Do Dogs Have Souls?
If you think about the behavior of our dogs and take into account some religious beliefs, it is possible to believe that dogs have a soul.
Some say that dogs can see people’s auras and that their feelings are superior to those of any other animal.
But is it true or not that dogs have souls ? Let’s find out in this article.
Dogs have a soul: the religious vision
Until a few years ago, the Church and most of the faithful believed that animals – in general – did not have a soul.
However, two of the last three popes – John Paul II and Francis I – have changed this perception by affirming that, being living beings, even animals have a “reserved place in the skies”.
There are many priests and parish priests who invite Christians to go to mass with their animals, not only because dogs are increasingly considered part of the family.
It is precisely the clergy who say that pets have a soul, like people.
The Catholic Church has recognized the enormous help these creatures offer to people who are lonely, depressed or sick, and who therefore deserve heaven.
Of course not everyone thinks so when faced with the question of whether or not dogs have a soul.
The initial inspiration was given by John Paul II by affirming that “animals possess a vital breath given to them by God”, clearly alluding to the soul. Following these words, an inevitable debate began between theologians, religious, ecologists and atheists.
At the time, we are talking about the early 90s, the controversy spread through some media, bringing up titles such as ” The Pope opens the sky to animals ” or ” The beasts have a soul like humans “.
Karol Wojtila, better known as John Paul II, affirmed how his words were based on the sacred scriptures, in which he remembers how man must be in solidarity with all living beings, without distinction between humans and animals.
After a few months the news left the front pages of the newspapers and the controversy faded for almost two decades, until Pope Francis said that “life after death is not a gift reserved for believers, but also for animals”.
The position of the supreme pontiff, who not by chance took the name of St. Francis of Assisi, patron saint of animals and nature, was very clear in affirming that “the heavens are open for all creatures. There they will receive the love and joy of God, without limits ”.
Leaving aside the Catholic religion for a moment, it is interesting to know what other people think of it. Buddhism, for example, states that those who misbehave will reincarnate as an animal in their next life.
Islam indicates that one must have mercy towards all living creatures, while Judaism exhorts to treat all animals with compassion. However, no creed really answers the question of whether dogs also have souls.
Dogs have a soul: the theological position
To further analyze this statement, it is necessary to keep in mind how the minds of these creatures, that is our dogs, work. As already stated on many occasions, dogs cannot distinguish between good and evil.
It is true that when they commit some trouble they seem repentant (especially if they know they will receive a punishment), but they do it not because they are able to perform a moral evaluation of their actions. Rather, they are driven by their instincts, by experience or by habit… not by reasoning, much less by the soul.
On the other hand, it is always good to listen to the words of dog owners, who state how dogs seem to possess a soul that resembles that of a child. From there derives their goodness, their naivety and their unconditional love.
So if dogs have souls … do they go to heaven when they die? A cartoon from our childhood said yes, and this comforts us when we lose our best friend.
