Problem dealing with death as an atheist

[Zenith]

Another aspect to consider is that the "creation" of a human by scientific methods does not by implication suggest that a soul would be absent. Normal fertlilization of an egg by a sperm cell does not by implication suggest the presence of a soul.

Actually, the creation of a human by scientific methods does imply that a soul is absent: firstly, it implies that life has been born accidentally, by biological means. Secondly, if man can create man, then it means that a man with a soul is the same as a man without soul, which means that the soul is the same as non-existing, which implies that the soul does not exist. Also, if a man is created by scientific methods, then that contradicts the christian bible, because the bible claims that the man became a living being by receiving a soul.

As about cells and humans, in the bible it is written that the man has begun to live by receiving the "breath/spirit of life" (breath = spirit). About the animals it is also mentioned that they have "breath/spirit of life". About plants is never mentioned that they would have "life" (or, spirit of life) in them. It also think that it sounds absurd to claim that every cell has a soul.

Anyway, a question for you: if you believe in God, and if a man is created by scientific means (i.e. without soul) then will he go to paradise or to hell, after death? Because, he would be a normal man, just like you and me, doing and feeling and believing things, just like you and me, etc.

And the creation of a living cell from atoms also implies that life has been created by accident.

Exactly. So you gamble using the information you have available? The information you supplied (and scientifically true), suggests that the odds are in favour of a soul, not so? (using your argument). Thus any choice that is made in opposition to available facts is made on the basis of personal preference?
Getting down to it, the chances are 50/50 that a soul exists after death (although near-death experiences suggests odds in favour of a soul seperate from the body).
Considering this, and knowing what the alternatives are for the destination of the soul, would a shrewd person not hedge his bets by taking the safest option - where the potential "penalties" are eliminated without any negative consequences of this choice?

I was almost certain that you would lead the discussion here. The first problem with your theory is that a man cannot believe in God because He may exist. The second problem is this: what are the odds that your religious path is correct? For instance, if the islamic god Allah exists (and He may exist though He is unfair, racist, a deceiver, etc. - a god that perhaps no mentally healthy person would desire), then you will go in the hell He has prepared, because you are a christian. You can't just pick the seemingly safest theory, because you always have something big to lose, if you're wrong.

As about NDEs, they seem to prove the existence of souls. e.g. I've read or heard somewhere that after a 'death' experience, the person has heard and seen things that happened after the brain ceased to function. And, if I remember well, there was also a thing when a blind person from birth had a surgery and got to a NDE, after which he/she has claimed to have seen for the first time, and he/she has described the objects in the surgery room correctly.
Also, I've just found this: http://www.near-death.com/experiences/evidence03.html
However, these are not "evidence", because they cannot answer to the impossible question "what if it's not so?" (i.e. in this particular case, "what if there is another explanation?").