Dead animals (Earth, soul, translation, genesis, bible)

[lost in tranquility]

I was just wondering does the bible state that when an animals dies if they go somewhere after death?

[Fluffy]

Although I lack the biblical quotation at this moment in time (although I can probably find you something if you want), the Biblical viewpoint on the afterlife is generally regarded like this:

Humans are regarded as having an immortal soul which is seperate from the body.
With death, the body and all other physical effects of the body do not go anywhere but the soul goes to the afterlife (wherever that may be).
Since other animals do not have souls, everything about them is effectively terminated at death and so there is nothing left to carry on to an afterlife of any kind.

[Druidus]

Actually, the bible states that non-humans do have souls.

Hold on, I'll get the passage.

[EnhancedSpirit]

Originally Posted by Druidus

Actually, the bible states that non-humans do have souls.

Hold on, I'll get the passage.

waiting anxiously

[Jaymes]

I don't wish to speak for Druidus, but I have found a passage that seems to support that:

Ecclesiastes 3:19 For the fate of the sons of men and the fate of beasts is the same; as one dies, so dies the other. They all have the same breath, and man has no advantage over the beasts; for all is vanity.

[Druidus]

Thank you Jensa, that is one of them. I went to brunch, and had no time, but here is the one I was referring to:

For instance, relative to Aquinas’ assertion that ‘animals have no soul’, some researchers have specifically pointed to ReubenAlcalay’s ‘The Complete Hebrew-English Dictionary’. In said dictionary the reader is apparently informed that the verse in Genesis "and to every thing that creepeth upon the earth, wherein there is life, etc" was in fact not correctly translated from the Hebrew: "The exact Hebrew words in this verse are nefesh (soul) and chayah (living)." Therefore the verse should read: "and to every thing that creepeth upon the earth wherein there is a living soul, etc." Such researchers concluded that this translation clearly contradicts Aquinas because the original Hebrew Bible verses leave no doubt of the fact that animals have a soul.

In a public audience on January 19th 1990 Pope John Paul 11 said "also the animals possess a soul and men must love and feel solidarity with smaller brethren" He pointed out that in Genesis "the way in which man was created suggests a relationship with the spirit or the breath of God. And one reads that after having created man from the dust of the earth, the Lord God 'breathed life into his nostrils and man became a living soul.'" He went on to say that animals have the breath of life and were given it by God. So, in this respect, man, created by the hand of God, is identical with all other living creatures. Although the pope's statement was reported in the Italian press it was not reported in the UK and was ignored by British Catholic publications.

[EnhancedSpirit]

Originally Posted by Jensa

I don't wish to speak for Druidus, but I have found a passage that seems to support that:

Ecclesiastes 3:19 For the fate of the sons of men and the fate of beasts is the same; as one dies, so dies the other. They all have the same breath, and man has no advantage over the beasts; for all is vanity.

nice one

[Druidus]

nice one[img]images/smilies/biggrin.gif[/img]

I like the pope one, because of the "infallability of the pope", it must be true!

However it is plain, to someone who has read an accurately translated Genesis, that non-humans had the same souls as humans.

Ask St. Francis.

[Katzpur]

Originally Posted by lost in tranquility

I was just wondering does the bible state that when an animals dies if they go somewhere after death?

I personally believe (as my own religious teaches) that animals also have an immortal spirit and will someday experience a resurrection. As someone who intensely loves animals and cannot even begin to conceive of a heaven without them, this is a deeply comforting doctrine to me.