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Jerry-Jet
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Treat animals as God’s creatures. Be able to answer to God for how you treat them. If you can do that you will have no problem treating animals the right way.
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Struggling
Guest
It is a sad intellectual situation these days when among the people, most have been convinced (by an intense media campaign) that “feelings” are something distinctly Human.
This would have been TOTALLY foreign to the world of the past, and would have baffled all the philosophers and even common people of the past.
Feelings are one of the LOWEST parts of our nature. The emotions, or passions, are constituent of the ANIMAL part of our nature, the Sensitive Appetite, and throughout history have been considered as such.
A civilization where mere emotions are turned into a judge equal to reason and one of the key definers of “meaningful experience” is a decadent one.
So yes, animals have feelings. Pain, pleasure, happiness, sadness, grief, etc. They have all of those. Emotions are just certain electro-chemical phenomena in the brain, and a physiological response in the body. Very organic, very material, animals have all of those.
However, not having a spirit, not having a Self, animals aren’t conscious of their emotions. The cat may “know” that “the cat is feeling angry” but it has no way of understanding that it itself is the cat, because to itself, there is no “itself” because it lacks a spirit, and lacks the Self, that irreducible identification between knower and known. There is no consciousness for animals like we know it, it is just a storm of electricity in a brain like a robot or whatever.
This would have been TOTALLY foreign to the world of the past, and would have baffled all the philosophers and even common people of the past.
Feelings are one of the LOWEST parts of our nature. The emotions, or passions, are constituent of the ANIMAL part of our nature, the Sensitive Appetite, and throughout history have been considered as such.
A civilization where mere emotions are turned into a judge equal to reason and one of the key definers of “meaningful experience” is a decadent one.
So yes, animals have feelings. Pain, pleasure, happiness, sadness, grief, etc. They have all of those. Emotions are just certain electro-chemical phenomena in the brain, and a physiological response in the body. Very organic, very material, animals have all of those.
However, not having a spirit, not having a Self, animals aren’t conscious of their emotions. The cat may “know” that “the cat is feeling angry” but it has no way of understanding that it itself is the cat, because to itself, there is no “itself” because it lacks a spirit, and lacks the Self, that irreducible identification between knower and known. There is no consciousness for animals like we know it, it is just a storm of electricity in a brain like a robot or whatever.
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Katie1723
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StCsDavid
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Where I see society out of whack is the personification of animals. There’s a notion that they are equal or near equal to humanity. God gave dominion over the animals to humanity.
Now as I type this, my combination Golden Retriever/German Shepherd is giving me her best “I’m-so-pitiful-wouldn’t-you-rather-play-ball-than-stare-at-the-stupid-computer- screen” look. I love my dog. She gives me great joy, and I consider her a blessing from God. But I don’t love her so much that she becomes a distraction from what is important. I know a lot of people who would spend their kid’s college fund so Fluffy could have that operation that might let her live another year. That kind of thing is just out of balance.
Will she be in Heaven with me one day. I suppose if I was there and asked God for her, yes. I just don’t believe she is predestined to Heaven or Hell…though I have had a cat from Hell, but that’s another story. I also refuse to scoop any poop in Heaven.
Now as I type this, my combination Golden Retriever/German Shepherd is giving me her best “I’m-so-pitiful-wouldn’t-you-rather-play-ball-than-stare-at-the-stupid-computer- screen” look. I love my dog. She gives me great joy, and I consider her a blessing from God. But I don’t love her so much that she becomes a distraction from what is important. I know a lot of people who would spend their kid’s college fund so Fluffy could have that operation that might let her live another year. That kind of thing is just out of balance.
Will she be in Heaven with me one day. I suppose if I was there and asked God for her, yes. I just don’t believe she is predestined to Heaven or Hell…though I have had a cat from Hell, but that’s another story. I also refuse to scoop any poop in Heaven.
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water
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I had forgot to mention that there are some other group of people who know that animals have feelings, but they take it way too far. They stop eating meat and start to become vegetarian - and they will make themselves throw up if they accidentally eat meat. This is too much.
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paramedicgirl
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ricko
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Yes animals have feelings just like humans. Have you forgotten about the Gorilla that learned sign language and carries on talks with her trainer? I have seen my pets think things out on their own. They taught themselves how to open doors that they are able to. Don’t forget that they have a different physical makeup (paws instead of hands) and some things they cannot do because of that. Some people think that because they can’t physically do something the same as humans that it proves they have no intelligence. Science has had to do a big about face in the last 30 years with research showing intelligence and even language in some animals. If you have a pet then you know what I am talking about. My cats can’t talk in my language but they can understand me! When I say it’s time to go inside they go right to the door. Heck, if they can understand me I should be able to understand some of their language. Now I know what a certain sound means. “I want to go outside!” If I don’t understand then I tell him to “show me what you want.” Then he will lead me to the door (I want to go outside) or to his bowl (I’m hungry) or to the potty (It’s filthy, you expect me to use that!).
The feelings and intelligence is there we just don’t pay attention to it.
As far as paying for medical expenses for my animals, I don’t have a problem with that. If we used the criteria that money should be spent only for humans we would neglect a lot of things on the planet. I used to think that way but I got wiser and realized that we are the caretakers of the planet and that includes its animals. It would be far wiser to take the money wasted on political campaigns and use it on something like cancer research.
The feelings and intelligence is there we just don’t pay attention to it.
