What are your ideas about animals having souls?
812876
I believe animals do have souls.  They give so much love, have could they not survive death?  Just on the energy of that love alone.\n\nAnd I do they there soul's can manifest themselves through other pets, like you're cat.\n\nMy sympathies to you on losing you're cat, I know how hard that can be.\n\nAnd remember, every cat has it's own unique personality.  This new one might have some of the soul of the one you lost, but also is a brand new soul for you to nurture and love.  If it's a cat that you had along with the other cat, then you two can share the memories together.  \n\nYou're very lucky to have each other.
85602
well hasbril i have a dog with homosexual tendencies and i was worried he wouldnt make it to heaven, well the good people of this site said it doesnt matter how my dog acts in life cause when he dies he just dies goes nowhere, yet i dont believe that i believe wherever my soul goes my dogs will be there to greet me. not to worry.
1044795
I would stop all animal suffering from humans.  They are so innocent and we are greedy.  Because of our Greed others suffer.\n\nThere is no BALANCE by torturing animals for our own aesthetics.
591851
Animals have rights while they are alive.\n\nRocks, once had rights.\n\nIn due time (billions of years probably), they may have rights again.
449907
NO\n\nGod-fearing men see in animals part of God’s generous provision for human welfare. Animals have served man as burden bearers, as sources of food and clothing, as sanitation agents, and as helpers in the vital activities of plowing and harvesting. Their variety of form and color has delighted his eye; their habits and instincts have been and still are an extensive field for inquiry into the marvels of God’s creative work. Though animals die in the same manner as man, they do not share his hope of a resurrection.—2Pe 2:12; \n\nAnimals were created with a limited life span, humans had the prospect of living on earth forever. (Genesis 3:22, 23; Psalm 37:29) Jesus Christ said that to enjoy “everlasting life,” we must exercise faith and take in knowledge of God—things that animals are incapable of doing. (John 3:36; 17:3)\n\nGod created animals for the sake of humans. Animals can help them do their work and can serve as their companions or pets. They also serve to magnify God’s love and wisdom.\n\nThe Creator gave life to both humans and animals. But for how long were they to continue to live? Scientists report that humans seem to have the potential of endless life, so that investigators are perplexed as to why man dies. The Bible gives the reason. It says that the Creator gave the first humans the opportunity of living forever. Death came only because they rebelled. (Gen. 2:17; 3:17-19; Rom. 5:12) What, though, of animals? They are not capable of conscious rebellion against God; yet they live only for a length of time and then die. Hence, it is clear that the Creator never purposed that individual animals live forever. For them death was natural.—2 Pet. 2:12.
223380
Souls?\n\nThat's a h*ll of an assumption!
632216
We are eternal spirit souls RIDING in the temporary VEHICLE of a human animal-mammal-primate-vertebrate-chordate-hominid Homo sapiens. Genetically inherited animal vehicles are born, eat, mate-breed, defend, sleep, get ill, cheat, steal, die. Genetically inherited ego structures-intellect-minds and personalities assist the body in these things so the karmic wheel of this huge cosmic computer-machine can keep on turning.  We are different from-superior to animals in one KEY AREA.  As humans we have the ability to ask the correct-wise-higher questions of WHO AM I REALLY AND WHY AM I HERE REALLY. Animals can't-don't do that! Answer to these questions are to know, love, serve, remember and glorify the Creator, and to know the difference between the three items listed below, not just say you believe and go to church for hour on sunday and be kinda "good" when you feel like it. It takes effort, grace, willpower and mercy!\n\nDo you know the difference between:\n\nillusion and Truth\ntemporary and Eternal\nmatter and Spirit\n\nOnce we KNOW who we REALLY are, why we are REALLY here (Bhakti Prema) then we can go back to the Eternal Home where we can serve the Creator. Until then, we are just here playing with matter, trying to be controllers and enjoyers of matter and the material world and play the role of "little pseudo-gods" instead of doing what He wants. Once we want to play with Spirit more than matter then we have BEGUN the REAL PURPOSE of human life, to NOT BE ANIMALS-INHUMANE.....but to become Self and God Realized (not ego realized!) and go back Home. Thus, most humans are behaving like animals.  \n\nEstimates are that about\n\n5-6% of humans are infant souls\n20 % baby souls\n30% young souls%\n33% mature souls\n10% old souls \n\nTypically it is not until souls are "later old souls," probably the last 2%,that humans start to REMEMBER the real purpose of life and are INTERESTED-COMMITTED in its deep pursuit. Christ came to help humans open their hearts and become at least "mature human" if they can do what He teaches instead of living the Old Testament animal way of "eye for an eye." Compassion is one of His many major teachings. If humans are incapable of love-compassion on any level, then they are animal Homo sapiens.  Some dogs are more compassionate, kind, caring, serving, devoted than some humans.\n\nbody\nmind\nintellect\nintelligence\nego\nSpirit\n\nThis is the "order of hierarchy-lowest to highest" of our utilizable components while here.  Once Spirit runs the show we are spiritual beings riding within a human experience.  But if body-mind-intellect-ego are "trying to run the show," then we are just animals, fancy and intellectually sharp sometimes, but not truly human-humane.\n\nStages of development of love (in order) include:\n\nnurturance\nbonding\nalliance\nreciprocity\nunderstanding-comprehension\nappreciation-gratitude\naltruism-selfless service\nagape-unconditional love\n\nIf we aren't doing these,then we must be going down the rung to lower animal behavior, aka "hell on earth".\n\nIf you can be tolerant and "agree to disagree" then you can be a "civilized human", but if not, the following DOWNHILL ANIMAL CANCER spreads:\n\ndisagree\naggravation-grudge-repressed anger-frustration\ncivil disputes\nfeuds-gang-regional warfare\ncriminal disputes\nwar (>1000 die over a specific issue)\nannihiliation\n\nbut the highest level of spiritual love (the only true-deepest love) is Prema!\n\nHave a great day-life!
