Neanderthal Man

[peakpilgrim]

Hi

RE: NEANDERTHAL MAN

Did Neanderthal man have a Soul?

My own opinion is that I do not know, but, it is believed that he had his own language and he was capable of constructive thought; so he was, possibly, capable of believing in a GOD.

Does anyone have an opinion on this.

Kind Regards.

[PDN]

My own opinion (and, like noses, everyone has one) is that Neanderthals, like any other animal, possessed a soul (mind, will, emotion) but lacked a spirit (the part of us that communicates with God).

[kelly1]

Originally Posted by PDN

My own opinion (and, like noses, everyone has one) is that Neanderthals, like any other animal, possessed a soul (mind, will, emotion) but lacked a spirit (the part of us that communicates with God).

I'd agree with that. The neanderthal's soul would have been mortal, unlike ours.

[Seoid]

I don't think we (as in 'humanity') can answer that question with the info available.

First of all, what do you mean by 'soul'??? Is it the part of you that is capable of thoughts? Is it the part of you that is capable of being in touch with God? I don't fully understand PDN's distinction between soul and spirit.

Secondly, as far as I know, we don't know to what extent they (or other non-homo sapiens hominids) were capable of constructive or contemplative thought.

Maybe you're wondering if we can call them, broadly speaking, 'human' or 'animal' but I don't know how clear the distinction can be made.

[Manach]

From memory, there is evidence that Neanderthals had burial rituals - e.g. laying out bodies in a formal manner with funeral goods/flowers. To me this would suggest that they had some form of concept of an afterlife, a continuance of a soul?

[kelly1]

Originally Posted by Seoid

I don't think we (as in 'humanity') can answer that question with the info available.

First of all, what do you mean by 'soul'??? Is it the part of you that is capable of thoughts? Is it the part of you that is capable of being in touch with God? I don't fully understand PDN's distinction between soul and spirit.

Secondly, as far as I know, we don't know to what extent they (or other non-homo sapiens hominids) were capable of constructive or contemplative thought.

Maybe you're wondering if we can call them, broadly speaking, 'human' or 'animal' but I don't know how clear the distinction can be made.

See if this article helps? http://www.rosary-center.org/ll50n4.htm

[Bduffman]

Originally Posted by PDN

My own opinion (and, like noses, everyone has one) is that Neanderthals, like any other animal, possessed a soul (mind, will, emotion) but lacked a spirit (the part of us that communicates with God).

Mind, will & emotion comes from the brain. So is a soul just another name for the brain?

[Bduffman]

Originally Posted by kelly1

I'd agree with that. The neanderthal's soul would have been mortal, unlike ours.

Is there any scripture to support that?

[kelly1]

Originally Posted by Bduffman

Mind, will & emotion comes from the brain. So is a soul just another name for the brain?

Mind is too broad a term I think but I would say intellect and will come from the soul/spirit.

Brain <> Soul. Soul is the life "principle" in all living things and in man it's spiritual.

Originally Posted by Bduffman

Is there any scripture to support that?

Not that I know of. I'm assuming that Adam & Eve were the first homo sapiens who were given spiritual souls by God.

[Bduffman]

Originally Posted by kelly1

Mind is too broad a term I think but I would say intellect and will come from the soul/spirit.

Brain <> Soul. Soul is the life "principle" in all living things and in man it's spiritual.

Pretty sure all those things come from the organ we know as the brain. Admittedly, there are many things we don't know about the brain yet, but I suppose thats why we use terms like 'soul'. Its something that has always been done for things we don't fully understand.

Originally Posted by kelly1

Not that I know of. I'm assuming that Adam & Eve were the first homo sapiens who were given spiritual souls by God.

Hmmm. Why didn't god mention them? Do you think the people who wrote the bible didn't know anything about neanderthals? Does that mean that god chose not to mention them? Even though he obviously knew that humans would become aware of them later (through scientific research & study), it would have been a very persuasive argument in support of the idea that the writers of the bible were truly inspired.
I suppose I am also to assume that while adam & eve were living it up in the garden of eden, the neanderthals were slumming it outside? And I suppose that any possible cross-breeding between homo-sapiens & neanderthals created some sort of beings with half-souls?

[PDN]

Originally Posted by Bduffman

Mind, will & emotion comes from the brain. So is a soul just another name for the brain?

More the mind than the brain. The brain is simply a hunk of meat. The mind, however, would be the sum of our thoughts, feelings and emotions.

The Greek word for soul psyche gives us a good clue to its meaning. Think of our English words that contain 'pysch' - they tend to be to do with the mind: psychology, psychiatry, psychadelic etc.

The spirit (Hebrew ruach or Greek pneuma) is the part of us that was created to share communion with God. Man was not really human until God breathed the spirit into him.

I would be open to Noel's idea that Adam and Eve were simply the first two people into whom spirits were breathed. This could make them contemporary with Neanderthals, or maybe long after Neanderthals had died out - we simply don't know and it would be pure speculation.

Hoping for an afterlife, BTW, would not, for me, be any evidence or indication of possessing a spirit - no more than having mating rituals or cleaning one's plumage.

[Bduffman]

Originally Posted by PDN

More the mind than the brain. The brain is simply a hunk of meat. The mind, however, would be the sum of our thoughts, feelings and emotions.

The Greek word for soul psyche gives us a good clue to its meaning. Think of our English words that contain 'pysch' - they tend to be to do with the mind: psychology, psychiatry, psychadelic etc.

The spirit (Hebrew ruach or Greek pneuma) is the part of us that was created to share communion with God. Man was not really human until God breathed the spirit into him.

I would be open to Noel's idea that Adam and Eve were simply the first two people into whom spirits were breathed. This could make them contemporary with Neanderthals, or maybe long after Neanderthals had died out - we simply don't know and it would be pure speculation.

Hoping for an afterlife, BTW, would not, for me, be any evidence or indication of possessing a spirit - no more than having mating rituals or cleaning one's plumage.

The heart is also just a chunk of meat but it performs a function that keeps us alive - ditto the lungs etc. Not a huge stretch of imagination to believe that another chunk of meat gives us our thoughts, psyche, thoughts, feelings emotions - and therefore our desire for an afterlife. But again, we don't know for sure - therefore people tend to invent a mystical name for the things we haven't discovered yet.
And it is more than 'speculation' that neanderthals lived at the same time as humans. And if so it is not a stretch to suggest that they could have cross bred. If so, did god suck the 'spirit' out of their offspring?

[Húrin]

Originally Posted by Bduffman

I suppose I am also to assume that while adam & eve were living it up in the garden of eden, the neanderthals were slumming it outside?

Why do you assume that people are trying to make you believe things?

[Fanny Cradock]

Originally Posted by Húrin

Why do you assume that people are trying to make you believe things?

Good point.

[Bduffman]

Originally Posted by Húrin

Why do you assume that people are trying to make you believe things?

Ok I'll rephrase it. You expect some people to assume these things. Obviously I'm not one of those people - I'm gutted.

Talk about avoiding the point.