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[[Cueball]] explains to [[Ponytail]] that dogs must have {{w|souls}}. This would be against the doctrine of certain religions, including some sects of Christianity, which teach that only humans have souls. The question of whether animals have souls comes up for many reasons in theological and philosophical discussions. One major one is the wish of many Christian dog owners to meet their pets in {{w|Heaven}}. In many Christian doctrines, this would require dogs not only to have souls, but also ''immortal'' souls. This distinction comes up in Catholicism, for example, where the commonly taught doctrine, as in [http://dhspriory.org/thomas/english/ContraGentiles2.htm#82 Aquinas, S.C.G. II, C. 82], is that, while animals do have souls, their souls are mortal, and therefore die with their bodies. In this case, animals cannot enter Heaven, {{w|Hell}}, or {{w|Purgatory}}.
 
[[Cueball]] explains to [[Ponytail]] that dogs must have {{w|souls}}. This would be against the doctrine of certain religions, including some sects of Christianity, which teach that only humans have souls. The question of whether animals have souls comes up for many reasons in theological and philosophical discussions. One major one is the wish of many Christian dog owners to meet their pets in {{w|Heaven}}. In many Christian doctrines, this would require dogs not only to have souls, but also ''immortal'' souls. This distinction comes up in Catholicism, for example, where the commonly taught doctrine, as in [http://dhspriory.org/thomas/english/ContraGentiles2.htm#82 Aquinas, S.C.G. II, C. 82], is that, while animals do have souls, their souls are mortal, and therefore die with their bodies. In this case, animals cannot enter Heaven, {{w|Hell}}, or {{w|Purgatory}}.
  
Cueball, however, uses quantum mechanics as an argument, even though quantum mechanics is only applicable on the atomic scale and not on macroscopic objects like animals. It also only applies to matter and energy, and not to souls, which are held by most doctrines to be immaterial. His argument, however, is a reference to the concept of an '{{w|Observer (quantum physics)|observer}}' in quantum physics, as well as theories about the {{w|Von Neumann–Wigner interpretation|collapse of wave functions}}. It should also be noted that science does not equate the ability to observe the world and possession of a soul, and that the latter is merely a theological concept, not used in science and not proven to exist in real world.
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Cueball, however, uses quantum mechanics as an argument, even though quantum mechanics is only applicable on the atomic scale and not on macroscopic objects like animals. It also only applies to matter and energy, and not to souls, which are held by most doctrines to be immaterial. His argument, however, is a reference to the concept of an '{{w|Observer (quantum physics)|observer}}' in quantum physics, as well as theories about the {{w|Von Neumann–Wigner interpretation|collapse of wave functions}}.
  
 
The vast majority of people do not have a sufficient understanding of quantum mechanics to judge whether Cueball's statement is correct. Nevertheless, [[Randall|Randall's]] message is: you don't need to understand quantum mechanics to judge the statement. No matter what the sentence is, it is almost certainly incorrect, so “you can safely ignore” it.
 
The vast majority of people do not have a sufficient understanding of quantum mechanics to judge whether Cueball's statement is correct. Nevertheless, [[Randall|Randall's]] message is: you don't need to understand quantum mechanics to judge the statement. No matter what the sentence is, it is almost certainly incorrect, so “you can safely ignore” it.

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