Do animals have souls?

[gupy77]

In my religion class my teacher was talking to the class about how humans are speicial and how animals are insignificant creature just there so we can have a large menu to choose from. So i spent about half an hour argueing with him. His primary argument was that animals dont have souls and god only gave souls to humans.

Just to be clear I dont want this topic to end up a debate on religion vs atheism i just want to know your opinion on if animals have souls.

 

[Archereus]

Of course animals have souls geez, i stole a bunch of souls from a bunch of animals during my large ritual/sacrifice to the Romance of the Thee kingdoms series, hopefully this sacrifice ensures a new and amazing game.

 

[This-is-Hip-Hop]

Well, if you mean as Heavenly souls, yea, I would love to think my dog, Foster, would come with me up to heaven after we have both passed away. But, by the other meaning of soul, personality, then I will answer yes again, every Dog, Bird, Cat, Mouse, and Gerbil, acts a bit diffrent, and has a unique style compared to other animals. Though I do not dwell on this subject much, I would much rather play with the animal, then dabble on the thought if it has a soul or not.

-This-is-Hip-Hop

 

[DannyBoy451]

Well, considering HUMANS don't have souls I'd say it's a bit of a stretch to suggest that animals do.

 

[Neurowaste]

While i do not believe in a god, if humans can have souls, why can't animals? We hold ourselves in elitist views as a master species, but, when it comes down to it, we're just another species of primates, to say animals don't have souls is to say we don't have souls, and that would contradict what your teacher said, so, logically, animals must have souls.

 

[Baby Tea]

First off, god doesnt exist IMO. (and this will be the only thing about religiopn vs. athiesm in this topic).

Why even say that? The rest of your post stood fine on it's own without that thrown in there. And if it's the only thing going to be said about it, why do you think you deserve to say it? Seriously, some people are weird.

On topic: I don't know, never really thought about it too much. Sure, why not.

 

[gupy77]

Well, if you mean as Heavenly souls, yea, I would love to think my dog, Foster, would come with me up to heaven after we have both passed away. But, by the other meaning of soul, personality, then I will answer yes again, every Dog, Bird, Cat, Mouse, and Gerbil, acts a bit diffrent, and has a unique style compared to other animals. Though I do not dwell on this subject much, I would much rather play with the animal, then dabble on the thought if it has a soul or not.

-This-is-Hip-Hop

I told my teacher that i could love my dog, but he said that the dog does not love me because all behaviour that dogs give are taught and they only do it because we feed them for it.

 

[FarleShadow]

Black and white told us that yes, animals do have souls, but only tiny ones worth about 100 prayer points.

Course most of my peeps in Black And white tried their best not to die, because I was a bastard and I can't imagine they thought hanging around with me for eternity while I put them on the continual pineapple up the arse machine was going to be fun.

 

[Ridergurl10]

I can't imagine anyone who has spent a lot of time with animals not thinking they had souls. I define a soul as what makes us who we are (maybe that's not everyone elses definition, but I'm sticking with it). All animals I've ever dealt with have had their own individual personalities, so yes I believe they each have a soul.

 

[thom_cat_]

Jeez, why ask that?
Humans are selfish and ignorant and I have to say this but it is actually the religious minority that enforce this.
Who enforced the elitist view that the suns and planets orbited earth?

 

[Baby Tea]

I told my teacher that i could love my dog, but he said that the dog does not love me because all behaviour that dogs give are taught and they only do it because we feed them for it.

Oh your teacher is an idiot.
Animals can totally love people. I've seen dogs and cats just be flat out depressed (Not eating, mopey, etc) when their masters are gone for long periods of time, and super happy and normal when they return.
In fact, I heard one story about a dog who had to be given away because a family was moving. Well the new family took care of the dog, but it got arthritis and didn't eat and was very lethargic. They figured it was just old and was going to die soon (It was about 6 or 7). Well the original family heard about it, and went and got the dog back so it could die with the family who raised it. After two weeks with the original family, the arthritis was gone and never seen again, it began to run around and play and lived for another 12 years.

So yeah, your teacher doesn't know what he's talking about there.

 

[Noone From Nowhere]

It all depends which religion you are going by. For Hinduism and Buddhism, human souls and animal souls are interchangeable. Why, you might be the reincarnation of a dog or a dinosaur if they are to be trusted.

 

[Mookie_Magnus]

Of course they have souls...It's what makes them taste so good.

Seriously though, I do beleive that animals have souls...(except for sponges, mollusks[not including Squid, cuttlefish, or Octopi], invertebrates and some fish)...Hell, if my dog didn't have a soul..then how is she able to learn what the word 'Outside' means? Perfect example of animals with souls are those that learn..or use tools.

 

[Portkins]

According to the bible? No.

 

[Acaroid]

Well, if you mean as Heavenly souls, yea, I would love to think my dog, Foster, would come with me up to heaven after we have both passed away. But, by the other meaning of soul, personality, then I will answer yes again, every Dog, Bird, Cat, Mouse, and Gerbil, acts a bit diffrent, and has a unique style compared to other animals. Though I do not dwell on this subject much, I would much rather play with the animal, then dabble on the thought if it has a soul or not.

-This-is-Hip-Hop

I told my teacher that i could love my dog, but he said that the dog does not love me because all behaviour that dogs give are taught and they only do it because we feed them for it.

Well in a funny way the only reason people can do anything is because that is what we are taught to do??

But in the wild animals show a large range of things that can be known as love to its fellow animals, some might call that instinct, but how do we know what we think is klove isnt just instinct?

See this brings up a whole new can of worms, what is love? do we even know what it is beyond some poetic ramblings? on a biological point of view I cant see how a dog couldnt love?

My personal beliefs are animals are more than equal with humans, and 100 times better in alot of cases!

 

[Hunde Des Krieg]

I don't think anyone has a "soul". But if the whole heaven Christianity thing is real, and animals don't have souls, then they don't go to heaven, and if there aren't dogs in heaven then god can fuck himself.
/blaspheme

If I offended you I don't care.

 

[Booze Zombie]

Well, being as a soul is meant to be energy and all living things have the energy they need to move and such, everything that has a pulse has a soul too (until it dies, then that energy returns to the great cycle).

 

[gupy77]

According to the bible? No.

What bible considering souls are in many diffrent religions. Also not to be offensive but The bible mentions unicorns, satyrs (men with goat legs), cockatrices (rooster-serpents that kill when looked upon) and a race of Giants (they survived the Great Flood, because they appear both before and after it. I guess Noah made room for them on the Ark). The bible talks about these mythical creatures not in the mythical sense, but in the real sense, mentioning them right alongside real animals.