Do animals have souls?

jkd · Apr 18, 2007

Dear TrustAndObey:

I think you missed my point. It simply isn't accurate to define "soul" as being "life", because it is used in many other contexts all the way through out Scripture and has other meanings. In the most basic and literal sense of the word, then yes, animals are souls, however, the Bible goes deeper than this. It speaks of the soul being who we are - not generally what we are, i.e. life. When we take these into account, we can easily see that animals are not souls in the same sense as human beings are. They generally aren't conscious in the same sense that we are, in that we can think about the future, the past, have our own sense of self, and so on. Their soul is different from ours because we are the only ones made in the image of God.

When they die, that's it, their "conscious being" (or make-up) is no more. When we die, our "conscious being" (or make-up) lives on. Hence, our souls are immortal, theirs is not.

It is the definition and usage of the word which we disagree on, you seem to be looking at the basic and literal meaning (the small picture), while I am looking at it as it is applied throughout the whole Bible (the big picture). It's obvious that we will not agree because you define soul differently.

hosea6v6 · Apr 18, 2007

jbg9 said:
Do animals have souls? What does it say in the bible about this? Can animals go to heaven? I wouldn't imagine seeing a mosquito in heaven. In that case, plants are living things, too. Plants don't have souls, do they?

Do animals have souls? A soul and spirit is someting that we know only in part.

Do animals have a soul, could be, but there is nothing in Gods word that tells us. NOTHING! It says nothing about animals going to heaven either.

So you can read all the miss quoted scripture you want, but we just do not know.

Hosea6v6

Renton405 · Apr 19, 2007

I think the difference is that animals act on instinct .. Humans act more on free will, self Conscious and self awareness.. This here shows that we were made in the image of God..While animals are God's creature I dont think they are made in the "image" of God the way man is.. Otherwise animals would be pondering the meaning of life the way we do..

We are the only creatures on earth that question things like God and the soul..

Blake4000 · Apr 19, 2007

I like to think animals have a soul. so that I may rest in heaven with my pet. It is not out of God's power to bring back pets from the dead and give them life and to you in heaven as a gift or reward or something like that for leading a good righteous life on earth.

SpiritDriven · Apr 19, 2007

jkd said:
Dear TrustAndObey:

I think you missed my point. It simply isn't accurate to define "soul" as being "life", because it is used in many other contexts all the way through out Scripture and has other meanings. In the most basic and literal sense of the word, then yes, animals are souls, however, the Bible goes deeper than this. It speaks of the soul being who we are - not generally what we are, i.e. life. When we take these into account, we can easily see that animals are not souls in the same sense as human beings are. They generally aren't conscious in the same sense that we are, in that we can think about the future, the past, have our own sense of self, and so on. Their soul is different from ours because we are the only ones made in the image of God.

When they die, that's it, their "conscious being" (or make-up) is no more. When we die, our "conscious being" (or make-up) lives on. Hence, our souls are immortal, theirs is not.

It is the definition and usage of the word which we disagree on, you seem to be looking at the basic and literal meaning (the small picture), while I am looking at it as it is applied throughout the whole Bible (the big picture). It's obvious that we will not agree because you define soul differently.

Ye shall not surely die but be as Gods!

(where have we heard that before)

Assisi · Apr 19, 2007

I guess it depends on what you mean by soul. I would say that yes, animals have souls - but not in the same way that we do. We are souls with a spirit, we can continue after death and be raised by Christ. Animals cannot.

I don't think that our animals and pets will be in heaven with us in the same sense that other humans will be. But God created our pets and everything we love about them is from God. There will be a new heaven and a new earth, God's perfect creation will be present with us after death in this sense.

SpiritDriven · Apr 19, 2007

Since when does personal opinion....or even the concensus of opinion over rule the word that has proceeded out of the mouth of God.....?

