but, kat...ain't that just a linguistic quibble about whether we restrict the definition to the body? The operant word is "believe", and those who 'believe' that there is something beyond mere physical being may be right, and may be wrong....but adding a layer to the distinction doesn't clarify the controversy much.

The real question is the status of beliefs that can't be tested by the usual scientific methods. Obviously, no one can enforce a rule against holding an opinion, but certain attempts at defending opinions can sometimes be shown to be logically flawed.

Oh, it does get complicated!