Soul and consciousness dilemma

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Struggling1

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So other creatures have exhibited similar intelligence and rational thinking of humans (like dolphins,) how do we differentiate between our levels of consciousness as we are just beginning to understand how to value all of it? I.e dolphins eat and have intercourse for pleasure and even have their own language. How do we show we are different? Or do dolphins have enough rationale to have souls?
 
I hope animals end up in heaven but from what I’ve researched it would appear no.
 
I honestly don’t know. I know they have language but religion is another question. Hypothetically would it not be odd if they had rational thought but didn’t have intelligence? I’m honestly just trying to get at the root of how to tell if we even have a soul which of course is tricky since it’s again in the realm of non physical.
 
I suppose we don’t even know if they contemplate the meaning of life. Does rationality equal consciousness equal soul equal intelligence?
 
Have you tried looking up anything by Fr. Robert Spitzer?

His website Magis Center of Faith and Reason deals with these fundamental faith questions, like God and science, the soul and evolution, Jesus and the Resurrection, and so on.

According to his book, in which he has whole chapters dedicated to the soul and talks about animals, I can assure you there is a genuine difference between humans and intelligent animals. See his book The Soul’s Upward Yearning.

 
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By definition, all living things have souls, since the soul is the force that animates a being. The question is, do animals have eternal souls?

Since humans are the only beings made in the image and likenes of God, only humans have eternal souls that are truly able to enter into relationship with God.
 
By definition, all living things have souls, since the soul is the force that animates a being. The question is, do animals have eternal souls?

Since humans are the only beings made in the image and likenes of God, only humans have eternal souls that are truly able to enter into relationship with God.
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I’d be careful with this, though. This causes confusion when we say other living things have souls. People often don’t understand the subtleties of what Aquinas/Aristotle meant by this characterization. Because a soul is not really a “force,” since that evokes physical realities.

It’s not church teaching that we must utilize this understanding of soul. But if we do, we have to be clear we only mean it in the sense of a “form.” Animals and plants and all other living things (which are neither plants nor animals in precise biological classification, such as fungi and bacteria) don’t have a “spirit.”

So really, I don’t think it’s helpful to use this idea of “soul,” because we often conflate these two very different notions. Just my opinion. I only bring this up because I used to get very confused about it, and I often thought it was unscientific.
 
I tried to avoid that quandrary by clarifying between normal and eternal souls, but I see where you’re coming from.
 
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