hindupridemn
Defender of the Truth
Do non-human life forms have souls that survive death? Why or why not? what logical or scientific evidence do you have? What does your intuition say? What do your scriptures and religious authorities say?
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animals
- Thread starter hindupridemn
- Start date
Satans_Serrated_Edge
Deicidal
No, but neither do humans. I have always found the separation imposed between the human animal and the rest by religion to be most distasteful. Life is life. It grows, it changes, and evolves. We are not special.
K.Venugopal
Immobile Wanderer
I think this phenomenon called soul is simply an intellectual construct to mean the essence. There would be no soul or essence of a thing if the thing was not there. In the final analysis, the soul or essence of anything and everything is one and the same thing - it is life absolute. This is our essence. This is the essence of, say, a cat also. The whole idea of spirituality is to be aware of our essence. In realizing it, we shall realize the oneness of existence.
BruceDLimber
Well-Known Member
You are welcome to your opinions!
But the fact remains that various religions, mine included, draw a clear distinction because only humans have an eternal soul, which animals do not!
Peace,
Bruce
Azakel
Liebe ist für alle da
Yes those religions include Christians and Islam, that's really varied.
Many Pagan religions and old religions teach that animals like humans also have a spirit.
Humans are not special we are a part of Nature like everything else and in that all things have a spiritual side.
painted wolf
Grey Muzzle
My faith draws no distinction between human and animals in terms of a soul.
wa:do
wa:do
BruceDLimber
Well-Known Member
We disagree.
So be it.
Peace,
Bruce
So be it.
Peace,
Bruce
Rainbow Mage
Lib Democrat/Agnostic/Epicurean-ish/Buddhist-ish
I believe both humans and animals have souls, if you understand soul to mean the life within all living things, like I do.
painted wolf
Grey Muzzle
I should add... that we also believe that souls are not limited to animals either. Plants and even features like mountains, lakes and the earth itself all have souls. All deserve respect.
wa:do
wa:do
sunsplash
Freckled
I choose to believe that animals/pets do have a soul because the thought of reuniting with them in an afterlife/heaven/whatever is just as comforting to me as being with family and friends because they are my family and friends. An eternal afterlife is not a blissful place to me if I can't be with ALL that I've loved and lost, human and non-human alike.
All of this assuming there is a "paradise" after this death in this life - though my opinion of what happens after death in this life is still shakey/undecided.
All of this assuming there is a "paradise" after this death in this life - though my opinion of what happens after death in this life is still shakey/undecided.
enchanted_one1975
Resident Lycanthrope
Yes, they do. Our close animal friends will be with us when we cross to the next life. They are loved ones, even if not human. Everybody knows that all dogs go to heaven...
hindupridemn
Defender of the Truth
I know all living things have souls but I'm also wondering if so-called "inanimate objects" have souls. I think this which are made in the likeness of living things have souls, like my stuffed animals.
Azakel
Liebe ist für alle da
It's a spiritual comcept called Anism: Animism - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
K.Venugopal
Immobile Wanderer
The story in Mahabharatha goes that after the great Kurukshetra war, the eldest of the victorious brothers, Yuddhisthira, was eligible to go to heaven. As he was about to step into the chariot that had come to take him to heaven, he was stopped and asked to offload a stray dog he wanted to take along. The story continues that he declared he would rather not go to heaven than leave the dog behind! So they both entered heaven together.
Arkholt
Non-vessel
As far as my understanding of my own faith as well as Christianity in general goes, I don't see any reason why animals shouldn't have souls just as humans do. I know the Revelation of John is highly symbolic, but it does mention beasts in heaven. I can't imagine that they don't symbolize animals of some kind.
nameless
The Creator
what if your memory about them is erased forever?
sunsplash
Freckled
This would be deeply sad for me too, even if I'm unaware. An afterlife without reuniting with those I love in this life is not a paradise, IMO. If there even is an afterlife - and I'd almost rather we cease to exist completely if I have to continue "being" in any other way.
But I'm still seeking...no firm beliefs to defend right now.
