• Biblical Families is not a dating website. It is a forum to discuss issues relating to marriage and the Bible, and to offer guidance and support, not to find a wife. Click here for more information.

Can I have a soulmate other than Jesus Christ?

Paul not the apostle

Paul not the apostle

Member
Real Person
During our Sunday School class on Genesis, much emphasis has been placed on mono marriage and how your spouse is your soulmate. I think the veiled suggestion is that if you have 2 wives in a marriage that none of the three parties will have a soulmate, and will therefore be lesser marriage or lacking full or complete love.

Is saying that a person (human) is your soulmate in reflection to our relationship with Jesus Christ, God the Father and the Holy Spirit some type of blasphemy, or some type of offense toward God?
 
I think that we use the term soulmate to mean that the person we are in love with completes us and fulfills us. I think that when you actually lose your monogamistic feelings you can see that a family can complete each other, but only as long as God is included in the marriage. He is the glue that holds us all together. I have found that just as much as my hubby completes me, the existence of my sister completes me on a different level. In fact, now that we have been together awhile, I really don't know if it would be the same without her.

But I want to interject some thoughts I have had along the way during our journey...

1. When you have an argument you should pray. Pray for each other. Pray for God to intervene. Pray that God heal the wounds that have been opened. Pray that God protect you all from the enemy, because that is who started the argument.

2. During the times of calm and serenity in your marriage, do not sit back and enjoy it. (Okay you can a little bit) but use this time to study and grow. These are the times that we can prepare ourselves and strengthen ourselves for future battles.

3. Try always to be kind to your mate(and your sister). It is hard to do, but Jesus was kind to Peter even though he knew that Peter would deny him. He was kind to Judas even though he knew that Judas would betray him. He was kind to everyone who was ever unkind to Him. How much more important is it for us to stay kind to the people that we love.

Just a few thoughts.

SweetLissa
 
that was great, lissa but i get hung up on this question;

how does the teacher define soulmate?
i personaly never use the term because it seems to me to imply exclusivity (the only one in the universe that could be a match for you)
also i really am not sure that it fits in with the bible concept of marriage. it seems to be based more on the romance model that western civilization is so delerious about
lets get back to the concept of the PROCESS of becoming one (no, we did not become one when the preacher pronounced it. it is a process that begins with intercourse)
 
I think that for our purposes soulmates are people we chose to join with. We choose to love them. Like we have teammates and schoolmates. Our soulmates are spiritual teammates who we have joined with to folloe Christ and obey God. We are each responsible for the condition of our own souls but when we join together we make it easier and more enjoyable.
 
Would "kindred spirits" be a better term?

And even if we were to use the term "soul mates", must we allow for it to imply exclusivity? Or can we claim that it implies depth of bonding? And if the latter, why must it be exclusive.

Some years ago I watched a rain drop slowly begin to move down a windowpane. One. Singular.'

It soon encountered another independant raindrop, and the two merged into one. Singular. Try as I might, I could not discern where one ended and the other began. Guess they were soul mates.

ZBut a funny thing happened. The new, enlarged raindrop-on-the-low-pane ('twasn't quite a half-shell) kept moving, and soon encountered a third independant raindrop. Then a fourth, then ... And each time, while enlarged, there was finally only one raindrop. One. Singular. No dividing lines in sight.

Seemed significant, ya know?
 
Soulmate is like some kind of Hindu or new agey term. Really I think if someone looks it up (I am iron deficient and need to get in my bed here soon!) they will find that the original meaning is from a dubious source. Originaly this was used by westerners who are crunchy crystal people, you know? Someone help me here...I think lots of churches today put this kind of stuff in their doctrines...look at this purpose driven life guy. They have just really assimilated all kinda pagan stuff. Am I being a fuddy duddy?
 
I am sorry. If I implied that I meant exclusivity in this post, I never meant it. I believe Hubby and T are both soul mates and some people on this board who I have heart ties with are my soul mates. Kindrid spirits works for me too. For me it just expresses a bonding that is deeper and more intimate than a normal friendship. I have not done a word study and I do not know what the original words mean. If they mean something offensive, I won't use them anymore. I never really have used them much anyway. I just think that too much emphasis is put on finding a "soulmate" to spend your life with. The reality is that you can find that bond with anyone if you have a good attitude and you are working on building the relationship. And every relationship we have has the potential of being this deep and intimate.

I have felt the "kindred spirit" thing a few times. To me that is when you connect with someone instantly.

SweetLissa
 
i agree, itso
not sure where it comes from but it implies that there is a "certain someone" out there that if not found your life will be incomplete without.
ok, so here is wikpedia. not always perfect, but a place to start from

Soulmate
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

For the song by Natasha Bedingfield, see Soulmate (song)

Soulmate is a term sometimes used to designate someone with whom one has a feeling of deep and natural affinity, love, intimacy, sexuality, spirituality, and/or compatibility. A related concept is that of the twin flame or twin soul – which is thought to be the ultimate soulmate, the one and only other half of one's soul, for which all souls are driven to find and join. However, not everyone who uses these terms intends them to carry such mystical connotations.


