# Would you sell your Soul? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [January 15, 2016, 4:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-sell-your-soul/743192 "2016-01-15T04:06:04Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Mtgman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b5a626/32.png) [@Mtgman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mtgman)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2016, 3:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-sell-your-soul/743192/41 "2016-01-15T15:41:48Z")
> [@Ignotus](#): > > No. > As I don’t believe I have a soul, I can’t give it up for money. That would be acting in bad faith. Basically this. > [@Trinopus](#): > > I don’t believe I have one, so, if the devil is real, he’ll win my soul because of my irreligion. If he exists, and is stupid enough to reveal himself to me, I’ll develop faith really quickly, revile him, and he loses out! With a side of this. > [@clairobscur](#): > > I remember an experiment made long ago by some French magazine. Some guy acting serious and looking professional asked random people to buy their soul (and presented them with a contract to sign if they agreed). When he was offering a trivial amount of money (like, say, 10 French francs), he would find many takers. But as soon as he began to offer serious money (say, 50 000 FF), nobody was willing to take on the offer (presumably, people were taking it as a joke if a paltry sum was offered, but were beginning to wonder if the payment was significant). I’m sure **clairobscur** is well aware, but for the casual reader 50k French Francs would be somewhere in the neighborhood of ~$8,500 with modern exchange rates. May have been more like ~$10k depending on when the experiment was conducted. And this is pretty much what I was thinking. As a general rule people don’t part with enormous sums of money without being certain they’re getting something of value. Unless they’re a fool, and since fools and their money are soon parted, the odds of someone being a fool and being able to amass a huge sum of money to offer for my soul are low. So the higher the price being offered the more I have to doubt the information I have on the value of a soul is accurate. Or the more I have to doubt the good faith of the buyer. They could be trying to launder dirty money, or intending to have me take the money home and mix it with my money and then have someone rob me. My “it’s too good to be true” radar goes off and rather than peel back the layers of the onion to find out why there is this massive mismatch between our value systems I’m just going to walk away. The buyer is either crazy or crazy like a fox, and I’m not interested in doing business with someone who fits in either of those categories. Enjoy, Steven ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2016, 3:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-sell-your-soul/743192/42 "2016-01-15T15:59:53Z")
_Who is making the offer?_ If it is the Christian god, then hell, no-his track record on keeping promises is crap as far as I’m concerned. If it is Satan, then I’ll take the trillion dollars. I figure I could outsmart anyone that would be dumb enough to blow a trillion dollars on _my_ soul, when he could have used the money to influence high ranking church officials into discrediting their religion in irrrepairable way. ---
**Author:** ![Crazy\_Canuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crazy_canuck/32/5282_2.png) [@Crazy\_Canuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crazy_Canuck)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2016, 4:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-sell-your-soul/743192/43 "2016-01-15T16:50:06Z")
Yup, I’d sell out for a million or more. Then, with the knowledge that whatever supernatural force that bought my soul is real, (I’m assuming the Christian devil here) I’d use that money to corrupt as many souls as I could to earn brownie points for the afterlife. I’m a “it’s a better to rule in hell than serve in heaven” sorta guy. > [@CCitizen](#): > > Anyone who takes heroin just one time is really in such situation. I know this is off-topic, but that’s just wrong. I’ve known enough drug users to say that no drug is 100% addictive to 100% of the people on the first hit. I’ve personally seen someone try heroin, decide it wasn’t for her, and walk away. For the record, it’s still a dumb idea to dabble with heroin, just in case anyone things I’m endorsing it. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2016, 4:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-sell-your-soul/743192/44 "2016-01-15T16:56:34Z")
> [@CCitizen](#): > > If you do not believe in eternal punishment, why would you act in good faith? Is that the only reason you _do_? ---
**Author:** ![Kent\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kent_clark/32/105_2.png) [@Kent\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kent_Clark)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2016, 5:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-sell-your-soul/743192/45 "2016-01-15T17:06:17Z")
> [@Ignotus](#): > > Virtue is its own reward. > [@CCitizen](#): > > How so? It makes it easier to keep your story straight. ---
**Author:** ![Velocity](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/velocity/32/18006_2.png) [@Velocity](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Velocity)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2016, 5:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-sell-your-soul/743192/46 "2016-01-15T17:09:50Z")
How does any sum of money that lasts you only a short life on Earth, i.e., 85 years, make, say, 1,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000 years of suffering worth it, which isn’t even eternity? ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2016, 5:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-sell-your-soul/743192/47 "2016-01-15T17:22:56Z")
