Do animals (such as pets) have souls?

[LuciaDisturbed]

I voted yes, but I can't respond as to why since I do not want to go against OP's wishes.

You know what? You can bring religion into my PM box if you like. Same goes for the rest of y'all.

 

[whatdidyousay!]

My dog was able to teacher himself how to catch a ball with his paws . He had a cloth ball and I would throw for him in the back yard . My dog would keep jumping up and try to catch the ball with his paws. He finally caught the ball and he had a look on his face of being so happy and excited. I wish I had a photo of this , .So I have to say my dog has a soul.

 

[naisho]

off topic

Do I believe humans and animals are the same? Yes. But the question of "life force," I wouldn't call it a soul-- whether it's human or not.

Cool game, I have the cartridge sitting around somewhere.. lol

 

[paperclip]

As of today, I don't believe in souls.

 

[Jiro]

As of today, I don't believe in souls.

:-o blasphemy!

 

[naisho]

To me a soul is a personality, or what makes you different from anyone else. I have had a lot of dogs in my life and all of them had their own personality. I can even see it with the snakes my friends and I own.

Now let's move onto lesser life forms. How about frogs, dipylidium caninum, grasshoppers, butterflies, dung beetles, cymothoa exigua, bee pupae, ant larvae, phidippus audax? These are animals too..
Some of them might act differently from another. Like a certain one may crawl differently, or can't do something another could. Some might be missing an appendage that makes it act in a way that is different from its hatchlings. Some may have preference for different foods from the same species.

If you thought some of these have souls.. need to rethink your votes.

Sometimes it is common to confuse soul with behavioral instinct. That is why religion tends to lean towards a higher explanation of what a "soul" means.

 

[Tousi]

You know what? You can bring religion into my PM box if you like. Same goes for the rest of y'all.

Since you take this subject "very, very personally", I'll decline, thanks.

 

[AndyE9503]

Now let's move onto lesser life forms. How about frogs, dipylidium caninum, grasshoppers, butterflies, dung beetles, cymothoa exigua, bee pupae, ant larvae, phidippus audax? These are animals too..
Some of them might act differently from another. Like a certain one may crawl differently, or can't do something another could. Some might be missing an appendage that makes it act in a way that is different from its hatchlings. Some may have preference for different foods from the same species.

If you thought some of these have souls.. need to rethink your votes.

Sometimes it is common to confuse soul with behavioral instinct. That is why religion tends to lean towards a higher explanation of what a "soul" means.

Are you bringing religion in this? Cause I am not. You want to go with bugs? Fine. I use to have a Tarantula that would not let me pick it up. Everytime I tried it would run from me. But the guy I bought it from had other tarantulas that were the same type and I could hold most of them. He could even point out little quirks that they had. That to me is a personality and by my definition a soul.

 

[naisho]

Are you bringing religion in this? Cause I am not. You want to go with bugs? Fine. I use to have a Tarantula that would not let me pick it up. Everytime I tried it would run from me. But the guy I bought it from had other tarantulas that were the same type and I could hold most of them. He could even point out little quirks that they had. That to me is a personality and by my definition a soul.

Not at all, I'm trying to state that religion has a different definition of what a soul means, which is the point in this topic if we don't know what is exactly the debate between OP and her friend.. Perhaps the friend's view may even be religious, I don't know.

You would consider it a soul even if it has no emotion or express any form of empathy?
Just trying to understand your perspective.

 

[naisho]

My dog was able to teacher himself how to catch a ball with his paws . He had a cloth ball and I would throw for him in the back yard . My dog would keep jumping up and try to catch the ball with his paws. He finally caught the ball and he had a look on his face of being so happy and excited. I wish I had a photo of this,

When the shark attacks you in the ocean, you get caught in a tangled mess of man-o-wars and die.. Or the elephant stomps on you.. Or, you accidentally get drowned from killer whales like the Sea world trainers. Or, a stingray shoots a needle into your chest.

I am guessing they would have no change in emotion if you died.
Maybe it'll know you are dead, or slightly proud it has food. Do you consider that as a soul?



