Tunesmith: The Bible says "Isaiah 11:6 The wolf also shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the kid; and the calf and the young lion and the fatling together; and a little child shall lead them." and "Isaiah 65:25 The wolf and the lamb shall feed together, and the lion shall eat straw like the bullock: and dust shall be the serpent's meat. They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain, saith the LORD."

I believe it is talking about the earth after Jesus returns. If I were Christian I would take it to show a sign that animals are indeed valued and may possibly have a soul of some sort.

I remember teaching some children one day in a Catholic school. It was the first time I had given my talk in a faith school and one child asked me... "Do you think that there will be animals in heaven?". My reply was that I certainly would hope so and that the bible's message is that predator will sit with preay. I also said I am not sure I would want to live in a heaven if there were no animals. He was happy enough with the answer at his young age of 6.

Thinking I would get shouted at by the attendant Nun she came to me at the end and said quietly "You handled that so well. It was a ice way to think of it^

In short I have no idea Tunesmith. I think many religions think we are above the animals and that they do not have souls. Anyone who owned a dog may think otherwise.... I would like to think they do.

I have seen animals showing soul where there has been none shown by the human. It makes you wonder. My answer is the same as I gave that young boy that day

mp