If Christians believe that animals do not have souls, then why do many of them have pets? That would be pretty pointless, if they don't have souls and they can't love you back..... Wouldn't it be just like having a rock that could move as a pet??
2006-07-01 09:42:53 · 34 answers · asked by Brandice 2 in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
No, your pets don't like being with you. They don't like NOT being with you. They don't like anything, supposedly, cuz they don't have souls. Why would you want to keep it as a pet? Wouldn't you Christians just rather chop your pets up and eat them, after all that's what GOD put them on earth for, right? To eat them?
2006-07-01 09:50:02 · update #1
By the way, I think animals DO have osuls, and I don't eat chopped up animals. And I'm not a Christian anymore. Just letting you know...
2006-07-01 09:51:32 · update #2
Yes, I've had pets my whole life, and I love them very much. They have souls, and they are definately not inferior to humans in any way, and I don't care what any of you Christians say about human being superior to animals.
2006-07-01 09:55:57 · update #3
My stepdad told me that a lot of christians believe that animals do not have souls. He is a Christian. That is where I hear this from....
2006-07-01 10:06:01 · update #4
Ya, "google", I'm not an atheist by the way, I'm hindu. And don't insult my religion.
2006-07-01 10:42:54 · update #5
I think alot of ppl, different religions included, dont beleive pets have souls. I am a christian also. I believe in Heaven which is wonderful. I believe that if we have a beloved pet it does go to Heaven & if we are saved & live right then one day when we go to Heaven we will be reunited with our pet we loved so dearly. Hey it's Heaven! Why wouldn't our pet be there. If someone loves animals it isn't pointless to have a pet, it brings them joy & happiness no matter what they believe about animals having souls. You shouldn't be so mad at everyone because you think everyone believes that way. No one truly knows til they get there ya know. I think animals are wonderful, I'm sure Heaven is full of 'em. So dont worry, if you have a beloved pet I believe they are there with all my heart. I have 2 pets I believe are in Heaven. I hope you have a great day & God bless. : )
2006-07-15 03:29:10 · answer #1 · answered by Sugar Dumplin 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
You know the Bible says in Ecclessiastes, that the soul of an animal goes down but the soul of mankind goes up to God who made it.
What you have to remember is the soul and the spirit are differrent.Soul is the life force and the spirit is God breathed called"rouash" in Hebrew and "pneuma"(like pneunomia)in the Greek.The soul and spirit of man go back to God until the ressurection.I mean after all in Revelation 19 Jesus returns on a white horse,well that horse was up in Heaven,eh?Animals do have souls the Bible says so.They are God's creations and we are supposed to be the care takers of the Earth.That doesn't mean we can't use them or eat some of them(after the flood God said we can harvest plant and animal alike)just not abuse plant and animal.The Bible even says to let the Ox ,when he's grinding the corn,have some of it to eat.St.Paul used that analogy to say that Pastors should share the offerings(get paid i.e.)with the congregation.So, you can see God intends us to watch out for His creations.The only mystery is 'does an animal need soul redemption to stay in Heaven or is it just man who needs the Savior since animals are depedent on us and can't choose to be redeemed.Hmmm...interesting.
2006-07-01 10:07:17 · answer #2 · answered by AngelsFan 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
People have done a good job of responding. And as at least one person implied, the question shows that the reader could do more research on what Christians believe. There are more varieties of Christian than there are ice cream flavours, I suspect.
Also, there are different human/pet relationships. Some pets actually work with humans to accomplish tasks such as herding sheep, guarding property, finding explosives, drugs, missing people, and guiding the blind. Perhaps the definition of pet could use some review here.
2006-07-15 04:54:22 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
The first responsibility that God gave Adam was to tend the garden. In Western society we look upon this as stewardship. We are to care for God's creation. I cannot say for a fact whether animals have souls or not. A lifelong experience with animals tells me that they have intelligence and personality, but this is not soul. The soul is a part of God that is imparted to each human for the purpose of salvation and fellowship with God. I do know that animals can see and perceive the spiritual realm, but whether this is evidence of a soul I do not know. The love that an animal seems to impart to us is in reality body language signally a need to have its personal needs fulfilled or marking you as territory (cats are notorious for this). The existence of a soul or not in animals is irrelevant. God has given a charge to care for them and care for them we must. If you choose to be a vegetarian then that is your right---there is nothing good or bad about this. If you choose to have pets, then this shows that you are a compassionate person. If you choose to reject Christ, then you choose to reject the Holy Spirit and there are consequences for this. Jesus still loves you, even though you have chosen to reject him. You can come back to him at any time prior to your death on earth, but do not wait too long for you do not know at what hour the Lord will require your soul.
2006-07-15 04:35:33 · answer #4 · answered by Preacher 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
That's not true. Animals are souls according to the Bible. Just like humans are souls. Those so called Christians probably say that in order to support the belief of heaven and a fiery burning hell.
2006-07-14 18:50:33 · answer #5 · answered by Cherokee 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
In the OT when God creates man and the animals, he gave man a "soul" and made animals "living creatures." This is how the Bible was translated. In fact the phrase used for man's soul and that of the animal is the same in Hebrew. It is just in how one wishes to translate the phrase. Thus the Bible could really claim animals have souls.
2006-07-13 05:43:12 · answer #6 · answered by mikeledo 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Better question:
If humans and dogs are both animals on a "chain" of existence, in the sense that a bug is near the bottom, and a human is at the top, then the distance between a dog and a human is pretty close. So we enjoy the company of a dog, but we don't really value them as we do our human companions.
Now think about the distance between a human and God. Do you think your relationsip with God is one of equality, of a "pet" or perhaps something even less?
2006-07-01 09:50:11 · answer #7 · answered by locoweeeed 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I think animals have souls. Have you ever had a pet die in your arms? You can feel their little souls leave their bodies and then they feel entirely different when life is gone.
I hope all my pets are waiting for me when I go home. The bible says, " His eye is on the sparrow". We were suppose to eat fruits and vegetables first weren't we? But then sin came in and animals were sacrificed for forgiveness. The innocent blood of a lamb had to be shed, until the Lamb of God was sacrificed.
2006-07-14 19:49:40 · answer #8 · answered by fancydancer 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
LOL... Pets may not have a soul, however they are one of Gods creatures... so i choose to love and care for the two lovely pets I have. And even though they dont have a soul, the do have a heart and show me comfort when they see I need it.
2006-07-15 07:37:28 · answer #9 · answered by monie99701 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Probably some Christians belief and some don't, maybe it's the type of animal. PETS HAVE SOULS AND EMOTIONS. Many a pet has saved people's lives, and or guides for the blind.
2006-07-14 16:02:48 · answer #10 · answered by ianthra2010 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