Believers in God: Do you think animals have a knowledge of the existence of God?

Question

Do you think that animals know God exists as their creator or do you think they just live thier life oblivious to God? explain

Please don't give me any answers like "no because there is no God" that is not helpful.

Answer 1

I think animals are more aware of the Lord than we give them credit for.

Read the story of Balam and his donkey in the old testament. Balam was attempting to escape doing the will of the Lord by leaving town---he was running away! As he was riding down the road that led out of town his donkey saw an angel of the Lord barring the road. The donkey stopped in the middle of the road and refused to go farther. Balam hit the donkey with his staff, but the donkey kept refusing to budge. So Balam kept striking the donkey but it continued to refuse to keep going down the road. After the third time than Balam struck the donkey the Lord opened the donkey's mouth and allowed it to speak. The donkey said to Balam, "Why are you hitting me? There is an angel of the Lord standing in the middle of the road with his sword drawn---if we go farther he will kill you!"

Then the Lord opened Balam's eyes and he saw the angel standing there with his sword drawn, ready to strike Balam dead if he kept going in the direction he was headed.

So anyway, yes. I think that animals are much more aware of the Lord than we give them credit for.

Answer 2

The vast majority of the members of the kingdom "animalia" do not have a central nervous system, making thoughts of God wholly impossible.
For the higher-brained species of animals, many domesticated species (such as dogs) show guilt after doing something bad, even if they haven't been caught yet. Some could use this knowledge of disobedience as evidence for either argument, however.
If you are going to ask about God it would be a good idea to first consult some religious text, since idolatry (making up a god) is a pretty silly idea.
The Bible says that God breathed into man the breath of life, and then he gained a soul (Gen. 2:7). The soul seems to be the main thing that separates us from animals, a unique gift makes us in Gods image. However, it appears that animals may also be in heaven (Act 11:5-6).
To further add confusion, in one recorded instance a donkey saw an angel even before his owner did (Num 22:23)!
I talked with my dog once about God. He didn't seem too interested, despite being a Saint (Bernard). That was a bad one, sorry. In truth, when I see my dogs licking themselves I do question how much they actually think about.
To answer you in a medical sense, most animals operate principally with the lower, or "primal" brain (the chief reason why most are untameable). The lower brain regulates breathing cycles, hormones, reactions to pain, fear and emotion; meanwhile requiring the upper brain to figure out the more sublime facets of our existence. I hope I muddled the waters for you a little more, as I believe that paradoxes lead you to the more interesting truths.

Answer 3

This rather presumes that animals have a similar thought or logic system as we do. I don't want to suggest their's is worse than ours just different. They may not have the same need for a crutch when it comes to death; i am not sure, say, a gazelle would give thanks to anyone after escaping from a preditor; they just start eating again. There is no death ritual for animals; a dying animal is left behind. It is literally the survival of the fittest. I should probably qualify this, I am a non believer, but I do not think that animals have any perception of after death life, nor do they worship or give thanks to any entity.

To the person who says animals kill only for food. This is incorreect. Chimpanzees are known to murder other chimps for reasons of dominance. Doesn't sound too much like mercy.

Answer 4

No, animals have very limited knowledge and are neither sinful nor innocent. You may find it interesting to know the hebrew word that describes our souls in the Bible is also applied to animals. So animals do apparently have souls! They just arent created in the image of God receiving the same gifts we have.

Answer 5

I think animals do have a knowledge of the existence of God, because some animals attack fearful people, for they should only have fear of God. Animals can't pray to God, because they are impulsive, only Adam was the first creature of God to exercise free will, so God rewarded him with entry to heaven. There are many cases in which animals attack evil persons and societies. In the Quran it says that all of the creatures of God bow down to God, in that they protect the most righteous and attack the evil/transgressors. There are many cases in which animals are able to communicate with righteous humans.

Answer 6

No. Animals run on instinct which was God-given. Their instinct is survival and our Creator, God(Yahweh), provides for their survival. That does not mean that they have trust or a lack of it, especially domestics because they instinctively look to humans for provisions and they trust in their masters to provide. The mistrust comes with abuse, as with all species.

All of God's Creation gives glory to God---His creative works.

Answer 7

I have heard good arguments both ways but I believe no because we are the only ones (humans) that were given a spirit we are God breathed meaning God breathed life into us when he created us and he only made the animals

Answer 8

I think that animals know God exists and they may know more about everything than we give them credit for,yet on the same note I don't no if all animals BELIEVE in him and I deffinetly don't think anyone alive knows if they do.

Answer 9

Yes, because God made them just as He made humans.Meaning,if God allowed us the opportunity to know Him, I believe He did the same for the animals also.

Answer 10

God created the animals and the bible says that the animals worship God with colors sounds and other things