A recent article about Christopher Hitchens quotes him saying: “I don’t have a body, I am a body.” This is a proposition that all atheists would affirm, but how rational is it?
Alvin Plantigna argues for dualism – that the mind and body are separate entities. The argument goes along these lines:
I can imagine a possible scenario where my mind exists separate from my body. I can even imagine that it is possible that my mind continues to exist if my body is destroyed.
I cannot imagine the possibility of my body existing separately from itself; if my body is destroyed, it is gone and I cannot imagine the possibility of it continuing to exist.
Therefore, my mind cannot identical to my body because I can imagine something is possible for it that I cannot imagine is possible for my body.
You can see Alvin Plantigna discussing the argument below and for a formal presentation of it go here.
Several things come to mind:
1 – “You don’t have a soul. You are a soul. You have a body.” ― C.S. Lewis
2 – “Glory to God, whose power working in us can do infinitely more than we can ask OR IMAGINE…” Ephesians 3.20
3 – “it is sown a natural body, it is raised a spiritual body..”
We belong to a body, and the body belongs to us, but this natural, mortal, corruptible, etc body will be raised (replaced) with a new spiritual, immortal, incorruptible, etc. body. Now that’s Good News!! Death, the separation of the mind and soul from the body, is not God’s first intent for us. It is the result of the Fall. At death we enter a not-God-intended state of separation, waiting, waiting, waiting until Christ returns, “Who shall change our mortal body, that it may be like His glorious body, according to the mighty working, whereby He is able to subdue all things unto himself.” Like St Paul said, “more than we can imagine!!!”
Well said, Brian; absolutely right! (Oh, by the way: where (if anywhere) is “I” (or, what is “I”) while we’re waiting, waiting, waiting, for Christ to return (I’ve often pondered that)?)
Hi John: These are mysteries not fully expressed in the Scriptures. Much is left to speculation, and Holy Tradition There is an interesting thread at The Conciliar Anglican regarding the departed saints. The comments are of interest to. http://conciliaranglican.com/2012/09/05/either-the-saints-are-alive-or-jesus-is-dead/