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Do Animals Have Souls?; If they can go to heaven - can they be damned?
Topic Started: Wednesday, 2. December 2009, 19:57 (1,797 Views)
Rose of York
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Em raises an interesting point. If, in Heaven, people care only about God, and not about other people they loved on Earth, what about Jesus and Mary?

Jesus came here as a baby boy, his mother raised him to manhood. He is bodily alive in Heaven. His mother is there with him and she too has her body. They MUST still enjoy each other's company, I cannot imagine them ignoring each other so how about the rest of us/ Will we enjoy again, the companionship of people (and pets) we loved down here?
Keep the Faith!

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Deacon Robert
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You can take this another step. Why should we ask the Saints who are with God to intercede for us if all their concern is God.
The burden of life is from ourselves, its lightness from the grace of Christ and the love of God. - William Bernard Ullanthorne

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PJD

"I cannot imagine them ignoring each other so how about the rest of us/ Will we enjoy again, the companionship of people (and pets) we loved down here? "

Apart from the question of pets (animals) which maybe up for grabs - I agree with Rose's common sense (smile)

PJD
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Deleted User
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I was always taught that animals had no souls and I believe this is still the Church's position. I was taught too that the ability to reason was restricted to humans although grudgingly some accepted that the great apes had this too to a limited extent.
In today's Times , Simon Barnes describes the work of a scientist working with members of the so-called Clever Club ie groups of animals that have been proved to not only reason but to plan for the future. These are the great apes, dolphins, elephants and members of the crow family as well as humans.
Should our changing view of animal's abilities and qualities change the Church's view on their souls or lack of them?

John
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Angus Toanimo
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No-one has ever been taught by the church that animals do not have souls. Unlike ours, animals' souls are non-spiritual, and cease at death.

Here is a thread that Deacon Robert started on the very subject.
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Rose of York
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The three powers of the soul are memory, will and understanding. When a lost dog is found it recognises its owner and its home, so they do have memory. I had a dog whom we used to call the wilful little sod. Dogs can work out how to get home, how to find their way home, find a means of climbing up a steep river bank, negotiating obstacles, so they do have understanding. Dogs can distinguish between people who are friendly and people who are a danger.

I wonder if slugs and snails have memory, will and understanding. It is hard to know because they show no interest in communicating with humans.
Keep the Faith!

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Rose of York
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Patrick
Saturday, 3. December 2011, 18:11
No-one has ever been taught by the church that animals do not have souls. Unlike ours, animals' souls are non-spiritual, and cease at death.
How do we know? Is there any scriptural authority for that?
Keep the Faith!

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Deacon Robert
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"animals' souls are non-spiritual, and cease at death."

Bishop Fulten Sheen spoke about animal souls. What I remember is we have supernatural souls, they have natural souls. We will have the beatific vision and they will not. It is not that they will cease at death. Consider Scripture "The lion will lay down with the lamb...etc". Does this not speak about animals being present in our heavenly life. It makes no sense that those animals, which he also created in love, should perish. Well it's only my opinion anyway, but I am conforted to believe that the animals I love in this life wil greet me in the next.


PS: there is a intensive discussion on this in the archives.
The burden of life is from ourselves, its lightness from the grace of Christ and the love of God. - William Bernard Ullanthorne

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Rose of York
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Deacon Robert
Saturday, 3. December 2011, 21:00


PS: there is a intensive discussion on this in the archives.
I merged the new discussion to the old one, all 10 pages of it, with lots of information. Here they are along with today's posts.
Keep the Faith!

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Emee
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Having loving, wilful, clever dogs myself, with definitely the faculty of memory also, I agree with Rose's and Deacon Robert's reasoning on this. I pray that my dogs too will be with me in Heaven... :)
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OsullivanB

Ecclesiastes 3.21
 
Who knows if the human spirit mounts upward or if the animal sprit goes downward to the earth?
"There is a principle which is a bar against all information, which is proof against all arguments and which cannot fail to keep a man in everlasting ignorance - that principle is contempt prior to investigation." Herbert Spencer
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Derekap
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Rottweilers and Pit-Bull Terriers streng Verboten in Heaven!
Derekap
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OsullivanB

Derekap
Saturday, 3. December 2011, 22:39
Rottweilers and Pit-Bull Terriers streng Verboten in Heaven!
So Pope Benedict...?
"There is a principle which is a bar against all information, which is proof against all arguments and which cannot fail to keep a man in everlasting ignorance - that principle is contempt prior to investigation." Herbert Spencer
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Deacon Robert
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Nein, Stärke im Glauben, sie Stärke in der Liebe im Himmel wohnen.
The burden of life is from ourselves, its lightness from the grace of Christ and the love of God. - William Bernard Ullanthorne

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paul

Isn't there something written about man having dominium over the animals. I have a dog, called Hector he is a chocolate labrador and will be ten years old 3/12.
He has been my companion for all that time and will be sadly missed when he dies.

We have to imagine the heavenly state. As a God of love he would know how much we loved a pet and presumably would allow that pet to exist with me in heaven.
Whether I shall be allowed to drive around in my Mercedes is another question!

There is no point in asking the question whether animals have souls without some sort of conjecture of a heavenly spiritual state. To say it is a mystery is something of a cop-out. We have to use our reasoning/intelligence by applying evidence found in scripture and revelations.

I think that as animals are created by God then they would have something akin to spirituality within them, call it a soul if you wish; but certainly not the same as a human soul.

Dominus vobiscum
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