Can animals sin..?

[0Scarlett_nidiyilii]

Better put it back in the box so it doesn’t escape

 

[0Scarlett_nidiyilii]

Did you explain that it followed you home?

 

[Dante221]

They do not sin. Sometimes I think they deserve a little place in heaven because they fulfill God’s plan for them perfectly , unlike so many humans who do not.

 

[michaelArc]

I once knew a couple, one of them owned a cat. When they moved in together, the cat absolutely resented the other person. The basement was an art studio for the new spouse, and the cat urinated and defecated all over her art work and supplies. It was not a one time incident.

If rational thinking has something to do with having a soul, I can assure you this cat knew what it was doing.

 

[Cirdan_XII]

Do you think animals can sin?

Maybe not sin, but some can sing.

 

[semper_catholicus]

They can’t sin. They act mainly on instinct.

 

[AZ42]

rocks

Rocks have souls?

 

[Mtatum1958]

See my subsequent post.

 

[Bluebright]

Yes but only in that they are alive and have life. Not spiritual souls like us, only material souls that are dependant on matter and not rational. Human souls, by contrast, aren’t material. They’re spiritual. Only a spirit can know and love, a spirit’s two chief faculties being the intellect (which knows) and the will (which loves). We know human souls are spiritual since humans can know and love.

To answer the question as others have said no animals can’t sin.

 

[Mtatum1958]

Yep, that’s what I said.

Plants have vegetative souls
Animals have sensitive souls
Humans have rational souls.

 

[ProdglArchitect]

these are good questions which deserve a better answer than I can provide.

However @Wesrock may well be able to discuss this or perhaps @prodglArchitect might be interested to debate this further.

God bless.

Wow, I got referenced in a topic I wasn’t previously debating in. I’m honored ^^

To answer the OP, no, animals cannot sin. Sin requires an act of the will. Animals live based on instinct, not on will in the human sense, so they are incapable of sinning. Of all of God’s creation of which we are aware, we are the only rational beings. As such, we are the only things that can sin.

 

[Autumn-Smoke]

Animals were not given the law and told “Thou shalt not.” Because of that they cannot sin.

 

[Mintaka]

Animals cannot sin. However, they can feel primitive versions of some emotions associated with sin, like shame at disobedience or embarrassment at being caught.

 

[Xystus]

Only humans can sin.

No. Angles too.

2 Peter 2:4
For if God did not spare the angels when they sinned, but condemned them to the chains of Tartarus and handed them over to be kept for judgment;

 

[Uriel1]

I could be wrong, but I believe Catholic theology states that animals do have souls.

You are not wrong; Aquinas, whose theology underpins Catholic Theology, posited that humans each have a “rational” soul, which gives humanity the capacity both of abstract and moral reasoning which frame and underpin the human mind. On earth the rational soul is unique to humans and is united with our bodies, as distinct from being of our bodies. Our rational soul persists beyond our death and will await the Resurrection of our bodies on the Day of Judgement.

Animals and plants have non-rational souls each of which die with the death of that animal and plant, and by being non-rational, those souls have no possibility of sin.

 

[Sophie111]

Man is an animal, therefore animals can sin.

Are there are other rational animals…possibly…whales, other primates, possibly unknown animals from another planet commonly referred to as “aliens”.

Why is this important to you?

 

[semper_catholicus]

Yes, but the Angels who did not sin are currently confirmed in grace.

 

[Sophie111]

I believe they are confirmed in grace?

 

[semper_catholicus]

Sorry, I meant “are” not “aren’t.”