The previous post by Doug Simpson revolved around the topic of reincarnation of immortal souls and the recorded statements of US psychic Edgar Cayce. In the interest of balance, Writers Get Together presents this republication of a statement about souls from bestselling writer Tom Robbins from the FreeThought of the Day, courtesy of the Freedom From Religion Foundation.
On soul
Soul is not even that Crackerjack prize that God and Satan scuffle over after the worms have all licked our bones. That's why, when we ponder—as sooner or later each of must—exactly what we ought to be doing about our soul, religion is the wrong, if conventional, place to turn. Religion is little more than a transaction in which troubled people trade their souls for temporary and wholly illusionary psychological comfort—the old give-it-up-in-order-to-save-it routine. Religions lead us to believe that the soul is the ultimate family jewel and that in return for our mindless obedience, they can secure it for us in their vaults, or at least insure it against fire and theft. They are mistaken.
Tom Robbins was born in North Carolina in 1936. He attended several colleges, then became a copy editor, working for the Richmond Times-Dispatch, Seattle Times and Seattle Post-Intelligencer. His fiction books include: Another Roadside Attraction (1978), Even Cowgirls Get the Blues (1980), Jitterbug Perfume (1984), Skinny Legs and All (1990), Half Asleep in Frog Pajamas (1994), Fierce Invalids Home from Hot Climates (2001) and Villa Incognito (2004). The Seattle author is private about his personal and convictions.
© Freedom From Religion Foundation. All rights reserved.
Scott, thank you for doing an outstanding job in my absence! ...and keeping the balance! Greetings from Berlin! Siggy
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