If you accept the concept of soul, them killing babies is completely ok as long as no soul is occupying them, right?
That's not a trick question. Just think carefully how you choose to answer it.
If we believe that physical bodies are simply vessels that consciousness occupies on a limited basis, and that it is "soul" that really "is who we
are," then destroying the physical body isn't such a big deal, right? The question becomes at what point does "soul" enter into the phsyical body?
Or is consciousness a result of the phsyical form?
I haven't read through the whole thread yet, but wanted to comment because this is an interesting idea that I've thought a lot about because of my
personal experience.
When I was young, I was dumb and in love and not nearly as careful as I should've been. Needless to say, I got pregnant. I grew up in a fairly
religious household and even though I always rebelled against that, it's amazing how strong those feelings of guilt and fear (and SHAME) sprang up
when I considered abortion. I remember at the time being absolutely terrified of either choice and it was one of the most emotionally distressing
times of my life. So I did nothing for a long time (denial) until one day I was overcome with the strongest compulsion to call Planned Parenthood. I
went down there and they told me if I had come in the next week I would not have been able to get the procedure (not legally anyway), and I had to get
a D&E, which is the kind of abortion pro-lifers rail against the most as being murder (I didn't know that at the time. I was so naive and clueless
about a lot back then).
I went to get the abortion - it was a three day affair and I had to be put under anesthesia on the final day when the actual abortion would be
performed. I'm not quite sure what happened to me, if I had a near death experience or what, but I had the most profound spiritual experience I've
ever had. There was no tunnel or dead family or anything, but I was in the most beautiful garden talking to the most beautiful being I'd ever seen
(an angel? I have no clue, I'm still not religious so am reluctant to put that kind of label on it) and behind us there was a glowing crystal city,
and the whole time I was filled with the most amazing feeling of love. In my journal I described it as "molecules of liquid love flowing through my
lungs and veins, bathing every cell of my being." When I woke up I remember being distraught and crying because I was "back in a body." Hours later
when I was leaving, I was sitting in the back seat and I felt relieved, but also overwhelmingly sad and guilty. Then I felt a presence next to me and
I heard the voice of a little boy (audibly, not just in my head) telling me "It's alright, don't be sad. God forgives you." And I felt so at peace
and just knew I did the right thing and never felt sad about it again.
So I grew up and later got pregnant again and decided to keep it. The weird thing is throughout my entire pregnancy I had this
knowing that the
baby I was carrying was the same child that I had aborted before. I even knew it was a boy before I ever got the ultrasound to determine gender. I've
since talked to other women who've had abortions and then gone on to have children later, and a few of them have said they also felt they were having
the same "child" (or soul or whatever) that they previously aborted. So maybe it's not so much a paradox, because those souls get born eventually.
All in all, what I got from my experience was: a) whatever we are, it's not contingent upon a physical body and b) if abortion was so sinful and
wrong, I doubt I would have had such a profound, loving experience and c) the idea that a human can actually kill a soul is kind of silly and
arrogant. But, if I'd never had the experience, who knows what I would think.
