Until it pleases God to deliver us from this misery, we can find no ultimate knowledge, but we can, is we are not destructively skeptical, proceed to gain and use scientific knowledge. Time is a child at play. The debates which have surrounded the animal soul or mind have been sensitive indicators of a number of fundamental issues in modern philosophy and science: the immateriality of the human mind, the immortality of the soul, the existence of other minds, and the basis of free will and responsibility. The concept of the animal soul did not give rise to any serious problems until the seventeenth century because to attribute minds to animals would threaten traditional religious beliefs, since the psychological concept of mind was conflated with the theological concept of soul. Some people argued that it would be impious to imagine that animals have souls of the same order as humans and that humans have nothing more to hope for in the afterlife than files and ants have. Similarly, God could not allow sinless creatures to suffer; without souls, animals would not suffer, and humans would be absolved from guilty for exploiting, killing, and eating them. 

However, the most important reason critics deny souls to animals is because of their failure to indicate either by voice or signs that which could be accounted for solely by thought and not by natural impulse. Thus, the use of language became the criterion of thought—the true difference between man and beast. However, like humans, animals do have sensation, imagination, passion, and memory. And to contrive thought to animals involves granting them immortal souls. Animals are said to possess a substantial form, a sensitive soul endowed with all mental attributes except reflection, reason, and will. The purpose was to form a solution to deny animals of an immortal soul. Animals were denied self-consciousness and the power to recognize eternal truths, which were defining attributes of the souls of humans. Different degrees of mentality could be ascribed to creatures at different levels of the scale of beings. However, if all possible gradations in the scale of beings were realized, no qualitative distinctions could be upheld, and no sharp qualitative distinctions could be upheld, and no sharp demarcation would be tenable. Indeed, some extended mental continuity below animals and concerned themselves with the sensations, wishes, and loves of plants; matter alone was held to be completely insensitive.  

The issues became one of deciding which faculties belonged to man alone. The less sure humans felt about their dignity and the power of their reason, the more they accepted the continuity between man and animals; and the more seriously one took biological continuity, the less one could appeal to the clear demarcations on which a faculty of psychology depends. It followed that humans differed only in a degree from the nearest subhuman species, and a heightened interest in apes and primitive tribes reflected this implication. All that was left in doubt was the amount of difference and the means of determining it. Throughout the debate, some measure of mentality has been granted to animals, although their reasons varied. The whole controversy was reduced to absurdity in 1739, when a Jesuit, Father Bougeant, wrote a very telling criticism of the Cartesian doctrine and prevailing alternatives. He concluded that the only solution which would not threaten religion was to grant souls to animals but to consider these the souls of demons or fallen angels inhabiting animal bodies as a punishment. His position allowed him to concede reason and a true language to beasts and neatly to justify their suffering. Father Bougeant’s order rewarded his ironical wit by applying stern disciplinary measures.  

Nonetheless, it is believed that animals are more sensitive to vibrations, much like babies, and have comparatively restricted experiences because their brains are not seemingly as developed at the adult human. Some believe that animals lack language and symbols and rely more heavily on instincts. However, it is believed that animals different from humans in a degree. God promised to resurrect the human body and therefore, it is retained the humans have immortal souls. The association of pleasures and pains with rewards and punishments and the inheritance of acquired habits and structural changes provided the requisite evolutionary mechanism. Any being, create, or plant that is capable of activity, regeneration, sensation, motions, and all other properties usually is explained by appeal to a vital principle or soul. And many of you who have pets or have interacted with animals have noticed that animals are endowed with reason and conscience, and an ape might be taught to employ language, as well as bird. It thus appears that there is but one type of organization in the Universe, and that man is the most perfect example.

Also, one will notice that a lot of new medications and treatments are tested on animals to see how humans might react and valves from a pig’s heart can be used to replace valves in the human heart. Also, animals use tool, form abstract concepts, employ language, and experience beauty and reverence. I sometimes tell my cockatiel Alex that he has pretty feathers and he starts to comb them with his feet and get happy. Also, sometimes when I come home, before I get to the door, he can sense me and gets all exited and starts dancing and singing in his cage. Therefore, it is human’s possession of a highly developed moral sense, or conscience, that constitutes their most important difference from lower animals. The main difference between human and animals is the mental and bodily evolution. However, pay attention to the mental states of the average animal, they tend to be peaceful and proud, while some humans are very savage and troubled. So it is very likely that animals do have souls, and therefore, we should not say we own animals, I strongly dislike when people say, “I own that animal.” Go forth then, and share with your and have a compassionate heart for all living things. Soften harden hearts with love and restore the destitute of their dignity of Spirit.