Do Animals have souls?

[Kaninchen]

does this have to do with the divine spark spoken of in the zoar, and the kabbalah? have found such studies fascinating. personally like the daniel c. matt translation. the tree of life is wonderfull for Christians and Jews alike. may God bless you and yours.

I think that you might find that Valke has some difficulty in answering that.

 

[Bob_Crowley]

Here’s what I’ve found:

1. Catholic teaching doesn’t actually deny that animals have souls. And it’s stance needs to be clarified, according to:
   all-creatures.org/ca/ark-186soul.html
   Pope John Paul II had declared that animals have souls.

Also, if we look at Genesis, it is clear that God blesses the animals, even before he blesses (or creates) man. This would indicate, I think, the theological belief that animals do possess souls.

A righteous man knows the soul of his animal - Proverbs 12:10

However, while Judaism has plenty of laws regarding the proper treatment of animals, normative judaism does not believe animals have souls. But it does teach that how one treats animals is linked to how one treats people. We prefer shepherds over hunters. We also believe animals (domestic) are to be rested on the Sabbath.

My own belief is that animals have souls, or spirits of some sort. I’d go as far as to say that all living things have a spiritual component.

My personal pet theory is that we’ll learn to teleport. We’re already mucking around with it at the atomic level (I think God intends to drive us off the planet due to catastrophes and this will be the means of transit. Rockety is far too slow. After all if that is His intention, then He has to also build into the physical universe a practical loophole to allow us to do so).

However I believe when we do start to teleport basic living things, we’ll find out they always arrive dead as a doornail, since we won’t be able to quantise the soul or spirit. That I believe will be the definitive proof that living creatures have souls. Eventually we’ll get around that problem, but I think we’ll be transporting inanimate objects for a long time before we learn to do the same thing with living beings. I note incidentally that the laws of physics ensure that the original is always destroyed in quantum teleportation. That’s a rather handy way God’s built in to make sure we don’t clone ourselves en masse.

Now all I need is for the Wright Brothers or Dr. Robert Goddard equivalent of massive quantum technology to prove me right or wrong.

 

[heathernoel]

Father “Jack” Wintz has written a really great book called “Will I See My Dog in Heaven”. After our Chase died, I got the book, because I didn’t want to lie to my kids, but I wanted to give them hope.

He does give us hope that we will see our beloved pets again. I know animals act on instinct, but for animals that, according to this thread, might have spirits but no souls, or a soul but no spirit, too many stories about animals with a deep connection to their owners abound.

In the end, no one knows. But as long as we have Him, we have Hope.

 

[peary]

Do animals have ‘souls’ as we do? Probably not. But there is a special relationship that exists between God and His creatures. Even Jesus said in the bible that even a sparrow is taken care of by its Creator, and that He knows when it dies. Then, *how much more *does God take care of us!

The problem is that we have this notion that our souls are more important than our bodies, instead of embracing the Church’s position that the body *is as important *as our soul. They are both sides of the same coin. Only human beings have this dichotomy but our wholeness will happen on the last day when both are conjoined. It is like a holy marriage where the two (body and soul) will become one before the Lord.

No where in the Bible does it state that animals will go through the same process. If that were true, it would have been revealed as such. It also would have been revealed through Sacred Tradition, which it has not. Animals do not share our reasoning ability, and mind and logic are soul attributes.

Just my opinion.

 

[Le_Cracquere]

I’ve said this in some other threads, so my apologies to anyone who’s reading this for the second time:

I don’t believe animals have “souls,” IF by that you mean that they play a part in the drama of salvation and of Christ’s Church. No matter how bad your dog is being, he’s not really capable of damning himself (though there was a shoe-tassel episode that once caused me to question this). We’re metaphysically out of their league.

Nonetheless, it’s hard to deny that the higher animals have personalities, and even personas if you will. They certainly have opinions, questions, affections, and even quasi-ideas after a fashion, though they may not operate in a truly parallel fashion to ours. It seems within reason to think such God-created personalities may persist after death in some form.

If so, one doubts that their destiny is on any par with the Church’s or with that of human souls, but we do badly to forget that animals are part of God’s good Creation, a Creation that is destined to be purified and redeemed, not superseded or pitched into the wastebasket.

 

[Splinker]

I don’t know if I would go as far as saying that animals have souls. The Bible specifically states that human beings are blessed with a soul, and that, in essence, we are “living souls” or immortal beings possessing mortal bodies. I don’t think that animals would have the same type of connection, although they might have something that is survivable after death. I would like to think that in Heaven, we not only will be surrounded by saints, but by our beloved pets as well. God can do anything.