ECCLESIASTES 3:18 I said in my heart, "Concerning the condition of the sons of men, God tests them, that they may see that they themselves are like animals". (NKJ)

ECCLESIASTES 3:19-20 Man's fate is like that of the animals; the same fate awaits them both: As one dies, so dies the other. All have the same breath, man has no advantage over the animal. Everything is meaningless. All go to the same place; all come from dust and to dust all return. (NIV)

LUKE 3:6 "all flesh shall see the salvation of God." (KJV)

PSALM 36:6 Your righteousness is like the mighty mountains, your judgments are like the great deep; you save humans and animals alike, O LORD. (NRS)

GENESIS 1:30 and to every animal of the earth, and to every fowl of the heavens, and to everything that creepeth on the earth, in which is a living soul, every green herb for food. And it was so. (DBY)

TrustAndObey · Apr 19, 2007

SpiritDriven said:
Since when does personal opinion....or even the concensus of opinion over rule the word that has proceeded out of the mouth of God.....?

ECCLESIASTES 3:18 I said in my heart, "Concerning the condition of the sons of men, God tests them, that they may see that they themselves are like animals". (NKJ)

ECCLESIASTES 3:19-20 Man's fate is like that of the animals; the same fate awaits them both: As one dies, so dies the other. All have the same breath, man has no advantage over the animal. Everything is meaningless. All go to the same place; all come from dust and to dust all return. (NIV)

LUKE 3:6 "all flesh shall see the salvation of God." (KJV)

PSALM 36:6 Your righteousness is like the mighty mountains, your judgments are like the great deep; you save humans and animals alike, O LORD. (NRS)

GENESIS 1:30 and to every animal of the earth, and to every fowl of the heavens, and to everything that creepeth on the earth, in which is a living soul, every green herb for food. And it was so. (DBY)

Amen!

The same death we have, is the same death animals have. Our breath leaves us and we return to dirt.

Our "souls" don't go to heaven upon death. We ARE souls.

Again, the Bible says a soul can eat literal food, that the grave is for our souls, that souls can sin and be washed with literal water....on and on and on.

We don't "have" souls, we ARE souls. The same is true for animals.

KTatis · Apr 19, 2007

TrustAndObey said:
Amen!

The same death we have, is the same death animals have. Our breath leaves us and we return to dirt.

Our "souls" don't go to heaven upon death. We ARE souls.

Again, the Bible says a soul can eat literal food, that the grave is for our souls, that souls can sin and be washed with literal water....on and on and on.

We don't "have" souls, we ARE souls. The same is true for animals.

You guys are confusing me! At Church they told me we have souls inside us and that our bodies are a temple to God. this is just crazy! What am I to believe? Interrpretations, Christian Doctrains, The English Version of the Bible, or the Hebrew version?! :scratch:

WarriorAngel · Apr 19, 2007

jbg9 said:
Do animals have souls? What does it say in the bible about this? Can animals go to heaven? I wouldn't imagine seeing a mosquito in heaven. In that case, plants are living things, too. Plants don't have souls, do they?

Well, this is really a silent issue.
Since animals were in Paradise, and yet did not partake of the sins...yet God sent them with us.

So in light of absense, I am open to consider God gives them and all living creatures His spirit. His spirit is our life force [see Genesis b4 the flood]...and when it is gone, we have no life in these mortal bodies anymore.

Christ died for all flesh.
Animals are flesh.

Also, I think it did say somewhere that animals who attack, will be dealt with. I dont have the exact line....but it is somewhere.

Plus the Angels near His throne look like animals.

I just can hope my buddies I lost are in heaven where we can reunite.

WarriorAngel · Apr 19, 2007

KTatis said:
You guys are confusing me! At Church they told me we have souls inside us and that our bodies are a temple to God. this is just crazy! What am I to believe? Interrpretations, Christian Doctrains, The English Version of the Bible, or the Hebrew version?!

Lets not forget we are in His image....
Animala are sinless...because they didnt have the free will to disobey.

So why would God forsake them since they weren't in disobedience.

Since it is man who has the free will, and ability to reason... they have the laws to follow.

WarriorAngel · Apr 19, 2007

TrustAndObey said:
Amen!

The same death we have, is the same death animals have. Our breath leaves us and we return to dirt.

