that is folly in the eyes of the Greeks, and scandal in the eyes of the Jews, ... is Truth?"
And there was no doubt about it -- towards Him we had been running, or from Him we had been running away, but all the time He had been in the center of things.
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