Message #3281

[Martin]

Not necessarily Martin. That is why people  use the term 'in my opinion' (or 'oinion' even   ) so that it is clear it is their opinion and not necessarily an absolute statement of fact.

People sometimes use the words 'in my opinion', when they are expressing something which should be understood to be their opinion, but it is very common for people to express an opinion, expecting it to be understood as such.  Since you contested it, I have been at pains to point out that this small aside was my opinion, but it seems that the lengths I've gone to have done little to stop your point scoring.  I can only assume that you're choosing that to try to point score on because you actually can't point score on the substance of the argument!

The lack of awareness of a presence  of a soul perhaps in that instance, rather than outright non existence.

As I keep saying, there is no good evidence for the existence of the soul or for zombies.  No more evidence than for the existence of hippogryphs.  The evidence that hallucinogenic substances and poisons are used to fool people into believing in the existence of zombies, isn't evidence of their existence - it shows that those who claim they do exist need to fake their existence to perpetuate the myth.

If someone uses a word like 'soulless' to describe a state of detachment induced by drugs, this has no bearing whatsoever on the existence of a soul (a part of us that remains in some way conscious after the death and complete destruction of the body).  All the use of the word 'soulless' shows is that the concept of a soul exists in human culture.  It can give no evidence as to the truth behind such a concept.  Another example might be the use of the term 'elven featured' which might be used to describe someone's face - it doesn't mean that elves actually exist, it just means that there is a commonly held understanding of what a fictional character, an elf, would look like.

Surely all this is bleedin' obvious?