593824
How sad for you.  I don't believe in all these human classifications of who or what goes to heaven: I believe all living things have a soul and therefore go onwards.  Of course you will see your ferret again!  If my pets have ceased to exist, then I hope to do so, too - I ain't going anywhere they don't!  (It might be that all those who assert that animals don't have souls will populate something other than heaven themselves, as their love seems to be limited and somewhat lacking in humanity.)
655621
Yes, I do. I believe people have souls. Life is too beautiful for everything to just be scientific. Besides, Quantum Physics states that mind is matter, so what you think to be true, is.\n\nTo Getta: Pick up a Biology Textbook. Humans are animals.
1093327
A soul is an intangible, spiritual being.  I too believe that our pets have souls, but how can a soul weigh something if it is your deepest emotions and values?
661270
Umm... I think God has that figured out. Since animals don't have souls ( at least none that humans know of) then no, they won't go to heaven.Because heaven is not a physical place, it is a spirtual place.
780783
The Parable of Lazarus represents what awaits for those who have been greedy & not given a single thought to their fellow human beings while they were on earth.\n\n A similar explanation is told in the Gospel according to St. Matthew chapter 25, verses 31-46, when Christ Speaks of Judgement Day, & how people will be Rewarded or Punished, depending on how they treated humanity during their lifetime in the world.\n\n Back during Christ's Time, dogs in the Middle East were look down upon, on almost on the same level as pigs(they still are, out in the Middle East, in fact). So when Christ Described "dogs came to lick at Lazarus'sores," He Was Giving a direct example of just how destitute Lazarus was.\n\n The chasm was the divide between Heaven & Hell. The souls of the Damned could not escape & enter into Heaven, & likewise, the souls of the Saved could not enter into Hell to Save lost souls.\n\n "The tongue," was used to illustrate how thirsty the Damned soul was, & only "the drop of water" from Heaven could quench his thirst.
841506
No they don`t. According to Bible only humans have souls. And unfortunately one needs soul to go to heaven. By the way I don`t believe there`s heaven. :D
437626
You would have to ask someone who was Jewish. But animals do not have souls which are "accountable" for sin, so I wouldn't think that it would matter to the animal. They aren't going to go to hell. But the owner is in charge of what the pet gets to eat (most of the time!) so it would be up to them.
871209
I believe it was when we gained knowledge. I don't believe in the Adam and Eve story as anything but mythology, but I do believe in both God and evolution. I believe it was just a metaphor for when our brains evolved to the point of intelligent reasoning and the thought processes that made us the dominant species. That was what eating the apple represented. So I'm sure our having souls and the entire concept of souls developed out of that accomplishment.\n\nNow I'm kinda going to have to rethink that considering I believe cats, dogs and horses have souls too, but I think it's because they have an emotional intelligence that chickens and cows and bugs just don't have.
908985
I agree. I believe that animals are equal to people and they should be treated as such. I'm not a vegitarian or anything, but I still think other creatures deserve their rights. After all, humans are animals too. In fact, I don't consider the animals in my family as pets, I think of them as my brothers/sisters. It is unfair to animals and pets, but humans tend to think they're the dominant species.
779488
Soul is an old term for the psyche.  Spirit is the correct term and yes animals do have one.