Do (non-human) animals have souls and go to an afterlife?

[Saint Frankenstein]

So, do you think animals have souls and go somewhere after they die? If so, why? If not, why?

I believe that all living things have a soul, and don't see anything in Christianity that says otherwise, definitively. The question isn't settled in Catholicism, for one. Pope John Paul II said that animals have souls: Pope John Paul II Says Animals Have Souls
Do Animals Have Souls? by Deborah Jones - An Article from The Ark Number 186 Winter 2000 - A Publication of The Catholic Study Circle for Animal Welfare - Providing Christian education, research, study, instruction, teaching, theology, forum and publ
Popes on Pets

St. Francis of Assisi is renown for his deep love for all of God's creation, including animals, insects, plants, even the Sun, referring to them all as his brothers and sisters. His Franciscan Order continues in this tradition today.

Do Animals Go To Heaven? - Certain Animals Go To Heaven - Scripture Whether Animals Go To Heaven

(I do not agree with the radical Traditionalist views of that site, but it is a beautiful article nonetheless.)

My understanding of this is based on the fact that in the Garden of Eden, animals were there with us. Since nothing in the Garden died, it stands to reason that the animals were created to live forever like us. Since it was only humans who sinned against God, the animals are innocent and pure in their souls. So when they die, they go directly to Heaven. Plus, in the story of Noah's Ark, God has Noah gather mating pairs of each animal, so obviously the survival of the animals is very important to God.

So when we harm, torture or otherwise make to suffer an animal, we are harming one of God's beloved children, a living soul just like us. I believe those who harm animals for no reason will be punished severely by God, just the same as if they had caused unjust suffering to a human being, because it is clear to me that animals have just as complex an interior life and capacity for feeling as humans do.

To me, it would be a great injustice if animals did not go to Heaven because of the despicable way we treat millions and billions of them on earth. Imo, animals deserve Heaven more than the human race because they have not sinned against God as we have, and we treat them in such careless, sadistic ways.

 

[Bunyip]

As I understand it the notion of a soul or spirit came from the primitive belief that our breath held some sort of life force - the Hebrew word meaning 'breath'.

At some later stage this idea transformed from a reference to our breath to mean some kind of eternal, immortal personality that persists after death. I don't believe that this notion has any real basis in scripture. And so my answer would be no, animals do not have souls. Neither do humans.

 

[The Sum of Awe]

While I don't believe in an afterlife or view soul as a concrete noun, I wouldn't see why not according to many traditions, unless the tradition thinks a soul exists at a certain level of intelligence/mental creation.

 

[Farrukh]

i believe animals will be gathered on the day of judgment
"And when the wild beasts are gathered" Quran 81:5
another verse mentions
"And there is no living creature within the earth nor a bird that flies with its wings but are communities like you. We have not neglected in the Book a thing. Then unto their Lord they will be gathered." 6:38

purpose of bringing animals on the day of judgment is to check how human beings treated with them in this world.

The Prophet (PBUH) told us that “A woman entered Hellfire because of a cat that she tormented: neither did she feed it, nor let it out of the house to graze.” Narrated by Ibn `Umar and reported by Al-Bukhaari. On the flip side, the Prophet (PBUH) told us that a woman entered Paradise because of a dog: She was very thirsty and found a well. She took off a shoe and reached down in the well and filled the shoe with water then drank it. Then she saw a dog which also looked very thirsty, so she reached down into the well one more time, filled her shoe with water and gave it to the dog to drink
How beautiful is that? And get this.. the woman was a prostitute!

 

[Saint Frankenstein]

i believe animals will be gathered on the day of judgment
"And when the wild beasts are gathered" Quran 81:5
another verse mentions
"And there is no living creature within the earth nor a bird that flies with its wings but are communities like you. We have not neglected in the Book a thing. Then unto their Lord they will be gathered." 6:38

purpose of bringing animals on the day of judgment is to check how human beings treated with them in this world.

The Prophet (PBUH) told us that “A woman entered Hellfire because of a cat that she tormented: neither did she feed it, nor let it out of the house to graze.” Narrated by Ibn `Umar and reported by Al-Bukhaari. On the flip side, the Prophet (PBUH) told us that a woman entered Paradise because of a dog: She was very thirsty and found a well. She took off a shoe and reached down in the well and filled the shoe with water then drank it. Then she saw a dog which also looked very thirsty, so she reached down into the well one more time, filled her shoe with water and gave it to the dog to drink
How beautiful is that? And get this.. the woman was a prostitute!

That is very beautiful. As I understand it, Islam teaches that all the animals are servants of God, no? I believe the same thing.

 

[Farrukh]

That is very beautiful. As I understand it, Islam teaches that all the animals are servants of God, no? I believe the same thing.

what I understand, animals will not be sent to hell or paradise, they will appear on judgment and then will turn into dust.

 

[Saint Frankenstein]

what I understand, animals will not be sent to hell or paradise, they will appear on judgment and then will turn into dust.

So there are no animals in Paradise? Well, I disagree with that.

 

[Farrukh]

So there are no animals in Paradise? Well, I disagree with that.

There will be animals in paradise but not resurrected animals.

 

[Sir Doom]

I voted yes. I don't think we are special in this regard.

 

[Saint Frankenstein]

There will be animals in paradise but not resurrected animals.

How would that work? The animals in Paradise wouldn't be the animals the lived on earth?

 

[Farrukh]

How would that work? The animals in Paradise wouldn't be the animals the lived on earth?

topic is getting quite boring

 

[Saint Frankenstein]

topic is getting quite boring

I just asked a question. Are you too bored to answer a question about your religious beliefs?

 

[atanu]

Answered 'Yes'. Living beings are souls and all souls have continuation until moksha (liberation).

 

[chinu]

I voted YES.

Any question ?

 

[fantome profane]

I wonder if those you voted yes think there is a line drawn somewhere. Does this just apply to larger animals like cats, dogs, kangaroos etc? Or does it also apply to rodents, insects, worms etc? Does every bacteria that ever existed in the entire 3.5 billion years of life on this earth get an eternal afterlife?

 

[Saint Frankenstein]

I wonder if those you voted yes think there is a line drawn somewhere. Does this just apply to larger animals like cats, dogs, kangaroos etc? Or does it also apply to rodents, insects, worms etc? Does every bacteria that ever existed in the entire 3.5 billion years of life on this earth get an eternal afterlife?

I don't see why not.

 

[fantome profane]

I don't see why not.

I was just wondering. It is interesting to think that if that is the case humanity would comparatively be just a tiny tiny minority in the afterlife. 99% of heaven would be filled with bacterial lifeforms.

 

[Saint Frankenstein]

I was just wondering. It is interesting to think that if that is the case humanity would comparatively be just a tiny tiny minority in the afterlife. 99% of heaven would be filled with bacterial lifeforms.

Lol. That's not even getting into possible extraterrestrial life.

 

[Estro Felino]

I voted for "other"
I think that animals can "get" a soul in the moment they take the consciousness of love. Soul is born in the very moment you understand love. So, pets are the ones which can get a soul, because they get in contact with the love they receive from their masters.

I seriously doubt that animals from the jungle can get a soul. Given that they don't know but the jungle law, they will die without soul.

 

[Saint Frankenstein]

I voted for "other"
I think that animals can "get" a soul in the moment they take the consciousness of love. Soul is born in the very moment you understand love. So, pets are the ones which can get a soul, because they get in contact with the love they receive from their masters.

I seriously doubt that animals from the jungle can get a soul. Given that they don't know but the jungle law, they will die without soul.

Once again, your theology makes no sense.