actually you can know if animals have souls or not. The answer to that question is yes they do, but not in the sense that you may be thinking. Your soul is what allows you to sense and interact with your physical surroundings utilizing the body. What animals don’t have is a spirit, which is an aspect given to mankind along with a body and soul. This is by most people confused with the soul itself but is really an entirely different entity. God made man tripartate in nature(spirit,soul, body) which is the ideal behind being made in His image and after his likeness. In this mankind is completely unique above all creation. He has the ability to interact with the physical world and also the spiritual. The soul acts as a medium between the two and it’s this function which causes people to mistakenly consider the spirit and soul as the same thing. Your soul is your will, mind, emotions,senses, intelligence. Your spirit is that part of you which makes you aware that there is more to your existence than just the physical. It is also that part of you which communes or desires to commune with GOD. This is the part of man which was initially “died” after Adam’s sin and from that point Adam and Eve became more intune with their physical realm aand their “soul” became the servant of sin and thus a servant of the flesh (body). This is why we spend so much time trying to satisfy it. The soul is actually suppose to act as a servant to the spirit, working in conjunction with and under subjection to the spirit as we seek GOD and His will. It how we are to worship Him and it is in this functioning of the spirit and soul that we are to be in subject to GOD the Holy Spirit as we worship the King of Kings and Lord of lords. It is this proper functioning of the spirit and soul that is often referred to in GOD’s Word as a living soul, a being who can think, reason, learn,interact, choose, not choose, understand that life has purpose, deny that it has purpose, etc. These are things animals can not and do not do. Animals can discern that something is wrong and that death is to be avoided, but if you’ve ever seen animal examining another dead animal that is let’s say it’s relative, the animal’s reaction is that of confusion(not mourning as some think) after which the animal either moves on or eats it. Anyway I’ve posted enough on this.
I think I will skip this explanation in SS class and kind of hang with soul for now. My kids have a hard time wrapping their heads around differences between symbolic and literal in some verses, this would hurt.
Very interesting....that’s right....soul and spirit are separate. I can’t say I agree that animals can’t learn, mourn, think...and some other things ..because I think they can. But, thanks for your insight....I enjoy reading stuff like this.
... a being who can think, reason, learn,interact, choose, not choose, understand that life has purpose, deny that it has purpose, etc. These are things animals can not and do not do. Animals can discern that something is wrong and that death is to be avoided, but if you’ve ever seen animal examining another dead animal that is let’s say it’s relative, the animal’s reaction is that of confusion(not mourning as some think) after which the animal either moves on or eats it.
That's clearly false. For example, dogs can and do have friends; and they miss them when they're not in their accustomed place. Dogs will mourn the absence of their humans, and will often seem to understand when they are dead. They certainly love, reason, and more. So by your standard, they have "spirit" as well as soul.
But of course, they're not humans ... and we therefore should not expect them to act like humans.