A Horse Whisper

[Steve Plonk]

A HORSE WHISPER

Speaking of which:
Do Animals Have Souls?

“The word “animal” comes from a Latin root that
means “soul” . To ancient thinkers, soul was the
mysterious force that gave life and breath to the
myriad of the earth’s creatures. Some even spoke of a
“world soul” or anima mundi that enlivened the
whole of nature. Later, theologians restricted the
possession of a soul to human beings. But what is
soul or spirit? Spirit is the channel through which
we become conscious of the essence—the inward
beauty—that dwells within another living being.”

From the intro to Chapter 10, p. 104, “Somebody, Not Something..”.
THE SOULS OF ANIMALS, First Edition, By Gary Kowalski,
Copyright 1991 by Gary Kowalski, Stillpoint Publishing, Walpole, NH 03608
(There is also a newer edition out.) Also see my topic: “Happy Earth Day!”

As for me, I, too, am pretty certain that animals have souls.
I don’t know if they are rudimentary or full-fledged, or where
to draw the line on the higher forms of life. There are people
who are especially attuned to animals and they know best.
We call them “whisperers” and they are able to fathom the
intelligence and spirituality of animals. A person has to
have a lot of empathy to commune with the beasts. In ancient
Greek times, even trees were considered to have spirits. I wonder
about this ancient belief also. All creation was considered
worthy of God’s protection. I see God’s glory in all of creation.
That is called “panentheism” and St. Paul espoused this belief
in the Bible as did Moses.

What do you think?

[stilltrucking]

I think it is a very good column. Thank you.

I have not read much of the New Testament except for Hebrews and Luke and not much more of the old, except for Ecclesiastes , Proverbs and Job.
I would like to hear more about this

panentheism” and St. Paul espoused this belief
in the Bible as did Moses

[Steve Plonk]

The PANENTHEISM OF St. Paul:
as quoted from one source...One explanation...

"Most great truths of Christian faith, and perhaps most great truths, period, are expressed as paradox. God is completely One, and yet, Triune and Infinite. Jesus is fully and completely human, but fully divine, as well. Panentheism presents another one: God is completely transcendent, and yet, immanent throughout his Creation. Like the mysteries of Trinity and Incarnation, panentheism is an ancient theological realization.

The Greek Church Fathers referred to the transcendence of God as God's "essence" (ousia) and the immanence of God as his "energies" (energeia). In 553, at the Second Council of Constantinople, the universal Church proclaimed a panentheistic vision of the Trinity, developed from St. Paul's writing in Ephesians: "There is One God and Father from whom all things are, one Lord Jesus Christ through whom all things are, and one Holy Spirit in whom all things are." God is in all things, for they spring from him, and all things are in God, for they subsist in him, yet he transcends all as well as emanates in all. "

From "Panentheism and Christian Mystical Spirtuality" a paragraph contained in "Biblical Panentheism: God in All Things" online article. Copyrighted 1996-2008 by John Zuck, Article last revised 10/25/04.

[stilltrucking]

Thanks for the information, I could have Googled but I would not have been sure how to filter the results. I guess I wanted you to pick one what you thought fitted.

Life is life
I feel the continuity of all life flowing in my veins.
We are all connected
I believe in the God of Einstein and Spinoza
So I guess I am a pantheist too.

Each of us has the waves of every other organism entangled within our own make-up ... each of us is supported and constituted, ultimately, by all there is in the universe
The Entangled Universe

[Steve Plonk]

I think you misunderstood me. I am talking about panentheism which is quite a bit different from "pantheism". In pantheism, nature is god.
See below. In Panentheism, God transcends nature. Panentheism is a type of monotheism or the belief in one God. Also see St. Paul's quote above.

"Panentheism
The belief that the universe is contained within God. The universe is a part of God, but not all of God.' "
from Matt Slick’s definition. "Christian Apologetics & Research Ministry"

Another example... When Moses spoke to God in the "burning bush", God was within the flame in the bush, but the bush was not consumed by the flame, and God was above the flames and at the same time in the now.

God was a part of the bush and part of the flame but transcended both as God was bigger or larger than both. "Greater is He that is within you than he who is in the world." It is a theological paradox which folks have been puzzling at for years. It was a miracle like the one when God was in the lightning and thunder but speaking to Moses on the mountain at the same time.

Apparently, there are also multiverses and sidereal universes & existing times side by side with ours according to quantum theory. God is also in them.

Another example:
Water is still water whether it is liquid, steam, or ice. Water is a classic example of the triune substance of God and his example in nature. The dove for the spirit, and the paschal lamb for the son are also natural symbols of God's presence in creation. God in Genesis created nature and said "It is good". There is a part of God in nature, according to Panentheism, but God also exists independent of nature as in symbiosis.
But without God, there would be no nature according to this theology.

[stilltrucking]

I feel like Gilda Radner's Roseanne Roseannadanna

[Steve Plonk]

Yes, I feel like that preacher on "Saturday Night Live" trying to explain theology and having it come out humorous.
One thing is for sure...Let's keep on chooglin'.
I agree that we are all connected. This tire swing of life has it's ups and downs and we "chew the fat" awaiting turns for the upswing or the downswing as the pendulum tire goes... Keep those messages in bottles falling into the canyon and sooner or later we'll be there to see them hit bottom and float on down the river to the sea. "I'm just a soul whose intentions are good...Oh Lord, please don't let me be misunderstood" . **Eric Burton and the Animals

[Steve Plonk]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nkeednTj ... re=related
A CAT WHISPER

A cat whisper, for my Tennessee Tuxedo \Siamese mixed cat who died suddenly,
April 18, 2012, after the early 10 pm news...We did all we could to save him...
He had chronic asthma and was on an inhaler & other medication.
I know he was just a pet cat, but we haven't had a death in the
family since October 2001. We all took it rather hard...

