Data surely doesn't have a soul. That is, if by 'soul' you're referring to an immaterial part of his essence that will survive his physical death. Dr. Soong was brilliant, but I doubt he could have created a soul for Data.
He's Admiral Buzzkill, what do you expect. Despite numerous examples provided in this thread alone of people having some sort of lifeforce that carries their personality and consciousness. In the Star Trek universe.
Teaching religon as a whole is not wrong, it is only wrong if they are trying to teach religious beliefs as part of science fact (as we understand it today). People want to believe the Earth is only 6000 years old, or creationism, intelligent design etc.. fine, but keep it in religious classes not science classes.
That's true, but at what point after Data is shut down does his essence or "neural energy" leaves his positronic net and go to some afterlife that everybody else goes to? Does he even have "neural energy" because his brain is mechanical?? Does anyone ever get the feeling that Trek wants its cake and to eat it too? It's like Trek is basically atheist and materialist, but wants there to be a higher power, but can't admit it. Like why is it shown being so easy for alien cultures to believe in the supernatural, but so hard for the average human to even admit believing in a higher power?
I interpret that episode like this: The very fact that Neelix was able to be brought back is proof that he was never dead in the first place. So the only way he could have moved on to his afterlife was if he was truly dead. They brought him back, so therefore, he was never REALLY dead.
That happens on how you define dead. If you mean "pulseless," it's possible that one could be resuscitated if help arrives quickly enough. If you mean that one's soul has passed into another realm of existence, that's another matter altogether. --Sran
In some ways you can say that only Data has a soul. I can't transmit my mind/essence/personality/sapience out of this meat bucket. And Cavil from NuBSG thought he had it bad.
since they are all atheist in the star trek universe (humans are anyway) I would have to say no he does not have a soul.
I believe that dogs have souls. Cockroaches never die, so the question isn't relevant to them. --Sran