Do animals know God?

[hoosierdaddy]

I was reading about St. Francis preaching to the birds and thought it fascinating. Do animals know God?

 

[Della]

It is speculated that animals have natural souls that die when they do, so they don’t know God as a human being can. However, the Scriptures tell us that all of creation worships the Lord, so they must be able to pick up on some aspect of the spiritual. I know that the way I treat my cats very much influences their behavior and general attitude and well-being. One of them is completely unrepentant, though, thinking nothing of distracting me in my prayers.

In the case of St. Francis, I believe he was so at one with God that he had the gift of “commanding” the animals. I don’t think that all of us can have that gift, certainly not now, unless we become like St. Francis. But, I do believe we will order the world and know the animals as we were intended to when God creates the new heaven and the new earth. Sorry about the rambling, but I’m just putting down my thoughts as they come to me.

 

[DeFide]

I was reading about St. Francis preaching to the birds and thought it fascinating. Do animals know God?

Lacking a rational soul, and being incapable of abstract thought, I doubt any mere animal could know God like humans know God.

What exactly could they know?

 

[DeFide]

It is speculated that animals have natural souls that die when they do, so they don’t know God as a human being can. However, the Scriptures tell us that all of creation worships the Lord,.

All creation gives glory to God, but in different ways, and to different extents. When fish swim and birds fly, it redounds the to glory of God, but not by the intent of the irrational animal. Even the stars give glory to God.

Humans, on the other hand can give glory to God by design and intent through worship and contemplation.

 

[scylla]

Not with any concious intellectual though probably, probably in the same way they know us and but they certainly are His subjects. Maybe like a dog would lay down at the feet of his master.
They certainly are subject to Him and can be used by God, even to speak to us.
gnpcb.org/esv/search/?q=Numbers+22%3A22-35

I believe the point of these actions by St Francis is this…

“If you have men who will exclude any of God’s creatures from the shelter of compassion and pity, you will have men who deal likewise with their fellow men.” St Francis

God Bless
Scylla

 

[hoosierdaddy]

Thanks for your posts guys. I think I agree. Animals don’t worship God with a rational mind but they can know Him through their spirit. I don’t know…they either have a soul or spirit but I’m not sure which one.

What I do know is that God loves animals and so do I.