Time for a spiritual discussion

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Do animals have souls?

I was at a christian vet conference and one of the students asked the christian veterinarian (who has a very openly christian practice) 'what do you say to a client who asks your opinion on whether or not animals have souls and will go to heaven?' Surprisingly to me the vet answered something similar to the 'I don't want to touch that with a ten foot pole' expression.

Opinions, anyone?

 

[LucyLoo]

Do animals have souls?

I was at a christian vet conference and one of the students asked the christian veterinarian (who has a very openly christian practice) 'what do you say to a client who asks your opinion on whether or not animals have souls and will go to heaven?' Surprisingly to me the vet answered something similar to the 'I don't want to touch that with a ten foot pole' expression.

Opinions, anyone?

Yes, a very strong opinion. If you have ever really loved an animal the answer is a resounding YES! There are those that disagree for religious reasons and they have every right to them....I just think they are closed minded and dead wrong.

 

[critterfixer]

If one believes souls exist at all, then I think it would be highly arrogant to hold that humans have souls but non-human animals don't.

Not to mention that heaven wouldn't be a very nice place without animals.

 

[TrocarKarin]

As an atheist, no. However, I believe that lack of a soul or afterlife makes their time on earth that much more precious, and their quality of life while they're alive that much more important.

 

[VeganChick]

Interesting question. Honestly, I don't know how I would answer that without offending the party - whichever way I chose could be construed as offensive or hurtful. So, I actually have to agree with the vet not wanting to "touch that with a ten-foot pole."

Personally, I don't believe in an afterlife. But I don't think I would be able to say that to someone whose pet is dying and who believes. I think I would have to come up with something about pets being forever with us. Don't know. But really a good thinking question - I have a feeling I will have this in the back of my mind all day!

 

[HopefulAg]

There are those that disagree for religious reasons and they have every right to them....I just think they are closed minded and dead wrong.

Erm...you don't think that's a bit ironic?



I'm also an atheist and so by default no, I can't say I believe animals have a soul. Don't believe anyone does. Do they have the same capacity to love and value life as well as others? Certainly. And if that's what having a soul means to you then I suppose animals have one. To me it's just a bunch of neurons and hormones though.

 

[LucyLoo]

Erm...you don't think that's a bit ironic?



I'm also an atheist and so by default no, I can't say I believe animals have a soul. Don't believe anyone does. Do they have the same capacity to love and value life as well as others? Certainly. And if that's what having a soul means to you then I suppose animals have one. To me it's just a bunch of neurons and hormones though.

I suppose it can be seen that way, but the OP asked for an opinion and that happens to be mine, I've never been a big fan of organized religion.

I would think that it'd be difficult to even argue the point to an atheist since having/not having a soul is pretty much a mute point. We are all just 'here'.

 

[rachroo]

Do animals have souls?

I, personally, believe that they do.

But I would not want to pass my personal beliefs as a medical fact to a client.

I don't know what I would do in that situation though...I'd have to think about it.

 

[Meggie1985]

My opinion is coming from a Christian perspective. I've heard several wonderful lectures on this topic, and have done some reading on it, and my conclusion (from personal experiences, too) is YES, animals do have souls. One important clarification though: I believe animals have animal souls, and humans have human souls. They are distinct and unique, but no less important to God.

Apparently this wasn't even an issue in the Christian community until recently (and by recently I mean the past few centuries); historically Christians usually accepted that animals have souls. Nowadays it seems Christians are a lot less comfortable with the idea.

There's a very good lecture called "C.S. Lewis On Hope for the Whole Creation: Do Dogs, Cats, and Even Iguanas Go to Heaven?" that has some good thoughts. You can find it here:

http://deimos3.apple.com/WebObjects/Core.woa/Feed/spu-public.1385553873.01385553879

Just my two cents! 😀😀

 

[turnandburn]

I'm also an atheist and so no, I don't believe animals or humans have souls. When signing cards for people who are grieving for pets or even people grieving for friends or relatives who are recently deceased, I usually write something to the effect of "they will always live on in the memories of family and friends" which avoids the subject of an afterlife but it still sounds nice and hopefully comforting, I think.

