hopelevre:

"The cries of the carrots?"   What would Maynard do, have us all die of starvation?  After all, we have to eat something.

As an aside (and not to start a theological discussion here), if you read the Book of Genesis carefully, you will find that humankind was originally vegetarian.  It was not until Adam and Eve sinned and "knew they were naked" that God permitted the killing of an animal to provide them clothes.  Only after that were they permitted to eat the animals they killed.  (This actually comports closely with Native American beliefs and practices, in which the killing of an animal is done solely for the good of the tribe, and all parts of the animal are used: its skin for clothes, its flesh for meat, its bones for various useful utensils, etc.)

Again, I am not debating the truth or falsity of the Adam and Eve story, or the factualness of the Bible in general.  I am simply stating what it says.

Peace.

I'm not sure about the soul thing (my vote went for the "Does anyone" option).

Regarding human and animal differences: well, there's no doubt that humans are animals, and to date the only real difference between us and the rest of them is articulate language. All the rest are quantitative differences (i.e. more intelligence, more self consciousness...)

I totally agree on the view that the way we behave with other animals is a measure of the degree of civilization... I however like to eat animals...

Anyone who believes animals have souls is a berk in my opinion.

Humans dont have souls,so why should animals? Simple really!

It makes me laugh that Christians believe they can go to heaven but animals can't.The all-for-one and one-for-all logic doesnt come into it in this ridiculous theology.Something either exists or it doesnt and seeing as we are are evolved from animals then if you believe humans have a soul then animals must too! It also prevents heaven from being populated by geriatrics...think about that dilemna.

The whole thing is daft.A way to get round ugly bastards from being ugly for eternityThe body dies (thank f**k I hear 1 billion plain Janes mutter) but the beautiful pure soul lives on!

This something either exists or it doesnt applies to ghosts too!

Either they exist and everyone can see the scary buggers or they dont.These deluded few who claim  to have the "power" or "facility" to see them should be tied up together and made to sit in a darkened room until one appears.That would sort the madmen out from the shamen.

Dont start me on vegetarians......

Mirco wrote:

Well, my theological knowledge stopped at the time of my first comunion, but I vaguely remember that a difference between us and "inferior animals" was the presence of soul

I thought the same Mirco, specially because of Saint Tomas de Aquino readings, but in 1990, the Pope (who according to Catholics is not fallible in matters of faith) said :

An important affirmation of John Paul II has raised a great clamour all round the world The Pope Has Said: "Animals Too Have Souls, Just Like Men" During a public audience the Holy Father affirmed that the animals, like men, were given the 'breath of life' by God. The Vatican squarely confronted this concept for the first time. At the Pope's statement, Monsignor Canciani, who welcome dogs and cats into his Church in Rome, said he had "experienced a great joy. Now I sincerely hope that other priests will follow my example.."

I do master

No offence Mirco, I'm not that religious to be honest, I believe but in a more comfortable way than expected for a real Catholic, and the fact you don't know that doesn't mean a thing, because the first time I found it by accident also.

Iván