Do animals have souls?

[CelticRavenwolf]

I'm not sure if this would be categorized as debate or discussion, but I'm curious:

Based on your religion, are you taught that only humans have immortal souls and as such only humans go to heaven/afterlife or get reincarnated?

Do you accept those teaching to be true?

Addition (to try to get more discussion): If your personal beliefs do not match those of your religion, why?

 

[Bishka]

Based on my religion, I'm not sure.

Based on my feelings, ABSOLUTLEY.

 

[Kcnorwood]

I'm not sure how many religions there are in the world that do believe that animals have souls but for me yes I do belive they do.

 

[robtex]

I'm not sure if this would be categorized as debate or discussion, but I'm curious:

general religous debates is a great section for this. Can you help us by working on a defintion of soul?

 

[cturne]

Based on your religion, are you taught that only humans have immortal souls and as such only humans go to heaven/afterlife or get reincarnated? Yes (heaven)

Do you accept those teaching to be true? Yes

 

[robtex]

general religous debates is a great section for this. Can you help us by working on a defintion of soul?

thread tags:


http://www.religiousforums.com/forum/showthread.php?t=12628&highlight=animal+souls

http://www.religiousforums.com/forum/showthread.php?t=30572&highlight=animal+souls

 

[UnTheist]

How are we sure if even humans have souls?

 

[CelticRavenwolf]

thread tags: http://www.religiousforums.com/forum/showthread.php?t=12628&highlight=animal+souls

Ah yes, thanks. I had been looking to see if this topic had already been started, and while that one is pretty close, I felt that this was specific enough to warrant it's own thread.

general religous debates is a great section for this. Can you help us by working on a defintion of soul?

By soul I mean your life force, the essence of who you are. That part of you which goes to heaven in the Abrahamic religions, or is reincarnated for those who believe in that.

I've heard it said that the difference between an animal 'soul' and a human one are that human souls are immortal; they live on after the death of the body, whilst the essence of animal souls return to the Creator to be reforged into something completely new, thus they are not immortal.

 

[kateyes]

My religion does not--but heck for centuries it didn't think women did either.

Personally I believe they do and am looking forward to being reunited in the afterlife.

 

[Katzpur]

Based on your religion, are you taught that only humans have immortal souls and as such only humans go to heaven/afterlife or get reincarnated?

Based on my religion, animals have immortal souls and will be resurrected.

Do you accept those teaching to be true?

Without a doubt. Since I love animals soooooooo much, I have made it a point to learn about my Church's teaching on this matter.

 

[Gentoo]

Surely they do. In my beliefs, humans are neither above or below other species.

 

[robtex]

How are we sure if even humans have souls?

lots of great rf debates on that use the search button and dig one up.

 

[Quiddity]

Yes they do. Even plants do. ...but just like we differ from plants and animals, so to do their souls.

 

[Katzpur]

Yes they do. Even plants do. ...but just like we differ from plants and animals, so to do their souls.

Right on. Once again, Catholics and Mormons find common ground.

 

[robtex]

Ah yes, thanks. I had been looking to see if this topic had already been started, and while that one is pretty close, I felt that this was specific enough to warrant it's own thread.

thread tagging is tangent threads that are not the same as the thread it was tagged to. It is a way of digging up new interest in old threads that are similar but not the same as the thread they were tagged to.

By soul I mean your life force, the essence of who you are. That part of you which goes to heaven in the Abrahamic religions, or is reincarnated for those who believe in that.

I've heard it said that the difference between an animal 'soul' and a human one are that human souls are immortal; they live on after the death of the body, whilst the essence of animal souls return to the Creator to be reforged into something completely new, thus they are not immortal.

can i interpret life force= living energy?

 

[A. Leaf]

This is just an ideology: When something breathes, thinks, finds food, fends for itself it creates energy, now according to the basic laws of physics if that something came to a sudden end, the energy that was in that something must go on. Now if something becomes old and dies out, does it become a different story, or how much energy is being used to contain the information gained through that somethings life, and does that energy go-on in the form of a soul

As a joke I always say, 'here you know that buddhist wheel, i found my old skeleton. walk into the natural history museum and you will see it, know wonder i'm finding it tough to turn veggie, yep, i used to be a t-rex, no wonder i don't like the dentist.

 

[Bishka]

Based on my religion, animals have immortal souls and will be resurrected.

Really? where?

 

[Katzpur]

Really? where?

I'll look it up. It's probably not spelled out in specific terms in the Standard Works (so it's probably not "official doctrine" ), but a number of the General Authorities have made statements to that effect. I've got to go back to work now, but I'll dig this up for you in a bit.

 

[Bishka]

I'll look it up. It's probably not spelled out in specific terms in the Standard Works (so it's probably not "official doctrine" ), but a number of the General Authorities have made statements to that effect. I've got to go back to work now, but I'll dig this up for you in a bit.

That makes me so happy.

Our first family pet; a cat; named Ed died about 4 or 5 years ago. My father told me at the time that animals don't get ressurected, but everyone in the family disagreed with him (the idea that Heavenly Father would give us these creatures and allow us to have them as pets and create such a close relationship and then suddenly have us never see them was unfathomable at the time -- and still is).

 

[MysticSang'ha]

Right on. Once again, Catholics and Mormons find common ground......

......And Buddhists - at least somewhat. LOL


Every sentient being has consciousness (I guess that would suffice as a synonym for "soul"), including animals. According to our tradition, it's entirely possible to be reborn from a human to an animal as well as from an animal to a human.



The only difference is that the nature of the manifestation/incarnation is different with animals having certain levels of ignorance that makes them unavailable to attain enlightenment as opposed to humans that HAVE those faculties to attain it.



I hope that made some sort of sense.




Peace,
Mystic