My daughter tried to revive our cat with mouth-over-muzzle breaths. He died anyway... I, my wife, & daughter were all there at the end. We couldn't
get him to the emergency animal clinic in time. We put him in one of his favorite boxes with his sleeping mat & a "Titan" football towel. We took him to the animal hospital on April 19th and they put our cat in the the morgue & cleaned him up and got him bagged for burial. We buried him in our backyard near our guinea pig. I dug his little grave all day long and we finally buried him around 7:30 pm on April 19th right before dark. We buried him with his cat toys, facing west, like some folks do.

[Steve Plonk]

The theologian Spong was right in about half his points. However, he is too "human centric".
Creation & humanity share God's grace. God's presence is palpable if one
truly petitions for grace. God's trinity & unity is not at stake. God was always
united & the world is better for it. The avatar of one age is not good for the
next age? If GOD IS ONE then there is no need for a new proclamation.

To whom it may concern, The above paragraph, such as it is, is probably as esoteric as I get, given my current mindset. "You are the actor. You are on the stage & God is your true audience, if being saved is palpable. But the creatures of the Earth are fellow travelers. All creation is truly blessed." A liveable quote by myself...

Folks, I also like Paul Tillich. I have visited his tomb in New Harmony, Indiana, USA. Have you considered the notion that animals, too, have rudimentary souls!?
Is is possible that heaven really has seven levels? Moreover, are you caretaker for pets?

Small boxes, many questions, so little time to converse &/or answer...
In my opinion, Tillich, too, was a "panentheist" like St. Paul. Also, see
my thoughts on "Chat Spot, on page 9.

[Arcadia]

Have you considered the notion that animals, too, have rudimentary souls!?
Is is possible that heaven really has seven levels? Moreover, are you caretaker for pets?

well, if we have souls, why not them?
and no, I´m not a caretaker for pets, I´m only a metamorphic-cactus and proto-palms caretaker...!

[Steve Plonk]

Arcadia, Great that that notion of animal's souls has occured to others on this site... I currently have two cats left. I wonder what "cat heaven" may be like...Do "the lions lie down with the lambs"? Just a rhetorical question...

I, too, care for potted plants, etc. & have a small garden. My wife & daughter help me with the cats & the garden.

[Steve Plonk]

Another CAT WHISPER...

Our female orange tabby cat, AKA the "Duchess of Plum" had oral cancer & had a stroke, was partly blind in one eye, had to be hand fed. In addition, her
terrible sinus condition & discharge made it hard for her to breathe...

We had to put her to sleep on November 29,2013. It was an agonizing decision... That sad situation leaves us with only one tomcat, AKA "The Duke of Chow"--our Maine Coon cat mix. (I will come up with a elegy for our tabby cat as soon as I am able.) We had the Duchess cremated, & she is buried in the backyard next to Luke & Emily.

[stilltrucking]

I am sorry to hear about the Duchess.
I am thinking about my orange cat killed by a Taxi Cab on November 22, 1963
so much to mourn that day.

Kind of off topic but ...
Maybe the best thing that a pet can do for a child is too teach us early how to mourn for a loved one.

I still miss my elephant:

Delhi’s Prayer
Delhi, I pray for your safe journey; unencumbered, light-footed and protected.
I pray for your safe journey to where your spirit needs to go.
Namaste our dearest Delhi.

[Steve Plonk]

Still Trucking, Thanks for your sympathetic note about our "Duchess of Plum".
It's true what you said. The grief for a pet teaches us how to grieve for those of our
own kind. One of my earliest childhood memories of grief was an attempt to save a
kitty which was frozen next to a creek bed. We warmed him up but could not revive him.
It was too late. (This happened nearly ten years before the story of "The Three LIves of Thomasina" was filmed.)
My folks were stationed in Bavaria, Germany, at the time...

We gave the kitten a burial with "taps", prayers & military honors. Our neighbors, twin German girls, were really touched because he was their kitten & our family had tried so hard to save him. We lived in a town called Rottach-Egern. (I think that is the spelling...)
He was a little black & grey shorthair. We were staying in Germany & our semi-
heroic attempt did wonders for neighborhood relations. At the time, I could say the "Lord's Prayer" in German. I've forgotten most of my German nowadays.

The Lord's Prayer
(German)

Vater unser im Himmel,
geheiligt werde dein Name;
dein Reich komme;
dein Wille geschehe,
wie im Himmel so auf Erden.
Unser tägliches Brot gib uns heute.
Und vergib uns unsere Schuld,
wie auch wir vergeben unsern Schuldigern;
und führe uns nicht in Versuchung,
sondern erlöse uns von dem Bösen.

Denn dein ist das Reich und die Kraft
und die Herrlichkeit in Ewigkeit.

Amen.

[Steve Plonk]

See an elegy to dead pet cats called: "A Whistling in the WInd", in my artlog,
"Flying Horse Cafe", in the thread called "Blasting Caps from the Vault, Part 5".