Where does the bible specifically state that human beings are blessed with a soul? I don’t believe there is mention of an immortal soul, specificaly, in the Torah/“OldTestament”

 

[Jars_of_Clay_1]

Here’s what I’ve found:

1. Catholic teaching doesn’t actually deny that animals have souls. And it’s stance needs to be clarified, according to:
   all-creatures.org/ca/ark-186soul.html
   Pope John Paul II had declared that animals have souls.

Also, if we look at Genesis, it is clear that God blesses the animals, even before he blesses (or creates) man. This would indicate, I think, the theological belief that animals do possess souls.

A righteous man knows the soul of his animal - Proverbs 12:10

However, while Judaism has plenty of laws regarding the proper treatment of animals, normative judaism does not believe animals have souls. But it does teach that how one treats animals is linked to how one treats people. We prefer shepherds over hunters. We also believe animals (domestic) are to be rested on the Sabbath.

Valke2 - I totally do not have an answer for you but can I tell you what my hope is? When I die, if I could again see my pets in heaven I’d be soooooo happy! Of course I will be overwhelmingly happy when I get there anyway, but seeing the Lord, the people I love, AND my dogs - oh it’s just a nice humanly wish.

Sorry I can’t contribute to the intellectual piece of your question because I really don’t know if animals have souls.

 

[Kaninchen]

Valke2 - I totally do not have an answer for you but can I tell you what my hope is? When I die, if I could again see my pets in heaven I’d be soooooo happy! Of course I will be overwhelmingly happy when I get there anyway, but seeing the Lord, the people I love, AND my dogs - oh it’s just a nice humanly wish.

Sorry I can’t contribute to the intellectual piece of your question because I really don’t know if animals have souls.

One of the problems with digging up old threads is that posters can find themselves trying to start an argument with people who were banned ages ago.

 

[Splinker]

Valke2 - I totally do not have an answer for you but can I tell you what my hope is? When I die, if I could again see my pets in heaven I’d be soooooo happy! Of course I will be overwhelmingly happy when I get there anyway, but seeing the Lord, the people I love, AND my dogs - oh it’s just a nice humanly wish.

Sorry I can’t contribute to the intellectual piece of your question because I really don’t know if animals have souls.

I hope you don’t find out for a long time and when you do, I hope you’re right.

 

[Splinker]

One of the problems with digging up old threads is that posters can find themselves trying to start an argument with people who were banned ages ago.

This is like the 10th post I’ve run across by Valke2. I’ve run across a lot of banned posters.

 

[Xavierlives]

Though this may be going off on a tangent, I would like to clarify what you said. There are dangerous implications in saying “what should concern us is our spirits and the Kingdom of God” and then going on to speaking of letting go of the material world, rather than clarifying that God has created Man as both having a body and having a spirit. Man is not pure spirit and so should not seek to behave as if he were. The soul, too, is important.

Do not think that one should strive to “let go” of the world, because Man has a body and a soul, as well as a spirit. Note that God works through the physical actions of the Sacraments to bring Man to holiness in Him. Plus, the material world was made by God, it is good, and therefore it is not to be scorned (see Genesis, its pretty clear).

Also do not think that in The End that you will be made perfect (aka Holy) by how well your glorified body obeys your spirit because of any “training” on your part about “letting go of this material world,” but that you will be made perfect because God loves you and you love him in return.

Good gravy! Clarify two years later?

I tried to get the Mormons to answer a similar question but they wouldn’t address it.

Here was how I answered my question:

Animals will be in heaven!

1. When Elijah was taken, how did he get there? That’s right! on a chariot pulled by horses.

2 Kings 2:11
And it came to pass, as they still went on, and talked, that, behold, there appeared a chariot of fire, and horses of fire, and parted them both asunder; and Elijah went up by a whirlwind into heaven.

1. We see white horses in heaven.

Revelation 19:11
And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and he that sat upon him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he doth judge and make war.

1. We see red horses in heaven.
   Revelation 6:4
   And there went out another horse that was red: and power was given to him that sat thereon to take peace from the earth, and that they should kill one another: and there was given unto him a great sword.
2. We see black horses in heaven.

Revelation 6:5
And when he had opened the third seal, I heard the third beast say, Come and see. And I beheld, and lo a black horse; and he that sat on him had a pair of balances in his hand.

1. We see pale horses in heaven.

Revelation 6:8
And I looked, and behold a pale horse: and his name that sat on him was Death, and Hell followed with him. And power was given unto them over the fourth part of the earth, to kill with sword, and with hunger, and with death, and with the beasts of the earth.

 

[Jars_of_Clay_1]

One of the problems with digging up old threads is that posters can find themselves trying to start an argument with people who were banned ages ago.

I’m sorry…I don’t understand your response to me. Can you explain?

 

[Jars_of_Clay_1]

I hope you don’t find out for a long time and when you do, I hope you’re right.

Thanks Splinker!

 

[Wesley7]

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