Date: 8/8/2004 8:10:00 AM
From Authorid: 62740
I think they have souls...I have like....2 cat ghost gaurdians and like a dog, a bird and a dogish catish thing....*MK* aka: MoonRuler  |
Date: 8/8/2004 8:33:00 AM
From Authorid: 61901
Here is how I see it. If animals show emotion( which is not physical,cannot be touched,proven with mathamatics). Then why can they not have souls? I believe they have souls. Next time someone says "Animals have no soul" Ask them to prove it! Ask them what basis do they use to conclude the absence of soul in animals. Peace and Blessings :)  |
Date: 8/8/2004 8:36:00 AM
From Authorid: 62249
Do humans have souls?  |
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Date: 8/8/2004 8:41:00 AM
From Authorid: 62838
Great question. This is a good one. I've wondered on this so many times myself, and for all my wondering...my honest opinion on this is that a soul is something unique to human beings. I love animals more than I can say. All of them, of every size and kind. But a feeling deep inside me just tells me something is different, and not intelligence-wise, something else. I don't know what, but something is, at least I believe so, and whatever it is, it makes animals more innocent than humans. They have an innocence that we lack. I speak only for myself, as this is how it appears to me. My Grandmother and I debate this issue often, she believes they do have souls and I believe they don't, but we disagree respectfully. It was very interesting to read your experience. - Kokoro |
Date: 8/8/2004 8:46:00 AM
From Authorid: 15400
I believe animals have a soul. They can show emotion (well my cats can). I've learned to know the difference of how my animal feels, and it's not hard to tell if you pay close enough attention to it. I don't see how they couldn't have one.  |
Date: 8/8/2004 8:52:00 AM
From Authorid: 26049
I agree with you. I refuse to believe they do not have souls.  |
Date: 8/8/2004 8:59:00 AM
From Authorid: 17081
They can communicate and have feelings. I remember when I was younger and I was sleeping in my bedroom and my cat was crawling up on my chest and kept meowing. I was trying to ignore it because I was tired. My dad said that the cat wanted to show me something. I got up and followed the cat. She kept looking back to make sure I was following her. She led me into my sisters bedroom and she went under my sister's bed where she had her newborn kittens. She was proud of her kittens and wanted me to see them.  |
Date: 8/8/2004 9:18:00 AM
From Authorid: 53558
Why, not. They live and breath as we do..(",)..  |
Date: 8/8/2004 9:25:00 AM
From Authorid: 23075
Animals have feelings do they not....of course they have souls......I can relate to your dog coming back...my Tug comes back every now and then..and he crawls up on the bed with me. I can feel him some nites.... his back against mine.  |
Date: 8/8/2004 9:44:00 AM
From Authorid: 44960
Let me go ask my cat, BRB!!  |
Date: 8/8/2004 9:47:00 AM
From Authorid: 46527
Religion would have us believe not....but I believe they do.  |
Date: 8/8/2004 9:48:00 AM
From Authorid: 44960
Uh, my cat says, "Phfft!! you better be nice to me, Meow".... Oh yeah!! They gotta soul!!! :) (((PrissieHuggzz)))  |
Date: 8/8/2004 10:30:00 AM
From Authorid: 62787
hmm, i like what mc bacon said...how do we even know WE have a soul? we have never seen one, so why do we have a word for it? is it another word for feelings? what about if we were just energy? trapped in a body until death?  |
Date: 8/8/2004 12:09:00 PM
From Authorid: 11097
Yes, I believe animals have souls... animals are able to create bonds with humans and other animals and express love :)... my dog passed away last year on Good Friday... I had him for 15 years and I was devestated when he passed away (he had cancer) and one day I came home from school early and I was getting out of my car to open the garage when I heard him barking (like he used to when I came home) it was a nice feeling, I believe he is still with me! Interesting post,  |
Date: 8/8/2004 2:22:00 PM
From Authorid: 53909
Yes, I believe that animals have souls. I believe that all living things have a soul.  |
Date: 8/8/2004 4:23:00 PM
From Authorid: 62728
It's a great question. I am not sure what I believe. I would like to believe that they do, so I guess I believe in them having souls. -DeltaRebel  |
Date: 8/8/2004 5:47:00 PM
From Authorid: 49132
I think they do. I have seen my cat Tiny who died a few months ago.He was walking around the hall and came to check on everything :) My other cats als show alot of emotion. I can tell what they are thinking and saying when they look at me.o  |
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Date: 8/8/2004 11:43:00 PM ( From Author )
From Authorid: 62737
Thanks for the replies everyone! I loved hearing your opinions and stories. |
Date: 8/9/2004 8:30:00 AM
From Authorid: 11240
Just a query: I s what all of you are describing an animal's soul or an animal's spirit? I believe the two are different and what is "heard" after a pet passes on is his spirit. God Bless.  |
Date: 8/10/2004 6:55:00 AM
From Authorid: 48809
Of course animals have souls, spirit says that our pets come here to develop their souls and to learn, just as we do because they too are on their own spiritual journey ! I have also had my own dogs come back to me after they had passed on . One morning the alarm went off at 5:00am. ( I had not set it!)Suddenly, I heard both little dogs and they came running into my room and barked so happily to see me again! These little dogs had never been in my bedroom while they were living, but when they decided to come back they knew where to find me! lol.  |