> [@Velocity](#): > > How does any sum of money that lasts you only a short life on Earth, i.e., 85 years, make, say, 1,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000 years of suffering worth it, which isn’t even eternity? What are your chances of picking the right god among thousands(if you get a chance to even hear about her/him/it at all), picking the rules interpreted by the right denomination, being able to follow said rules to that particular deity’s satisfaction and avoiding eternal damnation in the first place? ---
**Author:** ![burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/burpo_the_wonder_mutt/32/365_2.png) [@burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/burpo_the_wonder_mutt)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2016, 5:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-sell-your-soul/743192/48 "2016-01-15T17:37:11Z")
Come on Milhouse, there’s no such thing as a soul. It’s just something they make up to scare kids, like the Boogeyman or Michael Jackson. ---
**Author:** ![scootergirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e99b99/32.png) [@scootergirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scootergirl)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2016, 5:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-sell-your-soul/743192/49 "2016-01-15T17:43:51Z")
What soul? Oh, I’ll play along. Yes, I would sell it! For only 3 payments of $19.99 YOU will receive a fresh and unique soul! But WAIT! If you order NOW, I will throw in my soulmates’ soul too! All major credit cards accepted! Except in: AK, IA & MD Don’t delay. You must order now!! ---
**Author:** ![Kimballkid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/b5a626/32.png) [@Kimballkid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kimballkid)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2016, 5:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-sell-your-soul/743192/50 "2016-01-15T17:48:22Z")
[‘Well, I wasn’t usin’ it.’](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fgcWfVvT_UM) 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![CCitizen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/4af34b/32.png) [@CCitizen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CCitizen)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2016, 5:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-sell-your-soul/743192/51 "2016-01-15T17:49:53Z")
> [@Trinopus](#): > > I don’t believe I have one, so, if the devil is real, he’ll win my soul because of my irreligion. If he exists, and is stupid enough to reveal himself to me, I’ll develop faith really quickly, revile him, and he loses out! Even though Judaism and Christianity and Islam have different concepts of Satan, he is an important angel much smarter then any human. ---
**Author:** ![CCitizen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/4af34b/32.png) [@CCitizen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CCitizen)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2016, 5:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-sell-your-soul/743192/52 "2016-01-15T17:54:48Z")
> [@Nava](#): > > Quite a few Spanish legends along those lines; usually what’s used to pay for the soul is some public works. Two that come to mind are the Acqueduct in Segovia (the soul belongs to a servant who is tired of having a very long walk for water) and several involving bridges (one from the province of Girona involves a mother whose child is sick; she needs the bridge to be able to take him to a healer). Talmudic stories and real life stories have an opposite plot – a person sells his/her soul hoping to get a lot of benefits and get his/her soul back. But they get very little benefit and lose their soul. That happens almost every time someone decides to try heroin just once. ---
**Author:** ![CCitizen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/4af34b/32.png) [@CCitizen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CCitizen)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2016, 5:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-sell-your-soul/743192/53 "2016-01-15T17:57:52Z")
> [@Quartz](#): > > It’s [Zimbabwe dollars](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zimbabwean_dollar), not US dollars. 🙂 The buyer thinks these are US dollars and he/she will get out of the deal. In reality these are indeed Zimbabwe dollars and the deal is final. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2016, 5:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-sell-your-soul/743192/54 "2016-01-15T17:58:45Z")
> [@CCitizen](#): > > Even though Judaism and Christianity and Islam have different concepts of Satan, he is an important angel much smarter then any human. Proving that he exists, therefore hell exists and, by extension, there’s a good chance Heaven exists is smart? ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2016, 6:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-sell-your-soul/743192/55 "2016-01-15T18:03:31Z")
> [@CCitizen](#): > > That happens almost every time someone decides to try heroin just once. Where did you get this idea? ---
**Author:** ![raventhief](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/raventhief/32/4_2.png) [@raventhief](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/raventhief)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2016, 6:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-sell-your-soul/743192/56 "2016-01-15T18:52:51Z")
> [@CCitizen](#): > > If you do not believe in eternal punishment, why would you act in good faith? Wait - I thought Jewish people didn’t believe in eternal punishment? Looking into it now, I see that someone wrote that “two Jews, three opinions,” but the few articles I have just now read refer to a temporary place of…spiritual cleansing, I guess ([one article called Gehinnom “the Supernal Washing Machine.”](http://www.chabad.org/library/article_cdo/aid/1594422/jewish/Do-Jews-Believe-in-Hell.htm)) [I realize that this is an area in which i am ignorant, so please - fight my ignorance!] So do YOU only act in good faith out of fear of eternal punishment? ---
