A soul is something that is outside the body. A soul is not tangible, but something that exists nonetheless. A soul is something uniquely human. A soul is immortal. Concerning the existence of the soul, there is no definitive answer. Most religions admit the existence of a soul, but atheists would argue otherwise. Some people think morality accumulates, thus giving them a sense of purpose in life. Some might say that the existence of a soul is what separates us from animals. Some might take comfort in the thought of an eternal soul; others might find the thought of eternity entirely horrifying. Pop culture inspires us to look for our soul mates, but is this even possible if we do not have souls? Despite all of the uncertainty, we must take a stand on this fundamental question: do we "as humans "have a soul? I can say with certainty, yes, we do.
From an early age, I was introduced to the concept of immortality. Amongst a collection of Dr. Seuss books, some of my very first stories came out of the Christian Bible. My Christian upbringing instilled in me a very clear idea of what the soul was, and what its role was in my life. The Bible says of death, "then shall the dust return to the earth as it was: and the spirit shall return unto God who gave it. "1 Not only was I taught about the existence of the soul, but also about morality: "Who will render to every man according to his deeds: to them who by patient continuance in well doing seek for glory and honor and immortality, eternal life: but unto them that are contentious, and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, indignation and wrath, tribulation and anguish, upon every soul of man that doeth evil, of the Jew first, and also of the Gentile; but glory, honor, and peace, to every man that worketh good, to the Jew first, and also to the Gentile: for there is no respect of persons with God. "2 Because this information regarding the soul and morality was presented to me as fact, they became a part of my mindset from a young age.
