Humans are not animals?

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Hi I need a little help. My first grader came home from school (a Catholic school) and told us that her teacher said we are animals. We have corrected her and explained we are not. She spoke to her teacher about it again today and her teacher tried to correct her and tell her we are animals. Apparently there text book says we are animals so the teacher goes by this. Most of the children in her class as well as a few parents also say we are animals. I need facts from the bible, cathochisim, etc. to back me up. Can anyone help or tell me where to find the right facts on this. Thanks and God Bless!
 
I believe the teaching is we are somewhere in between angels and animals. Animals have body, but no soul. Angels have soul, but no body. We have both body and soul.
 
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super64:
Hi I need a little help. My first grader came home from school (a Catholic school) and told us that her teacher said we are animals. We have corrected her and explained we are not. She spoke to her teacher about it again today and her teacher tried to correct her and tell her we are animals. Apparently there text book says we are animals so the teacher goes by this. Most of the children in her class as well as a few parents also say we are animals. I need facts from the bible, cathochisim, etc. to back me up. Can anyone help or tell me where to find the right facts on this. Thanks and God Bless!
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Animals perform on instinct. However there are levels of response to the enviroment. Humans are the only creatures who reason and think out actions and the results of those actions. This function was given only to humans by God.
 
Okay so if you are saying we are animals why weren’t we created on the same day as animals? And why are we then made in Gods image…God is not like an animal.
 
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super64:
Okay so if you are saying we are animals why weren’t we created on the same day as animals? And why are we then made in Gods image…God is not like an animal.
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Careful. Once again, we are not merely animated beings nor are we equal to mere animals. We are created in God’s likeness and image in that we have a will and an intellect, like God.

God, in his essence, is not a material being of any sort, two-legged or otherwise. 🙂

Did you get a chance to read the link from the Rosary Center?
 
Scientists have ways of classifying species- they are not meant to be degrading of humans. Humans are a part of the animal kingdom.
 
I read through the rosary article and it was interesting. I will need to reread it when I get my three little ones off to bed and it is abit quieter. I got the just of it. Then if her teacher is correct with her teaching shouldn’t she have also have spoken about the soul at this time and what makes us differen’t from wild animals.
 
Tsuzuki:
We are alive, yet we are neither plants nor fungi. And you’ll be hard pressed to try to convince me that other animals don’t have souls. I know cats have them.
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Animals and plants have mortal souls which die when they die, unlike human souls which are immortal.
 
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m134e5:
Scientists have ways of classifying species- they are not meant to be degrading of humans. Humans are a part of the animal kingdom.
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This sort of classification is way above the understanding of a first grader. I would be questioning the origin of the book being used.

I know that some bioethicists, such as Peter Singer, have an agenda to put humans and animals on pretty much the same level.

The animal-rights activists want animals to have the same ‘rights’ as humans regarding personhood.
 
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super64:
Okay so if you are saying we are animals why weren’t we created on the same day as animals? And why are we then made in Gods image…God is not like an animal.
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Our Souls are created in the image and likeness of God.
 
Yes and no. It depends on what you are considering

Physically (bodily) we are animals classified that way by science by the way our biology works.

Spiritually we are persons classified that way by **philosophy **because we possess an immortal soul and have free will. Philosophically non-sentient animals are classified separately as they only have mortal souls and live by instinct.

The term Human Person is used to distinguish us from the angelic and the divine persons who share with us having an immortal soul and free will.

(Note that some governments have tried to redefine the term person to limit the rights of some people and I am using a philosophical definition of person.)
 
First graders are old enough to understand mammals. That is how I would have cleared that up. “Oh, your teacher meant that we are mammals like some animals. We breath air, have our babies in a live birth (not through laying eggs), and our babies drink mothers milk.” that way I don’t disregard what the teacher siad, but clarify it. I would also read the creation stories to my child and point out 1. God gave man dominion over the animals (he was the most important and God chose him special) and 2. God breathed a soul into man, after he sculpted him from dirt. He only breathed souls into mankind, not a snail.
 
I’d make an appointment with the teacher and find out what the teacher taught them, what is in the book, and why the teacher did not clarify that we are made by God in his image.

This is only first grade-- get involved with the curriculum NOW and if the teachers are teaching inappropriate things, then you must bring it to the administrator’s attention.

If your child has merely misunderstood, a meeting with the teacher could clear it up too.
 
Humans are in the animal kingdom. Our species is homo sapien.

From a *biological *standpoint, we are animals.

From a theological/philosophical standpoint we are greater than animals because we are made in God’s Image and have eternal souls.
 
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1ke:
I’d make an appointment with the teacher and find out what the teacher taught them, what is in the book, and why the teacher did not clarify that we are made by God in his image.

This is only first grade-- get involved with the curriculum NOW and if the teachers are teaching inappropriate things, then you must bring it to the administrator’s attention. If your child has merely misunderstood, a meeting with the teacher could clear it up too.
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I assume that if this is a public school one would have little luck getting the teacher to talk about souls. If it a Catholic school, you may still run into a stone wall. Get it stright in your own mind and teach the kid what’s what. Can’t really depend on anyone else these days. 👍
 
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super64:
humans are not animals?
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We aren’t vegetable or mineral…

There is only one choice left. Humans are animals, but we are not beasts.
 
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super64:
Okay so if you are saying we are animals why weren’t we created on the same day as animals? And why are we then made in Gods image…God is not like an animal.
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Sorry, we were created the same day as pigs!! Or elephants, or donkeys!! Genesis 1:24 Then God said, “Let the earth bring forth all kinds of living creatures: Cattle, creeping things and wild animals of all kinds.”
Genesis 1:26 Then God said, " Let us make man in our image,after our likeness. (but heres the clincher!!) Let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, the birds of the air, and the cattle, over all the wild animals and all the creatures that crawl on the ground."

The Lord made us different in one major aspect, we are able to worship Him. Hope that helps. Just took a bible timeline class this weekend, obviously it’s coming in handy already!!
 
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rwoehmke:
I assume that if this is a public school one would have little luck getting the teacher to talk about souls. If it a Catholic school, you may still run into a stone wall. Get it stright in your own mind and teach the kid what’s what. Can’t really depend on anyone else these days. 👍
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That’s right: little or NO luck. I wouldn’t expect much progress with the teacher coming at it from an “Image of God” standpoint either. The best I would hope for would be an acknowledgment that this is more than a scientific, provable matter, and that teachers ought to respect the diverse beliefs of their students’ families, and NOT make absolute statements about how humans compare to animals.

I think a first-grader can surely be engaged by mom and dad and siblings in a talk about humans (unlike animals) loving each other, and worshiping our God, and wondering about our reason for being here.

peace

John
 
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