 

[LucyLoo]

I'm also an atheist and so no, I don't believe animals or humans have souls. When signing cards for people who are grieving for pets or even people grieving for friends or relatives who are recently deceased, I usually write something to the effect of "they will always live on in the memories of family and friends" which avoids the subject of an afterlife but it still sounds nice and hopefully comforting, I think.

I think that is a good practice no matter what you believe since you don't always know what the person feels on the subject.

 

[TrocarKarin]

When I worked as a funeral director, I always stayed away from anything remotely religiously tinged when talking to families of the deceased. You don't have to tell somebody that their loved one is in heaven or in "a better place" to make them feel better.

Turnandburn's line is good, as is saying something about how much richer your life is for having known them, or sincerely telling them that you're sorry for their loss. No sappy religious platitudes necessary.

If I ever had a client ask me the question on the original post, I'd probably say something like "I'm no religious authority, but I'm sure if we have souls, so do they."

 

[twelvetigers]

If I ever had a client ask me the question on the original post, I'd probably say something like "I'm no religious authority, but I'm sure if we have souls, so do they."

I like that!

 

[VAgirl]

Or one could say something like, "I can't see why if humans have souls an animal would not." It's honestly not saying either have souls or do not have souls. Simply that if one has a soul, it seems the other would, too. And vice versa, even. Which makes sense to me and seems to be something atheists/agnostics/religious animal lovers alike could agree with.

Just my 2 cents.

 

[Zealous Euphemi]

It's curious to think...I would not hesitate to say that if I have a soul, so does my cat. But I would also say, then, that my hermit crabs have a soul. So then, what about the billions of flies in the world? That's a strange thought, to think of fly heaven? Where do you draw the line?

Lucky for us...that's not our job! 🙂 That's God's job. I'm not Christian, but I am religious, and I've always found the idea of the Rainbow Bridge a happy one...the idea that even though we have different souls, God would let a human soul find its pet in the afterlife. Because frankly, a heaven without golden retrievers? Nonsense! ;D

http://www.petloss.com/poems/maingrp/rainbowb.htm

 

[VeganChick]

"I can't see why if humans have souls an animal would not."

Love this reply!

 

[ylrebmik]

Wow. I've never known so many atheists! 🙂

A few years ago... my guinea pig (for a kid... my best friend) died... and I was just starting to go through the "there's nothing left after death" thinking and they handed me the Rainbow bridge poem. I was like 13... angry... upset... and depressed. I gave them a really weird look, not ever seeing that poem before then... and thinking "are you kidding? is this supposed to make me feel better?" The rest of the day I just kept thinking... how is that possible? It's like getting married... them dying...getting remarried and then in afterlife... you have two husbands? Why would a guinea pig sit on a bridge waiting for me? ... haha.

I don't even know if I believe in the "soul".. it's just one of those things that you look at it and say "well what is it realllly?" and its even harder because in science.. you're always looking for an answer... and there is no asnwer to that question. But my way of thinking of a soul would be quite different then the average person's... afterlife... not at all. haha.

So... if they flatly asked if an animal had a soul.. I would LOVE to say "no. nothing does." but in reality I would avoid the question and say something like "animals share the same fate as everyone else, no matter of belief. it is important to celebrate life, though." it would not be that cheeesy though haha

but if i ever come to own my own practice... i will not be handing out rainbow bridge poems... most definitely.

 

[spikey]

we discussed this at our Christian Veterinary Fellowship the other day.

from the way i see it, we are made in God's image, so there is something about us that is different. we have something the other animals do not. our faculty advisor suggested maybe our "spirits" were what set us apart from other animals, and that some of the other animals had souls as well. he mentioned that in the Greek translation of the Bible, i think it was, that the writers mentioned something about the other higher mammals, such as dog, cow, horse, etc, were made soulful or something along those lines.

owning and working with animals, you know that they feel emotion - most definately love. and a loving God such as mine, i believe, would not place them on this Earth, and not care about them to include them in heaven. He's included them in numerous places throughout the scriptures.

so i think they have souls, and we will see them in heaven. at least i'm praying we do! 🙂

PS good luck with apps, kiddos!

 

[twelvetigers]

Glad to hear a Christian point of view as well. I don't see how any pet owner could imagine a "heaven" without puppies. I mean, seriously. 🙂