Jimmy Akin's Mysterious World

How Many Souls Do Twins Have? And More Weird Questions

9 snips
Dec 26, 2025
Join Jimmy Akin, a seasoned Catholic apologist and author, as he tackles some thought-provoking questions this Christmas week. Discover whether identical twins can share a soul and the implications of excommunication. Explore the possibility of living spirits possessing the living and the limitations of demonic repentance. Akin also discusses the uniqueness of humanity in the cosmos and offers insightful thoughts on baptism for dying infants. It's a fascinating blend of faith, reason, and holiday spirit!
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INSIGHT

How Twins And Souls Are Philosophically Framed

  • Jimmy Akin explains the soul as the substantial form that makes a body alive, so any living body has one soul.
  • When an embryo splits into identical twins, either the original soul ceases and two new souls appear or the original continues and a second soul is created.
ADVICE

When Your Fasting Obligation Begins

  • Jimmy Akin advises interpreting canon law strictly for restrictions, so fasting obligations should be judged by the exact time you turn 18.
  • He concludes you need not fast before the precise hour you reach majority on your birthday.
INSIGHT

History’s Contingency And Personal Existence

  • If Martin Luther had reformed from within the Church, Lutheranism as we know it likely wouldn't exist, though other reform movements might still arise.
  • Large historical changes are highly contingent, meaning our personal existence depends on many small initial conditions.
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