animals

[Altair]

Originally Posted by boyce

Progress suggests moving forward. In the example from one form to another more complex to animate than the earlier one; a natural progression.

Except that's not how things work out. Complex organisms can go extinct and more simple organisms can thrive.
Humans aren't the centre of the universe.

[boyce]

It was never my contention that humans have any particular ranking in this universe. We are equally important and unimportant as all others.

Whether complex organisms go extinct or not has no relevance to what I said. Progress, moving forward from animating one less-complex form of life to animating another of (comparatively) more-complex form, can be short or long term. If one form of life goes extinct others are available.

[Altair]

Originally Posted by boyce

It was never my contention that humans have any particular ranking in this universe.

You said this:
''When sufficient progress has been made spirits will change from living as animals to living as humans. Some pets will have become very close to their carer and experienced a special relationship. Such lives are very different from those they might have had as wild animals or livestock. ''

So you rank the humans as higher, as closer to whatever goal there is or may be. This is a classic Hindu belief.

Originally Posted by boyce

Whether complex organisms go extinct or not has no relevance to what I said.

What it can mean is that at any point in time the more complex organisms can go extinct, leaving less complex organisms to take over niches. A huge asteroid could do just that, then it's bye bye humans, dolphins, canines and other clever mammals..

[HITESH SHAH]

Originally Posted by Altair

you rank the humans as higher, as closer to whatever goal there is or may be. This is a classic Hindu belief.

In the eyes of God there is no higher / lower. But level of sophistication in human consciousness allowed to them to have multiple -repeatable syllables to form language , invention of ink/papers allowed them to store the knowledge/wisdom for future generations , to have enough intellect to develop logic/arithmetic/algorithms / software programs / art , to experience the industrial/printing/digital revolutions . All these developments gave tremendous privileges to humans .

Now this is not just recognized by Hinduism . This fact can easily be interpreted in verses of Christianity and Islam regarding animals . And i see nothing wrong and it reflects reality . Due to all these privileges , these religious puts special onus / liability on humans to use these privileges in trust relationship with others .

Further the way animals can re-incarnate as humans , humans too can re-incarnate as animals if they do not like the burdens of being human like (learning in schools for many years , getting into and restricted to relationships , sticking to some professions for years , accepting , respecting and following social norms of human society etc) . For God everyone is equal and He grants new life as per his/her preferences.

[boyce]

I don't mind that what you say is Hindu belief but I don't rank humankind at all. I see it as simply further along a path to wherever/whatever. It doesn't make us "higher" than anything else though.

Should this earth be trashed in the way suggested then all bets will be off and a different path will result. That will be then but this is now.

[Altair]

Originally Posted by boyce

I don't mind that what you say is Hindu belief but I don't rank humankind at all.

You're all doing just that.

[boyce]

All? How many are contributing here? And all doing exactly what?

[kris]

All I can say about animals is this. Learn to appreciate them. Go vegan!

[BirbWhisperer]

I've had visits from my pets after they've passed on, but usually only one to three times before they finally disappear. I'm certain they have souls, and I think they go somewhere when they die. I've seen angels accompanied by light-body animals. I've also seen angels minister to the souls of animals that are in distress.

I suspect animals reincarnate, just like we do. Though I don't believe for a moment that every animal works towards incarnation in a human body, like some people claim. Who'd want to be human haha?

I also think there are a lot of species we don't see in the physical that we don't know about, like certain cryptids and things like unicorns and dragons. These animals certainly exist, but obviously not on this plane. There are also animal-like light beings, often more advanced and more intelligent than we are! I've seen and interacted with them when I'm out on the astral.

I feel like human animals and non human animals are ministered to equally. Honestly I think we're the same thing, the same spark in different forms.

[Redchic12]

Are we really more advanced than animals? I read this the other day

We are the only species that sh….s. in its own nest.

Just a thought lol