Do Animals Have Souls?

Arrow,
I agree with you no doubt! Beautifully said, as well.
This really is exactly what I hoped Wonderland would be! A place to let your opinions be heard and share your work, words, and wisdom with your friends. This was a great idea, Cheez! Thank you, from all of us!!!

Write On,
Grace1096

I'm not exactly sure if they have souls are not. Does it say in the Bible that they do? Or does it say that they don't? You know what, I'll just ask one of my youth pastors this Sunday, kay? I can tell that this is a LONG argument/debate. How does that sound?

Luv, you don't have to rely on the Bible for all of your answers. Just say what you think, then give it backup

Once again, Cheez, I have to agree with that!
It is GREAT to love the Bible! I know I do!
BUT, everyone should live their lives their own way. And if you have your own opinions, you should share them exactly how you think things are. Don't hold back. This IS a writing site, anyway! EXPRESS THYSELF!

~Grace1096

And, beside the point, if it can live and breathe and move, it has a soul. Having a soul like people? We didn't ask you if they did. We asked if you thought they had souls.

I have the answer!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Animals do NOT have souls. It says in the Bible that God breathed life into Adam. Did he say that about animals? No! I asked my dad and he gave this to me. You can't beat the Bible man, no no you can't! Oh!
Finally, an end to all this craziness.

Okay, I find many errors in your reply, Luv. First of all, that's completely irrelevant to the situation at hand. Even if it were, it's kind of a given that God had to breathe life into them for them to be living and breathing. And when he breathed life into Adam, it doesn't say he gave him a soul, he gave him life. the soul was pretty much already there.

I just beat the Bible man >=D

Nice Cheez!
Not that I don't LOVE the Bible or anything!
Like, I go to church and Sunday School and Teen Bible Study, but I still do believe that EVERY living thing has a soul!
Otherwise, everything would be the same! (I believe the soul is what makes us all different, BTW! See my last couple of replys) Cheez is right about the giving of life and souls being different things. Souls are more important that breath anyways, don't you think? Souls are what move on after the body is no longer useful, right? Well, souls may be differnt in humans, animals, and plants, but they always have and will be there!

~Grace1096

I think that life and souls are two very different things. I mean, an animal can have feelings and such, but I don't think that when they die they go anywhere, beacuse they don't have souls. This is just what I think.
-Rachelle41

Guys, I say there's a difference. If God had to breath life into everything to give them a soul as well, then how come it doesn't say that He did the same to animals? Ha! I think I just beat you.

No, you didn't. The Bible doesn't state EVERYTHING that happened. It's kind of a given. God HAD to breathe life into them, or they wouldn't be living. Thus, animals have souls.

I know that I have not been in this debate at all until the moment I post this, but I have an opion about this and the various replies I've read. I like the Bible reference, and that point of view and reason are very good, but have any of you heard somebody say to a singer or actor or such, "Put a little soul in your work! Make it vibrant!" because the said actor/singer figure wasn't beeing interesting or lively? Well our souls make us who we are and souls are NOT studiable (I hope that's a word...) because souls are one of those things that no human can explain. Our souls make us who we are and the interesting people of the Earth that we are. Have any of you noticed that animals act differently and all have different "personalities?" Well so do people. And our personalities come from our souls.Therefore animals MUST have souls. I know they are NOT the dominant creature upon Earth that live to praise God, but they do infact have personalities and souls. And, humans have hair. Some animals have hair instead of fur, and that doesn't make them human (though some humans should be animals by the way they act...) Humans are mammals. A TYPE OF ANIMAL! If humans are a type of animal, then ALL animals MUST have souls! Animals definetly have souls. Just sayin'. And I'm sorry if I've repeated any of the other concepts suggested in this debate, but if so, then I agree with whoever stated them first.

I guess you sorta have a point there, but I'm staying firm to what I think. And I think that they don't. Sorry.

Interesting. . . .

