Do you think animals are aware of God? [Archive]

Rachel E.

04-11-2008, 09:11 AM

I think that they are. I mean in the Bible, it's sometimes the animals who tell the people that God is there. Think of Balaam, you know? Also, in I think it's Isaiah, God says that if we dont' praise Him, then even the rocks, trees, etc will rise up and praise Him. I don't remember if He mentions' animals there, but it would make sense to me.
Yes, I do believe that animal's are aware of God, as a Presence and love Him.
What do you think?

Cymrugirl

04-11-2008, 10:53 AM

No idea. My cat has done some very strange things - she sometimes acts like she sees something in the room - but she's also a loopy cat. Who knows? There are examples of animals in the Bible, like Rachel pointed out, that clearly experienced a visit from God - there were pigs possessed by demons who said, nope, and killed themselves....

Don't know. An intriguing topic to speculate.

Ransom v. Unman

04-11-2008, 10:55 AM

Ach! Dangit!

Xenia, since you're basically asking the same question here, I'm going to go ahead and close your other thread and direct others over to this one, all right?

Ransom v. Unman

04-11-2008, 10:56 AM

Now, the response I posted in the other thread, and I think it's basically asking the same thing.

After all, if something can sense God's power, by nature of the question, they'd be able to sense the spiritual, and vice-versa.

...

I think they're a part of creation just like everything else, and in that, they may be open to the influence of spirits and spiritual realities.

To be certain, many animals seem to have far more enhanced sense than human beings do. Don't forget that Baalam's ass saw the angel where Baalam couldn't. I see no reason why animals wouldn't be able to sense the spiritual – and because they can't muddle up their senses with corrupted "logic", I think they'd be more likely to know that stuff for what it really is.

ProfessorAlan

04-11-2008, 11:35 AM

In the body/spirit/soul sense, animals certainly have bodies & spirits, and those may be able to sense some of what happens in the unseen world.

Rebecca

04-11-2008, 11:36 AM

I do believe animals can sense the spiritual. I've had experiences where my dog will react to an empty area of the room as if someone is standing there. It's a bit creepy! I also know many people who had similar experiences with their pets. And (like Xenia said) they do sense good/evil in people, for the most part.

I also believe animals have souls.

The Bible says there will be animals in the millennial kingdom. Who knows? Maybe we'll be reunited with our long lost pets there. :)

Rebecca

Ransom v. Unman

04-11-2008, 11:44 AM

The Bible says there will be animals in the millennial kingdom. Who knows? Maybe we'll be reunited with our long lost pets there. :)

I'LL GET TO SEE GEORGE AGAIN!

YIPPEE!!!!!11

Xenia

04-11-2008, 12:02 PM

Thanks Ransom for closing that other thread.. I don't know how I double posted like that! I backed up to change the title a bit.. I bet that did it. Sorry.

I love all your responses. I like to think that they are aware of their creator on some level!

Tarin

04-11-2008, 12:53 PM

I don't know if "aware" is the word I'd use. I really doubt that most critters have the intellectual capacity to separate the idea of Presence into the realization that "Gee, there's a God!" But since they operate on a much more instinctual level than humans and since they are much more in harmony with the rhythms of the natural world, it makes sense that they would have an innate knowledge of God in the same way that they recognize (but don't understand) air and water.

Xenia

04-11-2008, 01:54 PM

Hmmmmm.. that just may be a better description :)

Gravity

04-11-2008, 03:26 PM

I don't know if "aware" is the word I'd use. I really doubt that most critters have the intellectual capacity to think separate the idea of Presence into the realization that "Gee, there's a God!" But since they operate on a much more instinctual level than humans and since they are much more in harmony with the rhythms of the natural world, it makes sense that they would have an innate knowledge of God in the same way that they recognize (but don't understand) air and water.

Dean Koontz (who I'm more and more convinced is writing from a Christian worldview) explored this very topic in One Door Away From Heaven. One of the characters is a dog, and how Koontz explores the animal cavorting and playing with "the Presence" (obviously Jesus) is both amazing and heartwarming. Not saying Koontz's stuff is Holy Writ, understand, but it sure makes a feller think...

jacks girl

04-11-2008, 04:07 PM

Great question!!!

I know my pets have known that some people are out to no good. they can at times sense when people are coming or going long before a person is seen. They may not think.. hey there is a God. But they enjoy life to the fullest. Many have pointed out that animals have seen angels in the Bible. I don't think that was something that God ha to point out to the Donkey. I think animals are on a closer level at times with the spiritual world than people are.

May be they can see things that we can't on a day by day basis. I think they have souls, i think everything that has life has a soul. I believe I will see my pets in heaven for that is my hearts desire. The Lord says we can have our hearts desire.

I was really worried about one of my pets who died in the last few years, and the Lord showed me in a vision my little dog Puppy in heaven at the feet of a man dressed in a white gown and sandals. I couldn't see the mans face but he was sitting in a chair. Puppy was laying there at the mans feet looking alert and happy. The vision was clear that day and it is still clear in my mind.

Great thread.

Jacks

Rachel E.

