Do animals believe in God?

[mickw]

We are still animals, some humans think we're superior when in fact the really clever species don't let on how clever they are.

[RootsBooster]

See what? You don't need to have writing in order to tell someone something. Most mammals are capable of passing on information to their offspring in some form or another.

 

*sighs......*

 

I would say no, seeing as they can't read. Religious people believe in gods because they are told to by others and because it says so in a book/s

 

Right..

 

See the blue bit? It doesn't say you need writing to tell someone something does it? after the blue bit it says "AND it says so in books"

[Flowersfade]

If we did evolve from animals why can't we communicate with them when we are the superior species.

Animals can communicate between themselves.

 

Who says we are superior?.

[HeadingNorth]

If we did evolve from animals why can't we communicate with them when we are the superior species.

Animals can communicate between themselves.

 

We can if we bother to take the time and effort to learn their "language" - which is nearly always more about body language than any sounds.

 

I can recognise five different miaows from our pet cat - let me in, feed me, I want a stroke, leave me alone, and "aaargh" when something frightens her - and she knows at least some English words. Certainly she knows what "dinner," "outside" and "bed" mean. Of course, being a cat, just because she knows what we are telling her to do, doesn't mean she will actually do it.

 

Chimpanzees have even learnt to "speak" English, except that lacking the speech centre they can only do so via sign language or arranging words on a board. They're certainly capable of language; they aren't fooled by nonsense statements, and they can recognise and correct bad grammar.

[HeadingNorth]

See the blue bit? It doesn't say you need writing to tell someone something does it?

 

Yes, which is the proof that your initial statement was and remains a nonsense. Animals could - at least in theory - learn religion from their parents, just as humans did for millennia before any of it was written down.

 

So, again, I ask what it is that you think I'm missing?

[harvey19]

We can if we bother to take the time and effort to learn their "language" - which is nearly always more about body language than any sounds.

 

I can recognise five different miaows from our pet cat - let me in, feed me, I want a stroke, leave me alone, and "aaargh" when something frightens her - and she knows at least some English words. Certainly she knows what "dinner," "outside" and "bed" mean. Of course, being a cat, just because she knows what we are telling her to do, doesn't mean she will actually do it.

 

Chimpanzees have even learnt to "speak" English, except that lacking the speech centre they can only do so via sign language or arranging words on a board. They're certainly capable of language; they aren't fooled by nonsense statements, and they can recognise and correct bad grammar.

It is a fascinating subject, as you say some animals recognise what our words or phrases indicate the same as a young child.

If we did evolve why don't we have the ability to mutually understand each other, is it because animals have a very limited range of communications skills between themselves.

[harvey19]

Who says we are superior?.

A good subject for a new thread.

[HeadingNorth]

It is a fascinating subject, as you say some animals recognise what our words or phrases indicate the same as a young child.

If we did evolve why don't we have the ability to mutually understand each other, is it because animals have a very limited range of communications skills between themselves.

 

I don't think so - though I'm no expert on the subject. I'd merely point to the multiplicity of foreign languages - there are untold millions of people perfectly capable of communicating, but not capable of communicating with me, nor I with them.

 

Animals have far simpler "languages" in terms of their complexity, because an animal life does not have nearly as many concepts in it which need to be discussed. Food, danger, sex and fighting would cover just about all of them. Nevertheless, the particular method in which those concepts are expressed, can be just as complex, or even more complex, than the way in which a human would express them.

[RootsBooster]

Yes, which is the proof that your initial statement was and remains a nonsense. Animals could - at least in theory - learn religion from their parents, just as humans did for millennia before any of it was written down.

 

So, again, I ask what it is that you think I'm missing?

 

Ah i get you, fair enough. I suppose SOME species do have the capability to pass on specific information, such as dolphins

 

(click-click-click-eeeEEEeee!)

 

That was a compliment by the way

 

In fact they may well worship a "source of all things" for all we know.

Ancient peoples had no way to know what lay above the clouds, they fantasised about heaven being there.

 

Dolphins have no way to know what lies at the very bottom of the deepest darkest abyss, but they know that food comes from somewhere in the sea,

 

Personally though, i think they just enjoy being alive.

Some would say they have a whale of a time

[harvey19]

I don't think so - though I'm no expert on the subject. I'd merely point to the multiplicity of foreign languages - there are untold millions of people perfectly capable of communicating, but not capable of communicating with me, nor I with them.

 

Animals have far simpler "languages" in terms of their complexity, because an animal life does not have nearly as many concepts in it which need to be discussed. Food, danger, sex and fighting would cover just about all of them. Nevertheless, the particular method in which those concepts are expressed, can be just as complex, or even more complex, than the way in which a human would express them.

If they do have limited and simpler thoughts I find it hard to understand why we cannot communicate with those animals in the chain of evolution immediately below us.

Also there has been so much spectacular progress in so many fields over the years worldwide but we are still unable to communicate in a "conversational" as opposed to command way with the species below us in the evolution process.

I am using the evolution theory to progress this problem.