Storytime Tapestry Newsletter

The newsletter devoted to spreading love and cultural awareness around the world.

Carol’s Corner

August 7, 2007

The Soul Eternal

Carol Roach

There is nothing more important to Christian animal lovers than to know that their animals will meet them in heaven when their time here on earth is over.  We need the comfort of knowing that our loyal friends will be there for us.  We cannot bear to think that we will be eternally separated from our animals anymore than we can bear to think that we will be eternally separated from our human loved ones. How could a loving God do such a thing?  Could our God who gave the ultimate sacrifice, his very own son, eternally separate mortals from love?  I contend that love comes in many forms, and thus includes the love for our animals, and I believe that our God would not separate us from that love either.

I know the skeptic will say, “Woman get a grip on yourself! You are talking about animals. You can’t compare love for humans with love for animals.  Humans are far superior creatures.”  My retort to these skeptics would be, “you can’t compare love.” Love is love, there are no degradations for love, you either love or you do not.  Love is an emotion freely given. It is the ultimate feeling; in other words you give it everything you have. 

Love is not the same as like, which is a lesser feeling that can be quantified.  You can like one person more than another, but when you love that person you give it your all. You put your heart and soul into that love.  It is the highest form of emotion. Similarly when you give your all, you can give it to more than one person.  You can love your spouse, you can love your children, and you can love your best friend.  There are no limitations on how many people you can love.

Since we can love more than one person at a time, we can love more than one creature at a time.  We can give that all we got kind of love to our animals as well.  Just ask Mark Crider, or Bill Walker, or Barbara Weymouth, Clara Wersterfer, Rosanne Catalano, the list goes on with the names of  people who have given that kind of unconditional love.

There are many websites which have surfaced over the years addressing the concept of the rainbow bridge, a place where animals and their owners reunite after they pass over: 

Rainbow bridge poem as seen on: http://rainbowsbridge.com/Poem.htm

It is very comforting for humans to have this hope that someday they will see their pets.  In some ways it eases the pain though not entirely.  There will always be that empty place left in the heart left for (insert your own pet’s name here) Ms. Doogie, Ming Toy, Tuffy, Seti, and others.

Cannon Horace Baugh, an Anglican Priest from Montreal, understood how much we feel for our animals and how important the concept of an animal soul is to Christians.  He inaugurated the annual blessing of the pets ceremony on Mount Royal 56 years ago. He died on July 22, 2007 at the age of 91. For the complete story of this wonderful man’s life visit: http://www.canada.com/montrealgazette/news/story.html?id=dae889b9-0de6-4b09-a331-0a540dc14640&k=83659

Recently there have been many articles surfacing about how the bible does not present proof that an animal has a soul.  Could it be once more that the skeptics are just looking for what they want to find?  On the most basic level one can argue that if you believe then there is; no more proof is necessary. 

“Faith is to believe what you do not see; the reward of this faith is to see what you believe.” Saint Augustine

You don’t have to convince Bill Walker about that.  He runs the Rainbow Bridge series in Storytime Tapestry, a favourite series for many readers. http://subs.zinester.com/98907

Besides Cannon Baugh, are there other men of God who believe in the soul and a place in heaven for our furry friends?  It is believed that Saint Augustine believed in the animal soul.  While Saint Francis of Assisi said:   “All things of creation are children of the Father and thus brothers of man, God wants us to help animals, if they need help. Every creature in distress has the same right to be protected.” 

Therefore by inference if we have souls and animals are our brothers, they have souls as well.

Here is what some bible dictionaries have to report on this matter of great importance:

The Hasting's bible dictionary:

"Soul is throughout a great part of the Bible simply the equivalent of 'life' embodied in living creature.”  http://www.learnbible.net/soul.html 

Therefore I ask, are not our animals living creatures?

The International Standard Bible Encyclopedia says:

"Soul has various shades of meaning in the Old Testament, which may be summarized as follows: Soul, living being, life, self, person, desire, appetite, emotion and passion.

"Nephesh or soul, can only denote the individual life with a material organization or body.

"In the New Testament 'psuche' appears under more or less similar conditions as in the Old Testa ment."

Young's Concordance defines both nephesh and psuche as "animal soul."

Strong's Concordance defines nephesh as, "A breathing creature, an animal; or, abstractly, vitality." Psuche it likewise defines as "The animal, sentient principle."

MEANINGS OF NEPHESH

(1) A breathing body, a living creature
(2) Animal life, an animal.
(3) Functions, qualities of human creatures.

You can go to the following site for the rest of the article.

 http://www.learnbible.net/soul.html 

Finally, I conclude my article by directing you to http://www.americancatholic.org/Messenger/Jul2003/Feature2.asp

Where Jack Wintz, O.F.M. offers ten reasons why he believes the bible supports the concept that animals have souls, in his article:  Will I see my Little Doggy in Heaven?

I hope that this article has set a number of good human souls at peace.  Don’t worry our animal friends, we will be with you shortly. The candle that was your life and the spirit that you had on earth shines eternally as does the love within our human hearts.

Carol Roach
M.Ed, B.A.
Publisher: Storytime Tapestry http://subs.zinester.com/98907
Author: Angels Watching Over Me: http://www.lulu.com/content/964306

            Picking up the Pieces: A Woman's Journey: www.publishamerica.com
Freelance writer