Does live stock have souls ?

So, Friday the 13th, witch was 3 days ago my wife and I had her brother and his wife over for dinner, the topic of how much meat should you eat a week came up. My wife said she has issues trying to stomach meat sometimes as it comes from a living breather helpless animal. Then my wife's brothers wife said its easy, She said animals don't have souls and god put cows, chickens ducks, horses and all other animals on the planet for us to eat as they don't have souls and there only purpose is to feed humanity. " I for one was and still am in a state of shock of just how bloody ignorant she is". I felt like saying, "Lady you don't have a soul you ignorant bitch" Let us not mix up stupidity with ignorance. I can respect and empathize towards someone who is stupid due to bad education, but someone who is spiritually ignorant, comes from a rich family and had privet education. not to mention this person is meant to be a strict Catholic. I feel as if I have just been defeated in a 1700s war. Like if my wife's brothers wife had come out and said she was an atheist, I would have had alot more respect for her. I for one don't deem my self to have one faith but many, And I for one know from extensive observation every living and breathing thing has a soul.

I feel so bloody lost and feel like crying over how ignorant people can be.
She then came out and said to finish her statement that only cats and dogs had souls.

What do you think ?

Soul food. Sounds like something down near Louisiana.

I think everything has some sort of soul. They say that this is not true because we need to eat foods. Don't let it bother you, that is the way it is, some thing always has to die so other things can live when you get up to the higher orders.

a reply to: Abavs

I guess first you need to establish that a soul actually exists first before you can ascribe it to any living thing. Once that is established, then (IMO) we can address your original question.

Wow, what a rant!!

Animals are an energy, so I would suspect that their energy continues after their Earthly demise.

originally posted by: Krakatoa
a reply to: Abavs

I guess first you need to establish that a soul actually exists first before you can ascribe it to any living thing. Once that is established, then (IMO) we can address your original question.

Proof? Thou shall not tempt God. If you have faith, then you know souls exist, you don't need to establish anything, it's a given.

a reply to: Abavs

I think all living creatures have a soul. They should all be treated with respect. They are on a similar jounrey to us..

purp..

a reply to: Cobaltic1978

Of course (conservation of energy and all that). Their stored energy is transferred to the person eating it, who, in turn transfers that energy in other ways (heat, sound, exercise, movement, etc...).

That cow's "essence" or energy never truly dies in a physical sense....it is only transferred into another form.

originally posted by: purplemer
a reply to: Abavs

I think all living creatures have a soul. They should all be treated with respect. They are on a similar jounrey to us..

purp..

All herbivores perhaps, but possibly not the carnivores as they swallow the soul and there is no espace from stomach acid I'm afraid.

a reply to: Cobaltic1978
With all due respect, it is not "a given". Only to those who require no proof only blind belief in something.

Take a lesson from your brother: never settle.

Story woulda been way better if you sternly said "You don't have a soul you ignorant b/tch." Wiped your mouth, thrown your napkin on your plate.

Double bubble.

originally posted by: Krakatoa
a reply to: Cobaltic1978
With all due respect, it is not "a given". Only to those who require no proof only blind belief in something.

I acknowledge your respect and I would like to reciprocate those sentiments. You call it 'Blind Faith' but believers call it 'A given'. If it isn't a given, then exactly what are they praying for? Because, I always prayed for my soul, not for me, but my soul. It's what Christianity is all about isn't it?

Christianity has only peripheral influence on the soul issue......other religions have other doctrines...are they wrong?
The concept of soul is a tricky one...but to my way of thinking self consciousness is the main requirement for a soul....
Anything which has self consciousness has something which passes for one.....

Well, considering we don't know if we humans have a soul to begin with, how can someone then speak matter of factly about things not human.
Unless souls can be measured accurately and repeatable, then such a question is fully 100% opinion..

My opinion then would be as followed (purely 100% hypothesis.)
Animals move up in sentience.
A amoeba becomes a jellyfish becomes a fish becomes a fly becomes a mouse etc. Humans are the highest point of this world (potentially). Perhaps you were a dolphin in your last life kinda thing
From here, we evolve into a new being, a space bearing dimensional aspect, from there, higher still.
So, kill a cow and its essence becomes perhaps a cat/dog/monkey or some other more complex creature.

The above written I see as a nice thought with a lot of hope and zero belief behind it.

I believe that they do. Some cultures even believe that rocks and plants also have souls. Who's to know really?

I am not sure if they have souls or not, but they sure are delicious if they do.

a reply to: Abavs

All animals have souls...intuitively many of us humans already know this without anyone telling us.

You say she is a Catholic...here is a link of Bible verses that will prove her wrong...

Link: www.animalministries.org...

Here is an example of one of the verses in the Bible...

"Genesis 1:30" To every animal on the earth, every fowl of the heavens, and to everything that creepeth on the earth, in which is a living soul."

originally posted by: Skid Mark
I believe that they do. Some cultures even believe that rocks and plants also have souls. Who's to know really?

There is lots of scientific evidence that plants feel pain and communicate with each other.

That said, do they then have souls?

Are vegetarians eating the souls of plants?

As to do souls exist? Do you believe in ghosts? Do you wonder if ghosts exist? Those who don't believe in a human soul, yet believe ghosts or paranormal entities may exist - actually believe in the soul by default of their acknowledgement of the possibility of souls.
What about life after death experiences? What about people who claim to do astral travel, can't astral travel without a soul. Religion aside, many people who say they don't believe in souls, really do when you challenge their other beliefs.

I agree with an earlier poster who said we simply absorb the energy of what we eat, that is how we live because in the end we eat to obtain energy. Souls are a form of energy. But if souls exist, which I think they do, then a soul would leave an animal, like it leaves a person when it is killed. Plants however may be a different issue, we basically eat plants alive (raw plants), so we are more likely to be eating plant souls if they exist, than animal souls.

a reply to: caladonea

Here is an example of one of the verses in the Bible...

"Genesis 1:30" To every animal on the earth, every fowl of the heavens, and to everything that creepeth on the earth, in which is a living soul."

Here's another that says even animals will be accountable to God.

4 “But you must not eat meat that has its lifeblood still in it. 5 And for your lifeblood I will surely demand an accounting. I will demand an accounting from every animal. And from each human being, too, I will demand an accounting for the life of another human being.
Genesis 9

a reply to: Abavs

Based on my understanding of Reincarnation, your soul energy starts in rocks, moves up thru plants and animals, and then you incarnate into Intelligent Bodies. These lower life forms have mainly an experience-gathering type of Soul, and parts of that stay with you as your soul matures.

Is there a particular kind of rock you've always liked, or wear as jewelry? Do you love to garden or see plants grow? Do you seem to have a deep connection to certain animals, like they are kindred-spirits?

Losing their "life" to support our bodies means passing their souls onto us thru consumption - just as we once did for Intelligent Beings that have now progressed into Spirit.

"Now the Spirit expressly says that in latter times some will depart from the faith, giving heed to deceiving spirits and doctrines of demons.
"Speaking lies in hypocrisy, having their own conscience seared with hot iron.
"Forbidding to marry, and COMMANDING TO ABSTAIN FROM FOODS WHICH GOD CREATED TO BE RECEIVED WITH THANKSGIVING by those who believe and know the truth."
The Bible, 1 Timothy 4:1-3