Do Animals Have Souls

[Jack McKinney]

<snip> According to many paranormal sources, including near-death
sources, animals have souls just as humans do. But humans, in general,
have always considered animals to be inferior to people. Humans are at
the top of the food chain and they are at liberty to kill and eat a wide
variety of animal species.

"Animals, such as the horse, have lived as=C2=A0virtual slaves to human
beings for thousands of years. Animals have also been treated in ways
that can only be described as cruel and inhumane. Many people have
treated animals this way without even the thought that, perhaps, animals
have souls also.

* * * * * *
Do Animals Have Souls?
by Stacy Mantle

The Perspective of a Veternarian

I was talking with a coworker the other day and he informed me that
animals do not have emotions. This is just after he told me (the day
that I put my dog of 17yrs down) that animals do not have souls and
therefore will never enjoy the concept of heaven.

Now, this coworker has the disadvantage of being, what I refer to, as a
"bible-thumper." He is, in fact, a born-again Christian. Please bear in
mind that I have nothing against Christians, nor do I have anything
against religion in general. I do, however, have a problem with this
coworker passing along faulty information.

Animals do have emotions and they also have souls, and I'll tell you how
I know that. In over twenty years of working with animals, I have never
seen a kitten duct-tape a live human baby to a freeway. I also have
never seen a cat find enjoyment from setting a human on fire. I've never
gone hiking in the desert to find a child that dogs have left tied to a
stake, without food and water, subjecting it to a painful death in the
desert heat. I have never seen a chicken force two unwilling humans to
fight in a ring with razor blades attached to their feet while the
chickens place bets on who will be the first to die. I haven't seen a
puppy place eight children in a gunnysack and drown them in a river.
Neither have I seen an eagle aim a shotgun at an unarmed human. I have
yet to see a bear kill a human simply to place a head on the wall of
their cave. And to this day, I have not seen a pigeon drive a car down
the road and aim for humans who were walking around the park.

Let me tell you what I have seen. I have seen my own cats sleep next to
me so they may keep me a little warmer while I was ill. I've seen my
dogs play games with me just to force a smile to my face. I have seen a
cat rush into a burning home not once, not twice, but six times to save
her kittens, nearly losing her own life in the process. I have seen a
ferret pull a frightened kitten out of a deep hole in the ground. I have
seen a coyote fetch another dog so that it may get the proper medical
care that it needs. I've seen a dog, who loves to jump on people, avoid
jumping on me when I injured my back. I've seen elephants cry. I've seen
monkeys scream in empathy when one of their own were injured. I've seen
puppies whine all night long when they were separated from their
mothers. I've seen a dog pull a child away from a fire.

These are only a few of the things that I've seen. To list them all
would take a lifetime, and I think you get my point. As for the soul
thing? Well, it is my humble opinion that if you have emotions, any kind
of emotions, then you have a soul. Ironically, the pope of the Roman
Catholic Church recently stated that he feels the same way.

Now, I can't prove that animals have souls. But then, I can't prove that
you or I have one either. And for all those people who firmly believe
that animals don't have souls - well, I suppose if there really is a
heaven, you'll probably have the job of cleaning out all the litter
boxes...

[Rustle]

Post by Jack McKinney
As for the soul
thing? Well, it is my humble opinion that if you have emotions, any kind
of emotions, then you have a soul. Ironically, the pope of the Roman
Catholic Church recently stated that he feels the same way.

There are robots with facial movements that are programmed to express
emotions in response to fitting situations. Does that mean they've got
soul? Animals, of course, do feel regardless of whether or not the
"James Brown" stuff is the case. What humans have extra is the ability
to further identify or be conscious of having emotions via language or
representational concepts. A rat doesn't follow-up the experience of
fear with a description of the state as "I am afraid".

[Jack McKinney]

The Pope says yes:

The Holy Father Has Spoken !!!

* * * * *
An important affirmation of John Paul II has raised a great clamour all
round the world

The Pope Has Said: "Animals Too Have Souls, Just Like Men"

During a public audience the Holy Father affirmed that the animals, like
men, were given the 'breath of life' by God. The Vatican squarely
confronted this concept for the first time. At the Pope's statement,
Monsignor Canciani, who welcome dogs and cats into his Church in Rome,
said he had "experienced a great joy. Now I sincerely hope that other
priests will follow my example.." by Mimmo Pacifici Rome, January 1990

Translated by Piera Smith from Genre Magazine and Man/Nature/Animals,
January 1990.

"When the Pope stated that 'also the animals possess a soul and that men
must love and feel solidarity with our smaller brethren', I felt greatly
moved. At last my work for the world of animals had been rewarded. I
have welcomed my parishioners into Church for Mass accompanied by their
dogs, cats and other faithful animal friends for a number of years
because I have long recognized the justice in maintaining that all God's
creatures have the right to approach their Creator. My decision has at
times caused controversy. But now that the Holy Father has affirmed that
the animals are as "near to God as men are", those people who have
criticized me must surely change their opinion."

