Do animals have souls?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=umS2dwMREz8&search=vegan

:angel:

I'm looking for the "I don't know" answer. :)

Of course animals have souls. People are animals, and we have souls. Why can't "lower life-forms" have souls as well? BTW, in my opinion, people are one of the lowest life-forms on this planet, considering the truly horrendous things that we do to one another, and to animals.

Of course animals have souls!

they are younger / less developed souls than the souls currently weilding human type bodies . in previous bodies at our less developed soul stages we also weilded less complicated body types such as the souls now existing as deer , cattle , fish , worms , etc . and i also hypothosize that a soul can grow or shrink its roots depending on how they behave , such as if a soul currently weilding a human body type is behaving wrongly according to the physical laws of the universe and thusly shrinking / shriveling up the roots of its soul its next body type shall be less complicated / mighty than its current maybe destining it to only be able to develop the body of a worm or fish its next body . but a soul properly behaving and thusly growing greater soul roots is growing closer to attaining complete control of the state of its body and living forever , without its body wearing out and thusly having to go through the birth and development process of a new body again , as whatever it honorably chooses - attaining eternity . and theres no god thing coming to help you get there , religion is just a con job used by people to get others to do something for the religions creators , we are all on our own to decide what is the proper way to grow roots on our souls which determine how quickly we become eternal beings . and many may laugh at my philosophy but i bet i'll beat you to eternity ! ready , set , go . :sunny:

Of course animals have souls. People are animals, and we have souls. Why can't "lower life-forms" have souls as well? BTW, in my opinion, people are one of the lowest life-forms on this planet, considering the truly horrendous things that we do to one another, and to animals.
i couldnt agree with you more phoenix , well said . :sunny:

I don't know/understand what a soul is (among a slew of other things).

I don't know/understand what a soul is (among a slew of other things).
heres my opinion gaya , your thoughts , your hopes , your dreams are eternal and seperate from your body . a body can cease to be but not a soul . our souls are our minds / thoughts and are pure energy that cant be destroyed . they exist with and without bodies developed on them , and we are very many ( and not just human type bodies but many other types such as probably insects , dinasoars , fish , etc ) past bodies old but just cant remember our past from our current state . our souls are energy that exist with or without matter on them to weild . well im busy so have to go so cant finish this thought , but im not saying here im thee smartest person - im just expressing my hypothosis , the base beleifs i function from . goodday :sunny:

I don't know/understand what a soul is (among a slew of other things).


I'm with you on that.

A "soul" is a human construct - it's no coincidence that so many people, when they do think animals have souls, see humans as more developed soul-wise. Colin Spencer's "Vegetarianism," though it isn't a very good book overall, talks a little about this in the context of foodways.

Personally, I think the concept of soul is generally exploited by humans to justify dominance over their domain, much like physical might, only from a moral stance. Still, that's not an arguement for or against their souls' existence, whatever they be.

I voted "I don't understand the question" since I can't pick my real answer, which would be "I can't answer in a yes/no form." I don't know if souls are real or just an arrogant fantasy, and I'm not really a big believer in them, but I'm sure of one thing-- either every sentient being (and maybe every living thing) has one, or none of us has one. We're just not that different from the rest of the animal kingdom, so there's no logical reason to suppose we're the only life form on this planet that could possibly evolve (or be granted by whatever force created us) this singular, mysterious thing that somehow makes us better and more worthy than the rest of the Earthlings. Sure, we're smarter than most other Earthlings, at least as far as we can tell, but if souls are real, I highly doubt they're about intelligence.

"A blade of grass and a small shrub may appear quite different when we stand before them, but viewed from the lofty heights of a great mountain, they are remarkably similar."

I said no, but I don't think humans have "souls", either.

either every sentient being (and maybe every living thing) has one, or none of us has one. We're just not that different from the rest of the animal kingdom [...]
My thoughts exactly.

