Do animals have souls?

[Solon]

Im with you Katzpur, I look into my animals eyes and I see a soul. I lost a cat only a few months back, and swore he was here, I also cryed for days, it upset me so much.

I really enjoyed reading every bodies posts in this thread.​

Yes I agree, I believe that all living entities posses spirit, and people ought to think about that before being cruel. People can choose to be cruel or not, the fact that many act badly towards animals give me little hope of humans making any dramatic improvements in lessening their capacity to dispense cruelties on all fellow creatures, including fellow man.

solon

 

[LikeMothsToFlame]

Where do you draw the line? If cats and dogs have souls, what about rabbits? Or mice? Or single-celled organisms?

 

[Evenstar]

Yes I agree, I believe that all living entities posses spirit, and people ought to think about that before being cruel. People can choose to be cruel or not, the fact that many act badly towards animals give me little hope of humans making any dramatic improvements in lessening their capacity to dispense cruelties on all fellow creatures, including fellow man.

solon

Very good point, Karma heading your way.

 

[Evenstar]

Katzpur, aww such a moving story about your little kitty.

Its funny how some animals are, we have had many animals and some will remain in my heart forever.​

To go through what you did with your cat, must have been very hard, but she is in a better place and as you said "pain free" Many Blessings coming your way..... Hugs

 

[Solon]

Where do you draw the line? If cats and dogs have souls, what about rabbits? Or mice? Or single-celled organisms?

I don't draw lines, I'll leave that to the Christians and others who believe that God set them above all other life forms.

S

 

[Katzpur]

Where do you draw the line? If cats and dogs have souls, what about rabbits? Or mice? Or single-celled organisms?

What line? If God created it and it's alive, it has a spirit, which is its life force.

 

[anders]

I don't believe in souls. For me, or anybody or anything.

If I had believed in souls or reincarnation/rebirth/metempsychosis/whatever, I would have hoped that I would somehow be together with my first Irish setter dog. It's some five years now since she had a fatal, incurable auto-immune blood disease, but I still had to make a lengthy crying pause here. There are few humans that I have loved as much as her.

There is no reason one can't be reborn as onesself, one's wife, ones grandfather, or a Neanderthal, Michel. Remember that time is purely subjective, the steady past-to-future flow we perceive violates relativity theory.

I am trying to understand different views of reincarnation. This idea of time independency is IMHO one of the most interesting aspects I've found. Seyorni-ji, do you have any scriptural references, or is it your personal insight?

 

[cardero]

From a catholic perspective animals and plants do have souls. But they are animal souls and plant souls. Specific souls that are different then human souls.

NEW ADVENT

The origin of the soul in the spiritual plane knows no such separation of species, race, creed, color or gender when it incarnates in a physical model, only the purpose of the soul is different.

 

[robtex]

What line? If God created it and it's alive, it has a spirit, which is its life force.

Including bacteria, single cell organisms and insects who life span is measured in weeks?

 

[michel]

Including bacteria, single cell organisms and insects who life span is measured in weeks?

I hope you won't mind if I answer this one as well; I believe that every living being has a soul. But how to define 'living' ? - which is, basically your question; I guess anything that grows and reproduces.........

 

[Quiddity]

The origin of the soul in the spiritual plane knows no such separation of species, race, creed, color or gender when it incarnates in a physical model, only the purpose of the soul is different.

I gave you the traditional understanding for us. If you think the soul of a plant and animal are the same as a human then we disagree.

~Victor

 

[cardero]

Including bacteria, single cell organisms and insects who life span is measured in weeks?

It is not necessarily the time that is spent in the physical model that the soul craves but it is the experience. Best example I can give is a group of people that stand in line for 90 minutes at an amusement park to ride an attraction that takes 3 minutes.

 

[cardero]

I gave you the traditional understanding for us. If you think the soul of a plant and animal are the same as a human then we disagree.

~Victor

I was really just wondering if this understanding stemmed from a perspective that animals or plants are somehow inferior to humans. I was also trying to understand if this perspective is a physical discernment or a spiritual one. In other words, why does your tradition believe this way?

 

[robtex]

It is not necessarily the time that is spent in the physical model that the soul craves but it is the experience. Best example I can give is a group of people that stand in line for 90 minutes at an amusement park to ride an attraction that takes 3 minutes.

If I stood in line for years waiting for a shot at life as a soul and God made me a gastrotrich whose lifespan is a few days I would be in God's office the next day demanding a refund!

http://www.answerbag.com/c_view.php/128#q_22991

 

[Terrywoodenpic]

If I stood in line for years waiting for a shot at life as a soul and God made me a gastrotrich whose lifespan is a few days I would be in God's office the next day demanding a refund!

I am not sure you paid anything in the first place.
And any way I am sure your soul would be pleased to be back with God.
Life mut be very limiting as a gastrotrich.

Terry_____________________
Amen! Truly I say to you: Gather in my name. I am with you.

 

[ALifetimeToWaitFor...]

I don't have an ego capable of believing in souls, but reincarnation doesn't depend on souls now does it. Just as everything in the universe is eternal as will every human being be and will not be. Our forms will change many times rocks, water, air, bacteria, a thigh bone, but these forms do not define us nor does the air we breathe. We are reincarnated into everything and are eventually truly and materialistically one with everything.

 

[Saw11_2000]

No animals do not have souls.

But neither do humans.

 

[jeffrey]

robtex, you
Reminded me of a joke:
A bus full of ugly people crashed, all were killed. Standing at St. Peter's gate, God showed up and decided to grant them all 1 wish. The 1st one in line said "Make me beautiful!" God said "Very well" and poof! A man in the back started giggling. The next asked the same, and the next and so on. When I God got to the very last man, he was now rolling on the floor with laughter. The man asked "I get 1 wish, right?" God said yes. He replied, "Make them all ugly again!"

 

[Quiddity]

I was really just wondering if this understanding stemmed from a perspective that animals or plants are somehow inferior to humans. I was also trying to understand if this perspective is a physical discernment or a spiritual one. In other words, why does your tradition believe this way?

This isn't an attempt for me to feel more special. Nor do I believe it is for the Catholic Church. If plants and animals were exactly the same I would have no qualms with it.

The discernment is strictly a spiritual one. The details are unknown even to the Church. I do know for example that ONE SOUL is coded/attached to ONE BODY (humans at least). This is the belief of the Church. Having it any other way would raise many questions and would distort what we hold to be true.

~Victor

 

[LikeMothsToFlame]

I hope you won't mind if I answer this one as well; I believe that every living being has a soul. But how to define 'living' ? - which is, basically your question; I guess anything that grows and reproduces.........

A tree is living, does it have a soul?