Do Nonhuman Animals Have Souls?

[Fireball]

The RCC says no, but then we atheists don't accept that souls exist, anyway. Except for my wife and youngest son, who have purchased Kia Souls to drive. no souls

[rskovride]

The RCC says no, but then we atheists don't accept that souls exist, anyway. Except for my wife and youngest son, who have purchased Kia Souls to drive. no souls

From the link. 

 Animal and vegetable souls are dependent entirely on matter for their operation and being. They cease to exist at death.

lol...... catholic.com

[Catholic_Lady]

Personally I believe they do, yes

Where do they go after death? Do any suffer hell?

I don't know where their souls go, but since animals don't carry moral responsibility and are innocent, I don't see how it makes any sense to say Hell is on the table lol. My guess is they don't experience the afterlife the same way we do, just as they don't experience this life the same way. So maybe they don't get the same full experience of Heaven, but they do live on in some sort of peaceful state without suffering? That's my guess anyway.

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The RCC says no, but then we atheists don't accept that souls exist, anyway. Except for my wife and youngest son, who have purchased Kia Souls to drive. no souls

The Church has no official position on whether or not animals have an afterlife. You will find opinions from theologians, but no official doctrine on the matter.

[The Valkyrie]

Where do they go after death? Do any suffer hell?

I don't know where their souls go, but since animals don't carry moral responsibility and are innocent, I don't see how it makes any sense to say Hell is on the table lol. My guess is they don't experience the afterlife the same way we do, just as they don't experience this life the same way. So maybe they don't get the same full experience of Heaven, but they do live on in some sort of peaceful state without suffering? That's my guess anyway.

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The RCC says no, but then we atheists don't accept that souls exist, anyway. Except for my wife and youngest son, who have purchased Kia Souls to drive. no souls

The Church has no official position on whether or not animals have an afterlife. You will find opinions from theologians, but no official doctrine on the matter.

Innocent?

Have you read about the bonobo monkeys?

Horny little pricks!

[ignoramus]

Deb, I love your sincerity ... I really do.

So what about a Staffi who ripped a little kid to bits because ...why not?
So the authorities put it down.

I take it they don't get 2 schmackos in dog heaven, just one?
I'm confus... does god not care what they do to "his" property?

[Catholic_Lady]

Animals don't have moral culpability.

[Foxaèr]

Animals don't have moral culpability.

Humans are animals.  

And I disagree.

[Catholic_Lady]

Animals don't have moral culpability.

Humans are animals.  

And I disagree.

My bold

I don't believe you think animals have moral culpability. If a bear attacks a human and kills him, you think the same of that bear as you would a murderer? That it's a horrible, immoral bear, just as the human who murders another is a horrible, immoral person?

A couple years ago an alligator in Disney attacked and killed a two year old little boy. Not for one second did it cross anyone's mind to feel any sense of outrage at that alligator. If it had been some dude who had captured and killed that little boy though, it'd be a different story. Because we know animals cannot be held morally accountable like humans can.

[vulcanlogician]

I agree with CL. Nonhuman animals are not morally responsible for their actions. Humans have a capacity for higher reasoning and that's what makes them morally responsible.

OP: Depends on how you define soul, but if you define it as bare consciousness, then, yes, animals have souls. If you define it as some spooky immaterial thing then no. Nothing has a soul.

[Foxaèr]

Humans are animals.  

And I disagree.

I don't believe you think animals have moral culpability. If a bear attacks a human and kills him, you think the same of that bear as you would a murderer? That it' a horrible, immoral bear, just as the human who murders another is a horrible, immoral person?

A couple years ago an alligator in Disney attacked and killed a two year old little boy. Not for one second did it cross anyone's mind to feel any sense of outrage at that alligator. If it had been some dude who had captured and killed that little boy though, it'd be a different story. Because we know animals cannot be held morally accountable like humans can.

You don't think common household pets don't understand morality?  They do.  Use a negative tone with them, and the look on their faces will inform you that they understand the wrong they have done.  That is moral culpability.  

Your bear reference is raw nature.  Of course raw nature is going to be different than evolved nature.  

Yet, I have a story:

We were driving and attempting to turn onto a side street.  We were becoming frustrated because traffic was held up.  It turned out there was an injured wild animal on the road.  Know what happened?

People were kind enough to help that animal.  It was a raccoon, and they're not known to be friendly.  This creature allowed itself to be picked up and carried over to the side of the road, since it had already been hit by a vehicle, because it had the moral capability to understand that it was being helped rather than harmed.  The poor thing, as well as the actions of the people around, sent shivers through my heart.