Actually, oki poki has an excellent point. You say animals don't have souls? We're animals. We have souls. And just because other animals are primative doesn't mean they can't have a soul. Souls basically come with the body and the mind. It's basically impossible to be an animal and not have a soul. Except for animal-like protists. They're just wierd.

I believe this means we win.

BUt we're not animals!!!!!!!!!!!!! We're PEOPLE. There is a HUGE difference. I think it's absolutely horrible that dumb old scientists classify US as animals. It drives me crazy! How can you even say that? And about the personalities thing- emotions don't come with souls. At least-I don't think they do. Oh well, I'm stayin true to what I think. They don't.

Luv, no offense, but wtf? WE ARE ANIMALS! WE ARE MAMMALS. MAMMALS ARE A TYPE OF ANIMAL. WE ARE HOMEO SAPIENS, WE HAVE A BINOMIAL NOMENCLATURE NAME. There are THREE things on this earth. Plants, animals, and inanimate objects. We're not plants, and we can move and speak. Just because we're smart doesn't mean we're not animals. Labrador Retrievers are smart, but that doesn't mean they'renot animals. Monkeys are smart, but that doesn't mean they're not animals.

Excuse me? Did you just say DUMB OLD SCIENTISTS? Prepare to be told off.

Dumb old scientists, huh? Why don't you see what YOU can do by yourself, then take a look at Stephen Hawking or Albert Einstien? Why don't YOU try to create synthetic life? Why don't YOU try to life 45 years with ALS when you were only supposed to live for two?

When you can do that, you let me know.

Okay Cheez. They're not stupid, but some of them are old (physicaly, not as a down put). I didn't mean to tick you off or anything. I was just mad. And just cause humans only think there are three things doesn't mean there can't be more to God. I still disagree. We're mammals, sure, but I feel that we're different than animals.

Actually, there's more than three...You can't classify bacteria and such as animals. Y'know, biology, the main groups...I think, animals, plants, bacteria, protozoans, and fungi. Those are the kingdoms. And Luv, of course animal-animals are different, they're less mentally developed. Humans have the biggest brain, in comparison to their body mass. We're still animals, though, because we belong to the animal kingdom. I am of the scientific mind myself, but it is not entirely impossible for science and religion to mix, though it often seems that way. Scientists aren't just the elderly, either; most of the best scientists are all the young, fresh minds that are studying as we speak. I think Einstein was more of a mathmatician, cheez, though his theorems often corralated with scientific ideas. It was more his mathmatical break-throughs could be directly applied to science; the two are deeply entwined, after all. But most of his ideas were originally related to mathmatics.
Luv, you cannot deny science. It is not only a part of our society, but a part of our lives as well. Science was created by humans in order to study things, so that we could learn about and understand them properly, without creating myths and legends. It is based on actual, physical proof, as is the Bible (in that it is a book), but the two have no connection. The Bible never states whether animals have souls or not, but neither does science. We must look at the evidence that is available, and then look within our (non-relgioun-induced) hearts in order to decide for ourselves.
I believe that animals have souls...though plants, bacteria, protozoans, and fungi do not, because while they are living creatures, they show no independent thought. They live purely for the sake of living. Animals, on the other hand, have families, groups, and must think and act on their own in order to survive. They live to survive and preserve their race; are our goals so very different, Luv? Certainly, we can worship, but if we were not exposed to any sort of religion, as were our ancestors, we wouldn't have religious beliefs either. Does that mean humans were originally "soulless", or is the concept of souls having nothing to do with one's ability to worship so strange?

