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A Question To The Theologically Inclined...
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Nashuar Attor
Rat Kings Crew
#21 - 2012-09-27 05:46:46 UTC
The question as to whether or not the Jovians have soul at all depends entirely on whether they even have a religion via which the definition of a soul can be given to them. The understanding of what a soul is and how it might funtion differs enough between the races as it stands. My own belief in a soul, which is based on my traditional tribal upbringing, will vary greatly when compared to say, an Amarrian preist.
The question should also be posed; Have the generations of selective breeding and genetic tampering led them to forgetting, even loosing the most basic, most primal, most personal thing which makes us typically human.
Between all the races, be you a barefooted tribalist fishing the reefs of Matar, an Amarrian fundamentalist, even an agnostic Caldari CEO (they all pray at the end) is the basic belief in a soul. It is the one thing we all truely have in common.
The answer lies entirely with the Jovians, and whether or not they have bred the ability to have a soul out of them selves.

Would they even understand the question?

You'll have to speak up, I'm wearing a towel.
Telegram Sam
Sebiestor Tribe
Minmatar Republic
#22 - 2012-09-27 17:56:44 UTC
In interesting question. I believe there are degrees of souls. Anything with a lifeforce has one, but its degree of magnitude depends on the creature's level of consciousness. A reptile's consciousness is smaller than a human's, and it's soul is therefore proportionally "smaller." It is a soul, but a soul that has little capacity to advance itself. It has few opportunitities to make meaningful choices, to do good or evil, to gain greater awareness, or to seek to perfect itself. It can only do what its species's instincts guide it to do-- probably. But do we know whether or not a reptile wonders a bit about the nature of the world, as it basks and observes the changes throughout the day?

Be that as it may, I believe that Jovians do have souls, because they are living beings. But their souls have been artificially altered, the way that their bodies have been altered. Their souls have a different set of tools than humans for approaching the question of existence. But they are souls nonetheless.

Note: Though I am Minmatar, the above is not necessarily a Matari belief or doctrine. It was arrived at from reading a wide variety of sources, irrespective of their particular racial origin.
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