Only Humans Have Souls. DiscussMost definitions state that a soul is the spiritual essence of a human being

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10/05/2007         of 2        Will Forbes

Only Humans Have Souls.  Discuss

Most definitions state that a soul is the spiritual essence of a human being.  There are some religions – especially those trusting in reincarnation – that believe animals may also possess a soul.  Believing that animals – especially beloved pets – have souls can be comforting.  By examining the possibilities, we can determine what to believe.  The religions arguments for and against animals having souls are based on writings and traditions and allow little room for discussion.  The Hindu religion accepts reincarnation, with animals being part of the progression of the soul.  Often followers will not even step on an ant in fear of harming the reincarnation of some human.  Many American Indian tribes also believed that animals possessed spirits.  They also seemed to personify non-living things and some say that even mountains or such have souls.

Although there are no direct statements that animals do not have souls in the Jewish, Christian and Muslim religious texts, there seem to be implications that only humans have souls.  An extension of the argument caused the Christian Catholic Church to state that the Earth was also the centre of the Universe and that everything revolved around the planet.  If you are not dogmatic in your religion, you can use a logical argument to define your belief.  If you consider how a dog, a cat, or other animal has a personality and a memory and how it reacts to life, you may find it hard to believe that your pet is just a complex machine that has no spiritual aspect or soul and is gone when it dies.  If an animal that has love and feelings is just a machine, why should humans be any different?

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The only problem with giving animals souls concerns at what level do you stop? If a dog has a spiritual aspect or soul, does a chipmunk? A bird? A worm? What about a fly? Or bacteria?  In fact, perhaps all living things have a spiritual aspect.  Or are we all part of one gigantic spirit? There are some religions that believe we all share the same common soul.  In such a belief, perhaps all life has a spiritual sense to it.  Just as there is no solid evidence that we have souls, there hasn’t been any conclusive evidence that animals ...

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