Me either. The idea of a soul is something we made up to make ourselves feel better about eventually biting the dust.
Do Animals Other Than Humans Have Souls?
- Thread starter All Seeing Eye
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Me either. The idea of a soul is something we made up to make ourselves feel better about eventually biting the dust.
You were lucky to find a buyer, Turkey practically GIVES those away!
Yes. Anything living does otherwise it would be dead IMO.
Ditto.
I know a number of people who believe that humans have souls and animals do not. So many, in fact, that I thought it was the prevailing belief. I even have a friend (who was actually in my graduating class at college) who insists that humans are not animals at all. It's all pretty strange but nothing surprises me anymore.
As for me, I don't believe anyone has a soul, so I suppose I should answer no in the poll.
Isn't it traditional Christian doctrine that man and woman were created in the image of God, therefore humans are unique in being endowed with a soul?
Or are there Christians who believe otherwise? I'm not really up on this God stuff.
From wiki...
I have yet to see any animal express guilt or remorse over an action, or give any thought to anything beyond its physical and emotional state.
I'm curious, to those of you who believe animals have souls, how can you condone killing and eating them?
Yes, most Christian denominations believe that humans have souls and animals do not. It is a belief I share.
I have yet to see any animal express guilt or remorse over an action, or give any thought to anything beyond its physical and emotional state.
I'm curious, to those of you who believe animals have souls, how can you condone killing and eating them?
No, they don't have souls like us, in fact, they may not have a soul at all.
However, there will be animals in heaven, for example, Jesus will ride down on a horse when he returns, and there is other mention of animals in heaven in the Bible. Animals though don't have the freewill like us humans to know and accept Christ, therefore, they don't have souls like us. I believe that God decides what animals are in heaven and whatnot. That doesn't mean we aren't supposed to take care of animals of course, the Bible is very clear that we are the caretakers of animals here on Earth.
However, there will be animals in heaven, for example, Jesus will ride down on a horse when he returns, and there is other mention of animals in heaven in the Bible. Animals though don't have the freewill like us humans to know and accept Christ, therefore, they don't have souls like us. I believe that God decides what animals are in heaven and whatnot. That doesn't mean we aren't supposed to take care of animals of course, the Bible is very clear that we are the caretakers of animals here on Earth.
The same way I'd condone killing and eating them otherwise? It's part of life. Not a pretty part, but there it is.
I believe that those sufficiently advanced do have souls. The fact that their understanding and conceptualizing is different from ours and not as advanced in some ways would not preclude that. I don't know where the cutoff is for sure, though I think that the higher mammals would, to include cats, dogs, and so on. Other sufficiently advanced animals, like parrots--that wouldn't surprise me either.
Given that I think it's important for those who eat meat to be grateful, humble, and not wasteful. I do not condemn meat-eating, but cruelty and waste I absolutely cannot stand.
Given that I think it's important for those who eat meat to be grateful, humble, and not wasteful. I do not condemn meat-eating, but cruelty and waste I absolutely cannot stand.
I'm not sure I follow the way people are making distinctions. I'm not criticizing, because I have no basis for my belief that we all have souls. I just don't understand ... are people saying that having a soul is part of sentience, or related to certain higher brain functions, or what?
Ahem. Elephants display a full range of behavior that people who don't know any better would attribute solely to humans. They display altruism, not only to their own, but to other species. They experience grief and are the only species aside from humans and neanderthals to display death rituals, even returning to the graves of loved ones years later. They use tools.
I do not believe in souls, but I am certain that some other species are self-aware in the same sense we are.
You should read about Alex the Gray Parrot. He would say "I'm sorry' when he saw that one of the researchers was annoyed with him.
He also was very intelligent for a non-human.
Once, Alex was given several different colored blocks - two red, three blue, and four green. Irene Pepperberg asked him, "What color three?" Normally he would have said blue. However, as Alex had been asked this question earlier, he seemed to have become bored with it. He answered "five!" This kept occurring until Pepperberg said "Fine, smarty pants, what color five?" Alex replied "none". This seems to show that Alex understood the concept of zero something no other non-human has been shown to do.
And Alex seem to take glee when one of his fellow parrots made a mistake. He would loudly say "Wrong".
Interesting points about elephants and parrots.
From the elephant wiki link...
I suppose a case could be made for the above to have souls, although as someone else already pointed out "free will" is integral to at least the Christian concept of a soul. Which is where I am coming from.
Self awareness seems like a necessary pre-req to having a soul, at least to my Western worldview.
From the elephant wiki link...
I suppose a case could be made for the above to have souls, although as someone else already pointed out "free will" is integral to at least the Christian concept of a soul. Which is where I am coming from.
Self awareness seems like a necessary pre-req to having a soul, at least to my Western worldview.
I didn't vote because the word, "soul" has religious connotations which I do not accept.
It is self-evident to me though that at least the more advanced animals possess the same awareness of their existence and a desire to preserve themselves. A Human is an animal with greater intelligence. We are not special beyond that.
It is self-evident to me though that at least the more advanced animals possess the same awareness of their existence and a desire to preserve themselves. A Human is an animal with greater intelligence. We are not special beyond that.
Anyone who thinks animals are any different from humans (yes, I know humans are animals as well, but you know what I mean) is an idiot.
I have two dogs and two cats and, like people, they all have different personalities. I'd love to beat the shit out of people who treat animals like they are just stupid, useless morons who don't value their human counterparts.
My pets all show me love and affection. They cuddle with me, they sit with me on my chair, they lick me, they play with me, they greet me by the door when I get home, they know when I am sad. If they didn't have emotions and such, they wouldn't do these things.
My pets aren't my pets, they are my KIDS. They depend on me like a child and they get into trouble like a child. They need to be taught right and wrong, like a child.
Animals are just furry people who look different and talk a different language.
Fish, definitely. They absolutely have sole. 
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