As far as paying for medical expenses for my animals, I don’t have a problem with that. If we used the criteria that money should be spent only for humans we would neglect a lot of things on the planet. I used to think that way but I got wiser and realized that we are the caretakers of the planet and that includes its animals. It would be far wiser to take the money wasted on political campaigns and use it on something like cancer research.
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Zooey
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:clapping:I didn’t say that animals don’t go to heaven. I said they don’t have immortal souls. If God wants us to have animals in heaven, they will be there.
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Al_Masetti
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If humans violate the feelings of animals when causing the animals pain, then where are we when the pain is caused by another animal?
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paramedicgirl
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Katie1723
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By any chance are my cat and your cat one and the same??
Kathy
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johnnycatholic
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Animals act and react based on instincts. They cannot choose to hurt another animal’s feelings. Daddy lions eat their young sometimes because they’re too lazy to hunt. I cannot picture a final judgment with God telling the lion what a sinful life he’d led. I know how much good it does when i try to explain to my cat the sin of peeing on fresh laundry.
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lkopteros
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I don’t think it’s a sin to pee on clean laundry just as I’m sure that nobody who has ever peed in a pool has gone to confession for it. It is however disrespectful I guess. As far as free will…own a couple of cats and they will certainly teach you about free will, the free will to come to you when called or run from you…it’s really up to them. They will also be quick to let you know when they want food. God gave man dogs to show him how he has power over them, He gave man cats to teach him humility! I’ve come to learn that animals do not have immortal souls, I don’t understand it but because the church teaches this I believe it. God blessed us by giving us animals not only for work and food. He gave them to us for comfort and companionship. But the biggest blessing we can get from them is to listen and learn from them…run to higher ground if they run, look up as a bird of prey may be in the area if the other birds suddenly become quiet…put your car in the garage if the cats start running around the house for no reason. They listen to nature…plan to dress warm if there is a ring around the moon, bring your umbrella if the leaves are turned inside out, buy a good shovel if the bee hives are high off the ground and chop a lot of wood if the nuts and fruit are plentiful in the fall. Feelings or no feelings, free will or no free will, intellect or no intellect…God has given everything for our benefit we just need to listen and learn. We have dominion over all but we must use all to truly have dominion. I am not so proud to know that I don’t understand everything and I try to keep myself open to Him through all of His creations. When I was young our dog used to chase stray cats off the property while leaving out cats alone…they go by smell. I can’t tell who is my friend and who is my enemy by their smell! A small animal will get out of the way when a larger animal comes through by the vibrations it feels on the ground by the weight of the animal coming close even before it sees the animal. I’m sorry but I can’t do that. Now I’m in no way suggesting they are smarter than us for that would be insane. I’m simply saying that for me, I use what senses God has perfected in them to help myself. They are here for us we should not ignore them. I am above my cats just as God is above me. I try to take care of them the way God takes care of me and I also try to take care of other people in the same way God takes care of me. Surely without animals we would be lost.
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Catholic90
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How do you know they don’t have a free will?
My dog has a will of her own, and will very willingly on her own decide to explore the neighborhood and do some friendly visiting IF SHE DECIDES! Sometimes, though, that treat I’m offering is more desirable than the visit. Sometimes not!
My cats decide who they will sleep with. One night it is on my legs, another night it is by one of my kid’s pillows.
Our guinea pig has willingly adopted one son as his primary caretaker. He always runs over to him, even when all of us are there offering the same attention, food, and petting. Son #2 is always chosen.
Why?
I believe the animals CHOOSE to do what they will by thier free will! They are far more intelligent than many give them credit for!
God has special plans for His creatures.
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bones_IV
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In my opinion they act on instinct.
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Qui_Chang
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I believe Jimmy Aken once said that animals will be in heaven if and only if it is necessary for our happiness in heaven. If we are in Heaven, then we will be provided with everything that is necessary to make us happy - including animals.
I hope I paraphrased accurately enough.
- Qui Chang
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wjp984
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Here is the problem I see with animals having feelings. How do you know that we are not just supplying their feelings based on our own human rationalization of the animal’s actions? We think the dog must be happy since its tail is moving but we don’t really know that. It might just be wagging the tail for no paticular reason. It is passive now and lets you pet it and do whatever you want to it. Then, the dog is threatened or thinks it is in some sort of danger and its instincts kick in and this doesn’t invove wagging a tail. It proably tenses up its muscles, growls and is ready to take action.
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pira114
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Animals do not have feelings in the emotional sense. They have feelings of pain, pleasure, excitement, etc…
Animals do not go to Heaven. They have no soul or spirit. That’s the part of us that lives forever through Christ.
Animals were put here by God FOR us. To eat, use, whatever. Either way, they do not have feelings or go to Heaven.
People would like to think they do just because THEY have become emotionaly attached to them.
Animals do not go to Heaven. They have no soul or spirit. That’s the part of us that lives forever through Christ.
Animals were put here by God FOR us. To eat, use, whatever. Either way, they do not have feelings or go to Heaven.
People would like to think they do just because THEY have become emotionaly attached to them.
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Catholic90
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Are you POSITIVE?? I would disagree with you.
Do any animals own you? If not, then you don’t really know animals. If you do, then really pay attention to them!
I believe that God does allow animals into heaven if they will make us happy.
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Catholic90
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OK… That’s not my opinion, however. To each his own
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