# Animals being Personal?



## T.A.G. (Feb 26, 2010)

Are animals personal? I know they are not made in the image of God, yet at the same time they seem and act like more than randomly firing neurons...


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## yoyoceramic (Feb 26, 2010)

By personal do you mean personable?


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## T.A.G. (Feb 26, 2010)

is there a sharp difference between the two terms?


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## jwright82 (Feb 26, 2010)

I think quite a lot of linguistic considerations must be taken into account before an answer could be given, some words carry by nature metaphysical baggage. In an article by Bahnsen on the mind/body problem he does pointt out that the bible uses the word spirit in regard to animals as well. Here is the article: PA143.
Warning he uses advanced philosophical language, I had to have my dictionrary of philosophy in hand when reading it but it is an interesting read.


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## Peairtach (Feb 27, 2010)

Do (some) animals have souls, albeit not made in God's Image and not eternal? Will there be animals in Heaven/in the New Heavens and New Earth?

Are animals unique enough to have personalities? Are animals self-conscious enough to be called individuals?

Some of the animals that live with humans _appear_ to take on some human/personal characteristics? Some animals in the wild like whales and elephants _appear_ to have certain characteristics that are uncannily human; e.g. elephants _apparently_ lovingly caressing the bones of a dead colleague. 

Someone suggested that the "animals are made in the image of Man". I think by that he/she meant that the different animals embody different aspects of Man, both noble and ignoble, both Upright ("Jeshurun") and Fallen.

We see them used symbolically in this way in the Bible - see e.g. Patrick Fairbairn's discussion of the qualities of the eagle, the lion, the ox and (presumably, unfallen) Man in the Bible's description of the high angelic order of the Cherubim ("Living Ones"). 

Christ as Lion and Lamb.

The Bible encourages us to learn from the animals, in the light of Scripture of course. 

Check other threads on animals.


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