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This week: Do Animals Have Souls? Edited by: Kit  
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Are human beings the only beings to possess a soul? Or do other animals have one, too? It's an old debate, but an interesting one, and one worth having.
This week's Spiritual Newsletter, then, raises this question.
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I've always believed that animals have souls. Not everyone agrees with me, though. “What about single-cell organisms,” they ask, as though the notion of something that tiny being somehow akin to us is ridiculous. “And if animals have souls, what about plants, and trees?”
It's thought that animals act purely on instinct. That they do act on instinct, I will readily agree with. Humans act instinctively. If I'm out in the garden and something buzzes in my direction, I squeal like a little girl because I fear it may be a wasp. If I touch something and find that it's hot, I quickly withdraw my hand. I don't even have to think about these actions. Instinct.
Our actions are not solely down to instinct, though. Our emotions can suppress our urges. So can reason. I'm not a public speaker and when faced with an audience my body tenses and my heart goes wild and I feel like I'm going to faint. The fight or flight urge kicks in (well, flight, to be honest), but I can overrule it if I must. Likewise, after some bad experiences with men, my instinct was to stay well away, but through love, I overcame.
Then there are our moods. I wouldn't place moods under instincts. I can be joyful, silly, carefree, grumpy, irritable, playful, angry, and loving. I can feel utterly contended and full of despair. Sometimes these moods make me do things that make no sense, nor have they any purpose. What is the point of writing intentionally bad poetry? What would drive me to spin around on top of a hill like Maria in The Sound of Music, badly singing that classic song and puzzling the native sheep?
When I observe my cats, they are not so different from us. I've lived with cats all my life, and my current companions have been with me for eleven years. One is a happy-go-lucky feline, the other I call “emo-cat”. The happy-go-lucky one is easily spooked, but then turns around and goes to investigate. He doesn't appear to be one for deep reflections, though, and generally doesn't mess about when he wants something. The other can be a moody, soulful little thing, who can spend an age working something out.
Like any person with cats can tell you, they have their funny half hours where they dash around, sometimes sideways, tails curved, chattering away. They're having a jolly good time when they're like that. At other times, they're fluffy balls of love, snuggling up close, purring like there's no tomorrow.
“Fine,” you may say. “When they play, they're practicing their hunting skills. When they investigate, it's a means of survival. And nobody said that animals can't bond, or experience love. That's part of nature.”
That may be true, but sometimes animals behave contrary to reason. I once read an article in the newspaper about a dog who went through a garbage bin to rescue kittens, to the point of cutting his paws on sharp objects. Why would a dog have the instinct to rescue members of another species who he had no prior relationship with? Instinct would dictate he retreated upon damage to his own body, but he didn't.
Is that so dissimilar from our police and our firemen, who place themselves in danger to save the lives of others? Logic dictates that you do not run into a burning house - you get out of there. And you do not face someone dangerous, because you may get hurt.
My cats have a sense of humour. They can be manipulative creatures. They can be upbeat and sad, they pine when one of us is away for longer than a day even if all their routines are the same, they seek comfort and seek to comfort, they can be ticked off and utterly relaxed and trusting. They think. They have personalities. No two cats I have known have been the same, and there are differences to how they respond in certain situations.
How, then, can we truly say that they aren't like us? Do we feel we are superior, the only beings worthy of souls? Animals aren't robots. They love and they mourn, they rejoice and make incomprehensible decisions.
What about plants, then? I have watched some documentaries that have shown me that the world of plants can be quite a battlefield, full of competition and strategy. I've also read that when a tree is under threat, for example from a parasite, that tree will warn the other trees around it, through giving off certain chemicals.
Not everyone believes that there is such a thing as a soul, or a self. There are philosophical arguments about what it's made up of if it does exist. My beliefs may be completely wrong, and I accept that, but I think that all of us who live are made of the same stuff, body and soul, and that, though we have our differences, we're all worthy in the eyes of God, from the biggest of us, all the way down to the smallest.
kittiara
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The Spiritual Newsletter Team welcomes any and all questions, suggestions, thoughts and feedback, so please don't hesitate to write in! 
Zeke  - This is a wonderful concept. Unfortunately, too many leaders are only interested in power and money.
Zeke
Thank you, Zeke. Aye, I often feel powerless to change things, because those who have the power seek wars, and profit, and division. But then, that's defeatist thinking, isn't it? Are there not many more of us than there are corrupt people at the top? If we love, and share the message of love and unity, and show through our actions that we are all one - if we refuse to be divided - can we not bring about the change we desire? I'd like to think that we can. .
~~~
Voodoo Shampoo  - i think it's people starting to realize that all humans are equal and that we all have the right to think freely from others.
I agree with you, and I hope this kind of thinking keeps on spreading .
~~~
bonzo1964 - I truly believe that the situation we are experiencing here in the US over the Government shutdown is just another boulder on the scales. I believe that the Lord is allowing these things to bring people to Him for the answers to the seemingly unanswerable questions. God is mercy and love and peace. How can we teach others when our own country is in such turmoil. The balance is lacking in our lives...we need to look within, find our own peace, and then reach out to others. The saying by Gandhi "Be the CHANGE you want to see in the world" holds so true. We may not be able to change Washington, but we can be better people and in so doing, affect the lives of everyone we come into contact with. We can help by being our better selves. God alone created our minds and hearts. It's time to find unity for the human race and let the differences make us wiser and stronger. Everyone has something to contribute! All life is sacred. No matter color, race, religion, size, or weight problem...we all have something to contribute and we need to get busy doing just that!
Thank you for these wonderful words. I couldn't agree more! .
~~~
THANKFUL SONALI Library Class!  - That's a lovely message of unity. Thank you.
Thank you so much for your kind words!
~~~
Chrisola  - The writer crafted an interesting piece; though he tries to calm down the nerves of the aggrieved but he seems to have employed the language of a free thinker. I agreed with his advocacy, though I might not share the way he wants it carried out. The unity that the terrorists instigated by their acts seems not to be one that can last. Why? People who have the same belief with the terrorists cannot change their perception, though they might change their concept. Unity is achievable when poverty is eradicated, and everyone has enough to eat and to give. Terrorism is born out of ignorance and poverty; it is the language of the timid people. Stop wrong teaching, provide gainful employment and eradicate illiteracy then there would be unity and relative peace. The writer has done a good job.
Thank you for writing in! You mention many issues that I agree with - the problems of poverty, hunger, and a lack of education. These all need tackling. I do think, though, that all those of us who seek unity can do our bit to help. Disillusioned people may seek solace in the wrong places - the places where anger is nurtured into extremist thinking and actions. We can counter this by reaching out, through our writing, through sharing our knowledge, through not turning a blind eye to those around us who are worse off than us. We can encourage those in need to ask for help, and not feel shamed for doing so.
It's a sad indication of society that there is a need for food banks, that are are people who are discouraged out of education, that there are people losing their jobs and subsequently losing their homes, that there are voices who are never listened to. Whilst we who are not in power can't wave a magic wand and repair society, we can listen, share, petition, write to our representatives and seek change. If we unite, sooner or later we may be heard.
Or perhaps I am just an idealist .
~~~
Wishing you a week filled with inspiration,
The Spiritual Newsletter Team
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Spiritual: November 06, 2013 Issue [#5983]
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