Posted on 12/14/2001 6:20:31 AM PST by grist for the mill
Several decades ago, schoolchildren were taught that the difference between animals and humans was that humans used tools, and animals did not. It seemed reasonable. But since then, scientists have observed many different animals using tools. Not only monkeys and the great apes, but also smaller, what we consider to be less intelligent creatures. Even some species of birds use long sticks to poke into holes, waiting while ants crawl onto it. They then withdraw the rod and quickly devour the insects. The right size and shape twig is thus fashioned into a very useful tool for manipulating their environment.
Suddenly Homo sapiens needed another distinction if they were to maintain such a lofty position within creation. The next explanation offered was that only people could understand their own mortality. Indeed, we were told that only humans had souls.
Since the notion of a soul is a spiritual concept and has little, if anything to do with science, the fact that we humans even pretend that we can possibly dismiss other species as "soul-less" is the height of arrogance.
It is reminiscent of the days when whites owned black slaves. Although some felt compassion for their "property", they nonetheless had the power to do with them as they pleased. This was easily justified because of the belief that black people were sub-human, and that God couldn't possibly hold the owners to account for having slaves of African descent. After all, they didn't have souls...
Two years ago, when our old, much loved dog, Barney, quietly got up, drank some water, laid down and died, our younger dog, Boo, grieved for two weeks. Normally wanting to be at my side every waking second, she lay in the living room, droopy eyed, not caring where I was, losing weight each day as she refused all food.
Last fall my aged pony came down with colic. His old heart could not handle the stress and, amidst many tears, he died in my arms. My young mare, who had grown up playing with the pony, stood for three days, looking out over the area where we had buried him. She barely moved from the spot, even resisting her feed.
And recently, near Bangkok, an elephant named Jim tried desperately to lift his twin sister, Joom, as she lay dying. His keepers are now worried about him, as his deep depression is obvious.
If non-human animals have no understanding of their own mortality, why do wild horses rally around one that is ill, surrounding and protecting her until she either gets better, or dies. How is it that dogs have been known to howl at the precise moment that a loved one, whichever species, passes on? Why do dolphins take turns helping an ill pod member to the surface to breathe? And why do cow and calf elephants refuse to leave their herd matriarch when she is shot, even as the poachers slaughter them one by one?
The word "instinct" is commonly used when we humans become uncomfortable with our own vast lack of knowledge. But those of us who spend our lives with non-human companions know that instinct is only a small part of what they are. And we also know that our companion animals look soulfully at us when we are sad, instantly forgive us when we are irritable, and show us daily the power of unconditional love. How would that be possible if each did not possess a soul?
Perhaps it is time that we open our minds, along with our hearts, and accept our fellow creatures as partners on this Earth, to walk along beside us instead of ten feet behind.
No.
No, schoolchildren were taught that the difference between animals and humans was that humans MAKE tools, and animals do not.
Sloppy writing.
Cats yes; all other animals - good question.
Some other major differences are that animals do not have a conscience or self-awareness.
A researcher in the article had weighed people at the moment of death and found a weight drop of 2-3 ounces at the precise moment of death. His method of weighing the subjects eliminated the possibility that bodily fluids and air in the lungs could account for the drop in weight.
Since he was intrigued by this, he decided to weigh animals to see if there was a similar loss of weight at their moment of death. He weighed a mouse, a dog, a cat, a squirrel, a pig and even a horse and found no such weight loss at the moment of death.
The researcher consulted a clergyman and asked if this weight loss could be the soul.
The clergyman said he had no idea how much a soul weighed, but he did know how much one cost.
Correction: MAKE and USE tools.
I know, I know ... semantics!
Many of the larger toothier critters would say the same of you.
Now we'll be hearing a new diet plan: SELL YOUR SOUL TO THE DEVIL!!
Too bad they made that deal with the Devil, though.
...fun's over; back on the bus.
Instinct. For the same reason they run like hell when you turn a light on 'em.
Funny, the Clintons do that too! Hmmm.....
Not so sure about people, though.
I don't eat theirs, they won't eat mine.
We're all pretty happy with how its worked out so far.
One thing I DO know--if I loved God with half the devotion, patience, peace, joy, interest, and constancy that my dog loves me, I'd have wings and a halo. My dog has taught me something of how to love my Savior.