I'm looking for the "I don't know" answer

I actually intened to add that and one other and ran out of time. Why is there a 5 minute time limit to post a poll? I guess people will post their response if they don't find their answer on the poll.

Yep, I've learned the hard way to compose my poll options ahead of time and then simply paste them in quickly.

Genesis 1:29,30 -- Then God said, "I give you every seed-bearing plant on the face of the whole earth and every tree that has fruit with seed in it. They will be yours for food. And to all the beasts of the earth and all the birds of the air and all the creatures that move on the ground -everything that has the breath of life in it- I give every green plant for food. And it was so

yep. animals have souls.

Genesis 1:29,30 -- Then God said, "I give you every seed-bearing plant on the face of the whole earth and every tree that has fruit with seed in it. They will be yours for food. And to all the beasts of the earth and all the birds of the air and all the creatures that move on the ground -everything that has the breath of life in it- I give every green plant for food. And it was so

yep. animals have souls.


I'm not sure I make the connection. Are you saying that "breath of life" = "soul" ?

I didn't vote because my answer depends on whether I believe that humans have souls, and I haven't decided. It's either everyone does or no one does, as mentioned before we're similar to animals in every other way.

I actually intened to add that and one other and ran out of time. Why is there a 5 minute time limit to post a poll? I guess people will post their response if they don't find their answer on the poll.
:lol: you and your polls

you and your polls


:p you and your avatars

I'm not sure I make the connection. Are you saying that "breath of life" = "soul" ?

"God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul." Genesis 2:7.

Genesis 1:29,30 -- Then God said, "I give you every seed-bearing plant on the face of the whole earth and every tree that has fruit with seed in it. They will be yours for food. And to all the beasts of the earth and all the birds of the air and all the creatures that move on the ground -everything that has the breath of life in it- I give every green plant for food. And it was so

This link: http://www.blavatsky.net/blavatsky/arts/HaveAnimalsSouls.htm

is to an article entitled: 'Have Animals Souls' (by H.P. BLAVATSKY
Theosophist, January, February, and March, 1886).

This is a somewhat long read, so I'll make this short, in which the author invokes us to evaluate the dogmatic use of religion as a tool to 'downgrade' society to a more karmic 'upgrading' without forgetting the middle ground of philosophy. The author writes about the 'might is right' ideology that is almost a doctrine within teachings/interpretations of Christian religions as compared to the esoteric 'younger brother' ideology.

A copy of the article hangs on my wall.

:book:

I said no, but I don't think humans have "souls", either.

:yes:

This link: http://www.blavatsky.net/blavatsky/arts/HaveAnimalsSouls.htm

is to an article entitled: 'Have Animals Souls' (by H.P. BLAVATSKY
Theosophist, January, February, and March, 1886).

This is a somewhat long read, so I'll make this short, in which the author invokes us to evaluate the dogmatic use of religion as a tool to 'downgrade' society to a more karmic 'upgrading' without forgetting the middle ground of philosophy. The author writes about the 'might is right' ideology that is almost a doctrine within teachings/interpretations of Christian religions as compared to the esoteric 'younger brother' ideology.

A copy of the article hangs on my wall.

:book:

Actually, this is exactly what I was talking about in my earlier response that the concept of a soul is a human construct, and said "Personally, I think the concept of soul is generally exploited by humans to justify dominance over their domain, much like physical might,..." The "'younger brother' ideology" positions humans over all other creatures as spiritually more sophisticated. This is something that through your own example can't be pinned solely on Christianity.

So far as the "breath of life" = "soul" question goes, I still don't make the connection. Your quote: ""God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul." Genesis 2:7. makes no assertion that one thing necessitates the other unless you are willing to also argue that, through transitivity, dust has a soul.

I'm quite surprised we have so few "no" votes so far, given the high density of atheists in this community (based on prior polls and conversations).

but I don't think humans have "souls", either.
Given the acts shown in Earthlings I must sadly agree.