Christians: Do animals feel pain, even though they don't have a soul??

Question

Or do they have a soul?

Answer 1

Of course animals feel pain. Probably any animal with a central nervous system experiences some form of uncomfortable negative feedback.

Souls, on the other hand simply do not exist. The Soul is a speculative theological concept that was devised about 390 CE by St Augustine in an effort to explain how Christ's promise of immortality might actually be possible. Unfortunately, Augustine's theological speculation critically depends on two other unsubstantiated philosophical speculations -- Plato's Idealism, and Aristotle's Solipsism. Neither Idealism nor Solipsism has been able to withstand scientific scrutiny and both have been utterly discredited. This means that even if God did actually exist, and even if He did actually loan each new human a tiny bit of His own immortal essence at the moment of their birth, Augustine's speculative soul could not possibly work. As regards animal's souls, Augustine never imagined that God would loan a mere animal a bit of His own holy essence and so it has never been believed that animals could actually have a soul.

With or without a soul, animals do feel pain, because they have a nervous system and a brain.

Answer 2

Plants feel pain, do they have soul?
Soul is a term invented by humans to justify the unexplainable existence of an invisible motoring force, or the very essense of identity, and its not privative of Christians, every religion and even some agnostic groups believe in its existence. Given the believe that there's reincarnation, we can assume that all living things have a soul.

Answer 3

I don't know if animals have a soul and of course they feel pain. That is why we need to be kind to them. I love animals.

Answer 4

Of course they feel pain, they all have nervous systems.

What does that have to do with souls?

Only God knows if animals have souls.

Answer 5

Yes, they feel pain....you should know that without having to ask.....I hope you have not harmed any little animals,,thinking they don't feel pain...They will be in Heaven with us so we know they have souls...

Isaiah 11

6 The wolf will live with the lamb, the leopard will lie down with the goat, the calf and the lion and the yearling together; and a little child will lead them. 7 The cow will feed with the bear, their young will lie down together, and the lion will eat straw like the ox. 8 The infant will play near the hole of the cobra, and the young child put his hand into the viper's nest. 9 They will neither harm nor destroy on all my holy mountain, for the earth will be full of the knowledge of the LORD as the waters cover the sea.

Answer 6

The Bible doesn't say anything about animals not having souls, but they do feel pain.

Answer 7

I am not a Christian, but the technical theological answer is two-fold: either they have a soul, but it is qualitatively different than humans and is not eternal; or two, they have no souls.

Absence of a soul does not mean absence of a brain or a nervous system. I take it you have at least two out of the three yourself.

Cheers.

Answer 8

Of course they feel pain. Who says they don't have a soul? Do you know that for sure?

Answer 9

How are the two connected? I'm not a Christian but I think there may be logical disconnect in your question. Can you clarify by connecting feeling pain and having a soul?

Answer 10

Yes they feel pain, both physical and emotional.

If they do have a soul then there are no animals in Hell, because animals do not have free will.

So Heaven would be full of animals.