[edit] Theories
One theory of soulmates, presented by Aristophanes in Plato's Symposium, is that humans originally consisted of four arms, four legs, and a single head made of two faces, but Zeus feared their power and split them all in half, condemning them to spend their lives searching for the other half to complete them:

[Primeval man] could walk upright as men now do, backwards or forwards as he pleased, and he could also roll over and over at a great pace, turning on his four hands and four feet, eight in all, like tumblers going over and over with their legs in the air; this was when he wanted to run fast …Terrible was their might and strength, and the thoughts of their hearts were great, and they made an attack upon the gods ... Doubt reigned in the celestial councils. Should they kill them and annihilate the race with thunderbolts, as they had done the giants, then there would be an end of the sacrifices and worship which men offered to them; but, on the other hand, the gods could not suffer their insolence to be unrestrained. At last, after a good deal of reflection, Zeus discovered a way. He said: 'Methinks I have a plan which will humble their pride and improve their manners; men shall continue to exist, but I will cut them in two and then they will be diminished in strength and increased in numbers; this will have the advantage of making them more profitable to us. They shall walk upright on two legs, and if they continue insolent and will not be quiet, I will split them again and they shall hop about on a single leg.'

—Aristophanes, Plato’s Symposium, [1]

The feet of Saint Guénolé (Winwaloe, Guignolé) statue, in a Prigny (Loire-Atlantique) chapel, are pierced with needles by local girls who hope to find their soulmates.Some people believe that souls are literally made and/or fated to be the mates of each other, or to play certain other important roles in each other's lives.

According to theories popularized by Theosophy and in a modified form by Edgar Cayce, God created androgynous souls, equally male and female. Later theories postulate that the souls split into separate genders, perhaps because they incurred karma while playing around on the Earth, or "separation from God". Over countless reincarnations, each half seeks the other. When all karmic debt is purged, the two will fuse back together and return to the ultimate.[2][3][4]
Click to expand...

in YHVH's kingdom we become one with each other and grow in that oneness.
in the kingdom of the enemy they are victims of whether or not they find that "one".

cec, i love ya, but quit being so "squishy". words mean things and if we redefine the enemy's words to fit our concepts we will wind up no different than the mormons using the same words but meaning different things.
 
Kindred spirit
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

This article is about the concept of a feeling of humanity. For the television show, see A Kindred Spirit.

Kindred spirit is a term for someone who shares similar thoughts, feelings, someone who is close in temperament and nature to yourself, to whom you have a rare spiritual link that is very special and you can't quite explain.


[edit] See also
Soulmate
Click to expand...
oh, dear. it was doing so good right up until that see also soulmate thang.

kindred spiritDefinition from Wiktionary,

[edit] English
[edit] NounSingular
kindred spirit
Plural
kindred spirits


kindred spirit (plural kindred spirits)

(idiomatic) Someone with the same feelings or attitudes as oneself.
She found in her neighbor a good friend, gardening companion and kindred spirit.
Click to expand...
it works, but i am much more comfortable with the concept that Yeshua spoke of in jhn 17 about all of us becoming one. i feel that the concept of being one with each other promotes more of a feeling of community than the kindred spirits concept does.
 
Squishy? ME? ROFL.

I thougt that the redefinition was being done by those who (no insult intended, SweetLissa, I've heard the idea elsewhere) were trying to tack exclusivity onto it, along with the romantic idea of incompleteness until you found the one and only. Thought I was defending against their redefinition, much like I defend against the use of the word marriage to define whatever some folks ... do.

SQUISHY!!! *chuckle*

Sir BumbleBerry the Squishy
 
I never said exclusivity. I have repeatedly said that I believe soulmates to be plural. Anyone that I have this close intimate bond with. My hubby, my sister/wife, my sisters in Christ. I have never posted that hubby is my soul mate or that he should be. Please read what I wrote.

sweetlissa said:
I am sorry. If I implied that I meant exclusivity in this post, I never meant it. I believe Hubby and T are both soul mates and some people on this board who I have heart ties with are my soul mates. Kindrid spirits works for me too. For me it just expresses a bonding that is deeper and more intimate than a normal friendship. I have not done a word study and I do not know what the original words mean. If they mean something offensive, I won't use them anymore. I never really have used them much anyway. I just think that too much emphasis is put on finding a "soulmate" to spend your life with. The reality is that you can find that bond with anyone if you have a good attitude and you are working on building the relationship. And every relationship we have has the potential of being this deep and intimate.

I have felt the "kindred spirit" thing a few times. To me that is when you connect with someone instantly.

