Do animals have souls?

Question

I cannot find a direct verse that says that they don't have souls.. I believe that they don't have souls but I'm wondering if I'm right?

Answer 1

Do animals have a Soul? Yes, every animal rather every living being has a Soul. Before we delve further into the existence of soul we need to understand the origin of the cosmic system in its entirety.

The whole cosmos starts with a big bang and all the Atmans (Souls) in the Cosmos get scattered all over the cosmos. These Souls do not have the power within to purify themselves and comeback to their original state. They need a body to do that. Hence every Atman the soul within waits for a suitable body that it can manifest and start on its cosmic journey.


And this cosmic journey of 8.4 Million manifestations and 96.4 Million earthly years is required to be undergone by our soul the atman within before it can come back to its pristine glory. The moment the Atman the soul within gains its cosmic glory... we state the Atman soul to have gained immortality... it has now become free from the cycle of manifestations... this is the stage of salvation as we call it in Buddhism and Christianity, known as moksha in Hinduism.

The cosmic journey that an Atman soul undertakes starts with the body of an amoeba (single cell formation)... Which is the first stage in the Life of our Atman the soul within. As Life proceeds by this single cell formation evolutes into a multi-cell formation, then insect Life, next as a plant, an animal and finally as a Human Being.


By the time this Atman the soul within takes the body of a Human Being for the first time... our Atman the soul within has already crossed the barrier of 7.3 Million manifestations... a long journey indeed! So as to say that all animals, plants, insects and all single and multi-cell formations are our brethren of the yester years.

Considering our stage in present Life if taken as 18 years... we can only mentally recollect what we were at the age of six years. As a Human Being if we look back then this six years of age is the stage when we may have manifested as a plant. Say 12 years can be stated as the age when we took the form of an animal. More on do animals have a soul here- http://www.godrealized.org/do_animals_have_a_soul.html

Answer 2

Well first ask, what is a soul? To have a soul it requires a spirit (breath of God) and a body that has a mind (memories, life experience, etc). All breath is from God. If it lives and breaths, God gave it life. Where does life, breath go when the body gives out? It goes back to where it came from. It goes to God. That is not the soul, for in the resurrection, God will unite the spirit with a new body and our souls will live forever. As for animals, one must ask where do they fit in to the description of things. Actually animals are spoken of in Daniel an Revelations. The lion will lay down with the lamb. That is not a representation of someone else. It is literally the lion and the lamb in a time of peace. Do animals have souls? I think so. I could be wrong, but why would God destroy something he's made just because the flesh gave out?

Answer 3

Genesis 2:7 says that Adam BECAME a soul, the Bible never says that people HAVE souls. Read it for yourself in your own Bible at Genesis chapter 2 and verse 7.

The soul is the person himself, it's not some ghost living inside of us. Thus, animals do not have souls. They are souls, that is, they are living beings.

For example, you have heard the phrase "There's not a soul in sight". That phrase means that nobody is around.

Souls are people, not some ghost living inside of us.

Another verse you may find interesting is Ecclesiastes 3:19-22

Answer 4

The Talmud says that the soul is the spiritual force within man which raises him above an animal existence, inspires him with ideals, and prompts him to choose the good and reject the evil.

That's one perspective. Pope John Paul II apparently believed differently. In a public audience in 1990 he declared that "also the animals possess a soul and men must love and feel solidarity with our smaller brethren." I thought that was very nobly said.

I personally don't believe in souls, but I love animals. Animals have life and emotions, and as such are deserving of respect as our fellow living creatures.

Answer 5

Read "a case for a creator" by Lee Strobel. Intersting idea that the soul is the reason for consciousness and the ability to make decisions. The reasons there is a thing called life. So he contends that animals have souls but, that they do not survive the death of the animal unlike humans.

Answer 6

Humans and animals have different kinds of souls.

An animal soul arises from the complex organization of its matter, so it disappears at death.

A human soul, on the other hand, is created by God at the moment of conception, and separates from the body at death. It is immortal.

Also, a human soul has the faculties of a rational intellect and a free-will which animals do not have.

In addition, a human soul can be the receptacle of the sanctifying grace of God in which the soul is made like God in quality (which is the meaning of "born again" which happens ordinarily at baptism).



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Answer 7

I think animals have souls. It's very big-headed of us to think that we are the only creatures given one. Nobody cares about their souls though because animals are smart enough to live their lives without war, prejudice, or judgement. All animals go to Heaven because all animals are good. Anyone who's ever had a real good dog knows that animals have feelings and souls.

Answer 8

animals do have souls. if you believe that the soul is what makes humans who they are then animals have personalities and feelings too they have souls

Answer 9

KJV Genesis 2:7 And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul.

Man became a KJV "living soul", NASB "living being". the only thing the Bible says about animals is that after God created them, Adam named them, and he was given dominion over them. Man was never given dominion over other people, but he was over the animals.

Answer 10

I love animals, especially my dog, so I would like to think so. But the Bible says that God created man(kind) a living soul. Not animals......I'm sorry.