Date: 8/12/2004 7:50:00 AM
From Authorid: 62843
i believe you. and yes animals do have souls, why would they not? every living, breathing has a soul. i could see doubting if trees or grass has one though. even ants probly have a soul. what would be the sense of being a cavity with no pain or emotions to feel? i know animals have a soul because they are able to show unconditional love to good friends. i have a cat. i had him 16 years, ithink he is 17 now.and no one in this world could ever convince me otherwise. he is a great freind. and knows when i feel sad. they are very smart, most animals. |
Date: 8/13/2004 5:21:00 AM
From Authorid: 22080
i think animals have souls, they exhibit emotions and have very unique personalities so why wouldnt they?  |
Date: 8/13/2004 9:59:00 AM
From Authorid: 29262
I think pets have souls. If they didn't why are the called men's best friend? On animal planet pets save people out of the craziest places. When my grandma had a heart attack and was near death, one of my dogs ran over to the door where neighbors were and scratched, cryed, and barked the door. The neighbor came in and found my grandma. She is living to this day. I wish he was there for my other grandma :( As I can see there is really no debate here because everyone here knows and understands. Whoever said they don't have souls don't have a soul themself.  |
Date: 8/13/2004 12:22:00 PM
From Authorid: 62424
I have been wondering this forever! I dont think god would creat things just so they can only live once...everything he made I believe he made with love and care...so I believe everything that can breathe and feel and feel happy and sad and shed blood and tears posesses a soul  |
Date: 8/14/2004 1:10:00 PM
From Authorid: 20235
I was having this exact same argument with my mother about a few months ago. I strongly believe that animals have souls.  |
Date: 8/15/2004 4:00:00 PM
From Authorid: 1055
Well, I am more than a little suprised that religion is only mentioned once in the replies. I would have figured that someone would have a religious explanation for or against this. So, let me just say that, religiously speaking, Roman Catholic teachings say that animals do have souls, only that they are mortal souls. What exactly that means I am not sure. It might mean that once they die, their soul is transferred back to the earth to become something else, or it might mean that once an animal dies its soul ceases to exist. However, someone made a good point in saying that a soul and a spirit are 2 different things. Therefore it is possible for an animals soul to die, but it's spirit to live on and visit you from time to time.  |
Date: 8/15/2004 4:31:00 PM
From Authorid: 51070
All creatures have souls. There's a cat spirit roaming around my mom's house.  |
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Date: 8/15/2004 8:58:00 PM ( From Author )
From Authorid: 62737
Where does it mention in the Bible that animals don't have souls? I do remember one passage where it says, "The lambs shall lie down with the lions", speaking of heaven. That's the only scripture I can come up with. Can someone help me on that one? |
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Date: 8/15/2004 9:00:00 PM ( From Author )
From Authorid: 62737
Also, what is the difference between a soul and a spirit? I have heard this before, but I don't understand. |
Date: 8/15/2004 10:58:00 PM
From Authorid: 11240
Just my own personal understanding, not anything necessarily gleaned from the Bible but also not anything I have seen that is contradicted in the Bible: A soul is the connectedness with God. It is the basis of our feelings, i.e., our heart -- the consciousness of being aware of whatever our senses can determine. A spirit is the connectedness with the world. It is the basis of our thinking ability -- our consciences (decision-making) which help us survive the world in flesh bodies. It is my belief that all humans' souls return to God upon death but that our spirits must accompany our souls in order for us to have any remembrance of being. In other words, I feel it is our spirits that must be saved in order for any of us to have a Saved Soul, which also encompasses a resurrected body. Now, also, I believe that this occurrence (obtaining a Saved Soul) is not anything that just happens upon death but which will happen on Judgement Day (I am not being preachy here, I am merely trying to explain the concept;). So, in the meantime, a dead person's soul returns to God and their spirit resides in the "spirit world" (for lack of a better term). What this all has to do with animals, I feel, has been partially explained by Universal Traveler. An animal's spirit, when it dies, I suppose would go to the spirit world. The soul of the animal, I feel, does go back to God. The concept of what I think UT is saying is that the animal will not experience what I have described above as a Saved Soul, since I do feel that is reserved for humans. JMH thoughts. God Bless.  |
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Date: 8/16/2004 8:27:00 AM ( From Author )
From Authorid: 62737
Thank you Deb!!! :-) |
Date: 9/3/2004 2:17:00 PM
From Authorid: 62512
yes i think they ahve souls - damaged goods  |