SweetLissa
Click to expand...
 
the word "soulmate" has a definition and that definition implies exclusivity. you are using a term that belongs to the enemy to describe something pure.

sweetlissa said:
I have felt the "kindred spirit" thing a few times. To me that is when you connect with someone instantly.
Click to expand...
yes, as we become more and more like Yeshua, we will be more like (and of the same spirit as) each other. this is what He prayed/is praying for, that we may be one with Him and each other.

it's just that "kindred spirit" seems to mystify the relationship at the same time that it de-spiritualizes it.
 
please, sweetlissa
i am not trying to be confrontive or argumentative here, we are just using different terms and i think that we should be careful to not let the enemy slip his terms into our vocabulary and defuse what YHVH wants us to focus on.
which is that "becoming one" in our families and in His family
 
I understand. And I didn't start using it from the beginning, I simply answered a post explaining my understanding. As I said, I don't use the word in normal life and I won't use it here. I just had a different understanding.

And the definition you put up from wikipedia said, "see also kindred spirits" and kindred spirits definition said plural.

I won't use the term anymore. But please don't think that I meant exclusivity. Cause if I meant that I wouldn't be involved in my marriage.

SweetLissa

(No offense taken)
 
You can take the word Soulmate and use it how you like. Just like any other word, it is defined by use. But the problem here is that when you say this word to those that use the word to denote a one-person-made-for-me relationship, which is how it is most commonly thought of by our generations, they agree with you and yet contradict at the same time. This makes you come off not as you mean to appear before those that don't understand, and reinforces their own ideas rather than bringing them into question.

When it comes to words I try to be careful, and am usually automatically that way in speech. I use no "filler" words... a term I have for words inserted in sentences that add no real meaning. The worst of filler words are profanity and the best of filler words are pretty much useless. It is important to be wise with words, like Solomon was. We may not be able to reach the poetic clarity of the manner of speaking of Job, Solomon, Paul, and even Jesus, but we can at least choose our words wisely, keeping in mind those that are listening. Jesus chose His words carefully, and used no filler words. Should we not do the same?

My mother holds the same view on this word as you do, sweetlissa. But I'm glad you don't use the term in general use. I've talked to far too many girls that are Christian and yet hold this soulmate perspective in a pagan, monogamous manner. They really don't need any more reinforcement, and neither does this word within the church.
 
Go back and read my first post on this thread. Note that I didn't start the thread, I only tried to answer a question that someone else posed. I feel like ya'll are beating up on me for that answer and every answer since. I don't use the word soulmate, I was simply trying to interject my understanding of the word. As things moved down the thread I found myself defending a word that I do not use.

Never, not once, have I said that I need a soulmate to complete me. I stated in my very first post that our families complete us. That should show loud and clear that I am not looking for anyone to be my soulmate.

I publicly repent for my use of the word soulmate. Please forgive me for my error.

SweetLissa
 
See, Sadan ... there you go being WISE again.

You're right. Using the same words with folks who hold different meanings would defeat the point of communication.

Sir BumbleBerry the Squishier
 
sweetlissa said:
Go back and read my first post on this thread. Note that I didn't start the thread, I only tried to answer a question that someone else posed. I feel like ya'll are beating up on me for that answer and every answer since. I don't use the word soulmate, I was simply trying to interject my understanding of the word. As things moved down the thread I found myself defending a word that I do not use.

Never, not once, have I said that I need a soulmate to complete me. I stated in my very first post that our families complete us. That should show loud and clear that I am not looking for anyone to be my soulmate.

I publicly repent for my use of the word soulmate. Please forgive me for my error.

SweetLissa
Click to expand...
I wasn't trying to hurt you in any way, sweetlissa. So sorry that that is the way it looked. I agreed with your last response and was in no way beating you over the head. I know that you didn't start this thread. I was simply stating an agreement, and my frustration at young ladies of the church. Even my wife stated after she left me that she guessed we weren't meant to be together. It is that ideology that I have a problem with. I know that you do not hold such. Please do not take offence. My comments were not directed against you, but rather in addition and in agreement with both you and steve.
 
I guess I am a bit over sensitive today. I just feel like no matter what I say, someone looks at me like I am the one out looking for hubby to be my all-in-all. I have uttered the word soulmate more in this thread than ever in my entire life. That is how seldom I use it.

But, I just spoke to hubby on the subject and he interjected this...

The word soulmate is a fairly new creation. As with most words, the definition will develop and may be completely different in 10 years than it is now. When I started talking about the word soulmate, I likened it to teammate or bunkmate or roommate. Seems like a pretty close frame of reference. My roommates and I share a goal. My teammates and I share a goal. My soulmates (other Christian believers with whom I have formed a deep abiding friendship) and I share a goal.

But again, it is not a word that I use or care about. I was just trying to help out.

SweetLissa
 
SweetLissa,

See what I put up with every day? A wise guy! :ugeek: I'm kidding Sadan...

But really, I liked ALL your posts on this subject and I think you're very wise. I especially liked the correlation with teammate, schoolmate, etc. Men make too much of words and too little of HEART... It's the heart behind the words that speak...and though we need to be careful of the one, we should not neglect the other, guys!

So whether it's a soulmate, a kindred spirit, or the love of your life, your better half or 1/4 or whatever... remember this, that a man may have multiple wives, but a woman has only ONE man, and he is IT whatever that IT may be called. I don't see what it matters what you want to call him...

...but then that's my logic, and Sadan and I get into it a lot because I tend to have a logic problem :lol:

Beta
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top