Animals Have Souls?

[musicluvr83]

bacon tastes really good.

Yes, it does; 'specially on a big cheeseburger.

 

[Dorothea]

Unfortunately, animals' souls are not immortal, so they do not go on after passing on earth. But just the thought that animals will be in heaven with us is comforting to me, as I am an animal lover. Not the PETA type animal lover, as I do believe in eating meat, as it's more of a necessity (for me it seems w/my diet). Anyhow, carry on.

 

[88Devin07]

Unfortunately, animals' souls are not immortal, so they do not go on after passing on earth.

Ah, but haven't there been Saints that have clarified that their souls aren't immortal initially, but can possibly become such through our interactions with them.

 

[Joshua G.]

Agreed.



I hate dogs but I'm not to concerned as to whether or not my cat makes it to Heaven, I just always assumed they didn't have souls and I just came across this article and was like, huh? But I totally agree.

Oh no, do I have to do with cats in heaven? sigh... I suppose it will be worth it.

Actually, although my wife and I are the farthest thing from cat-lovers, we have this great Orthodox Children's book called the Abbot about living in a monastery told from the perspective of a cat. It's a great book (although a couple pages get a little wierd... well, wierd only to those who aren't cat people) and the illustrations are beautiful and calming.

that was SOOOO off-topic but if any one has kids, I highly recommend it!

Josh

 

[Joshua G.]

Ah, but haven't there been Saints that have clarified that their souls aren't immortal initially, but can possibly become such through our interactions with them.

Where have you read this? Do you remember who or anything about it? I've never heard this, but that doesn't mean anything.

 

[Joshua G.]

Unfortunately, animals' souls are not immortal, so they do not go on after passing on earth. But just the thought that animals will be in heaven with us is comforting to me, as I am an animal lover. Not the PETA type animal lover, as I do believe in eating meat, as it's more of a necessity (for me it seems w/my diet). Anyhow, carry on.

My priest told me that since animals cannot taste the glory in the afterlife, it is all the more important that we treat them all with respect for this earth is as close to heaven as they will ever get, if we allow for it.

By the way, he's also a meat eater. LOVES meat, so he wasn't supporting PETA either lol

But I always thought that was an interesting perspective.

Josh

 

[88Devin07]

Where have you read this? Do you remember who or anything about it? I've never heard this, but that doesn't mean anything.

This came from a Priest and he quoted a Saint/Church Father, it may have been St. Gregory Palamas but I'm not sure.

 

[MKJ]

Ah, but haven't there been Saints that have clarified that their souls aren't immortal initially, but can possibly become such through our interactions with them.

This reminds me of something I read once, not in a religious context, but in a dog magazine. It was very surprising, because usually those things are terribly boring.

It was about friendship and dogs. The author was talking about friendships between dogs, and said that dogs did have friendship among themselves; some other dogs they were familiar with, enjoyed playing or hanging out with and so on. But he (or she, I can't remember) also said that they could be rather cruel - they were bonds of affection, but not what we would think of as moral relationships. There were power and dominance issues, and a dog had to know his place, and another dog entering the mix could change everything.

Of course dogs don't expect their friendships to be moral, or even know what that would mean. But the author also felt that in a friendship between a human and a dog, there was a moral element, and that the human was in a way able to bring the dog into a perception of that moral element. The human friendship was not totally based on the emotions and responses and doggy feeling of the moment, but on a human love, and he felt that the dog could begin at some level to perceive a kind of difference from dog love and respond to it.

I thought it was very interesting and quite possibly true.

 

[Dorothea]

I hadn't heard or read that, Devin.

My priest told me that since animals cannot taste the glory in the afterlife, it is all the more important that we treat them all with respect for this earth is as close to heaven as they will ever get, if we allow for it.

By the way, he's also a meat eater. LOVES meat, so he wasn't supporting PETA either lol

But I always thought that was an interesting perspective.

Josh

Yes, indeed, interesting!