Pets Have Souls?

My travels for the month of June (and the year!) have subsided and I look forward to getting back into the swing of things. We had a wonderful time at Saved by Faith Youth Challenge (SBFYC) in Bolivar, MO (see prior blogs). We just returned from mission trip to La Poza, Mexico with To Every Tribe Ministries. This was my fourth year in La Poza and I think the best yet.

Now back to blogging! I know you have lost sleep not having anything to read for the past few weeks. Well, let me give you something worth losing a little sleep over. I woke today to find the following article in our local newspaper, "Animal chaplain prays, anoints, gives lasts rites." I have often been asked if there will be animals in heaven. And my response is that while Scripture really does not give us enough to be dogmatic either way, it seems that humanity alone (along with angels) is equipped for eternity. But this chaplain goes beyond the question. He dogmatically asserts that animals have souls and can teach humans the love of God. Really now? I would like to see the text that suggests that animals have souls. The human soul is what distinguishes it from all other life forms in God's creation. Some might argue that the soul refers simply to the life-giving aspect of God. But this is not what Scripture means by the soul of man. Whether you are a dichotomist or a trichotomist is not the issue here. When Scripture speaks of the "soul" it is always in reference to humanity. While Scripture does refer to the "spirit" of animals, this is different than the "spirit" or the "soul" of man which separates humanity from all other creatures. It is what makes humanity alone to be in the image of God, reasoning and spiritual creatures.

This is not to say that we should not offer comfort to those who have lost pets that they are close to. It does not mean that we should not pray for God's creatures either. What it does mean is that we should not elevate animals to a place that is not Scriptural. What are your thoughts?