Does my neighbor's dog have a soul?

Question

I work from home, so my neighbor appreciates it when I come visit her dog while she's at work (play with him for a little while, let him out, give him food). I've never had a dog, but this dog seems so happy to see me when I stop by during the day, and so sad and heartbroken when I leave 15 minutes later. I have to think the emotions and feelings this dog exhibits goes beyond both instincts and learned behavior. I think this dog has a soul just as truthful and deep as my own.

So do animals have souls? What happens when they die? Do animals have free-will? Or are animals no different from rocks? Should I stop eating burgers?

Answer 1

I think animals have a spirit, but one that's not on the same level as ours. One of the bigger divisors is that we have free will and they don't. Animals are guided by the desire to fulfill their basic needs and aren't capable of processing ideas such as, "Is what I'm doing evil?", much less the general idea of God. They do have feelings and emotions. Plus, they must go somewhere after they die; I've read many people's stories who have had near-death experiences say that they've been greeted by a deceased pet along with their human loved ones. Regardless of all these deeper ponderings, I do believe your neighbor's dog really does enjoy your visits and misses you when you leave.

Answer 2

I believe animals do contain some form of spirit energy. I don't think to our level as they don't know how to reason at our level, question the source of their existence, etc. I mean when was the last time you sat down with this dog and had a chat about their religious beliefs? :-)

I believe when they die, they do go to "doggie" heaven or whatever you want to call it. And, I think they can spend time/visit with their owners souls once the owner passer (if the owner so desires).

I don't think they have free will as we experience it on earth. They do reason and learn tricks, but that is based purely on reward tactics when they are trained. They do not contemplate like......hmmm if I go after the food in the bowl, now, it is "wrong" and a sin because I haven't been released by my master. But, they do reason as to whether they should go for it based on prior reward/punishment for the action. Make sense?

I think they are different from rocks in that sense.....rocks have energy too......and I guess if someone was that attached to a specific rock in this life, they could "create" it on the other side, but there's no reasoning that goes on in a rocks life! :-)

No, you should not stop eating burgers. God made everything and everyone with humans as the dominant species. They are here to help sustain life, but if you want to be healthy.....eat more turkey and chicken.

Good luck!

Answer 3

The body encasing the soul can take any form. Death is merely the soul relinquishing its body for another. This process of reincarnation is of evolutionary importance to the soul. Once the soul's experiences are evolved enough, the soul is born within a human body. The soul will experience multiple incarnations as a human until it realizes its true Divine nature, at which point reincarnation stops.

So, yes, your neighbor's dog has a soul, as do all dogs. Animals do have souls. They do have free will, but domesticated pets, by habit, tend to follow the routine set by their owners.

All this doesn't mean you have to stop eating burgers.

Answer 4

This may be more thought than you wanted to have put in this question, but...normally you do not think of the Bible as saying anything other than humans have a soul right? Well, when it is talking about the creation of creatures (meaning animals that are not people) there is a mentioning of the term "Naphesh(probably not how it is spelled since it is Hebrew, but ohwell)." There was not an equivolent term so it went unsaid in many translations, but essentially the word "Naphesh" is a soul-like thing.

I am not crazy.

Answer 5

for my section I dont imagine so. in case you're human you reincarnate as human! A dogs may were a diverse breed in a previous existence notwithstanding it remains a dogs! I surely have a cat who behaves precisely like one we earlier owned and likes/dislikes a similar meals! The Bible says the soul dies to boot because the actual body and there is no afterlife only sleep till eventually Resurrection! So this can be a controversy of deepest perception! Why do you imagine that is him?

Answer 6

All thing things have souls. Human souls are immortal and hence they can have an afterlife. The souls of plants and animals dies when they die. The word soul comes from the word "anima" which means "life force." It is what animates all living things.

I am vegetarian. It is a choice. Killing animals for food is not wrong. But we must be careful to take care of animals and provide for their needs. We should not be killing animals for the mere sport of it.

Answer 7

This is an issue I have agonized over at times myself, as an owner of three wonderful cats. So many sources say that animals don't have souls. But, after being with my cats and getting to know them I don't see how they CAN'T have souls. The only person who can decided whether or not YOU think they have souls is YOU. Don't be afraid to listen to your own experience instead of what it says in a book!

Blessings and Light

~RW

Answer 8

According to the Bible, not even YOU have a soul, but that YOU ARE A SOUL. For the Bible says, "The Soul that is sinning, it itself shall die." Also, at (1 Cor. 15:45-47) it says "The first man Adam became a living soul. . . The first man is out of the earth and made of dust."

Thus when Rachel was giving birth to Behjamin, her nephesh ("soul" or life as a creature) went out from her and she died (Gen. 35:16-19) She ceased to be a living creature.

The expression "deceased or dead soul" also appears a number of times, meaning simply "a dead person." (Lev. 19:28; 21:1, 11:22:4; Num. 5:2; 6:6; Hag. 2:13: compare Numbers 19:11, 13).

ANIMALS ARE CONSIDERED SOULS THE SAME AS HUMANS, but unlike humans have no ransom sacrifice to be brought back from the dead as they were never "sinful" or in a perfect state. They were simply under mans domain as they still are, but imperfectly now. God says to treasure them and love them, respecting them and treating them fairly with appropriate care. I treat them as I would want an angel to treat me, with kindness and with love. As someone lesser than myself and who needs my guidance.

Also, God has allowed us to eat of certain animals so its totally up to people whether to eat or not. God will judge you no worse for it if you do.

Answer 9

I feel that ,although souls don't exist and animals are just gone when they die, some animals certainly have free will and that it destroys humannity's dignity to treat them as means to an end.

Answer 10

I believe all God's creatures have a soul. Anyway every time we lost a family pet it went to pet heaven now what kind of Mom would I be if I lied so that's the truth:-) PS eat soyburgers they are better for you.