We are just as much animals as the birds in the sky, the bugs on the ground, the deer in the forest, the apes in the trees. We all feel. Having emotion and feeling is a brain function. In fact, what we have in our brain is very similar to the things other animals have. <object width="425" height="350"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/5SHc67Hep48"></param><param name="wmode" value="transparent"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/5SHc67Hep48" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" width="425" height="350"></embed></object> It is silly to argue over such things, which seems to be what this thread has been about. I'll say the following again: All consciousness is time existence; and a conscious state is not a state that endures without changing. It is a change without ceasing, when change ceases it ceases; it is itself nothing but change. Think about it. Don't argue about souls. People may argue, but on both sides of the equation it is unfounded speculation based on observation with no actual proof. You can tell a blind man the sky is orange but he can't prove to you it's blue. Feeling does not constitute a soul. People in this thread have said "Well let's get things straightened out about what sort of soul we're talking about." Then it's proceeded into discussing what humans feel and what other fellow animals don't feel, and all this flim flam. I think everyone should just take a step back from all this, (including myself),take some time to reflect on their statements and the statements of others before continuing with this nonsensical talk.
I agree it is pretty silly to argue about these things; however the only way that I can challenge my ideas is to let other people here them. My biggest concern with doing this is that what I am saying is not understood, or that the medium does not allow me to convey intent. For example, I didn't mean for it to be understood that "In order to have a soul one must do God's work?" I believe that everybody has a soul, think of it as a computer game, you have a character/avatar, or the body, this body is coded with things that it can do, (like a program, or exe). The program is bound by strict rules, that are primarily determined by it's environment, and structure. However this charactercan do nothing outside of it's strict rules or program, (even if it's program is extremely complex) unless a user is present, which then becomes like the soul of the character; if the characters body is only able to hear, as it is very handicapped, then the soul exists, as a compliment, to to be grown in that confines of that program. Think of the parable of the men that were hired to harvest the field, one man worked a full day, the next only part, and the next hardly at all, however they were all given the reward that corresponds to their mission. However, changing topics from the soul, to consciousness, do not try to understand the soul from the viewpoint of it being a consciousness, the soul has always been and always will be, and conciousness is as dynasty so elequently put it: Consciousness, exists as a reflection of the rule of life (love), and is evident in natural selection. Actually those monkey's that you posted about are very similar to our ancestors; it's like looking in a time machine. (I can imagine you are confused that I would say that). I am in complete agreement that: This consciousness exists, as a Godly life language, this is the same language that exists in a blade of grass, or a Bud of pot. It is the program that our body was written in, it is the language of life and love. And nothing that IS, isn't created in this, even Satan himself is made from this same language. This first level, matter-consciousness is as close to God as it can be because it operates on God given instincts. Actually we have already seen a new step in matter-conciousness, in that of artificial intelligence, it's very word, meaning much the same. It too is very close to the image of God because it operates on God given principals, and as it unravels, it will become more and more like God; all knowing and all seeing, until, like our solar system there develops an intelligent animal (artificial intelligence), as the product of conciousness (as dynasty described, also known as time and chance). However it will still be first level matter-conciousness, but it will become much more powerful than we are, (The internet of the future). As this new first level consciousness comes to being, a new individuality, or Man, will be able to be born out of the intelligent animal. This man will again have a soul, or individuality, rather than the all seeing and all knowing predecessor, it will have specific talents which separate it from the matter-consciousness which exists as a result of programs/logical conclusions However, for a time, this new consciousness (like Noah) will exist side by side the AI, one outside of another (like the ghosts in the machines), until there is a separation (flood), and the new man precedes. The interesting thing is that this new Man, will likely have a new Universe to live in; 'inside the computer'. He will still be tied down, like we are to our rock, to his rock, which is his environment or program. We likely will be UNABLE to interact with his program, in much of a detrimental way, because the AI, or first level consciousness will forbid us, as by this time it will be in complete control of our planet, and of us as a whole (even though we will maintain a level of indignation to it) in much the same way that Satan cannot destroy our world, because our environment or first level consciousness forbids him, because it is much more powerful than he is; just like this new 'internet' will be much more powerful than we are.