• Starting today August 7th, 2024, in order to post in the Married Couples, Courting Couples, or Singles forums, you will not be allowed to post if you have your Marital status designated as private. Announcements will be made in the respective forums as well but please note that if yours is currently listed as Private, you will need to submit a ticket in the Support Area to have yours changed.

Us and who else?

Prometheus_ash

Metaphysical Bet Taker
Feb 20, 2004
695
31
40
California
Visit site
✟23,499.00
Faith
Agnostic
Athene said:
I heard that the Neaderthal died out because our ancestors hunted them and ate them, is that true?

According to my archological teacher (who has a Phd in Physical anthropology), there is no direct empirical evidence to suggest that humans and Neadethals had direct contact with one another. Some site showed that humans and Neaderthals shared similar territories, but there are hundreds of years sepperating the layers. We do know from the fossil record that the Neaderthals had a less successful birth rate than humans, and that even if they did have contact with humans they never picked up some of our better hunting technices involving ranged weapons and the like.

It is most likely that the less successful birth rate (as little as 2% would make a big difference over long period of time), coupled with compitition, and a changing environment is what eventually did them in. It's possible we will never know exactly what did them in, and it is important to know that experts within the field still argue over some of the specifics.

If you are interested in a good book about human history (from an physical anthropological perspective) you might check out Mapping Human History: Genes, Race, and our Common Origins by Steve Olson.
 
Upvote 0

nyj

Goodbye, my puppy
Feb 5, 2002
20,976
1,304
USA
Visit site
✟46,748.00
Country
United States
Faith
Catholic
Marital Status
Private
elman said:
I don't think that shows animals have souls.

The Catholic Church teaches that every living thing has a soul. Man has the special gift of having a soul that is eternal however. I do hope that God makes an exception for dogs as well. :(
 
Upvote 0

seebs

God Made Me A Skeptic
Apr 9, 2002
31,917
1,530
20
Saint Paul, MN
Visit site
✟70,235.00
Faith
Seeker
Marital Status
Married
Politics
US-Republican
nyj said:
The Catholic Church teaches that every living thing has a soul. Man has the special gift of having a soul that is eternal however. I do hope that God makes an exception for dogs as well. :(

About three years ago, Annabel Lee posted a wonderful story about dogs and heaven.

I personally am inclined to accept Lewis's suggestion; just as Christ brings us eternal life through Him, so we may bring some animals eternal life through us.
 
Upvote 0

seebs

God Made Me A Skeptic
Apr 9, 2002
31,917
1,530
20
Saint Paul, MN
Visit site
✟70,235.00
Faith
Seeker
Marital Status
Married
Politics
US-Republican
Nope. This one:


A man and his dog were walking along a road. The man was enjoying the scenery, when it suddenly occurred to him that he was dead. He remembered dying, and that the dog had been dead for years. He wondered where the road was leading them.

After a while, they came to a high, white stone wall along one side of the road. It looked like fine marble.

At the top of a long hill, it was broken by a tall arch that glowed in the sunlight. When he was standing before it, he saw a magnificent gate in the arch that looked like mother of pearl, and the street that led to the gate looked like pure gold.

He and the dog walked toward the gate, and as he got closer, he saw a man at a desk to one side. When he was close enough, he called out, "Excuse me, where are we?"

"This is Heaven, sir," the man answered.

"Wow! Would you happen to have some water?" the man asked.

"Of course, sir. Come right in, and I'll have some ice water brought right up." The man gestured, and the gate began to open.

"Can my friend," gesturing toward his dog, "come in, too?", the traveler asked.

"I'm sorry, sir, but we don't accept pets."

The man thought a moment and then turned back toward the road and continued the way he had been going.

After another long walk, and at the top of another long hill, he came to a dirt road which led through a farm gate that looked as if it had never been closed. There was no fence. As he approached the gate, he saw a man inside,
leaning against a tree and reading a book.

