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BD
Member
| Joined: | Wed Mar 26th, 2008 |
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| Posts: | 46 |
| First Name: | Brett | | Gender: | Male | | Faith History: | Non-denominational evangelical, Mennonite (Anabaptist), now Evangelical-Anabapti-catholic |
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Posted: Fri May 2nd, 2008 07:36 pm |
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Not sure where to put this question...
I was reading in my Compendium to the Catechism that the Church teaches the immortality of the soul. I have always struggled with this idea for one simple reason: we are creatures. Everything we are is finite, created. There is nothing immortal about us. To the extent that we have life after death, it is still gift (or punishment) made possible by God, and not by our nature as immortal soul.
Where am I off? What am I missing?
Brett
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Non abbiate paura!
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Dave Armstrong
Network Apologist
| Joined: | Fri Nov 2nd, 2007 |
| Location: | Melvindale, Michigan USA |
| Posts: | 1227 |
| First Name: | Dave | | Gender: | Male | | Faith History: | Nominal Methodist / evangelical non-denom / "Bapticostal" / Catholic |
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Posted: Fri May 2nd, 2008 07:54 pm |
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BD wrote: Not sure where to put this question...
I was reading in my Compendium to the Catechism that the Church teaches the immortality of the soul. I have always struggled with this idea for one simple reason: we are creatures. Everything we are is finite, created. There is nothing immortal about us. To the extent that we have life after death, it is still gift (or punishment) made possible by God, and not by our nature as immortal soul.
Where am I off? What am I missing?
Brett
Hi Brett,
Immortality of the soul is neither an "infinite" proposition nor self-generated. This seems to be what you are struggling with, if I understand you correctly.
Neither is true. Immortality of the soul is a finite state of affairs because the duration is only unending in one direction: i.e., from the moment of conception into the future. It is like a ray in geometry. An infinite soul or spirit would be God Himself, because He has no beginning as well as no end. We have a beginning. God created each of our souls in an act of special creation, at conception. Our bodies come about naturally, by procreation, but the soul is supernatural and is a special creation from God. It makes us what we are: human beings made in God's image, and distinguishes us from the animals.
The soul is what it is. By its nature it never ends or goes out of existence, once having been created by God. I don't know if your wondering about this means you have also pondered the possibility of soul sleep, too. If so, I have written two papers about that:
The False Doctrine of "Soul Sleep" and Prayers To, For, and From the Dead: the Biblical Evidence Confirms Catholic Belief
Martin Luther's Heretical Notion of Soul Sleep and Rejection of Purgatory and Prayers For the Dead Based on This Denial (+ William Tyndale Agrees)
And on a related issue (if anyone struggles with this or wants to defend it when others ask):
Biblical Evidence for an Eternal Hell
Replies to Some Skeptical Objections to the Christian Doctrine of Hell ("Religion Is Lies" website)
Dialogue on Hell and the "Conditional" Possibility of Universalism
The Development of Old Testament and Jewish Views of Sheol, the Afterlife, and Eternal Punishment
Last edited on Fri May 2nd, 2008 07:58 pm by Dave Armstrong
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I'm happy to offer whatever theological & personal assistance I can. My blog, Biblical Evidence for Catholicism, contains 1900+ papers & web pages (absolutely free) & 16 apologetic books (for sale):
http://www.biblicalcatholic.com/
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