Does the Church consider humans as animals or mammals?

[GodHeals]

Hi,

According to scripture and Tradition (and the early Church Fathers) are humans considered as animals or mammals? I have heard some people say we have animal instincts.

I know we aren’t to discuss ape to man evolution, so this question is not about young earth or evolution and which is right or wrong, etc. but about how the Church has understood or understands human beings. It is clear that everything God created has a similar makeup so as to live on this planet together; humans, animals, plants, etc.? And that scripture says man is in charge over animals.

If this post violates the prohibition on evolution and young earth or atheism discussion, please remove. Maybe, I am not able to ask my question without the discussion going in that direction? If so, please forgive me.

Thoughts?

Thank you,
Brian

 

[GEddie]

Hi,

According to scripture and Tradition (and the early Church Fathers) are humans considered as animals or mammals? I have heard some people say we have animal instincts.

I know we aren’t to discuss ape to man evolution, so this question is not about young earth or evolution and which is right or wrong, etc. but about how the Church has understood or understands human beings. It is clear that everything God created has a similar makeup so as to live on this planet together; humans, animals, plants, etc.? And that scripture says man is in charge over animals.

If this post violates the prohibition on evolution and young earth or atheism discussion, please remove. Maybe, I am not able to ask my question without the discussion going in that direction? If so, please forgive me.

Thoughts?

Thank you,
Brian

We are mammalian animals.

The term “animal” simply means a being with a soul (Latin anima). In that very basic respect, the human body is an animal. We are also mammals since we have body hair, warm blood, etc.

Mammal is a subset of animal; all mammals are animals, not all animals are mammals. Human life is both.

Animals also have a set of innate behaviors in common, like the hunger instinct, sexual instinct, self preservation, etc. These are shared generally and are not just “mammalian”. Human life has those also.

ICXC NIKA

 

[pippin]

The difference between humans and other animals is that our souls are created in the image of God.

 

[Iron_Donkey]

We are mammalian animals.

The term “animal” simply means a being with a soul (Latin anima). In that very basic respect, the human body is an animal. We are also mammals since we have body hair, warm blood, etc.

Mammal is a subset of animal; all mammals are animals, not all animals are mammals. Human life is both.

Animals also have a set of innate behaviors in common, like the hunger instinct, sexual instinct, self preservation, etc. These are shared generally and are not just “mammalian”. Human life has those also.

ICXC NIKA

Just to clarify, in case the OP is not familiar with this terminology, “soul” is the “life principle” of anything that is alive, and there are 3 types, each greater than the last: inanimate, animate, rational (plants, non-person animals, persons). Rational souls are immortal, the others are not. When most people use the word soul outside of this context they mean what, in this terminology, is called “rational soul.”

So saying that a non-person animal has a soul is not putting it on the level of a human, or claiming that your dog is also an immortal that will be judged at death.

As to the original question: both, though so far as I am aware the Church doesn’t really care about the mammal part all that much. We are animals in that we are material creatures (though not only material creatures, we are animal-spirit hybrids to be more precise), we are mammals because scientists have decided to group the various animals according to certain characteristics and we have the characteristics of mammals.

But again, I don’t the Church really cares one way or the other about the mammal part. If for some reason (that I cannot really conceive), science were to completely reshape that classification of animals or decide that we really had more in common with lizards, the Church probably wouldn’t really care at all.

 

[ffg]

In simplicity, I learned as a youth in Catholic school there were -

Plants, Animals, Humans, Divine (Angels).

So I see a human as not an animal because of reason, where animals run on instinct.

Animals exist for Humans to use as needed. We should do so properly and reverantly for continued use until the end of time. Similar with plants used in daily living.

Domesticated animals that just lounge around in our places of dwelling was not a concept to early Humans, nor was studying animal behavior for it’s own sake. This may be why people think there is a closer link to animals than what God has created and intended.

:twocents:

 

[Evan]

In simplicity, I learned as a youth in Catholic school there were -

Plants, Animals, Humans, Divine (Angels).

So I see a human as not an animal because of reason, where animals run on instinct.

Animals exist for Humans to use as needed. We should do so properly and reverantly for continued use until the end of time. Similar with plants used in daily living.

Domesticated animals that just lounge around in our places of dwelling was not a concept to early Humans, nor was studying animal behavior for it’s own sake. This may be why people think there is a closer link to animals than what God has created and intended.

:twocents:

But Humans are a combination of that above and that below
Animal (our physical part)
Angelic (our spiritual part)
Humans have both body and a rational soul.
Angels have a rational soul and no body.
Animals have a body and no rational soul.

 

[TimothyH]

I am not an animal.

God told the Israelites not to eat the blood of animals because he did not want us to live the life of animals.

I have told the Israelites: You shall not consume the blood of any flesh. Since the life of all flesh is its blood, anyone who consumes it shall be cut off. (Leviticus 17:14)

I am not an animal. I consume the blood of God.

Jesus said to them, "Amen, amen, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you do not have life within you. (John 6:53)

I don’t live the life of an animal. The life of God lives in me because I consume the flesh and blood of God. You can all call yourselves animals if you want, but I am not an animal. I am a child of God, of infinitely more value than any animal.

-Tim-

 

[Mintaka]

So the Evangelists are animals? I mean, there they are in Revelation and in Ezekiel, the four “living creatures”, and the word used in Latin is “animaliae.”

If you’re not a living creature, how on earth are you getting on the Internet? Ouija keyboard? Crystal ball monitor?

Humans are living creatures made in the image of God, composed of both body and spirit.

(And just in case you were wondering, “creeping things” in Latin is “reptiliae.”)