"Excuse me!" he called to the reader. "Do you have any water?"

"Yeah, sure, there's a pump over there." The man pointed to a place that couldn't be seen from outside the gate. "Come on in."

"How about my friend here?" the traveler gestured to the dog.

"There should be a bowl by the pump."

They went through the gate, and sure enough, there was an old fashioned hand pump with a bowl beside it. The traveler filled the bowl and took a long drink himself, then he gave some to the dog.

When they were full, he and the dog walked back toward the man who was standing by the tree waiting for them.

"What do you call this place?" the traveler asked.

"This is Heaven," was the answer.

"Well, that's confusing," the traveler said. "The man down the road said that was Heaven, too."

"Oh, you mean the place with the gold street and pearly gates? Nope. That's Hell."

"Doesn't it make you mad for them to use your name like that?"

"No. I can see how you might think so, but we're just happy that they screen out the folks who'll leave their best friends behind."​

Shoddy theology, but very touching.
 
Upvote 0

Arkanin

Human
Oct 13, 2003
5,592
287
41
Texas
✟7,151.00
Faith
Anglican
Politics
US-Libertarian

The Catholic Church teaches that every living thing has a soul. Man has the special gift of having a soul that is eternal however. I do hope that God makes an exception for dogs as well. :(


Hey Nyj, just wanted to say sorry about your dog, man. :( They are some of god's finest little guys so don't let people trivialize ya.
 
Upvote 0

Soul_Searcher

Contributor
Apr 25, 2002
5,789
263
Southwest US
Visit site
✟7,479.00
Faith
Other Religion
Hi Trase,

"The word "spirit" denotes God and God is NOT an instinct. God The Father gives a part of himself (spirit ) to any conscious being, to help them in attaining Heaven."

Well, that answers my previous question to you, YOU make up the definitions. Thanks. I hardly think, though, that you--or anyone--can say what God is and what God isn't.
 
Upvote 0

cerad

Zebra Fan
Dec 2, 2004
1,473
110
67
✟25,975.00
Faith
Atheist
Marital Status
Married
Politics
US-Others
Soul_Searcher said:
Hi NewAge,

"One has to wonder then, why does the Bible claim that animals have souls, yet God has shown such calous disregard for them throughout the Bible?"

C'mon, you know this one. The Bible was written by men, not God.
Wonder what the Bible would be like if it had been written by animals?
 
Upvote 0

trase

Well-Known Member
Jun 27, 2004
639
19
✟23,411.00
Faith
Other Religion
Soul_Searcher said:
Hi Trase,

"The word "spirit" denotes God and God is NOT an instinct. God The Father gives a part of himself (spirit ) to any conscious being, to help them in attaining Heaven."

Well, that answers my previous question to you, YOU make up the definitions. Thanks. I hardly think, though, that you--or anyone--can say what God is and what God isn't.


That's why you have REVEALED TRUTH, as in The Urantia Book, The fifth epochal REVELATION of truth to the human race. Wouldn't hurt to read it !!


:wave:
 
Upvote 0

Received

True love waits in haunted attics
Mar 21, 2002
12,817
774
42
Visit site
✟53,594.00
Gender
Male
Faith
Christian
Marital Status
Married
I think there's implicit incredulity in the OP, and I think it's there for a good reason. But if God does exist, and is responsible for consciousness via the fusing of the soul with man's body, then it is what it is: an externally subtle and seemingly insignificant difference; an internally massive and significant difference. At one point in time, say the Western theists, God chose to create consciousness, and on the scene man arrived.
 
Upvote 0

Loudmouth

Contributor
Aug 26, 2003
51,417
6,143
Visit site
✟98,025.00
Faith
Agnostic
Physiologically, neanderthals had brains that were the same size or even larger than ours. This would seem to indicate that they were capable of having the same reasoning skills as we do today, minus the knowledge passed down to us through recorded history. I see no reason why they would not be capable of acting just like us if they were alive today.
 
Upvote 0