[siklop]

Howdy guys,

As i am new to Buddhism thought i should get the most important question out of the way.

i have read here and elsewhere that Buddha did not believe in the soul-I was just wondering...well...why? i mean the soul, for me, has everything to do with experiences that you get with meditation for example or the will to stop the suffering of the world, which surely is what is being taught. so I thought, is the lack of soul to do with the idea that Buddhism is not a religion?
if this is true, does that mean that one is not really a true Buddhist if one does believe in the soul?

thanks,