The speaker is Monsignor Canciani, 60 years old, Vicar of the Roman
Church, San Giovanni dei Fiorentini, already well-known the world over
for having opened his church doors to animals and because he also
specially blesses them together with his parishioners twice a year.
Monsignor Canciani is happy because in a homily given at the Vatican
during a recent weekly audience the Pope made a number of important
statements about the creation of animals and their relationship with men
and with God. The Pontiff in fact stated that all animals are "fruit of
the creative action of the Holy Spirit and merit respect."

So what did the Holy Father actually say about animals, and why are
these words considered to be so important? Let us read together extracts
from his homily. John Paul II quoting from several verses of Genesis
spoke of the Divine creative action of the Holy Spirit and said: "...in
the account of the Creation, the way in which man was created suggests a
relationship with the spirit or 'breath' of God. And one reads that
after having created man from the dust of the earth, the Lord God
"breathed life into his nostrils and man became a living soul".

The Holy Scriptures thereby make clear that God intervened by means of
His breath of life or Spirit to make man a living soul. In man there is
the "breath of life" which came from the "breath" of God Himself. In him
lives breath which is similar to the very breath of God.

Then the Pontiff spoke of the creation of the animals and said: "In
Genesis, Chapter 2, where there is reference to the creation of the
animals, there is not given a similar account of their relationship with
the divine spirit of God as is given of that relationship with man. From
the previous chapter we learn that "Man was created in the image and
likeness of God".

THE DIVINE SPARK OF LIFE

"However, other texts state that animals have the breath of life and
were given it by God. In this respect man, created by the hand of God,
is identical with all other living creatures. And so in Psalm 103* there
is no distinction between man and beasts when it reads, addressing God:
"...These wait all upon thee; that thou mayest give them their meat** in
due course. That thou givest them, they gather: thou openest thy hand,
they are filled with good."

The psalmist continues: "Thou hidest thy face, they are troubled: thou
takest away their breath, they die, and return to their dust. Thou
sendest forth thy spirit, they are created: and thou renewest the face
of the earth." The existence therefore of all living creatures depends
on the living spirit/breath of God that not only creates but also
sustains and renews the face of the earth."

This affirmation of the Pontiff has aroused enormous interest the world
over and has overjoyed many thousands of Catholics who for many years
have been deeply concerned that the Church should reiterate and give
back to animals the proper respect and moral dignity due to the animal
world which is often discriminated against and long been considered
inferior to that of men.
"This discourse by Pope Wojtyla is very important and significant"
explains the distinguished theologian Carlo Molari who for many years
has been Professor of Theology and Dogma at the University of Urbino.
"It is a 'sign of the times' because it demonstrates the Church's desire
and deep concern to clarify present confused thinking and attitudes
towards the animal kingdom. There should be no need, but the Pontiff in
reiterating that the animals came into being because of the direct
action of the "breath" of God wanted to say that also these creatures as
well as man are possessed of the divine spark of life and that living
quality that is the soul. And are therefore not inferior beings or only
of a purely material reality."

TRANSCENDENT BEINGS

"If one goes on to contemplate that the word "animal" is derived from
that of 'anima' or soul, one understands, as the Pope explains, that
animals are indeed "touched" by the first principle of life which is the
Holy Spirit. But the intention of the Pope when he defines the animals
as being composed of both body and soul is not only meant to convey
their value in a metaphysical sense, but above all also in a moral sense
specifically that we must respect all the creatures of God. Clearly
therefore because the animal possesses the same "breath" of life as man,
men must demonstrate proper and total solidarity with the creatures that
surround him. He must keep in his mind that there is an animal life
around him and at the same time must try to love and respect it. And
perhaps the profound and true message of the Pontiff is that we must
live in close harmony, and with love towards animals and all of nature
surrounding us."

"However", concludes theologian Carlo Molari, "it must be restated that
there remains a distinction between the soul of an animal and that of
man. According to Scripture the animal is destined to perish. It is
mortal by definition, unlike man who continues his existence beyond
earthly life. So far as we understand now there is no possibility that
we will find other creatures in the Hereafter.(wrong, even the
consciousness of an electron is eternal) However, it's one thing to
expound according to the theology and philosophy we have studied and
quite another for us to comprehend Divine reality--both future and
distant--which remains mysterious and difficult to grasp within our
limited capabilities."

Having now listened to the views of a theologian interpreting in his
opinion John Paul II's declaration upon the great spiritual "communion"
between men and animals, let us turn again to Monsignor Canciani's
words, the priest who in his genuine concern for animals, had
anticipated the Church's new solidarity with our 'faithful friends'.

"Yes, the Pope's words made me very happy" says Monsignor Canciani, who
as well as actively assisting the needy in his parish, and helping
animals, is also a writer and member of the (Vatican) Council. "The
words strengthen even more my love for animals which for years I have
welcomed into my church together with the faithful. Just think, after
the Pope proclaimed publicly his own love of animals, I received
hundreds of phone calls from all over Italy. It was a wonderful
experience ..... The bottom line is this: God exists not only in man,
but also, in all that is living...

[l***@gmail.com]

I believe robots were programmed by humens. So how many times have you seen an animal being programmed? Animals have have been that way since the beginning and on there own we didn't make them that way as we did the machine. Therefore I believe that argument is false. Animals do have emotions.