What the hell is a 'soul' anyway?

[Esquilax]

My point is, there are implications on our understanding of the soul. Implications, that determine a civil and just society, just as the ancient Greek philosophers are the rogenitors of our modern democracy and western set of values.

Sure we can respect human life as long as it is convenient for us to do that, and as long as that seems like the nice thing to do... But as soon as becomes inconvenient?

So... what is it about the soul that might stop us disrespecting life when it becomes inconvenient? If this objection of yours is to carry any weight then surely there must actually be some quality of the soul or belief in it that prevents the disrespect of ensouled life... and yet throughout history we have religious people and entities performing the most horrific tortures and executions on people despite fully believing in the existence of the soul. Go read about the inquisition for a bit, and then come back and tell me that the soul prevents people from treating others poorly.

What stops us from interpreting life to begin as soon as baby is born, versus at the moment of conception?

Ooh, I know this one! Could it be... evidence one way or the other?

Seriously, why didn't you think of that?

We enter a lot of muddy and dangerous ground when we ignore the soul, the basis of human identity and dignity.

Apologies if I've just missed it elsewhere in the thread, but have you ever actually established that A: the soul is the basis of human identity and dignity, and B: that it is the only viable basis for that?

Or are you one of those who are just going to assert that and then demand that we all take you seriously, because you said so?

what kind of evidence do you want? Do you want the mass of the soul? It's weight, height? Does tha smyt sound silly to you?

ok so you will say, that means the soul foes not exist
and I will say that kind of thinking is dangerous.

How else would you propose that we detect the soul? And if you can't detect it, where do you get off demanding that we take your assertions of it seriously?

Very dangerous, along the lines of the death of 200 000 persons a year in our country in the abortion mills for example, and the selling of their parts for profit.

Wow, are you really going to bring up abortions based on an a priori assumption that the soul exists, that you refuse to demonstrate, and then expect us all to just roll with your presuppositions? On top of that, you're seriously going to go with the "thay sell da babies!" line after that was demonstrably shown to be a lie made up by ideologues with an ax to grind against Planned Parenthood?

Okay...

In a fee country where freedom is unopposed by responsibility, and human rights are just a vague term floating in the air. And people are asking for physical proofs of the soul which is ludicrous to me.

Human rights are abstract concepts. Are you then asserting that the soul is merely an abstract concept and not an objectively real entity too?