Al Hochrein photograph
Part Ten: More Arguments against
the Immortality of Animal Souls
In my previous article, we examined the three Bible passages skeptics
most frequently use to justify their rejection of the immortality of animal
souls. I explained why none of the
passages are relevant, that is, none of them actually speak to the issue of
animal immortality. Therefore, they all three fail as valid arguments against
the existence of animal souls. In addition to these three Scripture passages,
however, there are three other arguments skeptics often use to refute the
likelihood that earth-bound animals possess immortal souls, and therefore they
will not inhabit the eschatological
new heaven and earth. In this blog
article, we’ll briefly examine them and see why they too are invalid arguments.
Only
humans were created in God’s image, therefore animals do not have immortal
souls
This is probably the most common argument used to “prove” that animals
are merely physical creatures without immortal souls. The assumption is that
because only humans were created in God’s image, animal souls expire at
physical death.
It is unarguable that humans have a special relationship with God that
animals do not share. We are the “crown” of God’s creation (Ps. 8:4-8); only
people were made in His image (Gen. 1:27). By virtue of this, humans alone
possess the communicable attributes of God, and we are of far greater
value than animals (Matt. 6:26). Moreover, as far as we can tell, at least here
on earth, only humans are innately aware that God exists (Eccl. 3:11). And as I
explained in a previous article, animals have souls, but not spirits. Thus,
they do not have the spiritual connectedness with God that humans enjoy.
But why should this mean that animals can’t have immortal souls? It
doesn’t. God could bless animals with
immortal souls if He chooses to do so, and it’s presumptuous to say He can’t. Theologian
Andrew Linzey sums it well:
There is something theologically odd about
all discussions of immortal souls—the plain absurdity, no less, of humans
deciding for themselves which essential or substantial qualities qualify them
for eternal life and which may or may not exclude animals. . . . Eternal life
is God’s own gift; it is not something which we can merit. . . . If full weight
is given to God’s gracious and wide-ranging activity in creation, then it is
inconceivable that the God who redeems will be less than the God who
creates. In this sense the issue of animal immortality is wholly integral to
the view that God does actually care not only for the whole world but for each
and every individual being within it, including—of course—sparrows. (Animals
on the Agenda, 119)
Human
dominion over animals means they do not have souls
This argument claims that because the human race was instructed to have
“dominion” over the animal kingdom (Gen. 1:28, KJV), animals do not possess
immortal souls. This is probably the weakest
argument against animal immortality. Not only is it clearly a non sequitur,
but it doesn’t make sense. Space does not allow me to provide an analysis of
what dominion means when examined within its full biblical context, but most
theologians agree that dominion means stewardship.
It denotes mankind’s caretaker role in creation; it doesn’t give people a
license to use animals anyway we please. I devote five chapters in my book, Should Christians Be Environmentalists?,
to demonstrate this fact (Kregel Publications, 2012).
We saw in parts two through five in this blog series that God loves,
enjoys, provides for, and values the creatures He created. If human
dominion (stewardship) over creation teaches us anything, it’s that God desires for all animal life to fulfill the
purposes for which He created them. Animals have far more value to God than
just their instrumental use for humans. It’s reasonable to conclude from
what we’ve seen in previous articles that God’s love for non-human life will
not end with their physical death. There is no reason to assume that His love
for the animals inhabiting the Earth today will not extend into eternity; that
God has more in mind for animals than
their short sojourn on this present Earth.
Animals
lack the mental attributes that indicate the presence of an immortal soul
This argument claims that animals do not have immortal souls because
they lack soul-like qualities. In other words, animals lack the cognitive and
emotional attributes humans associate with the existence immaterial souls in
us. This may have been a legitimate argument decades ago, but no longer. Since
the mid-twentieth century, ethologists (scientist who study animal behavior)
have demonstrated that many complex animals exhibit devotion, grief, empathy,
sorrow, affection, play, joy, inter-species friendships, altruism, and other
mental states analogous to humans. Some mammals and birds even exhibit
thought-driven behaviors, and in some cases, a degree reflective reasoning that
can trump instinct. Such qualities in humans demonstrate the existence of an
immaterial mind distinct from our physical brains—the essential feature of a
soul. If some animals possess limited but
similar cognitive and emotion states as humans, why would it not reflect
immaterial minds and thus souls? The fact that these mental states are not as
fully developed and intensely experienced in animals as they are in humans does
not lesson the likelihood of their origin in immaterial minds/souls. This is
such an important concept to grasp—that many sentient animals exhibit soul-like
qualities—that I’ll spend the next one or two blog articles examining the scientific evidence for this in more detail.
But let me add this for now. Even if animals do not possess human-like thoughts and emotions and instead
functioned totally on instinct, there is still no reason why God would not
grant them eternal souls and extend His love for them into the next life. He
may do so for no other reason than for His own pleasure—and the pleasure they
will give humans. On this earth, wildlife is what makes the wilderness
wild, and numerous varieties of animals
are our friends and companions. Nothing in Scripture suggests that the new
heaven and earth will be inhabited only by redeemed humans, or that animals
will not continue their role in the restored new earth. Indeed, the Old
Testament in particular says much about animals in God’s eternal kingdom—as
we’ll see in future articles. I like the way Randy Alcorn put this in his acclaimed book, Heaven.
Why [do] so many people find such
companionship, solace, and joy in their pets?. . . I believe it’s because of how God has made
animals, and us….It would be simple for him to re-create a pet in Heaven if he
wants to. He’s the giver of all good gifts, not the taker of
them. If it would please us to have a pet restored to the New Earth, that may
be sufficient reason.”
(p. 385)
Next week we’ll examine scientific support
for the biblical evidence that at least sentient animals possess an immaterial
dimension (a mind/soul), which is distinct from their physical brains. This
clearly supports the reality of immortality (new life after physical death) for
animals—just as it does for humans.
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