So when Riker was transporter twinned..

[Ghel]

I believe it was in "The Physics of Star Trek" that the concept of transporting was discussed (but I believe the idea was also discussed by Daniel Dennett--writer of Kinds of Minds and Explaining Consciousness).

Essentially, the idea of the destruction/reconstruction of the human body is irrelevant. After all, we are constantly losing cells and replacing those cells with new material. Hence, over the course of our lives, the material we are made out of isn't permanant anyway.

Their concept was that of the "closest continuer." In other words, the created entity that looks, acts, and thinks like Riker, is for all purposes, still Riker. Whether or not the material is the same doesn't change his Riker-ness.

I guess that theologically, once could say that Riker's "form" changed, but his "substance" didn't. (Hey, this means that transporters can perform transubstantiation. . .cool.)

Therefore, since both Rikers are the closest continuer of the pre-transported Riker, they would both have a soul. Alas, as each Riker made different choices in life, each soul would slowly diverge into unique "Thomas" and "Riker" soul.

 

[SeanMcC]

I personally think both Will and Tom have souls. As was said in the episode, neither was a copy (or something like that). They are basically as close to being biologically identical twins as they can get (but by transporter, not by birth). Twins have their own separate souls IMO. And its obvious that Tom's eight years in isolation had changed him as a person compared to Will.

Interesting point about Tuvix. I guess it needs a separate topic. However, Tuvix displayed both the personalities of Tuvok and Neelix, so perhaps he had two souls or a dormant one and an active one. Or if it were possible to have a merged soul, perhaps Tuvix had that.

Its really up to what one believes.

 

[Mr. Laser Beam]

I don't want a religious debate any more than the mods do, but I will just say that I believe Tom has a soul. True, he was created by transporter malfunction, but I still think he has one. I believe God gave it to him. As He gave Will his, me mine, and all of us ours.