• You are currently viewing our forum as a guest, which gives you limited access to view most discussions and access our other features. By joining our free community, you will have access to additional post topics, communicate privately with other members (PM), view blogs, respond to polls, upload content, and access many other special features. Registration is fast, simple and absolutely free, so please join our community today! Just click here to register. You should turn your Ad Blocker off for this site or certain features may not work properly. If you have any problems with the registration process or your account login, please contact us by clicking here.

Do animals have souls?

redacted

Well-known member
Joined
Nov 28, 2007
Messages
4,223
It seems like it would be pretty hard to define 'soul' in such a way that it would apply to all humans and no non-human-animals. So... yes?
 

mooseantlers

Knobgoblin
Joined
Feb 18, 2012
Messages
322
MBTI Type
ESFP
Enneagram
9
A soul is an idea, a possibility. We can't really prove souls yet. I do believe in spirituality, because I feel it. And yes, I think animals would, other people say they don't think animals have souls. But i don't see why they wouldn't really.
 
S

Society

Guest
It seems like it would be pretty hard to define 'soul' in such a way that it would apply to all humans and no non-human-animals. So... yes?
or easy:

i think we have the concept of a soul because we are such a mystery to ourselves, because we see that derived pattern of all the interconnected things that make us tick, and we can never fully understand what it is, so we give it a name and make it into a thing, and then when we think about death that thing happens to give us a loophole over the fear, a hope that us and our loved ones can persist beyond what we see gone.

for something to have a soul, it needs to be able to:
1. acknowledge it's own derived pattern of being.
2. wonder where it comes from.
3. have the audacity to create our own answer.
4. fear death enough to seek a loophole.
5. be creative enough to use our invention as the loophole.

self-awareness, curiosity, arrogance, existential fear, resourcefulness.... i know of no other animal that has all 5.
 

Snoopy22

New member
Joined
Dec 29, 2008
Messages
355
MBTI Type
INTP
Enneagram
9w1
Instinctual Variant
so/sp
Solomon stated the spirit of man went upwards and the spirit of the beast goes downward (minus any comments on any of the different interpretations of ECC 3-21/22).
 
Joined
Jan 30, 2012
Messages
129
MBTI Type
ISTP
Solomon stated the spirit of man went upwards and the spirit of the beast goes downward (minus any comments on any of the different interpretations of ECC 3-21/22).

Man's spirit is different than the animals. God made man with eternity in mind, with animals He did not.
 

redacted

Well-known member
Joined
Nov 28, 2007
Messages
4,223
or easy:

i think we have the concept of a soul because we are such a mystery to ourselves, because we see that derived pattern of all the interconnected things that make us tick, and we can never fully understand what it is, so we give it a name and make it into a thing, and then when we think about death that thing happens to give us a loophole over the fear, a hope that us and our loved ones can persist beyond what we see gone.

for something to have a soul, it needs to be able to:
1. acknowledge it's own derived pattern of being.
2. wonder where it comes from.
3. have the audacity to create our own answer.
4. fear death enough to seek a loophole.
5. be creative enough to use our invention as the loophole.

self-awareness, curiosity, arrogance, existential fear, resourcefulness.... i know of no other animal that has all 5.

That doesn't apply to all humans.
 
S

Society

Guest
That doesn't apply to all humans.

nope, neither do legs:
1024-mermaidgirl.jpg

but considering the overwhelming percentages, this is one case where people such as myself (agnostics/atheists) barely make for the exception to the rule that proves the rule.
 

redacted

Well-known member
Joined
Nov 28, 2007
Messages
4,223
nope, neither do legs:
1024-mermaidgirl.jpg

but considering the overwhelming percentages, this is one case where people such as myself (agnostics/atheists) barely make for the exception to the rule that proves the rule.

My point was that since people that believe in souls generally think all humans have souls (including infants and mentally handicapped people), they would have to come up with a definition that includes some non-human animals to be consistent, therefore they should think at least some non-human animals have souls.

Basically, I was trying to say your "easy" definition of soul isn't something people that use the term "soul" really mean.
 
S

Society

Guest
My point was that since people that believe in souls generally think all humans have souls (including infants and mentally handicapped people), they would have to come up with a definition that includes some non-human animals to be consistent, therefore they should think at least some non-human animals have souls.

Basically, I was trying to say your "easy" definition of soul isn't something people that use the term "soul" really mean.

actually that's a good point - if you include infants and mentally handicapped people then people don't need to be able to believe in souls in order to have souls according to those who believe in souls...

...and puff goes my argument.
 
Top