Do you believe animals have souls?

[Big Black Dog]

Soles might have souls. Maybe...

 

[The Irish Ram]

Soles might have souls. Maybe...

That sounds fishy.

 

[PratchettFan]

In my view, the soul would be everything which is not what we would refer to as "I". The self is just window dressing applied to the foundation of the soul.

What does that mean? No offense, but unless you're just going for some kind of zen koan puzzler, that sounds like "black is white". What meaningful definition of "soul" would not at least encompass the concept of self?

No offense taken. Remember, I began my post with the words "In my view,". I do not expect you or anyone to share my view.

"Soul" is just a word. I do not believe in the existence of soul as an expression of self. I simply use the word because people are comfortable with it. I follow the doctrine of Anatta, which you can get a far better idea of by googling than I could provide. In a nutshell, all that you think of as "I" is illusion. And yes, I realize there appears to be an inherent contradiction in that statement. However, thinking in terms of a movie might help. When a movie is watched, you see motion. But all that is really there are a series of single still images going by your eyes so fast you can't focus on them. The motion is illusion, but that is all you see. Your brain fools you into seeing what is not there.

 

[ima]

There's no such thing as a soul. No proof. Debate's over.

That is a statement of pure belief. You presented no proof to support it. Apparently the debate continues.

The burden of proof is on the person who makes the claim that a soul exists. Until then, it doesn't. It's only a THEORY.

 

[Truthmatters]

I do. Anything alive, I believe has a soul in some form or another. Life force, energy core, soul...whatever you want to call it.

Your thoughts? Do you believe animals have souls...or are souls only bestowed on humans?

Life is precious.

I cant even pull weeds without feeling a little guilty.

 

[Avatar4321]

They have bodies. They have Spirits. So yes.

 

[ima]

I do. Anything alive, I believe has a soul in some form or another. Life force, energy core, soul...whatever you want to call it.

Your thoughts? Do you believe animals have souls...or are souls only bestowed on humans?

Life is precious.

I cant even pull weeds without feeling a little guilty.

You probably feel guilty squeezing your zits.

 

[Katzndogz]

Not every living thing has a soul. Some are soulless. We call them democrats.

 

[ima]

Not every living thing has a soul. Some are soulless. We call them democrats.

Obama eats soul food, does that count?

 

[Bill Angel]

If as some believe animals have souls, would that make the treatment of animals in a circus somehow cruel and degrading? I've also heard the same assertion made about dolphins who are made to participate in activities meant to entertain humans at the National Aquarium.

Circus Elephants Eating Lunch at the Lexington Market in Baltimore

 

[t_polkow]

If you eat animals, are you eating their souls?

Well the Catholics think by having some old man wear a dress and mumbling incarnations over of cracker and wine it literally becomes their god , so people thinking animals have souls (whatever that is ) is just as sane

 

[Lipush]

I believe they do

 

[Dajjal]

If as some believe animals have souls, would that make the treatment of animals in a circus somehow cruel and degrading? I've also heard the same assertion made about dolphins who are made to participate in activities meant to entertain humans at the National Aquarium.

It depends on the training methods. In the old days they used to use carrot and stick methods that were cruel. But many animals seem to enjoy working with humans if they are treated well.

Also, someone mentioned the idea that if animals survive death then so should viruses.
I cannot imagine viruses posing a threat to the spirit body as it is non physical. We leave the flesh and the brain behind when we die, and the spirit is made of different stuff.

 

[editec]

I do. Anything alive, I believe has a soul in some form or another. Life force, energy core, soul...whatever you want to call it.

Your thoughts? Do you believe animals have souls...or are souls only bestowed on humans?

I do not believe in human exceptionalism.

 

[Mr. H.]

This is from a cute story about a couple who decided to take their 6 year old to the vet when their cancer-stricken dog was put down...

The little boy seemed to accept Belker’s transition without any difficulty or confusion. We sat together for a while after Belker’s Death, wondering aloud about the sad fact that animal lives are shorter than human lives.

Shane, who had been listening quietly, piped up, ‘I know why!‘ he said.

Startled, we all turned to him. What came out of his mouth next stunned me. I’d never heard a more comforting explanation.

It has changed the way I try to live…

He said, ‘People are born so that they can learn how to live a good life — like loving everybody all the time and being nice, right?‘



The Six-year-old continued,

‘Well, dogs already know how to do that, so they don’t have to stay as long.'

http://someinspiration.com/bit-of-a-story/a-vets-story/

 

[Hollie]

The metaphysical concept of a " soul" is a bit silly. People tend to confuse a "soul" with what is human personality. Personality is a function of chemical and external stimuli to the brain.

 

[Katzndogz]

Animals have souls. It is no more unusual to have an animal performer than it is to have a human performer. Dolphins particularly love to play and their performances are based on such playfulness.

Because of the rise in secularism among humans, it's quite likely that more animals have souls than people do.

 

[ima]

The concept of a soul has yet to be properly demonstrated beyond a reasonable doubt. I see no actual proof of a soul. Do you?

 

[Dajjal]

The concept of a soul has yet to be properly demonstrated beyond a reasonable doubt. I see no actual proof of a soul. Do you?

Take a look at this picture of my birdy, and tell me she did not have a soul.
But I won't believe you because I know she did.

http://www.usmessageboard.com/attachments/pets/20786d1346078587-bird-lovers-chippy.jpg

 

[The Irish Ram]

Here is the Biblical view:

Eccl. 3: 21. "Who knoweth the spirit of man that goeth upward, and the spirit of the beast that goeth downward to the earth?"

Animals have a soul in the sense that they possess life. A common Hebrew word translated life (soul) is nephesh. Nephesh is used for the life or breath of both animals and man (Gen. 1: 20, 30; 19: 17). Life is that state that is the opposite of death. It is a state of animation, breathing, and awareness. Men and animals alike possess a soul in the sense of breath (nephesh). However, in the sense of possessing a part or element that lives forever, as man possesses, animals do not possess an eternal spirit.

The animal simply and totally returns to the dust, the spirit of man continues to exist.
One spirit is eternal, the other spirit is not.

But, God keeps nothing good from us, so we can ask for our pets to be with us for eternity. There are animals in Heaven, and God has a covenant with the animals here on earth. We aren't given the particulars, but the animals are so important to God, that not even a sparrow drops that He doesn't know about. Our animals are in good hands, and won't be kept from us.