Our "souls" don't go to heaven upon death. We ARE souls.

Again, the Bible says a soul can eat literal food, that the grave is for our souls, that souls can sin and be washed with literal water....on and on and on.

We don't "have" souls, we ARE souls. The same is true for animals.

The grave is for souls? Never heard that.

KTatis · Apr 19, 2007

If animals do have spirits how would they communicate with us humans and other creatures? How would a lion and a zebra act with one another?

drmmjr · Apr 19, 2007

WarriorAngel said:
The grave is for souls? Never heard that.

A quick search in the Blue Letter Bible:

Job 33:22 - Yea, his soul draweth near unto the grave, and his life to the destroyers.

Psalms 30:3 - O LORD, thou hast brought up my soul from the grave: thou hast kept me alive, that I should not go down to the pit.

Psalms 49:15 - But God will redeem my soul from the power of the grave: for he shall receive me. Selah.

Psalms 88:3 - For my soul is full of troubles: and my life draweth nigh unto the grave.

Psalms 89:48 - What man is he that liveth, and shall not see death? Shall he deliver his soul from the hand of the grave? Selah.

FYI

SpiritDriven · Apr 19, 2007

KTatis said:
You guys are confusing me! At Church they told me we have souls inside us and that our bodies are a temple to God. this is just crazy! What am I to believe? Interrpretations, Christian Doctrains, The English Version of the Bible, or the Hebrew version?!

As you have now seen for yourself...religion teaches against the word of God.

Never trust what men teach you, does not the word of God that proceeded out of his mouth speak for itself....

You say you are confused.....You can trust the word of God..... he is not a liar.

He may well have just lifted the Blinkers from your eyes, and like a blind man who has just had his sight restored you may be a little disorintated to begin with.

I promise you....God is not a liar...you can trust his word.

Grace and Peace to you

TrustAndObey · Apr 19, 2007

WarriorAngel said:
The grave is for souls? Never heard that.

drmmjr said:
A quick search in the Blue Letter Bible:

Job 33:22 - Yea, his soul draweth near unto the grave, and his life to the destroyers.

Psalms 30:3 - O LORD, thou hast brought up my soul from the grave: thou hast kept me alive, that I should not go down to the pit.

Psalms 49:15 - But God will redeem my soul from the power of the grave: for he shall receive me. Selah.

Psalms 88:3 - For my soul is full of troubles: and my life draweth nigh unto the grave.

Psalms 89:48 - What man is he that liveth, and shall not see death? Shall he deliver his soul from the hand of the grave? Selah.

FYI

Thanks drmmjr! You saved me some digging.

Optimax · Apr 19, 2007

Man was made in the image of God.

God is Spirit. Jn 4.

Man is spirit, soul and body.
1 Th 5:23
And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.
KJV

Spirit is where life is and where God dwells in us.

Soul is the emotion, mind and will.

Body is our earth suite. If you don't have one cant be here.

An animal is soul and body.

KTatis · Apr 19, 2007

Allow me to get scienticfor a minute. But if all living things have souls, dose this mean bacteria gose to heaven also?

TrustAndObey · Apr 19, 2007

bstow said:
Man was made in the image of God.

God is Spirit. Jn 4.

Man is spirit, soul and body.
1 Th 5:23
And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.
KJV

Spirit is where life is and where God dwells in us.

Soul is the emotion, mind and will.

Body is our earth suite. If you don't have one cant be here.

An animal is soul and body.

That verse actually supports the belief that we are souls.

If soul is the emotion, mind, and will, why does the Bible say that a soul can eat food? Or die? Or be washed with literal water?

The Bible never says our soul is immortal...at least not until the first resurrection when it is RAISED incorruptible.

Blessings,
~Lainie

TrustAndObey · Apr 19, 2007

KTatis said:
Allow me to get scienticfor a minute. But if all living things have souls, dose this mean bacteria gose to heaven also?

Not all living things have souls. All living things ARE souls.

I'm in all kinds of science classes, and not all bacteria are bad. Some are very necessary. Will they be necessary in heaven? I dunno.

Do animals have souls?

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