~Tobi~

Ugh. . . What do I even bother with this? Okay,anyway. I'm sticking to my theory of animals not having souls. I think the emotions come for the mind. Their expressing what their feeling, correct? Like hunger, anger, sadness... Okay, I'm not sure if they ever sadden or not. . . But it's said that pets copy their owners, right? Like, if a person if jumpy and hyper, a dog will express the same emotions. If their hungry, they'll tell us that their hungry cause they know that we're in control of that. If , say a cat, catches a bird, and the person throws the bird out, the cat will either care less about it or be annoyed that they stole their prey food. Or if a dog's play mate goes away, he's lonely, maybe because he has nothing to do, and no one to play with. . . . . Or if a mother dog protects her pups. It's an instinct.
I'm throwing random ideas out there. . . .
We for sure don't know now. Just gotta wait and ask God in heaven.
~Nikki
P.S. Just cause I don't think kitties and puppies don't have souls, doesn't mean that I'm not an animal lover!!!

Nikki-chaaan, gimme something new to disagree with...XD An'way, a mother doesn't protect her children (whether she's a human or an "animal"--which are really, in accordance with the scientific view you've now taken, one and the same) out of instinct, she does it out of love. Mothers are fiercly protective of their young in pretty much all species. It is not even due to their desire to survive or continue the race; it's just out of motherly love. This is something authors and philosphers tell us repeatedly. A mother's love is one of the most valuable out there...And hey, don't start sayin' some "animal"'s abandon their children at birth, 'cause so do quite a few human mothers.

Animals don't mimic our emotions, they're just very attuned to them. That is why animal therapy works so well; when a person is depressed, an animal can snese it, and if they are domesticated, they'll try to comfort the human. But you know, animals have personalities too. Some can be pretty darn hateful...XD Like those fat cats that hiss at you all the time, or those annoying yappy dogs. Though I really dislike any dog that barks at me.

Off topic~ Well, if your friend moved away, you wouldn't just be lonely because you were bored, would you? "Animals" can become attached to members of their same species, as well as members of different species. It's like a human befriending a cat or a horse befriending a dog, or even a turtle befriending a hippo. It's not unheard of; nor is it impossible.

"Animals" can understand the concept of "death" as well, though they don't always react the same way we would because they live such short lives themselves. If a pet's human dies, or if a cat's kits die, they will naturally become depressed.

HUMANS ARE NARCISSISTS. WE THINK WE'RE BETTER THAN EVERY OTHER SPECIES. WELL, JUST BECAUSE WE'RE PIG-HEADED, IT DOESN'T MEAN ANIMALS CAN'T HAVE SOULS. THEY DON'T JUDGE LIKE WE DO EITHER, SO IN A SENSE, THEY'RE KINDA BETTER THAN US. JUST SAYIN'. IN ALL CAPS.

~Tobi~
~Oh, it's not yelling, by the way, it's just kind of extra-special emphasis so you'll notice it

Tobi>> Yeahhh. The whole thre things was messed up. I meant to say life forms. And two. However, that's just being shallow for the topic at hand. I couldn't have said any of that better myself.

Nikki>> Here's where things get complicated. Why do you stay with the belief that they don't have souls when you've been proved wrong time and time again?

I feel like I've brought a new anger to this debate... Anyways, to whoever it was that said they believe our souls are in our minds: how can you be sure? Where is your soul really located, if at all? I mean, it can't be in your feet of anything, though shoes have souls. I think souls just are. And they are us and we are our souls. And now I think our debates are getting a little off topic and going into scientifical explainations countered by Faith! I love it! Anyways, like Tobi-Chan said, Humans are pig-headed, self absorbed, idoits (I added the idiots). Just because we are meant to be the dominant species on Earth, does NOT mean that other species are soul-less and just little pieces of poop just there to be there. God put them on Earth too. God put emotions in them too. God GAVE THEM LIFE too. How could animals not have souls?

Very good point. But- I still don't know. Something in Guideposts (a Christian magazine) talked about pets going to Heaven. Though I haven't read it yet. But if the Bible says it doesn't- you know. But very good point Oki.

Animals will be in heaven. It's just natural that way. XD Well. I still think it's their instincts. Animals aren't humans, and don't add up even close to us. Sorry. My opinion and I'm stubborn.

~You Know Who