The SOUL of it all

A few weeks back I was up before church and watching the Chris Matthews Sunday show. It was interesting because they were discussing the debacle of the adulterous affair of Elliot Spitzer, the then Governor of NY...the place of my birth.

During the discussion Chris threw the 'hot potatoe' to Rick Stengel from Time Magazine. Rick responded with the discovery of some biochemist that the same reaction that takes place in men who 'charge up the hill' is the same internal reaction that makes men do these things. And then things got really interesting. In any case here's the link for the transcript:

http://www.thechrismatthewsshow.com/html/transcript/index.php

Last night on ABC Barbara Walters had a special on concerning living until we are 15o years old. One of the spots concerned cryogenic freezing of humans or at least their heads slightly before or immediately after they die. The hope is that in 25, 50, 100 years the 'cure' for whatever they died from will be found and then they will be thawed and brought back to life.

The intersting thing to me is how both spots reduce human life and action to a matter of matter. It's just the chemicals that make men heroes or scoundrels. So then why the outrage at Elliot Spitzer? Why the morality of it all? Because a grown man should know better...is that it? Why, if it's just the chemicals? Of course I suppose he could have, by a sheer force of will rejected the chemical urge and used his brain matter to avoid the affair. I suppose men in battle reject the urge to charge up the hill...but then why court marshal them for disobeying orders? They are simply following the chemicals.

And this business of freezing oneself post mortem. If we are animated matter that can be resucitated at any time then why do people die at all? Where's Dr. Frankenstein when you need him? These people who shuffle out $75,000 per freeze are being taken for a ride.

The point: we are humans created in the image of God and given a soul by Him. We could discuss when that occurs but that is besides the point...maybe some day. But it is the soul that makes us more than animals who charge up hills or have illicit affairs. That is where morality comes from. We know right and wrong not because it is hardwired into the matter of our brains but because it is placed in our hearts by God through His law. When a person rejects God's law and does whatever is right in their own eyes it isn't a matter of chemicals it is a matter of the soul.

When a person dies their bodies become inanimate matter but their soul continues it's existence. How do the people who are doing the freezing plan to put the soul back into the thawed body? That's what I'd really like to have seen Barbara ask.