handy
Member
I believe animals have souls, and are very capable of rational thought. And, while I don't necessarily want this thread to become yet another "Do Animal's Go To Heaven" thread, I'm more than willing to discuss why I think so. Now, I've always assumed that animals, my own animals, Cleo and Antony, Spot and George, Miranda, Salem....(OK enough, I've LOT'S of animals) will be on the New Earth. To me the heaven issue is a moot point as heaven isn't our final destination anyway. I've made the assumption that the animal that I know as Miranda, my cat who climbs up on my lap every evening and makes me pet her, will be on the new earth, because as an animal, Miranda isn't sinful.
However, I've been rethinking this assumption.
I'm an Idaho rancher. I've got animals all around me on a daily basis. And I can tell you animals can be the most cussed, onery critters that walk on this earth. Yesterday, our younger dogs (Spot and George) got loose and ran down to 'herd' our neighbor's llamas. These dogs have been trained to come when called, but they were having so much fun chasing after the llama's they ignored me when I called them to heel. After I got them, I gave both of them a smack on their noses for disobeying me, and I got the 'sad-dog' look from both of them. But, when I loaded them into the back of the car, they started yipping and licking each other and both tails were wagging wildly. They had just had the best time of their lives, and even though they knew they were bad dogs, they couldn't help enjoying it.
Now, I think anyone would agree that if my kids had deliberately done something that they knew was wrong, refused to come when I called them on it, pretended to be sorry just during the time I was disiplining them and then high-fived each other on the good time the moment my back was turned, they were acting sinfully.
The willingness to do something we know is out-right wrong and have the self-control not to do, even when we want to, is sinful isn't it? I don't think babies can sin, because they lack the knowledge of right and wrong, and lack even basis self-control. But, my kids, who are 7 and 10 are well aware of what is right and what is wrong, and have the self-control to make the correct choices.
As are the dogs. Both of them exhibit self-control everytime they stop running and come to heel. They know right and wrong, because if they get out of their kennel and start to run out of the yard, but then see me, even if I don't say anything, they won't leave the yard. Or if they come up to the garden, even if the gate is open, they will turn back. I've watched both these dogs, as well as our 'senior citizen' dogs, look at me, look at a cow or just the sun-bathed mountains with a nice muddy pond near-by and make the conscience descision to either come to me, or run like the wind. You can literally watch them, as they stop, stand still, look at me, look to the hills, look back at me, and then either come when I call or take off. No one will ever convince me that they are not making a well thought out choice here. If you think dog's lack the capability of making such choices, you either don't have one, have a dumb one, or don't let your dog run free enough.
I could go on and explain just how the cats, cows, horses and rabbits also exhibit the same signs of intelligent, descision making capabilites. But, that would make the post way too long.
When we make claims that animals are not capable of sinning, are we operating on biblical knowledge, or just assuming something that all observations prove the contrary? Again, this isn't necessarily meant to be about whether or not animals have souls, but whether or not they have the capability to understand right from wrong, and make the choice to act upon that understanding.
However, I've been rethinking this assumption.
I'm an Idaho rancher. I've got animals all around me on a daily basis. And I can tell you animals can be the most cussed, onery critters that walk on this earth. Yesterday, our younger dogs (Spot and George) got loose and ran down to 'herd' our neighbor's llamas. These dogs have been trained to come when called, but they were having so much fun chasing after the llama's they ignored me when I called them to heel. After I got them, I gave both of them a smack on their noses for disobeying me, and I got the 'sad-dog' look from both of them. But, when I loaded them into the back of the car, they started yipping and licking each other and both tails were wagging wildly. They had just had the best time of their lives, and even though they knew they were bad dogs, they couldn't help enjoying it.
Now, I think anyone would agree that if my kids had deliberately done something that they knew was wrong, refused to come when I called them on it, pretended to be sorry just during the time I was disiplining them and then high-fived each other on the good time the moment my back was turned, they were acting sinfully.
The willingness to do something we know is out-right wrong and have the self-control not to do, even when we want to, is sinful isn't it? I don't think babies can sin, because they lack the knowledge of right and wrong, and lack even basis self-control. But, my kids, who are 7 and 10 are well aware of what is right and what is wrong, and have the self-control to make the correct choices.
As are the dogs. Both of them exhibit self-control everytime they stop running and come to heel. They know right and wrong, because if they get out of their kennel and start to run out of the yard, but then see me, even if I don't say anything, they won't leave the yard. Or if they come up to the garden, even if the gate is open, they will turn back. I've watched both these dogs, as well as our 'senior citizen' dogs, look at me, look at a cow or just the sun-bathed mountains with a nice muddy pond near-by and make the conscience descision to either come to me, or run like the wind. You can literally watch them, as they stop, stand still, look at me, look to the hills, look back at me, and then either come when I call or take off. No one will ever convince me that they are not making a well thought out choice here. If you think dog's lack the capability of making such choices, you either don't have one, have a dumb one, or don't let your dog run free enough.
I could go on and explain just how the cats, cows, horses and rabbits also exhibit the same signs of intelligent, descision making capabilites. But, that would make the post way too long.
When we make claims that animals are not capable of sinning, are we operating on biblical knowledge, or just assuming something that all observations prove the contrary? Again, this isn't necessarily meant to be about whether or not animals have souls, but whether or not they have the capability to understand right from wrong, and make the choice to act upon that understanding.
:, well it all washes off. Anyway, it got me thinking again about this subject, how some animals just don't seem as 'innocent' as others. Maybe Star is just a lot more smarter than Lily.