# Christianity, Human evolution, and the concpet of the Soul **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [June 12, 2003, 5:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/christianity-human-evolution-and-the-concpet-of-the-soul/181285 "2003-06-12T05:36:27Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 3\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Apos](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/838e76/32.png) [@Apos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Apos)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2003, 7:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/christianity-human-evolution-and-the-concpet-of-the-soul/181285/21 "2003-06-13T19:49:14Z")
> [@](#): > > but to me, it isn’t all that different to the question “When does an individual become a human being?” Similar, but thankfully a whole lot less of a pressing issue. I know that in Catholic doctrine, the idea that human beings, even they evolved, must have been ensouled is basically no stricter than “at some point before the rise of language and civilization.” Basically, it doesn’t matter exactly when (like it does in the abortion debate) because it’s already thought to have happened no matter what, so we need never deal with it as a real problem we face today (since everyone supposedly already has souls now.) > [@](#): > > Jesus made it possible to “save the program when the computer crashes” – when you say “save a soul” you’re not just playing metaphor but talking literal truth – what would have been eradicated totally gets preserved for future use. Michael Shermer raises some interesting questions about this, pointing out as he does that no particular instance of you is really “you” nor is a sort of conglomeration of all the yous that have ever existed. Right now, at this very moment, the “me’s” of several years ago are gone, and even if my death now continues on in an afterlife, that does nothing to change the fact. What if I was a really nice guy when I was younger, but then I contracted a mental illness and became a raving ass? Which “me” would survive into the afterlife? Both are “me” in a real sense, yet neither are complete. If I just continue on, then the younger me is just as dead forever as the older me would be if there was no afterlife. ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2003, 10:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/christianity-human-evolution-and-the-concpet-of-the-soul/181285/22 "2003-06-13T22:42:04Z")
> [@](#): > > Apos wrote: > Basically, it doesn’t matter exactly when (like it does in the abortion debate) because it’s already thought to have happened no matter what, so we need never deal with it as a real problem we face today (since everyone supposedly already has souls now.) There is an effort by some geneticists to [resurrect extinct species thru cloning.](http://www.cnn.com/2002/WORLD/asiapcf/auspac/05/28/aust.thylacines/%5B/url) Some examples are the Thylacine (Tasmanian Tiger) and the Mammoth. Suppose that technique is perfected (and I believe it is very reasonable to assume that it will be in this century) and we were able to resurect a Neanderthal. Would Joe Neanderthal have a soul to be “saved”? Now apply that technique to a _Homo erectus_. Would Joe Erectus have a sould that could be “saved”. ---
**Author:** ![Polycarp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/82dd89/32.png) [@Polycarp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Polycarp)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2003, 12:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/christianity-human-evolution-and-the-concpet-of-the-soul/181285/23 "2003-06-14T00:58:50Z")
The hamsters ate my explanation: **Czarcasm** is, of course, a Mod. and longtime poster here who AFAIK exemplifies the school of thought that says that with bodily death comes the cessation of individual existence, completely. Hence I used him to epitomize that point of view. As for the Neanderthals, I have no idea what God has in mind for them, but in a universe of ideal karma, their post-mortem task would be to teach the truth about existence to Johnny Hart! 🙂 [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/christianity-human-evolution-and-the-concpet-of-the-soul/181285.md?page=1)