Catholic church says animals have souls, many Protestant churches don't agree.

[old mark]

Late pope John Paul II wrote that animals have souls:
http://www.dreamshore.net/rococo/pope.html

While protestants evidently including mormons believe they do not:
http://www.mormonapologetics.org/topic/41578-do-animals-have-spirits/

Some protestants don't believe catholics can get into heaven:
http://wiki.answers.com/Q/Do_Protestants_believe_that_Catholics_will_go_to_heaven

While sone catholics believe that NO ONE BUT catholics can go to heaven:
http://forums.catholic.com/showthread.php?t=214400

Isn't religion lovely?

mark

[LanternWaste]

1. I've even known people who believe...

I've even known people who believe that their own political opinions (another human construct appearing nowhere but our own imaginations-- much like religion or philosophy) are correct and true at the expense of all others...

Isn't humanity lovely?

[Bucky]

6. Phew! For a second there I thought you were writing that Buddhists will go to Heaven.

All they get is Nirvana, which I'm told is a real dump.

[Call Me Wesley]

12. Looking forward to it!

But don't be surprised if I report back. :rofl:

[LanternWaste]

16. I've seen Nirvana once...

I've seen Nirvana once... just another trendy nineties band. :)

[Deep13]

29. Of course, if they change their mind, there is no worry about going to hell.

If one is a Catholic, for example, simply doubting that the communion wafer actually becomes the physical body of JC puts ones immortat soul in jeopardy.

[Twillig]

2. It calls for a Knife fight

Whoever goes to the hospital wins. (the other goes to the morgue)

Would protestants include mormons if they knew mormons were being lumped in with them?

I, as an anti-theist (whatever you want to call me) say to the believers embrace the disagreement. Acknowledge it.

"Belief in belief" is bullshit.

If they're not with you, they're again ya!

[Commie Pinko Dirtbag]

3. Well, they believe a bunch of undifferentiated cells in somebody's uterus has a soul.

Not such a big stretch.

An adult fly has a bigger chance of having a "soul" (mind, self, consciousness, call it whatever you want) than a blastocyst.

[tigereye]

33. he he, wait until the physicists find out that there the tiniest particle is

actually a soul! :rofl: :hi:


Wait, or did they? :D

[CatholicEdHead]

4. The offical date is the Feast of St Francis to bless them

http://www.mary.org/index.php?option=com_jcalpro&Itemid=218&extmode=view&extid=105

To celebrate the feast of Saint Francis, Patron saint of ecology, we will gather with our animals to thank God for the blessing of all creation and to ask his blessing on the continued well being of our world.

And it usually draws a packed house.

[Bucky]

5. I wonder how they feel about fillet of sole?

I take my cues from Brett Hume. Christianity is the one to go with if you want to cheat on your wife. They got some kinda do-over button, like that "unlimited lives" cheat code in Super Mario Brothers.

[tigereye]

35. wasn't that awful? A newsperson saying all people should be of his religious

persuasion, AND exposing his ignorance of Buddhism (and in general) as well as racism.


Wait, that's Fox News! :crazy:

[PassingFair]

7. Yes, but how many of them can dance on the head of a pin?

So many things to ponder.

:crazy:

[rcrush]

8. What about Bigfoot? Does he have a soul?

I think not because Bigfoot is evil.

[old mark]

27. That does not bode well for Dick Cheney, does it.....nt

[soleiri]

9. My reading of this is different.

The mormonapologetics forum doesn't seem to be an official Mormon site, so I don't know if it's accurate or not.
But it seems to me that it says that Mormons do believe that animals have souls.

Quote:
"In LDS theology, all living things have intelligence and spirits. "All things were created spiritually before they were naturally upon the face of the Earth," we're told.

I'm not interested in plants at this point, but I would like to take a sweep of other Christian (or Jewish, or Muslim) sects. To most LDS animals having spirits is self evident. But do Catholics have an official view on this? How about Orthodoxy and other sects?"

Unless I missed something.

[LanternWaste]

17. Additionally, many Protestant Christian apologists argue that many animals do have souls

Additionally, many Protestant Christian apologists (C.S. Lewis and John Bunyan among them) argue that many animals do indeed have souls.

[Bertha Venation]

10. If there were no religions, there would be no (at least fewer) wars.

:eyes:

Of COURSE animals have souls. How can you look into the eyes of a dog or a cow and not know that?

[baldguy]

11. Catholics & Protestants don't automatically go to heaven.

But dogs do.

[AsahinaKimi]

13. My cat told me he has a soul

I guess I could be burned as a witch for saying that...