04-11-2008, 10:59 PM

Wow Jacks..you actually SAW your dog in Heaven? that is so amazing! I'd love to think that my dog, who died last week, is up there licking Jesus' hand...she loved to be petted, and I'm sure Jesus loves to pet dogs...

Lookin^Up

04-12-2008, 12:08 AM

I have long suspected that animals can go to Heaven, not on their own merits, but on the merits of the human beings who love them. Their minds don't work on reason as ours do, but on instinct, and they have no souls--only a body and a spirit. Nor do they especially have a sense of justice.

You try to teach a cat to not sleep in your favorite chair. Lo and behold, the cat gets up there anyway because, frankly, it's a comfortable place to sleep. If he stops jumping onto the chair, it's because he's afraid of Owner's wrath, not because he thinks it's the right thing to do.

Some species of birds will sit by while a predator raids their nest. Other species will attack the predator, or divert its attention with a lame routine. The predator has no sense of justice; it's an animal who's hungry. The attacking bird has no sense of justice, either; it flies in because its instinct tells it to.

From what I have observed, especially my own cat Erastus when I had an experience with demons in my apartment, animals are aware of the spiritual. My cat actually hissed at demons I couldn't see! So put me down as one who believes animals can sense God, but not necessarily realize who God is or have any need of salvation. (It takes a sinful soul to need salvation.) They were created to be our companions, and as our companions they would surely be allowed to join us in our Eternal Reward.

I will see Erastus again!

jacks girl

04-12-2008, 11:43 AM

I agree Looking that animals have no need of Salvation. But i will disagree with you on the fact that they have a soul. I think just as I have no Bible to prove they have a soul you have none to prove they don't. Correct?

I know that there is the spirit of life and it could be that is all that is there but I don't think so. I believe that God cares for all creatures I even ask the Lord to forgive me when i kill little ants that won't stay out of my kitchen. i feel that killing could be wrong. i prayed for the Lord to keep them out of my kitchen cause I do not enjoy killing anything.

Also Rachel yes I was in church at the time, I was not thinking about my dog Puppy when I seen the vision but just listening to the choir sing a song then Bang here is this vision in my mind. So clear and bright. The area was so white and clean looking. I do think that animals can go to heaven. I asked God when Puppy left this world to commended his spirit to God and i know he did.

This is a very great thread.

Jacks
Animal lover

Xenia

04-12-2008, 12:45 PM

Animals definitely have a soul (mind, will, emotions)! My dog Elvis knows the difference between a car ride to Walmart, to the golf course or the park and he decides whether or not he wants to go. He has learned that if he goes on the Walmart ride he will have to stay in the car... When I bring home a new treat or toy he gets excited, if scolded he gets his feelings hurt. I could go on and on and on... Elvis has a soul!

jacks girl

04-12-2008, 02:25 PM

LOL I like your thoughts Xenia. Same with Jacks. He can pick out of 5 toys that look exactly alike but he knows which one i bought last week.

He's picky, he knows so many words I have to spell around him. I think everything has a soul.

Jacks

waiter

04-12-2008, 02:40 PM

Hi Xenia,
My what a great question.

There was a time not that long ago I might have had little to no interest in such a question thinking it was a topic of little value spiritually to me. How wrong I would have been I think now.

To your question my answer is a resounding yes. Why do I say that? Simply because animals were created by God and of course, in my heart at least, they have a sense of Him. I do not think he makes anything living without a sense of connection to Himself. I understand sin broke that link between us and Him, and I know but cannot explain how animals were affected by sin coming into the world.But.....I simply believe they do have that sense of his reality, and I doubt that their sense is as clouded as ours can be at any moment through the darkness of sin.

I remember when I began to notice in recent years the routine my dog goes through before she settles onto her blanket in the living room. How she would turn round and round a few times and then sit down in the same position some times just where she started doing her merry go round routine. I wondered what in the world she was doing. And then it came to one day. It had to "feel" right for her. So she would do her turning almost like a warm up, and it is no different than me settling into a chair and manouvering around until it felt just right. I realized there that a dog, any animal perhaps, has an instinct which guides it. And I believe this comes from God. So to me, they are in touch with God in a more direct and sometimes more "pure" way than we can be at times when things get in the way between us and God.

Just my thoughts. Great question Xenia. I think we do well to learn more than some of us can be accustomed to from animals and the rest of God's creation about his reality and nature. God bless you

Lookin^Up

04-13-2008, 04:26 AM

I'm afraid that I'd have to say, what you call a "soul" is really instinct, and it is truly amazing how an animal's instinct works. One time when my mom and stepdad where clearing out their TV room, in preparation for a carpet cleaning and the arrival of new furniture, their Schnauzer Mitzi found some toys she had hidden and moved them out as well. Somehow, her doggie instinct told her what was happening and she was doing her part.

Whether the soul includes the emotions has always been a big question mark in my mind, though I can't disprove it. The word "soul" is often used in place of "spirit" or "man," which complicates matters. But as I see it, the soul is the link that binds our body (physical appearance) together with our spirit (the core of our being that senses spiritual things). Only of man does Genesis 2:7 say, "And the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul." [KJV] Only the soul can sin, and only the soul can know who God is, be aware of sin, and choose to accept Christ as Savior.