(*No doubt some braindead liberal will compare canine behavior to Christianity--I can't help it. I wrote this for people who've had a great dog like mine, who did indeed teach me something about loving God*) If any dog DESERVES a soul, mine does.
But I suspect the real answer to the question is, "Yes, animals have souls and consciousness, but only more mentally advanced and "conscious" freepers are "aware" of the fact. Other, less aware freepers, just react instinctually and just believe that they don't. (Touche!)
Gary Cooper's dogs did that when he died. Weird huh?
DO ANIMALS HAVE SOULS?
I do believe animals have emotions and their own language. Do they have souls? NO. My opinion is based on Christian doctrine, which is debatable to those who are not Christian. Jesus didn't die for my dog. However, God does know ever bird that falls. Will animals be in heaven? I hope so. :)
the LORD God formed the man[5] from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being.Gen 2:7
Sheer bullbleep.
Not my dog. But then, you haven't met the stupid (but very loveable) mutt of mine.
But I suspect the real answer to the question is, "Yes, animals have souls and consciousness, but only more mentally advanced and "conscious" freepers are "aware" of the fact. Other, less aware freepers, just react instinctually and just believe that they don't. (Touche!)
The real touche! here is that I used my comment back to you for a setup to the punch line in my post. Sorry you missed it! LOL!!!!
PS - "Under The Rainbow" is a poem that many a pet lover, including myself, hopes is true. I *do* hope I get to see all my fine canine friends when I die. When we had to put our dear "Bonehead" to sleep 10 years ago, my last words to him through the tears in my eyes were asking him to wait for me by the gates of Heaven.
And here I go, getting all misty eyed again...damn, it's been 10 years!
Of course they have souls if you're simply going to change the definition of the word "soul" until it applies to them. For this to be a serious article, the author would first have to define what she means by the word "soul." It is not a word with a universally agreed upon meaning.
This article is junk.
But 'souls'... they don't have ones that are made in the image of God. And that is the important distinction here.
Those that want to equate humans with animals think they they are elevating animals (er at least bringing down humans to level the playing field). "Hey, we're animals too?" We certainly are with regard to our physical make up and basic needs and instincts ... come on, God used similar designs (e.g. DNA, steroscopic vision) to make things that live on this planet.
But those that level the field do so at the cost of removing God (& usually that's on purpose). Man's value alone comes from the back that his soul is in the image of God. Yes our brains our better, but when we eliminate God from our lives and resort back to pagan and self-centered ways, let's face it... it's not long till animalistic behaviour ensues.
Animals don't have a knowledge of God and a free-will in the manner that humans do. Maybe they 'sense' God in some way that is as natural as breathing air. Shoot, they are part of His creation and they are just 'doing what they were made to do'. No free-will there.
Humans have a knowledge of right and wrong and can choose where to go from there (Angels don't even have the same kind of being that we do... although 1/3 of em chose to follow Satan). But they of course are made differently than us.
There's something unique and special that I don't think we understand. Just by looking at what humans have produced (GPS, electron microscope, artificial heart, going to the moon, velcro), our 'tools' stand a thousand miles taller than anything else another species has produced (e.g. a stick that monkeys use to get ants in an ant hill. Whoopeee!!!
Just the fact that we can have this discussion amongts ourselves (all sitting on different continents and communicating electronically at totally different times is amazing).
And that's just the brain.... how about those fire fighters that raced up into the twin towers? (while there was a mayday call.... knowing the sucker could and probably would come down). Pretty hard to find that in the animal kingdom (in that manner).
For those of us that are Christians we can point to an example that is even beyond that. What about a man that was tortured and yet he prayed that God would forgive them because they didn't know what they were doing?
Jesus on the cross is an example of something beyond what any of us are capable of (on our own). Only having God within us gives us a capacity to pray for those that hurt us and to forgive those that hate us. And that's something animals don't have (at least in the way humans are).
Maybe God works in the lives of animals in some way that we aren't even aware of (& and doesn't affect us at all). But if that's true, then it's irrelevant isn't it? It doesn't matter one bit (in this existance at least).
Indeed. Just one more way they're like humans +=<)|^)
The reason being is that humans are technically animals.... although there are many who would seem more aptly classified as plants or mineral :-)))
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