I don't really mean to get too much into a debate in here, I am just trying to spread the concepts of an animal are not just limited to pets..

 

[Jiro]

When the shark attacks you in the ocean, you get caught in a tangled mess of man-o-wars and die.. Or the elephant stomps on you.. Or, you accidentally get drowned like the Sea world trainers. Or, a stingray shoots a needle into your chest.

I am guessing they would have no change in emotion if you died.
Maybe it'll know you are dead, or slightly proud it has food. Do you consider that as a soul?



I don't really mean to get too much into a debate in here, I am just trying to spread the concepts of an animal are not just limited to pets..

what about a hardened criminal like serial rapist/killer? the one who tortured kitten/dog as a child and murder people? Do we consider that he has a soul?

 

[AndyE9503]

Not at all, I'm trying to state that religion has a different definition of what a soul means, which is the point in this topic if we don't know what is exactly the debate between OP and her friend.. Perhaps the friend's view may even be religious, I don't know.

You would consider it a soul even if it has no emotion or express any form of empathy?
Just trying to understand your perspective.

I have seen many instances of emotion and empathy in animals. OP asked for other peoples opinions and I decided to give mine. The definitions that religion give have no hold over me cause I do not belive in them. I made up my mine on my own by my observations and interactions in nature.

 

[AndyE9503]

what about a hardened criminal like serial rapist/killer? the one who tortured kitten/dog as a child and murder people? Do we consider that he has a soul?

I was just about to post that, but you beat me to it

 

[naisho]

what about a hardened criminal like serial rapist/killer? the one who tortured kitten/dog as a child and murder people? Do we consider that he has a soul?

Is it just because he killed a pet or child or person that this person would have no soul?
In my logic, he has a soul because he has a personality of his own and makes his own "rational" decisions based on his thoughts (even if they are irrational to the rest of us).


This is why there needs be an explanation of what the soul means to LD's argument with her friend.
In my perspective, it doesn't necessarily have to be something good if you want to ask me the question.

 

[naisho]

I was just about to post that, but you beat me to it

On another thought, I notice some are associating "soul" as something 'good'.

Where is it said that a soul must be from a good doing, good emotion, or some good "karma"?

 

[AndyE9503]

On another thought, I notice some are associating "soul" as something 'good'.

Where is it said that a soul must be from a good doing, good emotion, or some good "karma"?

I never said good or bad. Both are a part of nature and humans.

 

[Jiro]

On another thought, I notice some are associating "soul" as something 'good'.

Where is it said that a soul must be from a good doing, good emotion, or some good "karma"?

that's what I'm asking you because of your post.

 

[freckles]

I am curious about animals such as pets having souls or no souls like humans being having souls. This is only out of pure curiosity...

Do animals (such as pets) have soul like people do or are they soul-less? Pick yes or no and please post in the thread below why you think this way or that way..

absolutely. absolutely.

they all creatures (esp. cats & dogs) sense their surroundings (i.e. of deceased pets you or somebody else had before them) in that house/place, they can see/smell/feel what you can't.

one of my cats, miles years ago, he wouldn't give out his last breath until I got into the back of vet exam room, have him in my arms then started purring his sparkly eyes out at me and died. purred to his max. golly, who would have been so HAPPY knowing to die a few minutes later? he waited for about two hours for me while I was waiting out in a room where a vet tech took miles away. walking out sobbed with him in a box in my hands, it was raining hard but as soon the staff opened the door for me, it stopped raining and the sun came right out beaming around us as a butterfly flew by.

I'll never forget that. I think this will only happen to animal lovers (read: lover not owner) who believe in love of animals.

naisho, you're thinking too much.

 

[naisho]

that's what I'm asking you because of your post.

I was never the one who implied they must be good doings.

 

[naisho]

naisho, you're thinking too much.

Thinking is my specialty. I get deep down into the depth of it to make people think twice about what they say.

I don't really bother to change their opinion, it's more for a PSA to see the other way.