No other creature was formed from the dust of the ground, nor breathed with the breath of life. While the actual meaning of "soul" is unfortunately nebulous, it is clear that man has something extra that mere animals don't have. Believing that animals have a soul is, IMHO, placing animals on the same level with humans, which the Bible does not do. Why else would animals be offered as sacrifices for sin and guilt in early Israelite history? When the choice comes down to a beast's life or human life, humans must always dominate because God gave us dominion over all creation (Genesis 1:28).

I'm not going to argue over the finer points. You may still disagree with me, but that's the best answer I can offer on the difference between soul and instinct.

Xenia

04-13-2008, 09:25 AM

Do you think animals are aware of God? I'm not really wanting to debate whether animals have souls or not (though I think they do ~ mind, will, emotions). This is probably a question that really can't be answered but I just wonder sometimes if they are not aware of God on some level. They certainly seem to sense good & evil in people.

Perhaps I should not have given my opinion when I stated that I did not want to debate this issue (having souls) BUT....I'm not going to debate this issue...(any further). You brought it into the thread and so I did expound back on my opinion but to rally back again now would be turning it into the debate I never wanted.
No hard feelings.. I just know that the topic CAN cause hard feelings though and I wouldn't want that to happen here.

ProfessorAlan

04-13-2008, 10:17 AM

Yeah, I tend to be on Lookin's side -- and I think the soul/spirit distinction explains some of this.

Rachel E.

04-13-2008, 11:45 AM

Thanks Xenia for bringing that up again. I don't want any hard feeling's here. I have my own opinion's, but refuse to bring them up here.
I like the idea of a soul, but anyway...
I believe that animals are aware of Good and of Evil, no matter what. I've seen it happen. So yeah, Xenia, to answer your question, I do believe that animals are "aware" of God.

Lookin^Up

04-13-2008, 11:24 PM

Yes, they are aware of God.

jacks girl

04-14-2008, 01:34 AM

We all have opinions and I stand on mine. That a animal has a soul. I also don't want to debate this because no one can change my mind. As far as putting animals over people. I would rather spend time with my pets than a lot of people I know. LOL.

They love me without question. They don't talk back. They are there for me when most people are not. They don't ask for much in return for a little food and attention and love. They can't talk to me really but they sure can say a lot in their actions. Every night when it's for bed they are waiting on me to tuck them in LOL.

We could change the subject to what we love most about our pets. what do you think??

Jacks
Pet Lover

Rachel E.

04-14-2008, 08:30 AM

Jacks,

great idea.
One of the things I loved most about my dog, was when she'd come up to me and lay her head in my lap and just watch me out of those big doggy eyes. She was a golden retriever, so quite large, and I loved the way she'd follow me around the room with her eyes, and if I left, she'd get up to go with me.
Now, I have a bull calf that I'm raising. I miss my dog so much, but I bestow a lot of my love on this little fella who is SO adorable. He follows me around too.

toughlove

04-14-2008, 10:27 AM

I believe that animals, especially dogs, cats, horses and other higher forms of mammal life, do have souls, in the sense that they definitely have personalities. When I was a kid, I could always tell my troubles to our dog when no one else would listen. The love of a dog is unconditional.

But I don't think animals have the same type of spirits we do, if they have spirits at all. The spirit of man differs from the soul. Your soul might be fantasizing about a football game while your sanctified spirit is worshipping God in church and your body is sitting in the pew. Man is a 3-part being. But you never see a dog folding his paws to thank God for his food. A dog is not made in the image of God. A dog cannot be born again into the Kingdom of God. The "spirit" of an animal goes downward, while the spirit of man returns to the God Who gave it (Eccl.3:21; 12:17). :cool:

jacks girl

04-14-2008, 12:34 PM

I looked up Ecc 3:21 and every time I found it no matter what version i used it had this quote in a Question form.

21 Who knows if the human spirit rises upward and if the spirit of the animal goes down into the earth?"

I have never said that i thought animals were equal to man, or that they were made in the image of God. All i have said is that i believe they have a soul, and the spirit of life and that at least some of them will go to heaven. If only because it is our hearts desire to have them there with us.

PSALMS 37:4-5 "Delight yourself also in the Lord, and He shall give you the desires of your heart. Commit your way to the Lord, trust also in Him and He shall bring it to pass".

Jacks

I also like the way my little pets come running when Hubby comes home from work. You can be gone only for a little while and they are so excited that you have returned. They are so happy and they act like they have not seen you in days even if it's only been a few hours.

Knight of Christ

04-14-2008, 04:45 PM

Well as for animals haveing a soul I must say that i simply do not know. Are they aware of the spirtual relm I have more than enogh evadence of personal expreances for myself to say yes.

As for choiseing man over animal well in a life or death sistuation life a house fire or tornato then yes.

But one thing i have been thinking about for quite some time now is that if we are there care takers then shouldent we be tacking care of them?

Remember people man was given dominion over the earth that dose not give us the right to destroy it. Yes we are the care tackers and soon the land lord will be back and i don't think he is going to be happy with how we have been treating his land and espicealy the creatures living in it.