I cannot accept a religion that states that animals do not have souls

I hate to tell you that not only do animals not have souls, but people don't either.

Why does something have to have a soul for it to be worthy of being loved. Animals have a consciousness. They are conscious beings. Who experience pain, and sometimes even loss and abandonment. But you have to understand the purpose of the human soul. It's a person, an identity, that while on earth is in need of redemption and saving. We are infinitely more complex then animals not physically, but emotionally. Do you value animals and people the same?

You should become a Jehova Witness.
They consider the soul to be the body and they do not believe in eternal soul. They say that in the Bible the word soul is used to describe a person or an animal. A person is a soul and an animal is a soul and when you die your soul (body) rots and return to dust and when you will be rose up from death you will get a new soul (body). I somehow believe them because in the Bible they say that death is the end of existence and that the person who die does not feel, does not see - he no longer is.

Wow you're stupid.

I going to not even read the rest of your passage. Based on your titles YES ITS NORMAL. I heard this issue brought up before and being one for animals rights myself I totally agree with that. I love animals, and I dont believe in people simply abusing them for the fact they are ANIMALS. People can be the biggest assholes sometimes but all creatures have feelings.

I was also raised Christian and no more or less what the general stance on animals is in religions. In the past they were used for ritual and sacrifice. However it also says that animals were put on earth for man kinds use.

To which people get the idea that we can simply abuse them. Which I believe makes you a huge dick regardless of that stance. We should not abuse those beneath us or around us. We do this to children to. Just because its a child does not give you the right to ABUSE IT!

For instance, my religion has curious views on dogs and their roles in reincarnation of which I don't agree with. This hasn't stopped me from practising the faith.

Understandable. I knew many things about Catholicism, but never this rule. Yet, I've heard of many animal lovers that we're catholics. Surely, they must have believed that the creatures they loved so much must have had souls? Sometimes, I think religion is what you make of it. I presume that this is how new religious branches/schools get created. Maybe, you could create your own branch. "Neo-Catholicism" or something like that.

...I would like to set this one straight...first of all, the person is made up of three basic things...first is the body, which is evident and I will go into it no further outside of to say that animals, of course, have these, just like humans...Secondly is the soul, which has often been improperly defined. The true definition of a soul is the mind, will, and emothions. Though I cannot prove this definitively, I believe animals have all of these, certainly a will. The third is a spirit, which we give to either God or the devil, whichever we choose, and, according to Scripture, each person will be going to heaven or hell, of which God will determine at death (or Christ's coming, whichever comes first). If you define soul in this way, then only people have souls, animals do not, though, as someone already mentioned, we will give an account to our words and actions, and that includes what we do with or to animals, both good and bad.

And do you eat meat because if you do I don't see why animals not having souls bother you because if you eat them than do you really care about them? I'm just saying

No one has souls, we die and that it nothing more are body's decay, and the cycle of life keeps on going...

What you fail to realize is that the people telling you 'animals have no souls' don't know any better than you, they're just making this shit up.

Religion is nothing but a house of cards, where everyone is too embarrassed, afraid, ignorant or deluded to be honest and say they don't really know.

They don't want to feel like an outcast from their cult, so they circulate the same lies about imaginary/fictive human invented concepts like soul, god, heaven, hell, angels, demons, etc.

The fact is that you'd think we'd have some evidence by now of the existence of this magical 'other' world. If gods, demons interact with us, then there should be proof-but none exists, leading to the obvious conclusion that it's all a big fat hoax to turn you into their stooge and steal your money.

I'm Catholic and I don't remember hearing anything about that in church or Sunday school. Even if it is true it doesn't mean they don't deserve to be loved. Killing innocent animals is especially evil because people who do it just want to victimize something that can't fight back...and I don't care if assholes on this site think it's acceptable, you're not changing how I feel.

My dog has dreams. Enough reason for me to believe they've feelings. Soul or no soul, who the fudge cares? Have you seen a soul?

Have you ever heard an animal playing blues music ?

nope, animals don't have any soul...

Why do you believe so strongly that they do have souls? What is a soul anyway? Is it like a spirit or ghost? How about you rip there souls out and show them to me

Also, see Mark 9:46, Matthew 8:12, Isaiah 66:24, Daniel 12:2 and Luke 12:5. And tell me how hell is not mentioned in scripture as a place of eternal torment. God wishes that none shall parish, and he has provided a path to His righteousness.