[GoCubsGo]

32. Or...

You could be put in a psychiatric hospital for hearing voices. But, you'd have lots of company, myself included. ;-)

Excuse me. Must go now. My cats are telling me I need to get off my butt and get to my chores. Well...one of them is. The other is telling me that my lap is comfy and I don't dare budge until he's ready to get off it.

[Jamastiene]

14. I think a big part of my youth was spent trying

to undo the nasty, negative, hateful effects of people who believe animals do not have souls...among other horribly nasty, negative, and hateful things. I STILL have nightmares of the beatings from Zimmerman and his horrid preaching, "If you don't have a father, you don't belong to God."

Now, I'm fine with the fact that I won't have to spend eternity with that fucker, but I sure wish I could erase the fucker from my memory while I'm still alive.

[Brother Buzz]

15. One week in every February is officially designated National Brotherhood Week

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CgASBVMyVFI

National Brotherhood Week
by Tom Lehrer

Oh, the white folks hate the black folks,
And the black folks hate the white folks.
To hate all but the right folks
Is an old established rule.

But during National Brotherhood Week, National Brotherhood Week,
Lena Horne and Sheriff Clarke are dancing cheek to cheek.
National Brotherhood Week
by Tom Lehrer

It's fun to eulogize
The people you despise,
As long as you don't let 'em in your school.

Oh, the poor folks hate the rich folks,
And the rich folks hate the poor folks.
All of my folks hate all of your folks,
It's American as apple pie.

But during National Brotherhood Week, National Brotherhood Week,
New Yorkers love the Puerto Ricans 'cause it's very chic.
Step up and shake the hand
Of someone you can't stand.
You can tolerate him if you try.

Oh, the Protestants hate the Catholics,
And the Catholics hate the Protestants,
And the Hindus hate the Muslims,
And everybody hates the Jews.

But during National Brotherhood Week, National Brotherhood Week,
It's National Everyone-smile-at-one-another-hood Week.
Be nice to people who
Are inferior to you.
It's only for a week, so have no fear.
Be grateful that it doesn't last all year!

[Sanity Claws]

18. Catholics believe that animals have souls???

I was raised Catholic and never heard that.
Anyway, now that I know my cats have souls, I have to baptize them. Otherwise they'll end up in limbo when they die.
I'll just sprinkle some water on them --- I don't think they'd like a full body dunk.

[Ikonoklast]

21. Pssst...cats are all Buddhists.

They just hope that one day you will attain their level of Zen, but they aren't going to hold their breath waiting for that to happen.

[old mark]

26. Two things :

1. Give them good catholic saints names, such as Lawrence or Marie.

2. Based on personal experience, wear heavy gloves when baptizing cats.

I was raised catholic too, and I never heard of this till yesterday.

I thought of you immediately.

mark

[rurallib]

28. I seriously asked several priests about animals and souls

They all assured me that no animal had a soul.

[old mark]

31. I am no longer catholic, or even religious, but I remain interested in

studying these things. This is the first I heard of the former pope's statement.

I do know that the catholic church at onetime had a saint who was a dog, but I don't know if he was official - he was venerated long after his death by many people in Europe, and even supposedly performed healings and miracles. Saint Guinefort is the one I am thinking of: http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m1141/is_44_36/ai_66888054/

but aparently there is at least one other in Wales:

http://www.beyond-the-pale.co.uk/dogsaints.htm

Very interesting that there is evidently a body of literature on these Dog Saints but it has been largely forgotten.

mark

[Iggo]

36. I went to Catholic school in the sixties...

...and no way did animals have souls back then. They made sure we understood that. There was always some kid who wanted to know if Spot or Puff would go to heaven. The nuns were clear on that: No fuckin' way, kid.

[old mark]

37. I'm still not too sure about some of them nuns, either......nt

[triguy46]

19. There are plenty of humans without souls, so I guess its all in play.

[TK421]

20. Wouldn't it be lovely if they all found out they were wrong?

[stray cat]

22. And DU says not even humans have souls so why would any other animal

one more belief system and its not even a religion

[SoxFan]

23. What about lawyers?

Congressional Republicans?

Nickleback?

The CEO of The Olive Garden?

Reality show producers?

[old mark]

25. Lawyers? Let's not push it....snakes, OK,. but.......nt

[Manifestor_of_Light]

24. I've been to Valhalla.

It's the graduate student pub at Rice University, under the stairs of the Chemistry Building.
They have cheap beer.

The home of the 25c cup of beer and the two dollar pitcher.

[Deep13]

30. Until we establish that souls actually exist, ...

...the whole argument is premature.

[joeybee12]

34. I'm convinced animals will get into heaven...

...not so sure about anybody else.

[dysfunctional press]

38. since the concept of a 'soul' is a human construct- they can assign it to whatever they want.

it's not going to make it any more true about animals than it does about humans.