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To: Mrs. Don-o
***" but everything they taught was not wrong"***
I Agree.
The problem with most Greek Philosophers is their Philosophy on God.

There is nothing in the Bible that says animals and plants have souls.
Genesis 1 never makes mention of animals having souls but Genesis 2 says Humans definitely have souls.

Maybe This is one of the special gifts we will find out when we get to heaven.
I certainly have had some special pets I would like to see again.
But for now I see no reason to believe that animals and plants have souls.
29 posted on 11/06/2005 5:45:44 AM PST by pro610 (Faith the size of a mustard seed can move mountains. Praise Jesus Christ!)
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To: pro610
You wrote: "There is nothing in the Bible that says animals and plants have souls."

It may be a translation issue here. The Biblical Hebrew word for spirit is ruah, meaning wind, breath, inspiration; the noun is grammatically feminine. Every being that has breath has ruah.

That does not, however, imply an immortal soul. "Thou takest their breath from them, and they die..." says Scripture.

The Greek New Testament uses four different words: Psyche, originally meaning butterfly or moth, later expanded to mean life, soul, ghost, departed spirit. Thymos, meaning breath, life, soul, temper, courage, will. Pneuma, meaning breath, mind, spirit, angel. Noös, meaning mind, reason, intellect.

That's why simple proof-texting doesn't work here. You have to dig to get the author's exact usage of the word, before you make any comparison between texts.

Dogs in heaven? I always told my kids that they will have perfect bliss in heaven. If (IF!!) they need their dog there for them to have perfect bliss, the dog'll be there. If...

34 posted on 11/06/2005 10:54:27 AM PST by Mrs. Don-o (As always, striving for accuracy.)
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To: pro610
Scripture is clear that Man is made in God's image and likeness. As such Man is a tripartite being having:

Man has the following nature and attributes:

Ecclesiates tell us that when animals die, their spirit returns from whence it came. When Christ died he commended his spirit into His Father's hands. When man dies the spirit and soul are separated from each other and from the physical body. The distinction between soul and spirit is subtle and intractible, however, Scripture tells us that "The Word of God is quick and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart (Heb 4:12)"

Animals do not have a soul, however, there are beings in heaven at this moment waiting for the arrival for whom they've been explicitely created. They will provide immensely more pleasure than the nearest, dearest and most cherished animal companions one has ever loved. The fact of the matter is the most beautiful and beloved of our animals are pale shadows of what awaits in heaven. Furthermore, over the years we may have come to know and love several generations of animals, ALL of them simultaneously await our arrival in heaven. This is a pale analogy, but it is akin to our toy race cars when we were children to having a real Ferrari today. Truly, that is a feeble analogy for what awaits us with respect to our animal companions. That notwithstanding, our temporal pets on this plane of existance are dead.

Plants have neither spirit nor soul. Its an absurd concept. We don't really konw what spirit is, but we all recognize a broken spirt. That having intellect or will has spirit. Personality is the domain of the soul.

74 posted on 05/17/2011 10:33:41 AM PDT by raygun
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