Do atheists believe in the existence of souls?

1. 60

   drewsavageposted 12 years ago

   Do atheists believe in the existence of souls?

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2. 71

   JMcFarlandposted 12 years ago

   some do, some don't.  While I don't see any proof for the existence of a "soul" per-se, and I don't like the baggage attached to the word, my wife maintains that there is something inside of us, beyond our brain, that makes us US.  She also says that energy simply does not disappear, so that the energy within us has to continue on in SOME form (or no form at all) after our deaths.  I'm open and curious to the idea, but I don't think that can actually be called a "soul" - at least not in the theist use of the word.

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3. 89

   Austinstarposted 12 years ago

   I can only speak for myself and not all atheists, but I believe in a type of energy. I call it the primal energy and I believe it is what travels throughout the universe and binds all atoms and molecules together. It's something like gravity, electricity, kinetic force or other physical property, we are just not yet able to see or analyze it. We are getting closer by discovering the Higgs-Boson particle, but there is still more to be found.
   The primal energy or force, if you prefer, is what animates us as sentient beings. When our bodies die, they convert to this energy again.
   So, as an atheist, I do not believe in a "soul" with my unique personality. I believe that mass (atomic structure) x energy (speed) = infinity. It's just that simple.
   My atoms exist and have energy, therefore the essence of "me" is infinite.

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4. 60

   sleepylogposted 12 years ago

   Some, like myself, absolutely do. I believe that we all come from a collective consciousness and that when we die we return to the source of that consciousness as what some would refer to as 'souls', until our souls are ready to return to a physical existence.
   
   I don't believe in deity, which I guess makes me an atheist, but I do believe that there is a universal consciousness that wants to experience life in the physical sense through parts of itself - our souls.

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5. 84

   M. T. Dremerposted 12 years ago

   I believe in the existence of ghosts as stored energy in the naturally occurring elements around us. So, there is something to be said about the mass and energy of our body existing after we die. However, I don't believe our consciousness lives on, nor do the parts stay together when we pass.

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