**Author:** ![Anaamika](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Anaamika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anaamika)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2016, 7:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-sell-your-soul/743192/57 "2016-01-15T19:01:18Z")
> [@Velocity](#): > > How does any sum of money that lasts you only a short life on Earth, i.e., 85 years, make, say, 1,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000 years of suffering worth it, which isn’t even eternity? I think, personally, there’s a big fucking problem with any God who makes his own children, in his image, and then decides that he is never going to give us any solid proof of his existence, and then decides he is going to subject some of those people to eternal torment! The worst part of this is we don’t even really have a concept of eternity but he does. We apparently signed a contract that we don’t even remember signing, to terms we don’t understand and can’t comprehend, with only a “maybe” as far as benefits go. Anyway, I am, if any religion, Hindu. I don’t believe in the Christian God and I don’t believe that any loving God would subject any of his or her subjects to eternal torment. And if your God is the one that would, then I’m not trusting him anyway - such a capricious whimsical entity is probably going to find some other reason to whisk me off to Hell. So. The only other thing I will add to my post is I’d try to hold out for 10 million dollars or more. But $10K is a good start. ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2016, 7:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-sell-your-soul/743192/58 "2016-01-15T19:14:58Z")
Sorta similar past threads: > **[Would you sell your soul to someone claiming to be the devil?](https://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=684832)** > > It’s a lovely day. Imagine that you’re approached by a gentleman who, so far as you can tell, looks normal. He’s well-dressed and well-groomed. He’s articulate, cultured, conversational, and eager to laugh, though underneath he strikes you as a... > **[Can you sell your soul?](https://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=657664)** > > I saw this article today on fark.com and it started me thinking: has any religious denomination specifically addressed whether you can buy/sell/trade/loan/mortgage a soul? Or how your afterlife might play out should you acquire (or lose) one or more?... > **[How much would you pay for a human soul? (market research)](https://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=479404)** > > I’m meeting with the SBA officer at my bank next month to present a business plan for my Soul Monger venture. Without getting into too much detail, my plan is to act as a sort of middleman between Heaven and Hell. There is an abundant supply of souls... [What is your soul worth???????? - In My Humble Opinion - Straight Dope Message Board](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=197244) (most similar) [Selling one's soul - how? - In My Humble Opinion - Straight Dope Message Board](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=191520) Note that some of these are pretty old and probably ought not be awakened. I’m pretty sure zombies are soulless creatures. ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2016, 7:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-sell-your-soul/743192/59 "2016-01-15T19:18:27Z")
My take: Souls are as fictional as Bugs Bunny. I’ll sell mine anytime to anyone for any small payment. Even a free beer. And do it again a few minutes later with no qualms whatsoever. Obviously I’d like most for a bidding war between a couple billionaires to break out. Auction it off to the highest bidder I will. It is embarrassing to me that we still have adherents to this silliness in the 21st Century. ---
**Author:** ![Inigo\_Montoya](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/inigo_montoya/32/124_2.png) [@Inigo\_Montoya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Inigo_Montoya)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2016, 8:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-sell-your-soul/743192/60 "2016-01-15T20:16:26Z")
> [@stui\_magpie](#): > > I’m going to say never. I’m not religious and don’t believe in heaven or hell but I do have a tad of wariness about the supernatural. If someone wants to trade me favours, and they’re able to deliver on that, in exchange for my soul, then my logic says if they’re able to deliver on the favours they may just be able to take my soul. In one’s existence before and after our sojourn in this physical world, we exist entirely as soul. Soul, of course, is but an independently conscious parcel of God’s own mind–or more simply, a bit of God. As a function of free will, allegiance of a part generally defaults to the whole whence it originated. However, this is not always a given and on occasion parcels have been known to fall away from God and either drift unfettered though the universe and even coalesce with other fragments, forming another entity entirely. The new entity is fully aware of God, and vice versa, but feels no allegiance to Him. For reasons unimportant to this post, parcels of soul become attached to entities in this physical world. In doing so, they become hyper focused on the stimuli available to them here. The physical world being limited, only a small number of senses remain active while the others atrophy or fall asleep. The result is commonly referred to as a ‘veil’ and manifests itself in the soul forgetting, almost completely, life outside of this realm. So inhibited, these parcels are vulnerable to suggestion and alteration of allegiance which would normally not affect them. Amalgamations of detached parcels can ‘call through the walls’ of the physical realm and communicate with the souls preoccupied with this world, and can even exert some physical influence over matter, and make suggestions to other souls as necessary to effect a change in the disposition of a target. In this manner, a soul is persuaded to voluntarily change allegiance to the predatory entity. Only when the soul disengages from the physical world does it fully realize what has happened. The process can be reversed, of course, but that mechanism isn’t really germane to the thread. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-sell-your-soul/743192.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-sell-your-soul/743192.md?page=4)