I agree that religion and psychotherapy have the same effect, of helping people to better cope with life.

As far as natural explanations go, that depends on how you define the supernatural. I prefer to define it on the basis if a Bose-Einstein condensate to keep it consistent with scientific terminology.

How would you define the word, "supernatural". If we first establish the word then we can discuss it. If you list of simplistic effects posted above is your definition, then the supernatural does not exist, and we can go on to discuss the natural soul, etc.

BTW the notion of soul as distinct from body was promoted into our present day thinking mainly by Descarte. Before then the soul was not so distinct from the body, and that is where the concept of resurrection of the body came from. People expected some kind of afterlife, probably because they communicated with others who seemed to possess an afterlife, but could only imagine that the body had to come back to life.

So scientists and philosophers have had a continiuing influence on religious thinking, and that is exactly what's happening in this forum.

• How about: supernatural = unobservable. - alexander - April 4, 2001 - 20:49 UTC
• What soul? - johnpowell - April 4, 2001 - 23:12 UTC
  • It is true - yanniru - April 5, 2001 - 12:24 UTC
    • What is supernatural? - johnpowell - April 5, 2001 - 22:24 UTC