It was not until I went off to boarding school did I begin to question some of my core values.
While I certainly challenged the legitimacy of my beliefs in boarding school, I never was completely dissuaded from believing in a soul. While my initial belief in a soul came from my parents, I secured my belief through experience, and critical thinking. I realized that it was not just my religion that believed in a soul, but the majority of the religions around the world. To me, it seems improbable that the majority of the people that have ever lived on the face of the earth could be mistaken about a question so important to the human race. Since it is not just Christianity that claims the existence of the soul, but other religions as well, this commonality seems to substantiate the claim for a soul.
Another reason I believe in the existence of a soul is because it gives my life a sense of purpose. Death is certain, and the thought of complete and utter nothingness after this life is unnerving. Since I look at morality as an accumulation of good and bad deeds I have preformed during my life, suddenly each day has a purpose, and I strive to let my good deeds outweigh the bad. On the subject of good deeds the Bible says: "and let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not. "3 I like the idea that deeds preformed by the body will be rewarded unto the soul.
The existence of a soul is one of the major differences between man and animals. While some animals may be naturally endowed with a pleasant disposition "for example the dog that is loyal to its master "these animals are not displaying good qualities because their actions have an effect on an eternal soul, they are simply displaying their nature. Animals are governed by the Hobbsian notions of pleasure and pain; indeed, pleasure and pain are animals only two masters. Animals spend their whole lives trying to maximize their pleasure, and minimize their pain, but once they die, nothing remains.
