Those who embrace a belief in the existence of immortal souls (a conscious, immortal essence) should consider the implications of such a belief. It is very common for Christians (and non-Christians) to believe that within all humans exists something which cannot die and which survives death in a conscious state outside the body. Those who embrace such a view should stop to consider some of the “difficulties” that arise if in fact all humans have such immortal souls. These difficulties include:
1. Why did God fail to reveal such a truth in Genesis? Why didn’t God inform Adam and Eve that within each of them existed an immortal, conscious entity that can experience joy and pain and that would never die? The book of Genesis is silent about such a doctrine. (Though getting ahead of ourselves), neither is there any mention of eternal torments for the souls of the wicked in Genesis, or in Exodus, Leviticus, etc... Should not something so important and vital to the well-being of each one of us be revealed right from the start, in the book of Genesis? Many Christians point out that the doctrine of immortal souls and their eternal torment in hell was something that was hidden from the Israelites and that only in the New Testament was this “truth” fully revealed. If this be the case, then one must admit that God kept this “truth” a near-secret for thousands of years, waiting only for Jesus and his disciples to be born before revealing this “truth” to their contemporaries. Consider how many ignorant, wicked (supposedly immortal) “souls” entered into an eternity of suffering and torment from the time of Creation down to the time of Jesus simply because God didn’t deem it the right time to reveal this truth any sooner?
2. If all humans have immortal souls, then it begs the question: when exactly did these immortal souls come into existence? Does an unborn baby have an immortal soul? Does a fetus have an immortal soul? Does a fertilized egg at conception have an immortal soul? (Note: Researchers have estimated that 40 to 65 percent of conceptions end in miscarriages.) If so, what do the immortal souls of these conceptions look like if the unborn, fertilized egg dies in the womb (miscarried)? Do the souls of the unborn instantly gain full adulthood when they ultimately reach their eternal destiny in heaven (or limbo or purgatory)? Do the souls of the unborn have full mental capabilities when they “arrive on the other side of the divide”? Where will they have gained the knowledge to speak and the powers of memory and reason? Where did their knowledge of God come from if their lives ended in the womb? What does instantly elevating a fertilized but ejected egg, miscarried embryo, stillborn or dead baby into the presence of Jesus do to the core doctrines of the Christian faith, such as, “Without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who seek Him,” (Hebrews 11:6), or to Paul’s teaching: “If you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you shall be saved; for with the heart man believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation.” (Romans 10:10)?
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Author: Philip P. Kapusta
Keywords: Soul, Kill the body, Heaven going, Going to heaven, After death, After life, Afterlife, Cast to hell, Cast down to hell, Chains of darkness, Damned go to hell, Death, Death state, Demon hell, Departing soul, Departing spirit, Destroyed in hell, Dieing, Dominion of the grave, Do the wicked go to hell, Eternal fire, Eternal judgment, Eternal judgement, Eternal punishment, Eternal torment, Eternal hell, Eternal pit, Everlasting fire, Everlasting judgment, Everlasting judgement, Everlasting hell, Everlasting hellfire, Everlasting hell fire, Everlasting pit, Everlasting punishment, Everlasting torment, Everlasting torture, Ever lasting fire, Ever lasting judgment, Ever lasting judgement, Ever lasting hell, Ever lasting hellfire, Ever lasting hell fire, Ever lasting pit, Ever lasting punishment, Ever lasting torment, Ever lasting torture, Eternal hellfire, Eternal hell fire, Eternal torture, Eternal soul, Fable hell, Fabled hell, Fiery hell, Fire not quenched, Fire unquenched, Gehenna, Gehena, Gehenna fire, Gehena fire, Go to hell, Grave, Gravedom, Hell, Hele, Hellfire, Hell fire, Hell forever, Hell real, Hades, Hinnom, Immortal spirit, Immortal soul, Immortality of the soul, Immortality of the spirit, Kill the soul, Lake of fire, Life in hell, Lost souls in hell, Never ending fire, Never ending hell, Placed in hell, Punished in hell, Punished for eternity, Punished in hell for eternity, Reserved in hell, Rich man Lazarus, Rich man Lazaras, Roasting in hell, Send to hell, Sent to hell, Sheol, Sleeping in hell, Soul's immortality, Soul in hell, Soul punished in hell, Soul sleep, Soulsleep, Spirit in hell, Tartarus, There is no hell, Torment in hell, Tormented in hell, Underworld, Under world, Undieing worm, Undying worm, Unquenchable, Unquenchable fire, Waiting in hell, Wicked punished in hell, What happens when I die, What happens when we die, When the roll is called up yonder, Where is hell, Where do the lost go when they die, Where do the wicked go when they die, Where do we go when we die, Wicked hell, Worm does not die, Worm won't die, Worm will not die, Worm dieth not, Worm do not die, eternal reward, reward in heaven, heavenly reward
Bible reference(s): Genesis 3:19, Genesis 35:18, 1 Samuel 28:8-15, Pro 30:4, Matthew 10:28, Mat 22:28, Mat 22:30, Matthew 22:32, Mat 25:46, Luk 14:14, Luke 16:22-26, Luk 20:35-36, John 3:13, Joh 5:29, Joh 11:24, 1 Thessalonians 5:23, Act 2:34, Acts 7:59-60, 1 Corinthians 15:14, 1 Corinthians 15:16, 1 Corinthians 15:18, Hebrews 4:12, 1 Peter 3:19, Revelation 6:9
Source: Philip P. Kapusta.
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